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One our first group demos...LOL!!!


duane v

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The lyrics make absolutely no sense [biggrin] ..... Certainly I wasn't nor have I ever been the pillar of grammar, but holy smokes what was I thinking...lol

 

Funny.... you even had a little bit of a Viv Campbell vibe back then... I remember saying that on something else you posted. ( I like his playing and yours ) !

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Funny.... you even had a little bit of a Viv Campbell vibe back then... I remember saying that on something else you posted. ( I like his playing and yours ) !

 

You're the only person that has ever told me that, and the funny thing is that both demos in where you made the Vivian comparison, I was using my SG200 for the lead..... So I think it's that particular guitar that makes me play that way.

 

But I'll take that comparison any day of the week..... Vivian can truly play [thumbup]

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You're the only person that has ever told me that, and the funny thing is that both demos in where you made the Vivian comparison, I was using my SG200..... So I think it's that particular guitar that makes me play that way.

 

But I'll take that comparison any day of the week..... Vivian can truly play [thumbup]

 

Might be. It's mostly the part after the harmony. It's kinda the tone but mostly your attack, vibrato and the kinda quick sporadic phrasing that just puts Viv in my mind. I always thought he was cool in Dio!

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Might be. It's mostly the part after the harmony. It's kinda the tone but mostly your attack, vibrato and the kinda quick sporadic phrasing that just puts Viv in my mind. I always thought he was cool in Dio!

 

Back then in 79-80 when we did that demo, I was using two Peavey's in the studio.... I dug the way they recorded, but they couldn't hang in live situations, and I felt bad selling the Peavey Renown, because my parents (Well Santa) purchased it for me on Christmas.

 

But my attack has been my handicap, because I'm mainly a down picker when I play leads, which in turn means I pull off more than I should. [crying]

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Ah the 80's. Gotta love them!! Sounds great Duane. I'm sure you had a lot of fun. All my stuff from those days was the synth laded crap of the day. I burned them long ago. Let's hear some more from your vault.

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But my attack has been my handicap, because I'm mainly a down picker when I play leads, which in turn means I pull off more than I should. [crying]

 

Duane,

 

I think you hit a key element here that affect a lot of guitarist. You say your attack is your "handicap" or thus a limiting factor in your playing that holds you back. Says who?

 

You could turn that around and say that your attack is what makes Duane sound like Duane.

 

I have struggled with this for years and wish I would have just accepted ( to some degree ) this is how I naturally play. How do I make the most of it? How do I turn this into my identifying style? Years ago.

 

I think a lot of us get so focused on what we can't do or struggle with that we don't spend enough time developing what we can do naturally and building that into our unique Identifying sound and style.

 

If you think of all the players that have a "signature" or very identifiable style that is usually what they have done. We almost always hear them playing in the context of their own music. I have read so many interviews with different famous and very identifiable players and most of them will say something like "Oh I play like this and could never play like ( insert name here) "

 

It was difficult for me because ( at least around here ) when I was coming up as a guitarist it was right at the height of the "virtuoso" ( shred) guitar player era. If you couldn't shred like Yingwee, Paul Gilbert, ( Racer X had just come out) EVH, Lynch, Rhoads, D'Martini, Eric Johnson or some of the other players that were popular of the genre then you pretty much sucked... At least that's the way I felt.... and was made to feel.

 

I worked my a$$ off trying to be able to play like that. I got to the point where I could come close to some of it but it never really became a natural part of my playing. I remember at one point spending about 6 months diligently everyday( this was after I had already been playing for 8-9 years or so) working on a strictly regimented practice routine with metronomes, practicing scales, single string stuff, string skipping, you name it.

 

Did I get better? Yes I did. I got to the point that I could play a lot of things I never could before. I could play some of the Yingwee stuff etc... but never could nail every bit in an entire song. I remember "Cliffs of Dover" had just come out and I could play the majority of it. ( I would be lucky to get through the first 3 notes now)

 

The main thing it fixed for me was I went from alternating picking using my thumb joint to using my wrist which was holding me back on some of the faster stuff. In the end I couldn't keep that strict of a practice regimen going and also got bored with it.

 

I still pick from my wrist but those fluid quick long staccato runs were quickly lost and I was back to my natural pentatonic bluesy style. I can play them quicker now but my core style is more blues based pentatonic.... That's what I hear in my head and that's the way I play..... Naturally....

 

I guess my point in general and is not a direct comment to Duane is that there is nothing at all wrong practicing or wanting to improve something you are not good at. Just don't let it hold you back from excelling, and highlighting the areas that you are good at. I believe how we work around our weaknesses (handicaps) helps define our unique styles....

 

 

Just a thought or twenty.....

 

 

 

 

Andy

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It's the reason I don't practice scales [blush] ..... I just can't up-down pick, which is why I pull off.... but I'll state that I'm one of the fastest down pickers around...LOL!!!

 

If you listen to my playing, you'll never hear me do fast arpeggios, and the reason is I can't do them. So I focused on my vibrato and certain finger picking styles early on, which George Harrison, John Lennon and Jimi schooled me through.

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