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Things you are really good at by accident? or learned without realising

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a friend of mine said my palm muting is great.

But generally it's not something I particually tried to set out to learn. It just happened as I was a shy guitarist or trying to keep the noise down and it just came naturally. 

if anything I actually do it too much. 
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Comments

  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    edited October 2019
    When I play in front of anybody, people normally remark that I have a particularly light touch and that it's not a bad thing. However for much the same reason, it's because I'm a bit apologetic when I play or sing but it just comes across as though I'm trying to have a subtle gentle touch.

    Though I am mainly a piano player for which a soft touch is very desirable, in a world of pianists who think plinky plonk is the way to play! So maybe it comes from that
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    I came out of the womb, grabbed a guitar and was alt picking like a dream from day 1.

    Conversely, 56 years on and I still can't sweep pick just one simple arp to save my life.
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  • FuengiFuengi Frets: 2849
    When I play in front of anybody, people normally remark that I have a particularly light touch and that it's not a bad thing. However for much the same reason, it's because I'm a bit apologetic when I play or sing but it just comes across as though I'm trying to have a subtle gentle touch.

    Though I am mainly a piano player for which a soft touch is very desirable, in a world of pianists who think plinky plonk is the way to play! So maybe it comes from that

    This. I've been told I have a 'nice feel' to my playing but in all honesty it's just me trying not to annoy anyone. 
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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    I must have something as people always seem really pleased just after I've stopped playing.
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  • adamm82adamm82 Frets: 448
    munckee said:
    I must have something as people always seem really pleased just after I've stopped playing.
    If I play a difficult solo i get weird replies like 'oh i don't know if that's good or not' :-( 

    But then play something by Oasis (not mentioning the W word) they all love it.

    Though if I start tapping (not my greatest strength) they pay attention. it's a funny world never know what to do. 

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  • LastMantraLastMantra Frets: 3822
    I've always pulled off the occasional pinch harmonic without trying. Just happens when I dig in. 'bad' technique I suppose. I remember wondering if there was something wrong with my amp when I started playing. 
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    I don't have particularly big hands but I can outstretch every other player I know ..   just got really stretchy fingers 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    It's not accidental but I learned some basic chicken picken techniques quite easily but have never played a song in which I had any use for them. My attempts at inserting chicken picken into Madness songs not the successful hybrid I imagined.   
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • adamm82adamm82 Frets: 448
    I've always pulled off the occasional pinch harmonic without trying. Just happens when I dig in. 'bad' technique I suppose. I remember wondering if there was something wrong with my amp when I started playing. 
    I had the same, It got to a point where I had to concentrate to stop doing it. 
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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    Perfect pitch probably
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • Saying the wrong thing to my wife.

    It's not a competition.
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  • Matt_McGMatt_McG Frets: 321
    I don't think I'm especially brilliant at anything on the guitar, although I'm competent enough at almost everything except chicken picking, slide and fast bebop.

    The only thing I can think of is time feel. I've been complemented a few times on it, and been told, when I was still in  a band (originals), by a friend who was an excellent player, that my playing was "solid". By which he meant that I played in time, didn't over-play, locked in with the bass and drums, etc.

    I never specifically practiced it, but I always cared about it, and I can hear other people's (bad) time a mile off, so I suppose it seeped into my playing in some way. In fact, one of the things that will stop me listening to guitar players is time. I hate a lot of tappy slappy acoustic players and Celtic players, and some older classical guitar players because their time is off.

    It's always a sign that I'm playing something too hard for me if my time feel falls apart. 
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  • bbill335bbill335 Frets: 1368
    Dick Dale tremolo picking. I wanted to play Misirlou (among other surf rock tracks) and that's just how it's done. Not a skill that comes up much on guitar these days but it's very distinctive.
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  • BarneyBarney Frets: 614
    I learned Hybrid picking using plec and 2nd and 3rd fingers out of the need to play larger intervals and string skips that I couldn't pull off with a plec ..
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  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    I get better after listening to others play badly!
    <Vintage BOSS Upgrades>
    __________________________________
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  • mgawmgaw Frets: 5239
    slide guitar    I could just do it reasonably well from the get go
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  • I have acquired a reputation in the band for being the one who knows “exotic chords”. I’m also the only one who has a decent grasp of music theory. I suspect these two are linked. :)

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  • Timing.

    Just seemed natural.

    Which is good, as there are loads of things Im not good at.
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  • Very inspirational thread. Sorry to say the only thing I'm unexpectedly good at is taking up a lot of space, and changing guitar strings fast :(
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  • equalsqlequalsql Frets: 6084
    Procrastination.
    (pronounced: equal-sequel)   "I suffered for my art.. now it's your turn"
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