Mission of the month!

Hmm. I think I should improve my picking technique as well... I usually only pick by moving the fingers holding the pick, except for strumming, where I use the whole lower arm, making it very hard to control, and thus not very good.

As for how I did on my goals for May, I've drastically improved my Lead Technique (more accurate bending, not completely muting the string when doing pull-offs, better vibrato than before I posted my goals, studied more music theory and such), and I've gotten started with creating my own melodic phrases, although the phrasing isn't that good yet (anyone know a good resource for information on phrasing in music?). My speed hasn't really improved that much, though.

And my personal musical goals for June are as follows:

EDIT: Revised goals for June:
1: Improve Picking Hand technique.
2: Improve Posture.
3: Improve Legato Playing.
4: Learn more scales in general, including the Pentatonic ones.
5: Master Barre Chords.
6: Make progress on my song-writing.

I did Ok with the Hotel California solo that I wanted to nail during may. I'll post one of the practice recordings I did later on. Or maybe record myself again to try to do it better. As for june....hmmmmm.
I think I'm going to work on my vibrato. I found out while listening to my practices of Hotel California that I recorded that they are not consistent and sound too technical.
I'm going to practice them by learning "Crossfire by Stevie Ray Vaughan" because it has awesome vibratos after every last notes of every phrase.
Also it will be more fun then to just sit and do vibratos :)

Kasperow, if I was you I would work on my picking before the speed. That's probably what you already had in mind but I'm saying just in case.
You might end up taking some bad habits if you work on your speed too soon.
Master the basics, then make them faster.
I would also start working on my legato's speed before alternate picking speed.
It sound less aggressive and flows nicer....to my ears atleast. Listen to Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Damn they are fast, but they dont pick that much. Legatos all the time !
But offcourse there's place for those aggresive fast alternate picking runs :)

There's a lot of focus today on speed. I think the music listeners think that being a good guitar player means being fast and that influences us musicians. It's very impressive indeed and I also want to build up my speed but it's not absolutly necessary.

I'll quote Albert King of the "In session" with Stevie Ray Vaughan:

-" There's a lot of good guitar players out there, they play fast but they got no soul "

Originally Posted by: SebastBergKasperow, if I was you I would work on my picking before the speed. That's probably what you already had in mind but I'm saying just in case.
You might end up taking some bad habits if you work on your speed too soon.
Master the basics, then make them faster.
I would also start working on my legato's speed before alternate picking speed.
It sound less aggressive and flows nicer....to my ears atleast. Listen to Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Damn they are fast, but they dont pick that much. Legatos all the time !
But offcourse there's place for those aggresive fast alternate picking runs :)

Yeah, I was planning on improving my picking first, since SlipinLizard's post about how bad picking hand technique can ruin a guitarist for good scared me a bit. I don't want to lose my guitar-playing just because of bad technique or posture :)

I also think that I'll let my lead-playing get a higher priority than picking-speed. Fast hammer-ons/pull-offs/trills can easily compensate for slow picking speed. Especially after hearing myself try to play as fast as my right hand can. It sounded like a horrible mess, to say the least.

I'll keep going over Legato playing tutorials on this site until I can do it properly.

If I had a FireWire-port on my computer, I would have uploaded a quick recording I made earlier today using an older camcorder, so I could get some advice on what to improve (and hopefully a judgement of how much potential I have as a guitarist), but sadly, the camcorder is against me. I'll try shooting a quick video on my phone tomorrow :)

Ok so I finally got around to record a video of me playing the solo of Hotel california that I learned for my mission of last month. There's a couple of mistakes here and there but oh well...I'll continue to practice it :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv4jVmV5KPs

PS: I had a bit of trouble synchronising the video and the audio incase someone notice it :)

Originally Posted by: SebastBerg

I'll quote Albert King of the "In session" with Stevie Ray Vaughan:

-" There's a lot of good guitar players out there, they play fast but they got no soul "

And there's SRV himself that plays fast WITH soul. I learned Crossfire (well started too anyway, I never did master it) back when I was taking private lessons. I thought "it's blues based, how hard can it be". Ugh - there are some serious 16th note runs in there. David Gilmour is another one.

You guys are making such great progress in here...I'm jealous :-). I need to stop spending time in the forum and spend more time learning new material.

I spent about a month working on Life in the Fast Lane and pretty much nailed it. I still need to get down the variations of the main riff during the phaser part. It's hard to do a performance of this song since there are at times 3 guitar parts overlayed. I think I'll work on putting parts together that make sense for a single performer and see what I can do.

Originally Posted by: KasperowEDIT: Revised goals for June:
1: Improve Picking Hand technique.
2: Improve Posture.
3: Improve Legato Playing.
4: Learn more scales in general, including the Pentatonic ones.
5: Master Barre Chords.
6: Make progress on my song-writing.

Progress so far:
Picking hand technique has improved drastically. It has become more accurate, slightly faster and now uses the wrist more. By pure coincidence, I also happened to improve my Palm Muting in the process! Yay!
Posture could still use a bit of work. Then again. Sitting in an armchair or couch is never optimal while practicing...
Legato playing still needs some work, but it's getting there.
Got one Barre Chord shape (A Minor or B Minor shape) nailed. Three more to go.
And finally, I've ended up with a few pretty cool licks or riffs (at least, that's my opinion). All of them just somehow happen to start on the exact same note...

I'd say it's pretty good considering that we're not even a week into June yet. Too bad my left middle finger's got so sore the skin has started to break on the finger tip... I should probably cut down on practicing 7 hours a day when I have nothing else remotely important to do...

I think this i a great idea. My goal for the month is to learn all the notes on the fretboard. Im getting back into the guitar after many years of not playing, 20 to be exact.

Ill let you know how it goes!

Originally Posted by: BLIND_FAITHMy goal for the month is to learn all the notes on the fretboard. !

Here's a great exercise that I picked up from Joe Satriani to learn the fretboard.

Set your metronome at 60. Pick a note (c# for exemple).
Then on every click you play c# . You go through all the c#'s on the neck
then you choose another note, you do the same and another note and so on.
You do that for all 12 notes. If 60 is to fast, drop it down. If its too slow, make it faster. You do that till you can do it in your sleep.

Add this to your daily warm up or practice routine and you will learn the fretboard very fast.

pretty good sebastberg! now back to practicing for me.

Originally Posted by: SebastBergHere's a great exercise that I picked up from Joe Satriani to learn the fretboard.

Set your metronome at 60. Pick a note (c# for exemple).
Then on every click you play c# . You go through all the c#'s on the neck
then you choose another note, you do the same and another note and so on.
You do that for all 12 notes. If 60 is to fast, drop it down. If its too slow, make it faster. You do that till you can do it in your sleep.

Add this to your daily warm up or practice routine and you will learn the fretboard very fast.

I think this exercise was explained in one of the latest GT Channel videos, actually. Just look through the Guitar Tricks Lesson Of The Week vids for 2013. You know you've found the right one when it's Mike Olekshy doing the video and not Neal Walter. Great exercise despite how simple it looks.

The video I'm talking about is right here: http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=20459&s_id=1626

It only covers all positions of a note up to the 12th fret, but you can easily remove that limitation.

Originally Posted by: SebastBergHere's a great exercise that I picked up from Joe Satriani to learn the fretboard.

Set your metronome at 60. Pick a note (c# for exemple).
Then on every click you play c# . You go through all the c#'s on the neck
then you choose another note, you do the same and another note and so on.
You do that for all 12 notes. If 60 is to fast, drop it down. If its too slow, make it faster. You do that till you can do it in your sleep.

Add this to your daily warm up or practice routine and you will learn the fretboard very fast.

This is such a simple yet effective technique. I think I will try this myself to round out my fingerboard knowledge. I'm teaching my daughter too, so when we get to that point, I'll do this with her too.

I checked out your yourtube video. Nicely done, especially for the amount of time you took to learn the solo!! My only suggestion (which is simple!) is to add a little more "dirt" in the amp settings - overdrive it a little more. Perhaps a little more reverb too. You don't want to overdo it, but I think it would give it more punch.

Originally Posted by: maggioradd a little more "dirt" in the amp settings - overdrive it a little more. Perhaps a little more reverb too. You don't want to overdo it, but I think it would give it more punch.

Yup, good call. I intend to record myself again when I can play it "flawlessly".
I will do what you suggested when that day comes.
Maybe I'll try improvising a little here and there just for kicks.

Originally Posted by: SebastBergHere's a great exercise that I picked up from Joe Satriani to learn the fretboard.

Set your metronome at 60. Pick a note (c# for exemple).
Then on every click you play c# . You go through all the c#'s on the neck
then you choose another note, you do the same and another note and so on.
You do that for all 12 notes. If 60 is to fast, drop it down. If its too slow, make it faster. You do that till you can do it in your sleep.

Add this to your daily warm up or practice routine and you will learn the fretboard very fast.

Fantastic. I'm just at the point of learning the location of notes on the fretboard, so I'll give that ago.

I just completed my final uni exams ( FREE at last!) and am now ready to prepare a plan for what's left of June. It will probably be
1. Learn notes on the fretboard - I have to make it a specific small selection or else it will be too much and demotivating.
2. A few weeks ago I started the chord practice for "What to do with a drunken sailor", as arranged and taught by Lisa McCormick. It's finally starting to come together. So, I'll continue with that.
3. Continue with the chord changes for "Stand by me" - that too is getting smoother.

and I almost forgot!
4. Playing along to Achy Breaky Heart - lesson by Caren Armstrong. I just did it almost in time. Whoop!

After all, all chords and no play, will make me soon want to throw my guitar away! ;)

Originally Posted by: SebastBergOk so I finally got around to record a video of me playing the solo of Hotel california that I learned for my mission of last month. There's a couple of mistakes here and there but oh well...I'll continue to practice it :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv4jVmV5KPs

PS: I had a bit of trouble synchronising the video and the audio incase someone notice it :)

Hey, nice performance! :) I love those string bending bits.

summer time is here and i have been pretty busy. two weeks left to have something posted. I think its going to be just the short classical piece that I use a pick on. I just got a new camcorder too.

Originally Posted by: KasperowEDIT: Revised goals for June:
1: Improve Picking Hand technique.
2: Improve Posture.
3: Improve Legato Playing.
4: Learn more scales in general, including the Pentatonic ones.
5: Master Barre Chords.
6: Make progress on my song-writing.

Now that we only have 10 days left of this month (and a week left before summer holidays begin in Denmark), I thought it would be a good time to take a look at my progress with my June-goals.

So far, I've further improved my Picking Hand Technique, which is a very good thing. Not only is it more efficient, I've also learnt to control how much force I pick with, as well as having learnt to strum while Palm Muting the strings (until now, it felt more or less impossible. Somehow, I just managed to do it nearly perfectly yesterday...). In general, my Picking Hand technique is better than it used to be.

Secondly, my posture has improved tremendously, no surprise there. It helps to practice standing/walking or sitting on a piano-bench or bar-chair... Much better posture than an armchair or couch.

Thirdly, Left Hand Technique has also improved tremendously, along with my fingertips having hardened up (especially the middle-finger, despite the skin cracking earlier this month due to too much practice. The finger's gotten used to it now :) ). The previously semi-muted pull-offs are now much more clean.

I'm still a bit slow on the scales, since I apparently have a hard time memorizing those patterns... But I've managed to memorize the Major Pentatonic scale in my head, just not the positions on the fretboard.

Barre Chords... Gotten used to playing with them. Still takes some time to fret them, but once I have the Barre Chord shape fretted, it's easy enough for me to play them more or less cleanly. The B-string is occasionally muffled, but I'm getting better at playing them.

And finally, Songwriting... Progressing slowly but steadily. For the last long time, I've mostly been practicing left-hand and right-hand techniques while making up riffs or licks, to save a bit of time (and give myself an excuse for playing made-up licks or riffs when I should be practicing technique).

For the rest of this month, I think I'll focus more of my effort on actually nailing down that darned B-String in the E Major and E Minor Barre Chord Shapes... And of course, continue messing around with songwriting. I hope to have my first song ready by Mid-July, although I lack a band to add some cool drum-rhythms and Bass-lines to the song.

Maybe I should try finding some dedicated band-mates to play with. That could take some time, though, since I'd have to find the right people to form a band with. Well, that'll be one of my goals for next month :)

Sounds good mate!

My goal this month is to finish the two essential tutorials.

Originally Posted by: Kasperow
I'm still a bit slow on the scales, since I apparently have a hard time memorizing those patterns... But I've managed to memorize the Major Pentatonic scale in my head, just not the positions on the fretboard.

Here's what really helped me: First off, get yourself some fretboard paper (a music shop or guitar store should have it). Pick a key, then a Pentatonic pattern, visualize, and draw the pattern on the fretboard paper, circling the root notes. Any time you need to "cheat" and look up what the pattern is, do so, because its actually not cheating. Repeat until you can draw out all five patterns from memory (notice this does not involve playing the guitar at all).

Now pickup the guitar. This works better with a jam track or beat box that you can vary the tempo with, but a metronome will suffice. Set a slow tempo, pick a key, and a pattern and play a little "solo"... just something really simple and slow. Do not hit any wrong notes... if you need to, slow down. Now, at some point, slide UP or DOWN to the next pattern either above or below the pattern you're on. Remember, the patterns always repeat in order: if you're playing pattern four, then pattern three is below and pattern five is above. Before you slide up or down to the next pattern, visualize the pattern you're going to slide to... but also keep playing a little solo and try to keep it a little musical... keep playing, in time, make no mistakes, visualize where the next pattern is, where your fingers need to move to staying on the same string, and then go ahead and make the move. Now continue soloing in that new pattern. Pick a string at random to slide on, and when you're ready, visualize the next pattern to move to and then move again.

Its important that you keep playing, and you use only the notes in the scale. This will make the scale & pattens "stick" for you in your mind.. with practice, you will be able to skip patterns, making bigger moves up and down the fretboard. Eventually you will be able to visualize all the patterns linked together across the fretboard. You can "test" yourself with this by soloing just on one string, and moving up and down all across the fretboard while making sure you're staying in the Pentatonic Major scale you've chosen.

Originally Posted by: Slipin LizardHere's what really helped me: First off, get yourself some fretboard paper (a music shop or guitar store should have it). Pick a key, then a Pentatonic pattern, visualize, and draw the pattern on the fretboard paper, circling the root notes. Any time you need to "cheat" and look up what the pattern is, do so, because its actually not cheating. Repeat until you can draw out all five patterns from memory (notice this does not involve playing the guitar at all).

Now pickup the guitar. This works better with a jam track or beat box that you can vary the tempo with, but a metronome will suffice. Set a slow tempo, pick a key, and a pattern and play a little "solo"... just something really simple and slow. Do not hit any wrong notes... if you need to, slow down. Now, at some point, slide UP or DOWN to the next pattern either above or below the pattern you're on. Remember, the patterns always repeat in order: if you're playing pattern four, then pattern three is below and pattern five is above. Before you slide up or down to the next pattern, visualize the pattern you're going to slide to... but also keep playing a little solo and try to keep it a little musical... keep playing, in time, make no mistakes, visualize where the next pattern is, where your fingers need to move to staying on the same string, and then go ahead and make the move. Now continue soloing in that new pattern. Pick a string at random to slide on, and when you're ready, visualize the next pattern to move to and then move again.

Its important that you keep playing, and you use only the notes in the scale. This will make the scale & pattens "stick" for you in your mind.. with practice, you will be able to skip patterns, making bigger moves up and down the fretboard. Eventually you will be able to visualize all the patterns linked together across the fretboard. You can "test" yourself with this by soloing just on one string, and moving up and down all across the fretboard while making sure you're staying in the Pentatonic Major scale you've chosen.

Cool. I'll try doing that when I get the chance.

I may or may not have unexpectedly reached one of my long-term goals, as well... Yesterday, I came up with this sort of cool-sounding riff while far from my guitar, and I tried tabbing it out so I could play it later. Then, once I got home, I tried playing the riff on my guitar, first clean, then with overdrive and lastly with some distortion, and the overdriven version sounded exactly like what I had came up with in my head. I don't know if this means my ears have improved or if I'm just really good at guessing, but I like to think my ears have gotten better since I started playing guitar...