Effective practice . . . . . . some advice please

JAYJO

georgenadaintl said:

5:12 in Shawn Lane messes up a line badly. Does that stop him? Hell no. Does anybody in the comments section mention it? I scrolled down and couldn't find a single comment.

you mentioned it!

Phil_aka_Pip

thomasross20 said:

Fair point! 

It's just for when I'm at one part of the fretboard and the chord changes and I want to be able to play over that chord without rushing over to the chord's root note on the E string. I think if you can do it with reference to the E and A strings then you're ok... no need to go overboard and learn it for every one. 

So in my head I remember (for example):

Ionian on E string is mixolydian on A string (or phyrgian/lydian if playing the C shape on the A string).

Dorian on E string is played over Aeolian on A string and so on. 

I admit it's a lot of thought but something I need to get used to. I can see the arp shapes over these and am trying to fit it in. 

Funnily enough I learned the modes before pentatonics so the modes are easier for me to remember. 

I like not to think too much when playing... hence why jazz is outwith my playing realm lol...

I think that's why I learn it as one key over the entire fingerboard rather than a set of separate scales one for each possible root (chosen out of a parent scale) to go with each chord.

thomasross20

Wait, surely it's the same thing... I know the scale all over the fretboard, but as a series of 7 modes which I flow into. It's just not *as* fluent as I'd like at times.

Phil_aka_Pip

thomasross20 said:

Wait, surely it's the same thing... I know the scale all over the fretboard, but as a series of 7 modes which I flow into. It's just not *as* fluent as I'd like at times.

it is. but I think theres a shift of emphasis

thomasross20

I tend to stick to the major scale modes, its arpeggios and pentatonics. Rarely do I venture outside that. 

Catthan

in the words of Hal Galper, practice what you like, what resonates with you.

I think he worded it like "whatever is trying to tell you smth about yourself"

And whenever you are working on boring stuff, going up and down a scale etc, try to make it sound like music. Add rhythm, experiment etc.

Try to avoid any mental and psychological blocks like "I'm making slow progress with X while the hip thing I should be focusing on is Y," or "I'm moving too slow'' and other counterproductive ideas you might get. And even if you stray from a set goal for whatever reason, convince yourself that there's no amount of time spent on the instrument that's wasted; everything you do on one thing (song, scale, pattern, technique) helps with everything else you do on other things (again songs, scales, patterns, techniques).

On the more technical side, try to stay relaxed and focused on articulation and clarity and speed will come as a result of consistent practice (IF you're interested in speed). Transcribe melodies to train you ears and build vocabulary and do the dirty work ie transpose to awkward keys and attempt less convenient positions.

Then practice how to get in and out of the melodies you internalised. And learn the fretboard.

Visualizing your progress etc helps too. 

Finally, the moment you feel confident enough, start using play alongs and join a band at the first chance you'll get.

Have fun and good luck. 

ChrisMusic

I hope @Mkjackary doesn't mind me "borrowing" his post from another discussion, but it seems an excellent working example of one of the visualisation techniques mentioned before in this discussion.

"I used to think of songs to memorise intervals, but now I find it too much hassle as I forget how the songs go. 

For me when I'm on the bus I like to listen to chill songs and just have a guitar solo in my head, and I move my fingers along with it too, I can imagine what the notes will sound like in respect to my fingers. Dorky I know, but sitting on the bus or wherever and just miming playing a simple bluesey solo is a good workout for me brain at least.

I also like to think of a melody, like Ba da da da baa, then play it without thinking about it, paul gilbert is great at that. And then after doing that and the bus thing, (it isn't just on the bus it is whenever I am not doing something I would be either doing that or tapping a rhythm) doing that, now I know all the intervals and most chords without thinking about it. I might not hear something and say "that is a maj3rd then back to root and down an octave..." But If I hear a melody I know how to imagine myself playing it.

If I am learning a song in depth however, like I recently did with "Morning star", I like to watch live videos; I could pick out the notes and their positions on the neck by ear, but the technique, nuances and other little things you might not pick up on with your wear, you will see when the play live.

Guitar pro 6 helped me alot before I could learn by ear, so sooo much better than tabs, you can slow it down, see the note durations and timings which is vital. Numbers on a line give you no indication of timing at all."     Mkjackary

Mkjackary

ChrisMusic said:

I hope @Mkjackary doesn't mind me "borrowing" his post from another discussion, but it seems an excellent working example of one of the visualisation techniques mentioned before in this discussion.

"I used to think of songs to memorise intervals, but now I find it too much hassle as I forget how the songs go. 

For me when I'm on the bus I like to listen to chill songs and just have a guitar solo in my head, and I move my fingers along with it too, I can imagine what the notes will sound like in respect to my fingers. Dorky I know, but sitting on the bus or wherever and just miming playing a simple bluesey solo is a good workout for me brain at least.

I also like to think of a melody, like Ba da da da baa, then play it without thinking about it, paul gilbert is great at that. And then after doing that and the bus thing, (it isn't just on the bus it is whenever I am not doing something I would be either doing that or tapping a rhythm) doing that, now I know all the intervals and most chords without thinking about it. I might not hear something and say "that is a maj3rd then back to root and down an octave..." But If I hear a melody I know how to imagine myself playing it.

If I am learning a song in depth however, like I recently did with "Morning star", I like to watch live videos; I could pick out the notes and their positions on the neck by ear, but the technique, nuances and other little things you might not pick up on with your wear, you will see when the play live.

Guitar pro 6 helped me alot before I could learn by ear, so sooo much better than tabs, you can slow it down, see the note durations and timings which is vital. Numbers on a line give you no indication of timing at all."     Mkjackary

*Sues*

In all seriousness though appreciate the quote

ChrisMusic

Back on the  ~     s  l  o  w     ~  practice thought ...

Duration 5:31

ChrisMusic

Emotional ear training, some nice ideas in here IMO

Duration 5:32

octatonic

ChrisMusic said:

Back on the  ~     s  l  o  w     ~  practice thought ...

Duration 5:31

This is very good.

massless

ChrisMusic said:

Back on the  ~     s  l  o  w     ~  practice thought ...

Duration 5:31

100% bang on.