curing the blues noodle

bloomer

So I've reached the unhappy conclusion that I don't really make music on the guitar, instead opting to just noodle around the fretboard with half arsed blues/rock licks. Often to my shame without much thought to playing in time. I don't even lay down some chords and play over the changes, just mess around with the pentatonic. I do know a fair few fragments of songs and solos but I never play a song all the way through. Can anyone recommend songs that suit learning on electric guitar? To give you an idea of my level I guess I'm around Lee Anderton's standard, I can do a decent rendition of little wing intro and other hendrix in that style like wind cries mary and  soloing wise I do a respectable black magic woman. So nothing shred! 

Philly_Q

@Modmins - this is not me under another user ID, honest.

I can't even play Black Magic Woman.

Welcome, @bloomer!

bodhi

I love noodling blues exactly as you described.  Calms my nerve down (I have only one nerve left).

kswilson89

Take a 2 chord progression and practice playing over the changes, hit the root, 3rd and 5th of each respective chord as it passes.

HandwrittenHero

bloomer said:

So I've reached the unhappy conclusion that I don't really make music on the guitar, instead opting to just noodle around the fretboard with half arsed blues/rock licks. Often to my shame without much thought to playing in time. I don't even lay down some chords and play over the changes, just mess around with the pentatonic. I do know a fair few fragments of songs and solos but I never play a song all the way through. Can anyone recommend songs that suit learning on electric guitar? To give you an idea of my level I guess I'm around Lee Anderton's standard, I can do a decent rendition of little wing intro and other hendrix in that style like wind cries mary and  soloing wise I do a respectable black magic woman. So nothing shred! 

So what fragments of songs do you already know? Does filling them out interest you? And to what detail? So Little Wing is a really good example...you could really deep dive that and try and get all the nuances in obsessively, or you could go for general feel of it and learn the chords, keep it basic and build in what improv you want...for example, I'm a good level below you and currently my teacher (worth having both as a way of keeping you motivated and guidance) had me on Hey Joe...so I've got the intro, got the solo and for the verses it's a case of starting off with just the chord structure as muted roots then barre, but it's my choice how much I want to build it out...important thing is I can play along now, the solo has been decent work for where I'm at and I've also been encouraged to take some of the licks for improv.

What music do you like? Zeppelin? AC/DC? ZZ Top? SRV? Any of the Kings? Clapton? Tons of stuff and just a case of finding what appeals to you

Funkfingers

kswilson89 said:

Take a 2 chord progression and practice playing over the changes

bloomer

Maybe I should get a looper pedal for practising making the changes, anyone got recommendations?

@handwrittenhero, sounds like you have a good system going there starting off with a skeleton of the song and filling it out, gets you playing an actual recognisable song right away, I'll try doing that with the bits and pieces I know. btw this guy does some good and pretty accurate covers if you're learning hendrix: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5G7VFGt9QDYExWEZ_6MbLg

TeleMaster

Lee Anderton is fairly decent imo. 

Have you considered going a band? Covers if you’re not into making original stuff?

HAL9000

Have you considered jam nights? I go to a weekly one in Crawley. Essentially the format is that whoever is leading teaches the chords for a song. (There will about 10 songs in an evening). Then everyone who wants to takes a solo while the rest play the backing.  It's a good way of learning some songs, meeting other musicians, and getting a chance to try some soloing over some 'real' music.

tone1

I may or may not relate to this thread......

Kittyfrisk

kswilson89 said:

Take a 2 chord progression and practice playing over the changes, hit the root, 3rd and 5th of each respective chord as it passes.

What is this strange new wisdom? Chords, roots, 3rds & 5ths?
Tis witchery!! 

stephen.wood125

@OP Wiz's (with bitter tears in my eyes) fair play, this is the hole I fall down. I'm trying to learn some Jazz and Country stuff for alternative approaches... Still wander back to the noodling though! It's a long process! Good luck

brucegill

I really found listening to new stuff has helped. Went down the Jazz route and a whole load of country too. Jazz has helped finding new chord progressions massively, essentially playing things that would have sounded so wrong before. country has helped get out of always playing a minor pentatonic, and switching between major and minor. (Always nice as if you already know your minor pentatonic, just move down 3 frets and you have your major; just need to work out where all your route notes are compared to how you’d normally play, patterns are the same though). 

chrisj1602

A looper is definitely a good idea, but ban yourself from 12 bar loops!

Snags

A looper, backing tracks, and jams. Especially the latter,  as they involve Other People so you have to learn the whole song. 

jonnyburgo

The Captain seemed to make a big leap in his playing fairly recently, All that jamming with Danish Pete et al can only be a good education.

thebreeze

Looper’s good.
Lee Anderton’s good.
You’re probably good.
Don’t worry about it.  Play with other people.  Enjoy the freedom of expression, you’ll learn stuff through that and through having to eventually.  I find the imposition of disciplined learning takes the fun out of it but I can also see why most people think it’s worth the effort.

jonnyburgo

Funkfingers said:

kswilson89 said:

Take a 2 chord progression and practice playing over the changes

Frank rarely if ever repeats a phrase during his solos, something I struggle with.

chris_john

I went to Truefire.com and bought some tutorial packages such as 50 modal licks, and 50 modern rock licks. Both of them got me away from the minor pentatonic for a while. However, it's hard not to noodle in such familiar territory. It's mostly muscle memory for me now.

octatonic

Transcription, transcription, transcription.

NelsonP

jonnyburgo said:

The Captain seemed to make a big leap in his playing fairly recently, All that jamming with Danish Pete et al can only be a good education.

Justinguitar rut busters played a part in this I think. Worth checking out perhaps?

https://www.justinguitar.com/modules/rut-busters-with-capt-lee-anderton