Topic: Lessons Learned/Future Focus (Read 3398 times)

trackman · « **on:** January 02, 2009, 02:07:23 PM »

I thought it would be nice to see how far we've progressed in the past year and what our goals (not resolutions) are for the new year.

Lessons: Minor fingerstyle playing, I've learned to integrate a few mor riffs and chord progressions into Sunday service.

Goals: I want to really get into some heavy chord progressions, I would like to add a few more scales to my vocabulary, I would like to really progress in my fingerstyle playing (major goal), and last but not least - I really want to be able to tune my guitar by ear (I hate it when someone picks up my guitar and starts tuning it

).

This isn't a goal, but I'd like to have a decent tube amp as well.

trackman · « **Reply #1 on:** January 02, 2009, 02:37:46 PM »

OH!!! Another lesson learned: Make sure that everyone knows that your personal equipment is not "Church equipment".

A guy in my church's band had his very expensive bass amp blown because someone thought it would be ok for them to have their personal pratice time on it. Cost a pretty penny to fix. Plus the feelings behind the action...

Fenix · « **Reply #2 on:** January 02, 2009, 03:00:30 PM »

Chords- i need to broaden my chord vocabulary and learn chord substitution techniques a la Joe Pass.

Fingerstyle I'm already pretty good with finger-style guitar. I just need to hone it further and start playing songs in fingerstyle mode.

Scales- I am totally going to start applying myself more to learning scales and riffs and licks. Because i play mostly rhythm, i let that part slip away and leave the soloing and stuff to others.

Music Theory- Study more advanced music theory and how it applies to guitar. I want to be able to take a song and make it my own.

That is it for now.

SanctifiedGuitar · « **Reply #3 on:** January 02, 2009, 06:21:25 PM »

Quote from: Fenix on January 02, 2009, 03:00:30 PM

Chords- i need to broaden my chord vocabulary and learn chord substitution techniques a la Joe Pass.

Go for it!!!

Gibby · « **Reply #4 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:00:46 PM »

Scales = become more fluent and add runs with chord changes.

Rown · « **Reply #5 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:29:38 PM »

Quote from: Gibby on January 02, 2009, 09:00:46 PM

Scales = become more fluent and add runs with chord changes.

Those stinky scales.I didn`t say it.Larry Carter did

jlynnb1 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:51:25 PM »

Technique - get my hands in shape again...for the first time in years

Outside Licks - Incorporate some more outside licks and phrases...digest some scale substitution over dominants/altered dominants to flavor them a little more jazzy/fusion

Prince - really learn the licks of the purple master

Writing - to get back to writing songs/music..

melrhyne · « **Reply #7 on:** January 03, 2009, 03:37:25 PM »

Become competent with chord melodies!

Rown · « **Reply #8 on:** January 03, 2009, 04:17:41 PM »

Quote from: melrhyne on January 03, 2009, 03:37:25 PM

Become competent with chord melodies!

Good luck.If you are going to do it right.It is HARD.

SanctifiedGuitar · « **Reply #9 on:** January 03, 2009, 06:19:32 PM »

My focus is to keep it simple

Rown · « **Reply #10 on:** January 03, 2009, 06:39:22 PM »

To take my game to another level,equipment and all

melrhyne · « **Reply #11 on:** January 03, 2009, 09:11:25 PM »

Quote from: Rown on January 03, 2009, 04:17:41 PM

Good luck.If you are going to do it right.It is HARD.

I KNOW! I been trying for like 20 years

Rown · « **Reply #12 on:** January 03, 2009, 09:50:24 PM »

Quote from: melrhyne on January 03, 2009, 09:11:25 PM

I KNOW! I been trying for like 20 years

Gibby · « **Reply #13 on:** January 03, 2009, 11:20:26 PM »

Quote from: jlynnb1 on January 02, 2009, 09:51:25 PM

Prince - really learn the licks of the purple master

how could I forget about him!!??

funkStrat_97 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 04, 2009, 07:47:24 PM »

I will learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi master like my...er, never mind. Instead, I will focus on tecnique and building better solos.

JayP5150 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 05, 2009, 07:59:27 AM »

Fingerstyle - I want to really improve on my thumb. Not really Travis-picking, but that kinda thing. Buckingham stuff. I'm getting better, and it's making its way into my writing now, so that's good.

Woodshed - just need to try to spend some time in lock down and write, and play, and write some more. Aside from some bass tracks for my cousin, I haven't recorded since this spring--er, last spring?

Build more - Not playing-related, but I haven't built anything in a bit, either (I think the last I did were 2 TS808s for a guy--man I'm sick of building those lol, lots of wiring...). I did just order some parts for a germanium fuzz for a dude in Finland though. That only took me about 8 months to get together

Got to hit my groove again. Oh, and maybe build something for myself for a change. My pedalboard is embarrassingly store-bought--slightly modded, but store-bought.

trackman · « **Reply #16 on:** January 05, 2009, 08:21:00 AM »

Quote from: JayP5150 on January 05, 2009, 07:59:27 AM

Build more - Not playing-related, but I haven't built anything in a bit, either (I think the last I did were 2 TS808s for a guy--man I'm sick of building those lol, lots of wiring...). I did just order some parts for a germanium fuzz for a dude in Finland though. That only took me about 8 months to get together Got to hit my groove again. Oh, and maybe build something for myself for a change. My pedalboard is embarrassingly store-bought--slightly modded, but store-bought.

I wish that I could do some of that stuff! It would be great to learn the inner workings of what we use. It's amazing that you have that ability...

Fenix · « **Reply #17 on:** January 05, 2009, 08:30:21 AM »

Quote from: JayP5150 on January 05, 2009, 07:59:27 AM

Build more - Not playing-related, but I haven't built anything in a bit, either (I think the last I did were 2 TS808s for a guy--man I'm sick of building those lol, lots of wiring...). I did just order some parts for a germanium fuzz for a dude in Finland though. That only took me about 8 months to get together Got to hit my groove again. Oh, and maybe build something for myself for a change. My pedalboard is embarrassingly store-bought--slightly modded, but store-bought.

Quote from: trackman on January 05, 2009, 08:21:00 AM

I wish that I could do some of that stuff! It would be great to learn the inner workings of what we use. It's amazing that you have that ability...

Cosign!

Where does one learn all this stuff anyway? The most i can do with my guitar is adjust the truss and change the action.

Anything beyond that is alien territory.

JayP5150 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 05, 2009, 09:18:42 AM »

I'm a hack lol.

I learned everything I DO know by hitting up forums and studying stuff online.

I still can't really make something from scratch, but I've gotten proficient at what deos what to the sound in an existing circuit.

Check out www.diystompboxes.com and hit up the FAQ and the forum.

There's also www.generalguitargadgets.com - they sell ready to build kits and stuff, and have a lot of schematics and tech info.

Then there's www.geofex.com - wealth of info, and www.muzique.com as well.

Just start looking around and sponging stuff up. That's literally what I did. I wanted to learn it, so I did, and that was 5 years ago. I'm still learning it lol.

It's something that you can get satisfaction out of fairly quickly, but spend years really understanding what the heck you're doing.

Don't expect to save money a ton, though. I still plop down about $40 to $50 every time I place a parts order. Granted, there are a lot of left-overs (you order a lot of stuff in large quantities), but you can still figure about $35 to throw something together in a nice box, etc.

Detman101 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 05, 2009, 09:41:18 AM »

Lessons learned in 2008

1. Use my tube amp when playing guitar at church. That way I can play over the keyboardist no matter how loud he turns up his amps.
2. Stick to fingerstyle, I can't keep up with chord changes with a lightning-fast professional keyboardist.
3. It was a good idea to learn how to read music/tabs/chords. No one in COGIC hardly knows how...lol.
4. Don't care about what others think, guitars aren't considered instruments in COGIC.

Future Focus

1. Find other people to play with.
2. Play with other churches that need a guitarist.
3. Find the perfect sound/tone for my setup.
4. Find a lighter electric guitar to use for playing abroad(15 lb Silverburst Les Paul style guitar all mahogany lol...)
5. Take it easy and play music my own way instead of trying to sound like someone else.
6. Try harder to listen to songs and "HEAR" the notes/chords.
7. Have more fun...

Dm

Author Topic: Lessons Learned/Future Focus (Read 3398 times)