Help and advice on how to improve

GrahamGuitar1

Hopefully a reasonable thing to ask but could anyone point me in the right direction to get better. I’m relatively new but really enjoying it. So far I’ve been learning off a number of websites but struggling with a few things - making everything flow and timings. And obviously there’s some duff notes and stumbles in my playing. 

Basically I just want to improve (I’m loving the process but keen to do so ASAP). Any tips would be so appreciated. No need to be nice, I can handle it, like I said I’m just keen to improve. No ambitions to gig or anything. Just to sound like the next srv

GrahamGuitar1

on timing - I’ve no idea how to use a metronome so if someone could point in the right direction here, that’d be cool. I can’t work out what speed to set it (does that even matter?) and which notes should go on which beat. 

Probably dumb amateur questions but I would appreciate anything anyone wishes to share. My current routine is just to play along to various recordings and lesson vids. 

https://youtu.be/R4YM4_WAqIA

And if anyone wants to recommend a teacher in west London…

pmbomb

4 year beginner here:

1 just keep going have confidence in the process
2 work on getting through the first year, when 90% of beginners quit (a teacher helped me with that, on reflection he diid't teach me much I couldn't have learnt myself however the regular touch points kept me going)
3 don't worry about 'getting good', that place is ephemeral, enjoy the playing for the playing it's the moment that matters
4 play with other people
5 don't 'practice' - play, and and play things you care about
6 don't take it seriously, it's fun not 'important'

stick with it and let us know how you get on

Caffeine_Vampire

The stumbles in your playing will dictate your speed and therefore the 'flow'.  Slow everything down and play smoothly to ensure an even transition between changes.  Better to be slow and in time than rush and make mistakes.  Speed will come.  Most backing tracks online can be slowed to a comfortable tempo.  Trust your ears more than your eyes and play with other people as often as you can. All players make mistakes but the professionals refer to them as jazz

Keep at it.

GrahamGuitar1

Nice one. Thanks both

pmbomb

& I really enjoyed the 'Zen Guitar' book by Philip Toshio Sudo - it's about why we play not how to play.

go deep enough and it's about putting consciousness aside by being in the moment. motivation becomes a non-issue because playing is just something you do.

Lestratcaster

Rhythm and timing is everything in guitar playing. Even good lead comes from it being tight, in time and with a rhythmical pulse. These things will develop over time by playing along to a metronome, a backing track, other guitarists, etc. I remember when I first started playing my timing was all over the place because I never went through basic rhythm subdivisions at the beginning, whole notes/half notes/quarters/eighths etc so like yourself I never knew which beat was 1st in the bar etc etc.
This makes learning solos and phrases very hard as you can't follow the 'pulse'. So learning to count with the beat and holding the pattern will help, esp as any solo phrases will be pushed and start on the end of beat 4, for example, on the off-beat.

Playing with feel (which SRV had bags of) is something that won't come straight away, so stick with it, everything will seem to sound crap at the beginning but it will improve.

Getting lessons is a great way to propel your progress as you're playing with someone (hopefully) better than you who knows what they're doing. When I do lessons I always use a metronome or the original recording to make sure they're playing in time and have a good sense of rhythm. It does make up for 90-95% of guitar playing.

Eviltwin14

I thought you did a super job of that but I do question how much of a beginner you are. I've messed around for years and am not that good! However I play for fun and relaxation not to perform. For what it's worth I think it's important to keep challenging yourself with pieces that you think are beyond you . Even getting to 80% speed will give you a huge sense of achievement. I never thought I'd be able to make a credible stab at Deep Purple's Burn but I stuck at it and its not total crap. Tracks like that help you learn different techniques and contextualise some of the technical or theory stuff you might pick up on YouTube. That particular track taught me about triads, arpeggios and tremelo picking none of which I really understood or could apply.

One day I might be as good as you

GrahamGuitar1

Eviltwin14 said:

I thought you did a super job of that but I do question how much of a beginner you are. I've messed around for years and am not that good! However I play for fun and relaxation not to perform. For what it's worth I think it's important to keep challenging yourself with pieces that you think are beyond you . Even getting to 80% speed will give you a huge sense of achievement. I never thought I'd be able to make a credible stab at Deep Purple's Burn but I stuck at it and its not total crap. Tracks like that help you learn different techniques and contextualise some of the technical or theory stuff you might pick up on YouTube. That particular track taught me about triads, arpeggios and tremelo picking none of which I really understood or could apply.

One day I might be as good as you

Thanks buddy! I guess beginner is a relative term. That’s by far the only piece I have ‘down’ so far - basically one song consuming all of my practice time. 

Good point about learning different techniques through different songs. I like that. Thanks 

GrahamGuitar1

After a serious amount of hours is kinda pleased with the progress made. 

GrahamGuitar1

https://youtu.be/9WtcqZpqR5g

GrahamGuitar1

Feel free to commit (also - no idea how to embed video!)

HAL9000

1. I’d suggest either your guitar isn’t perfectly in tune, or possibly you’re bending strings slightly when you’re fretting.

2. possibly connected to 1. Sounds as if sometimes your not pressing strings down accurately. Not every string is ringing out as clearly as it might.

3. Flow/timing.

sorry if that sounds overly critical but actually for a relatively new player it does sound pretty good. Keep up the good work, and keep on enjoying it.

GrahamGuitar1

Thanks Hal, really appreciate that 

yeah, notice that’s not all the strings ring particularly clear 

Kilgore

Everyone is different. What works for some won't work for others.

If I'm learning something new, I break it down, a couple of bars at a time. I try to get it right, not necessarily perfect, before moving on to the next couple of Bars. Some sections will require intense practise, others will be easier. 

I take breaks. If I'm finding something particularly difficult and frustrating I put it aside for a few days and play different things. Often when you go back, what you were previously finding difficult isn't so difficult anymore.

allen

Your playing is very good for a beginner. I'm not just saying that, you should be pleased with your progress.

Have you sat and watched your own video with fresh eyes/ears?

There are a variety of issues which you need to work on to sound more 'polished'.

Potentially, tuning the guitar is a good start - which might be down to pressing too hard on the strings too.

The other comment that springs to mind is that we can sometimes be too keen to learn material that is a bit beyond us (me included) and it means that it takes a very long time to nail it. It therefore is not a great way to improve gradually. Might be worth picking some easier pieces to work on and then to really get perfect.

I'm a big fan of Claus Levin on youtube (at least his philosophy of learning) and he says that intermediate players often learn something about 80% and then give up and move onto the next thing. This means that you end up being about 80% at everything and none of your playing is really at the standard you'd like to be at. I've also suffered from this. 

Try something simpler and get it perfect. How about the solo from Need your love so bad by Fleetwood Mac?

By the way, where did you get the tutorial for all the parts of little wing? I can only play the first part.

roberty

That's a good point @allen - for timing and flow I would look at learning something easier and get it sounding perfect

If you don't know rhythm theory then I would learn that - beat division and bars, and practice to a metronome (the higher pitched beep is the downbeat of the bar - *1* 2 3 4 ). Also play along to recorded music and lock in with the drums (for example, placing emphasis on beats 2 and 4 where the snare drum lands if that is appropriate)

Most of your life as a guitar player is timekeeping and groove :-) 

GrahamGuitar1

Thanks Guys - really appreciate all you’ve said. And funnily enough as soon as @HAL9000 ;mentioned that the guitar wasn’t in tune (although I actually expect it’s me pressing too hard on the strings) I started watching the video in a different light. 

A number of fundamentals for me to work on which is exactly what I hoped to get out of this post. 

Completely appreciate the song is probably too hard for me - although I’m way to stubborn to move away from it! But yeah I’ll incorporate some easier ones and indeed techniques (I’m thinking the spider one to improve my fretting). And the rhythm theory @roberty mentions. 

Thanks again. I’m loving the process - it’s weird to suck at various things but love it at the same time. There’s just no feeling like getting better!

thanks again  

GrahamGuitar1

@allen its jamie Harrison guitar. It’s hard for me but I think pretty good. 

roberty

@GrahamGuitar1 it's good to do both things, less challenging songs that you can work on playing with feel and songs that stretch your ability

CaseOfAce

For what it's worth -  this is how I would add this one to my "repertoire"!

1) learn the basic (if beginner use open)  chords - for the COMPLETE song.. such that I could play backing along to the whole track.
2) at which point I'd learn the lyrics and sing it whilst playing the chords. (which as a beginner is a big ask but by g*od you'll reap the benefits long term of playing / singing).

only then would I start approximating that intro riff and connecting parts.