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The last 20 years or so have just allowed me to simplify my playing to make it a lot easier, especially these days when arthritis, rheumatism and MS severely restrict my shredding potential.
And anyone that's read my posts knows how much I love shredding, tapping and wang bar dive-bombing.
Now in my 40s it's more about playing on my own, melody, singing, strumming chords on an acoustic, and having no restrictions. I still play electric but the band days are gone.
Learning to let my playing 'breathe' was when things changed. Hell, I even bought a Tele!
My YouTube Channel
In another 30 years I'll be able to drool and poop myself in time with free form jazz.
Harder to get into that now...
R.
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
Trading feedback: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60602/
Now, I still play as much as possible but I focus on learning licks and songs. Things I find enjoyable rather than trying to be the heaviest or fastest player possible. I found that my playing improved much more melodically just by jamming to backing tracks and taking it easy.
If I had 5 kids, I'd also use any excuse to get out of the house.
I recently listened to a live recording from when I was about 21; I was shocked how flashy I was - a real swaggering performance - in truth slightly beyond my capabilities at the time.
Now I have a much more sophisticated sense of phrasing and harmony - and a much greater appreciation of space.
On balance, I wish I could combine the youthful exuberance with middle-aged taste. If I could, I reckon I'd be a pretty good player....
When I was young, I had reasonable talent, enough to make it of interest to make money at playing the sport.
As a youngster, up to say age of 27-28, I was a seaming all rounder who bowled a lot of overs (typically 25 on a league Saturday!) and batter 5, 6, 7. I was bombastic and my game was based largely upon physical power.
As my bowling declined with age/pace, I spent more time working on my batting- at that point typically I'd score 400 runs in a league season, maybe 3 or 4 fifies and the occasional 100.
Then one day I turned a massive corner. I realised I had a sound defence, 3 or 4 very strong scoring shots, and that there were another 4 or 5 I tried to play with mixed success- all cross bat shots really-mainly hook, pull, sweep, square cut.
So, with the advice of good coaches, I removed those 4 or 5 so-so shots out completely. I swore never to play the cross bat shots until I'd got 50 or so. I literally removed them from my game. I then learned that scoring big runs was all about cadance and rhythm and getting in a mental zone where you were not distracted and felt in your own sweet spot.
This coincided with me going to play at a club in Kent with a first class ground famed for runfests. I was told, upon joining, that I'd need to score 1500 runs a season (all cricket not just Saturday league) and 4 or 5 hundreds to bat in top 5 of first team.
In 2 seasons I reduced my bowling workload a lot, but I found that the above adjustments changed me from a 400 run a league season man (16-18 innings) to a 800 run a league season man, with 2 or 3 hundreds (1500 with 4or 5 for the entire all cricket season)
I have, without wishing to be bragging and being totally factual, now got 99 league/minor/club hundreds and around 35,000 career runs in all cricket.
How does this relate to guitar?
Easy- the same logic applies. Once you remove the things you're shit at, you acknowledge those as a threat to your ability to perform, but you focus positively on the things you do really well, you become VERY effective. And that's what it's about- being effective.
In the guitar world my idol, Mr G, is the epitome of knowing his limitations. He plays what makes him brillaint, unique and effective. So does Buckingham, Moore, Clapton, Knopfler....all my heroes.
Once you learn those things, focus on them, they are now your game. Remove everything else- focus on what makes you good.
Your playing will be all the better for it.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
You've certainly made me feel better about the things I'm not great at - and you're right - all the great 'stylists' (as opposed to shredders) work within their technical limitations.
'Wisdom' duly awarded, Sir. Now stop being sensible and go and buy another guitar....
Would it surprise you to learn I am a bat anaorak and have shed loads of them?
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Through the late 80s and into the mid 90s, I played in *many* different bands - some shit, some terrible, some abysmal and some diabolical. At no point did I flinch in my confidence that I'd become a superstar guitar player.
Then I found a great band... and we toured, we played fairly big (for us) gigs and played support to people that others had heard of. Great times, great parties and some great young ladies. BUT!!! Suddenly, confidence took a battering - it all got a touch competitive for me, and frankly I saw and experienced some things that made me put the brakes on it all. I gave it all up and eventually sold everything off by about 2000.
About five year ago, I started gigging pretty regularly with a local covers band - I'd done a few bits and bobs in the interim, including being in a band that gigged rarely. We were doing 40+ gigs a year and we had (they still have) a bit of a following. I loved it - but also started to resent being away from home pretty much every weekend. So when I moved house, I knocked it all on the head to get my time back... I miss the gigging but don't miss the time spent.
So what do I want to do in the future? I'd like to be involved in an original music project, so when we do gig its for the right reasons...