Lessons Learned/Future Focus

[Fenix]

4. Find a lighter electric guitar to use for playing abroad(15 lb Silverburst Les Paul style guitar all mahogany lol...)

Only one word for ya'...Stratocaster.

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.

So does this mean its cheaper to build your own pedal than to buy one? Those things run at least $70 per pedal.

[JayP5150]

Only one word for ya'...Stratocaster.

So does this mean its cheaper to build your own pedal than to buy one? Those things run at least $70 per pedal.

Generally, yes, but some of them, you'll still shell out for.

I really want to build a UniVibe, for instance. That's still about $80 out of pocket... however, they are upwards of $300 for the boutique clones, so...

On the flip-side, you can put together a good fuzz face for about $25.

What gets you are the switches (those 3PDT switches are about $6 each), and the enclosures--usually about $9 each.

Everything else is pennies. Literally. Except maybe good NOS transistors and stuff.

I was just saying that even though it's cheaper, you end up not doing it for the savings, you do it for the tone addiction.

[reindale]

My intention for 2009 regarding my playing is the following

1) Improve my solo and improvisation skills
2) Improve on my musical ear, by this I mean when I am playing with someone, be able to jump right in and add something sweet that's in key instead of asking what key they are in.
3) Work on my fingerstyle playing
4) Improving my chord vocabulary, instead of playing the same bar chords everytime, use some different voicings. For example, instead of playing EMaj7 chord like this everytime:

7
9
8
9
7
X

Voice it like this:

4 or 4
4    4
4    4
6    2
7    X
X    X

By this, I mean get out of my comfort zone of bar chords and throw something different in there. Some of you may use these other chords a lot, I use them some but I really want to improve in this area.

[Abe]

My goals for 2009:
1. Continue learning to read sheet music note for note.
2. Spend more time in my Grimoire books.
3. Continue to learn my fretboard.

[trackman]

My goals for 2009:
1. Continue learning to read sheet music note for note.
2. Spend more time in my Grimoire books.
3. Continue to learn my fretboard.

Are those Grimoire books any good? I looked thru one a few times but I couldn't see the value in it. How is this resource supposed to be used?

[Fenix]

Are those Grimoire books any good? I looked thru one a few times but I couldn't see the value in it. How is this resource supposed to be used?

I was tempted to buy that guitar grimoire once but it just looked like a book with a bunch of scales in it...and i already have enough books about those.

[Abe]

True, the Grimoire books look like a bunch of scales, modes and exercises but I have a tutor that helps break it down for me.
My goal is to learn to read sheet music as a guitar player.
During my high school and college days, the #1 method/exercise book for clarinet was "H. Klose" by Carl Fischer. I think the "Grimoire" books, also by Carl Fisher, are good when approached/used as study/method book/s.

    

[Rown]

I have a dvd by them.Not impressed

[Abe]

I do not have the DVD. Do you have one of the books also? What about the DVD was a turn off?

Thanks,