I feel like im stuck

[Hthomas]

I feel like im stuck and cant improve.....

 

What do I need to do get start improving on my lead stuff? I've been only playing a little over 2 years. I think im a solid player at 17. I can play lots of stuff. I can look at a tab and learn the song real quick and it sounds good. My only problem is I have a hard time picking up solo's or improv them myself. IS this cause its only been 2 years? will this all come in time and practice?

 

what should i do? one guy said to keep doin what im doing, learning songs and work on solo's only comes in time.

[mcmurray]

Train your ear.

 

Can you play simple tunes like row your boat and happy birthday by ear immediately in any position without any mistakes at all?

 

Try it and see how you go.

 

If you can't, then linking your ear to the fretboard is what you need to work on. It'll make you a killer guitarist too, as 99% of guitarists rely solely on tab or basic pentatonic patterns.

 

You need to focus on it, a good ear will NOT come by itself with time. You really have to work at it. Luckily anyone can learn this, not just a select few.

 

Here's some light reading for you (the whole thread): http://www.jsguitarforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56336

[daveinspain]

Do you know the pentatonic scales... They are easy to improvise over and sound great... Lots of blues and rock stuff use those scales... Learn all the modes of the pentatonic too... Do you have a teacher/classes, you will learn a lot there and of course play with other musicians if you can. Start a band, jam with friends, go to jam sessions...etc.

[Riffster]

Download some backing tracks, know the key and know your scales even if it is one or two. Improvise working on technique for soloing and slowly you will start developing an ear for this kind of thing.

 

You do not have to play fast to sound good, you just need to fit the notes well. I am working on this myself.

 

That R8 you have now and its sustain is a wonderful thing, use it when soloing.

[Silenced Fred]

Take a break. It helps me. It may seem counter intuitive, but taking a day break from guitar will make you come make more excited than before, at least it does for me. But work on learning all of the stuff (fretboard, learn where ALL of the notes are, learn all of the keys, new positioning for chords, etc)

 

It will help

[mcmurray]

Improvise working on technique for soloing and slowly you will start developing an ear for this kind of thing.

 

But it might take 15 years to develop a solid ear without focused practice. Ear training is hard work, but if done correctly, won't take much time at all.

[Hthomas]

thanks for the link mcmurray.

 

 

anyone have a place I can get backing tracks in different keys?

[mcmurray]

thanks for the link mcmurray.

 

 

anyone have a place I can get backing tracks in different keys?

 

They're all over the internet dude.

 

http://www.google.com.au/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=backing+tracks+torrent

[Tim Plains]

IS this cause its only been 2 years? will this all come in time and practice?

Yes. Everyone gets stuck sooner or later.

[Riffster]

Edit: I did not see the link above, lets see if I figure out why I have some success at "jumping in" while jamming with friends but I do not have a good idea why I succeed or fail.

[dbreslauer]

when i feel like i'm in a rut, i listen to stuff out of my normal realm.

 

particularly good are miles and coltrane, benny goodman's clarinet solos, glenn miller, stuff like that. i'm not trying to cop their chops, just get the feel they go for when soloing, carrying the melody, and so on...

 

and lately, i've even listened to scottish bagpipes: believe it or not, it's great to experiment with, because they drone a single note that can be cool to solo over. try "scotland the brave": a very easy melody to learn, and then transpose around.

 

i like more melodic solos to the more technical solos anyway, so it suits me.

 

have fun!

 

Don

[milod]

Personally I figure the advice to do something differently is likely best.

 

That doesn't necessarily mean not playing.

 

Learn something like Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring with your bare fingers.

 

Play in an open G tuning. One can do chords in that tuning rather easily; they're similar to a G tuning on a banjo.

 

Look for fiddle tunes as done by bluegrass folks, listening especially to the mandolin and/or guitar solos.

 

Try a totally different style - as in, watch Joe Pass on Youtube and try to figure what he's doing.

 

Transpose everything to E-flat. That's a half joke and half not a joke.

 

Quit trying to get better and simply try to figure how to do stuff you never thought about doing. Zen.

 

Enjoy the guitar; enjoy playing. If it's enjoyment you'll be doing it as long as your body and mind allow; if it's not, you won't be playing when your hair is gray or fallen out.

 

EDIT: Yup, the Pipes are great. Especially if you're angry at the world. 1950s Dowop is kinda neat to figure in terms of rhythms as well as melody and a somewhat different chord structure. I love swing; playing it solo offers all sorts of alternative chord structures to play with...

 

m

[mcmurray]

Play in an open G tuning. One can do chords in that tuning rather easily; they're similar to a G tuning on a banjo.

 

Sorry milod but I don't agree, at least not for what Hthomas was asking. Playing in a different tuning will just lead to confusion when he goes back to E standard. The intervals between strings in G tuning are completely different to standard.

[GIANTRobOT420]

Get a loop pedal. Its band in box

[milod]

Yup, it's very different. Kinda like playing banjo in a G tuning except for some rather obvious differences.

 

If we were talking of a beginner, I'd be inclined to agree with you. Even there I've used an opening tuning as a teaching tool.

 

A lotta blues guys pretty much played only in open tunings.

 

My point was more along lines that if you play in the key of G you have one set of ways to go, open, closed at fret 5 and closed at fret 7 for a I-IV-V progression. That's just a barre with one's index finger or a knife blade or whatever. But now play the same rhythm backing to the same song, but do it in the key of C. Better, try A.

 

It's simply a matter of looking at the instrument differently, was my point. I'll stand by it for a competent two-year guitarist who wants a way to see the instrument differently.

 

Alternative tunings aren't everyone's cup of tea. I used a lot of them in the 60s with blues/folk stuff. Still do it occasionally just for fun. I'll add that I was doing G tunings after a lot less than two years experience. Granted, I was doing a lotta blues and folkie stuff...

 

m

[rocketman]

Get out of your comfort zone. If you play rock then play jazz. It'll open your ears to a whole new possibility. Training your ear will come naturally when you keep doing this.

[duane v]

What I would do is play vocal lines from songs like Crazy from Patsy Cline, or Somewhere Over the Rainbow.... Then eventually I would improvise off of those and add licks.

 

I would also use my trumpet scores and play those on guitar as well.... That's how I developed my lead playing early on.

[Dub-T-123]

I was gonna say get out of your comfort zone but it's been said.

 

Also, don't rely on tabs. If you want to become better, you should learn to play by ear. It's important when you're playing with a band.

 

When you're making up music you should be experimental. Don't just keep playing the same stuff all the time or you won't really improve. You will find a niche eventually.

[FirstMeasure]

No bad advice here, but you might just need to relax and enjoy what you've learned so far. don't rush, there's magic in all levels of playing.

[daveinspain]

Train your ear.

 

 

Here's some light reading for you (the whole thread): http://www.jsguitarforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56336

 

This is excellent!!! Clear and easy to understand... Great post!!!

[zigzag]

Take lessons from a good instructor. You'll learn more, you'll learn faster, and you'll be more motivated- you won't stagnate.

 

Also, I bought Band in a Box. That helped my improvising a lot!

[SGSpecialguy]

all good advice given here,, do you play in a band ? or mostly at home alone ? I know you work at a music store,,

there is SO much info and instruction available on the internet too,

one tool I use at home and like alot is the Line 6 Guitarport, I can play backing tracks and jam along or play actual songs off the internet or cd along with artists tones,, they have a monthly online deal to where you and join and pay $7.99 a month and they have numerous tracks to jam along with with tabs, I find that inspirational and its a good learning tool too plus I can make alot of noise and not disturb everyone the tab part of their deal is the best part though, they are pretty accurate, I have found Lick Library has some great DVD's too that guide you through your favorite artists stuff, you just gotta keep playing and expanding your repetiore and you will only get better with time and experience

 

Line 6 Guitarport

[Big Bill]

Guitar lesson are a great way of getting a bit of edge on your playing. I have used a site name Guitar Tricks for awhile and it really helped me out. They have some great exercises that I found helpful. The one drawback to the site is that it cost around $12 a month to be a member.

 

http://www.guitartricks.com/?gclid=CNOop-3g26ECFciA5QodgygbJw

[ShredAstaire]

Guitar lessons FTW!! I'm gonna sign up with the Royal Conservatory of music here in Toronto next semester and get me some real good lessons! I believe that will get me outta my rut....though a new guitar works pretty well too...my Tele is making me play different stuff....yeehaw!!!

[Big Bill]

Guitar lessons FTW!! I'm gonna sign up with the Royal Conservatory of music here in Toronto next semester and get me some real good lessons! :) I believe that will get me outta my rut....though a new guitar works pretty well too...my Tele is making me play different stuff....yeehaw!!!

 

 

"yeehaw", now you're starting to scare me.