Hey whats going on everyone, I am new here so id just like to say hello and ask a bit of advice in the hope someone will help me out.

So I have been playing for about a year and a bit, and I have progressed a fair bit. I have already easily surpassed my friends who have been playing for many years, and I really feel as though I have found my talent and have the potential to make something out of this.

I was wondering if you had some advice you could give me that you wish you could have picked up on earlier wheter it be about practising, jamming or anything at all music related really.

Thanks alot, Im sure your comments will be very helpful,

RJ

Meet some musicians and play in a band setting. You might be awesome solo, but if you dont play with others, your rhythm will be crap

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yes, jam with anyone and everyone no matter what style of music. learn some scales and theory. keep your mind open to new ideas. don't be afraid to sing and play bass. playing bass improved my guitar playing. plus, i just enjoyed it. but, i just enjoy playing music, period.

Play with others. Scales, chords, and theory will go a long way, especially if you have a natural talent for guitar. Most of all, just have fun. Have a back-up plan just in case you do not get as far as you want.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Dont get frustrated, keep at it.

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Hey Rilley, welcome to the forum. If you never had one on one guitar lessons with a pro, or at least serious supervision with an experienced guitar player, you might consider to do it someday. You've had great advices so far and you seem to have a positive attitude toward learning, this is also something that will help you learn more.
We all hit the wall someday and everything we do seems helpless and we don't progress anymore. It is part of the learning process and if you keep at it during those times you'll be rewarded by a better comprehension of what you are doing. The learning curve is like a plateau and even if the top of it seems endless, sterile and dull, there is an end to it.
What style do you play or prefer to play? If you can, please post pics of your gear, we love to see pics. See ya.
Claude.

Hey everyone thanks for all the answers thus far!

So as far as playing, I have fallen deeply in love with the blues. If I had to make a comparison it would be similar to Band of Gypsys era Hendrix, but more bluesy. So kind of like funk-rock/blues, but in no way am I trying to sound like a hendrix copy.

For gear, a strat style guitar, no idea the actually brand but I love it to death I have it all sanded down and it feels fantastic. I am actually having Custom 54 pickups put in it now, so that should improve the sound. I have a fender Vibrochamp amp, and some classical guitar which I am looking at trading for a steel string.

What do you recommend for chords, scales and theory?

As far as theory goes, I understand how to construct chords, scales and stuff in that vein.

I mostly use the minor pentatonic blues scale, but according to chord changes I throw in major 2nds, 3rds and 6ths which makes it simialr to modes like Dorian and Mixolydian.

As for as chords go I try and learn as many as I can, I know all your major, minor and 7ths, as well as 9ths, 11ths and 13ths, as well as more obscure altered chords such as 7 or 9sus4 and 7#9 etc.

I try to play with people as often as I can, but it seems many of my friends who play dont really want to play with me as much anymore because I guess its a shot at their ego that someone -playing only a fraction as long as they have has already surpassed them, but I am always looking for people to play with.

Playing with egos will lead you nowhere, keep your friends but find someone else to play with and learn. One who is a true seeker will also learn sometimes from a modest player, because you are not just playing guitar, you are also living your life.
Claude.

Hi Riley, welcome to the forums.
Sounds like your are well on your way.... It seems a bit strange about your buddies... I find that playing with better/more experience people drives me to play better. I take it you all may be of the "younger" crowd???
Well just keep it all up and try to find others with your same passion, Im sure it will all work out.

Good luck,

Bill

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Hey, Boy Blue is back!

Hi Riley,there's always room for another Canuck in the Forum.What the others have been saying is right,jam with as many people as you can and explore playing as many genres as you can.Every time you jam you'll come away with something to add to your bag of tricks.Just keep at it and soak up all that you can and pretty soon you'll be able to apply it all to develop your own style.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Hi Riley; Glad you're here. I hope you go far with your playing. Like most, you'll probably have good times and bad times. Just for now, don't quit your day job.

finally another riley

dont get frusterated with it, but the number 1 rule, always have fun

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riley

Welcome Riley, I think you should be giving a lot of us advice on theory. Don't do like me and stay in your bedroom the rest of your life playing by yourself bumping into riffs and recording them but never being able to finish them or dreaming songs and not being able to arrange them into any cohesive song.

You need a regular gig and a band by now. The rest will work itself out.

Hope you can sing if not look for someone.

Good luck and let me know how the guitar turns out.

wow from what you say, youve come a very long way for only 1 yr.
as far as your friends go, i think i can read between the lines as to whats going on there.
so as said before as much theory as you can soak up plus, playing out with other people is great experience. oh, and being true to yourself is also good.

Woah woah woah!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply! This is great!

I will try and reply to everyone, but no order is guranteed!


- I just found out about a weekly open blues night at a pub near me that is all ages, so I intend on going to that to learn with and from other players, as well as to meet other musicians in the attempt to find more people to play with

- I am not the best singer though i continue to do it and I am improving, hell if Dylan can do it I sure as hell can give it my best

- I certainly understand that speed= skill is baloney, and i prefer: feeling> fast
- Also, I play on a guiat worth less than $100 and I love it to death, I have no interest in buying a new one anytime soon, I did just get new pickups though!

- I certainly will stay away from crack

- I know I said my main thing is blues, but I also play Funk, "Rock", delta blues, folk, slide in several open tunings, latin/jazz style stuff on my classical, and celtic and indian style stuff in open c tuning where i also play bottleneck and reggae. I really do try and learn as much as I can because I know every technique will be useful down the line in creating my own sound

-My goal in life is to have fun and be happy, so frankly if im not doing either I will try and not do it. Giutar is never un-fun to me so I have no worries there.

-I am not worried about pedals, to be honest I think my times is better spend playing that figuring out how to set up thirteen pedals

-I am a realist and if I didnt think I had a shot I would not be here asking for advice

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate the help!

Feel free to ask any questions you have or to share more words of wisdom!

Take it easy!