Mission of the month!

So I have been playing guitar/bass off and on for a long time but I still am pretty horrible at it. I was Looking at some of the videos and they talk about making goals to improve playing. I was thinking that mabe we could start a thread on achieving those goals. Stop me if its been done here but I dont think it has. Here is my idea.
Basically it would work like this. At the start of the month, each player that is interested in participating will list a personal goal for the month. It could be something as simple as increasing the tempo on a two chord progression to learning a solo or song or even writing a song. Then at the end of the month, respond on how well you did trying to reach that goal.
I think the goal should be tough enough that you really have to work to obtain it but not so far out of reach that you lose motivation. And lastly, no egos. The point is to motivate each other to progress as players no matter what the ability.
I'll start for the month of May. I want to memorize and be able to play the 7 mode shapes of the major scale starting on the low E string. Let me know I f anyone thinks this thread "Mission of the Month," is a good idea and hopefully there is participation.

I've had such goals written down for my other instrument that I was learning ( and am still working on), and I will have such a plan for my guitar ( when I get it tomorrow!!).

It's excellent for motivation and staying focused on what needs to be done daily to achieve that monthly goal.

We could then also have a sound or video recording of the results.

I'll jump on this wagon :)

Cool! it really only works if people participate so hopefully it gets some good response. I might try to post a video at the end of the month but it would mostly work on honor system.

Might as well join in on this.

Actually, I have 3 goals for the end of the month:

Firstly, I want to improve my speed which is... pretty slow, to say the least.

Secondly, I want to improve my Lead Rock Guitar Techniques (I have mastered Sliding from note to note, though the accuracy during fast, long slides is quite bad, I can do Hammer-ons well, Bends are a bit meh, but getting better by the day, Pull-offs and vibrato are still beyond me. And don't even mention Barre Chords).

And thirdly, I want to start creating my own music, although I don't believe I can have a full song nailed down by the end of the month. Just a part, like some riffs or licks that sound good together.

My most important goal of these is number 2, though.

OK, my goals for the month of May are very basic. Reasons being, that I'm in the middle of exam preparation so there is very little time for me to be going beyond very basic material.

Having gotten my excuses out of the way, ;), here is my little goal for May:

Guitar Fundamentals: Practising simple C and G major chords.

This is a very achievable goal. It's important to keep goals 'achievable' anything on top of it, is bonus and a pat on my shoulder for it if I go beyond that :)

Originally Posted by: StringybarkOK, my goals for the month of May are very basic. Reasons being, that I'm in the middle of exam preparation so there is very little time for me to be going beyond very basic material.

Having gotten my excuses out of the way, ;), here is my little goal for May:

Guitar Fundamentals: Practising simple C and G major chords.

This is a very achievable goal. It's important to keep goals 'achievable' anything on top of it, is bonus and a pat on my shoulder for it if I go beyond that :)

I think my goals are pretty acheivable too, since my speed and lead-guitar playing can only really improve at the moment. And they tie nicely together with the "start creating my own music" goal too.

Ooops, I have already reached my May Mission! I have moved on to major chord changes: A to D to E.

Wow, I'm almost through Level 1 Guitar Fundamentals!

I really like this idea. At the moment, I'm focused on things other than the guitar, but when I get back to it, I'll definitely jump into this.

I like the idea of making a recording - video or just audio. It's always nice to have something tangible to illustrate your progress. You can always pull it out when you hit that inevitable slow/no progress period for encouragement. It also give you an objective measure of your progress.

Originally Posted by: KasperowMight as well join in on this.

Actually, I have 3 goals for the end of the month:

Firstly, I want to improve my speed which is... pretty slow, to say the least.

Secondly, I want to improve my Lead Rock Guitar Techniques (I have mastered Sliding from note to note, though the accuracy during fast, long slides is quite bad, I can do Hammer-ons well, Bends are a bit meh, but getting better by the day, Pull-offs and vibrato are still beyond me. And don't even mention Barre Chords).

And thirdly, I want to start creating my own music, although I don't believe I can have a full song nailed down by the end of the month. Just a part, like some riffs or licks that sound good together.

My most important goal of these is number 2, though.

And now, just 5 days after posting the qouted post, I'm already on my way towards my goal. That is, my String-bending and Vibrato have improved (Bends a lot, Vibrato not as much, but I'm getting there!).

I honestly never thought it would really be this effective to just write down one's short-term goals so they'd be visible to the public... Thanks a lot, Irishsnout. You've indirectly helped me improve my technique :)

Great idea! My May mission will be to get my chord transitions smoother.

Cool idea. I'll jump on board. I have been wanting to learn hotel california for a while now soooo .... for this month, I'm going to learn the solo's of hotel california and practice them until I can play them well.

Ok, even though I'm late I'm in. My goal is to be able play a bar chord. My issue is I can't get the b string to ring because my index finger seems to bend right at that string. I know there's a way to get it done, I never thought I could get the F major chord to work but finally one day I figured it out and haven't looked back since. Once I can get the bar chord down I will have finished fundamentals 2 and I can move on.

Originally Posted by: KasperowAnd now, just 5 days after posting the qouted post, I'm already on my way towards my goal. That is, my String-bending and Vibrato have improved (Bends a lot, Vibrato not as much, but I'm getting there!).

I honestly never thought it would really be this effective to just write down one's short-term goals so they'd be visible to the public... Thanks a lot, Irishsnout. You've indirectly helped me improve my technique :)

Congratulations, Kasperow! This is what is called focused practise :) It gets things done and you can move on to the next step knowing that another piece of the puzzle has been put in place.

Originally Posted by: frankhtOk, even though I'm late I'm in. My goal is to be able play a bar chord. My issue is I can't get the b string to ring because my index finger seems to bend right at that string. I know there's a way to get it done, I never thought I could get the F major chord to work but finally one day I figured it out and haven't looked back since. Once I can get the bar chord down I will have finished fundamentals 2 and I can move on.

Just start with the B Major Chord. It's the probably easiest Barre Chord in my opinion (it's also the only one I can fret properly, but that doesn't matter). If you can play that, you're one step closer to reaching you goal.

I'm personally slowly progressing with my own goals, and if good Aural Skills count as lead guitar technique, I think I've improved in that area without meaning to last night. I played something random, and it ended up being very similar to the end-riff from Civil War by Guns N Roses (except for the Wah-Wah effect, since I don't have one of those pedals...). And I didn't even mean for it to sound like that riff. I wanted to play something original for a song I've started working on. But since I have Civil War stuck in my head, it poured out of me, through the guitar...

good job stringybark! I'm feeling pretty good about my mission so I've been working on other things too.

I am trying to find the power cable to my camcorder in hopes to post a video.

Originally Posted by: irishsnoutgood job stringybark! I'm feeling pretty good about my mission so I've been working on other things too.

I am trying to find the power cable to my camcorder in hopes to post a video.

A video would be great, irishsnout.

I will record myself with the backing track and post online sometime next week, and then on to the next step up the mountain :)

So how did everyone do with the mission of the month?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPL221hPi0U
There is the link to me trying to play the major scale in 5 differnt shapes. root not on 6th string. as far as modes go, it really comes down to what note in the scale you start and finish on. sorry for the low quality, my camcorder cord is still missing.

I'll post my goal for june this weekend.

Irish, your left hand technique is really good... great actually. I'm a little worried about your picking hand... see how your moving your thumb to pick? You should be keeping your thumb still, and creating the up/down motion by using your wrist. I believe for really fast picking some players lock their wrist, and just use their forearm but that's more for metal/shred speed.

Anyways, I'd really be careful about moving your thumb like that for picking... it has carpal tunnel syndrome written all over it. It shouldn't take you long to change. It will most likely feel really weird at first, but you should be able to adapt quickly. Does your thumb ever get sore after playing? Make sure you change it up... if you get joint pain its really hard to clear up... if you want, I'll make you a quick video on how to hold the pick properly. The way you're doing it now, you'll find it hard to play fast, and I'll wager the pick occasionally goes flying out of your fingers. You're doing great otherwise though! Small problem = easy fix.

lol ya the pick does fly out some times. after watching the video I was looking at my pick hand thinking geeze that looks horrible. Something that I do which is really bad, I usually practice without an amp. So when I plug in, I'm not used to how easy it is to make all that extra noise. But I guess better to post with mistakes and get critisizm. I'll try to pick more with the wrist.

For next month, I'm looking a a short classical study in A minor. I'll be doing it with a pick instead of my fingers. I also want to learn "good bye blue sky" and "is there anybody out there by pink floyd." I have the tab and they look like a good challenge for my skill level.

Please if anyone is interested, post any goals that you want to accomplish for the month of June. sipping margaritas at the beach is not a goal but an obligation.

Originally Posted by: irishsnoutBut I guess better to post with mistakes and get critisizm. I'll try to pick more with the wrist.

I just want to be really clear, I'm not talking about the mistakes... those were fine... you played really cleanly and couple of little errors are no big deal.

I'm talking specifically about moving your thumb to pick the string, as opposed to keeping your thumb locked and using your wrist to make the pick go up and down. Its not a "criticism" in that it would be "better" if you played differently.

Its an observation and you are going to hurt yourself if you don't stop.

There is good news... you're new, it will be easy to change, and I can tell from your video that you have HUGE potential... you're going to be a good guitar player! Your left hand (fretting hand) is fantastic for a beginner.. the way you can make your fingers hover over the strings, including your pinky... that's not easy for everyone to do. Some people take years to be able to play like that, some people just can't keep their pinky in "hover mode" the way you do no matter how hard they try. You're going to improve very quickly. But you are going to lose it all to carpal tunnel syndrome if you don't change your picking technique.

Sorry for the stupid bold mellow drama, but you need to stop playing like that, and stop now. If you get carpal tunnel, it may end your guitar playing for good. The tendons connecting your thumb were just not designed to take that kind of repetitive motion.

I could tell right away that you were likely losing the pick every now and then. And I can tell you are going to develop repetitive-motion-injuries that are going to force you to stop playing.

Here's what I'd love for you to do... find a reputable guitar teacher out there... someone you feel you can trust. Tell them you'd like to take a 1 hour lesson and that you have this weird picking style that you need to correct. Go to the lesson and work only on your picking technique. Make sure its starting to feel right while you're there with the instructor and work on nothing else until you are picking normally. Resist the impulse to work on other stuff and say "I'll get the picking sorted out later". You need to sort it out now. You need to stop playing until you do, or you will be forced to stop.

I know this seems like over-the-top mellow drama, and you may be rolling your eyes thinking "who is this guy?!"... but I can't emphasize enough how your guitar playing is going to come to a sudden halt. Your thumb will get sore. The soreness will spread up your forearm. Keep playing and you will get numbness, tingling and pain with movement of your thumb. Eventually it will also get very weak, and you'll no longer be able to play. Recovery will include changing your technique, and its not unheard of to require a year of no playing before you heal up enough to be able to start again.

Its not at all your fault. Obviously, you never had someone show you how to pick properly and you just developed an unusual method. It happens. I knew a girl that played acoustic and played with nothing but downstrokes... really weird but it was just the way she did it.

Anyways, go get a lesson... don't wait... I know you want to keep progressing. Don't "try" to pick differently... DO IT or trust me, you're going to end up having to stop. For you and anyone reading this, this is nothing to be embarrassed about... you're not getting "called out" or anything like that... its not your fault at all, but you do need to change before an injury forces the issue for you.