Sweet Home Alabama - Solo 2

Hi Mike, I'm working on your version of Sweet Home Alabama. It's a great song, and I've nearly got it, but am struggling with one part - in the second solo, the 3 bars with the really fast pull off licks. I'm not quite up to speed, but the main issue is with the timing. Even slowed down, I have problems playing it in time, and counting it out. Maybe it's because each of the pull offs comes to 3 16th notes, so the accent keeps changing. Anyway, just wondered if you had any tips on locking in the timing for this part?

Regards, Chris

Hey Chris,

Those 3x16th notes falling on different accents are exactly why it is a challenging lick! If you're still having trouble locking in at a slowed down tempo, you'll need to slow it down even further and lock in. Once you can lock in slow, repetition is the best thing you can do to burn it into your finger muscles, then start to increase the tempo slightly and practice with more repetition. Eventually, it will become easier and easier for your fingers to play those quick pull offs, and you can increase the tempo as it becomes easier.

Let me know how it goes!

Mike

ok - but would you recommend counting it out as well as slowing it down? With 16th note licks, I find it really difficult to count the 1-ee-and-a-2-ee-and-a pattern at the same time as playing it. I can do it with rhythm parts, but not lead licks for some reason.

For you, is it worth persevering with the counting, or would I be better off playing it slowly just through 'feel', then speeding it up?

Quick update - I just tried your suggestion, by playing along with the slow play through in the lesson, and I did it more or less perfectly, without counting time. So that looks like one way to go - but still interested in your view on whether being able to count and play fast licks at the same time is a good discipline?

In this case, I would definitely focus on the "feel" of it. The counting is challenging because of the shifting accents and also at full tempo it's pretty fast. Your brain may explode trying to count all those 16th notes!

If you're able to count out with your rhythms, you're already ahead of most guitarists anyways! Of course it's always great to be good at counting, but it can get very tricky when you are attempting to play fast leads!

Keep up the great work!

Mike

Hi Mike,

Just wanted to add an update here. This evening, I managed the whole solo up to speed for the first time. Not totally immaculate, but pretty close. Basically thrillied to be able to play that part.

It's taken some relentless practise hours, but I guess that's how difficult songs are.

So anyway, thanks again for the support and great lessons. My confidence as a guitar player is at an all time high right now,.

Happy new year.

Regards,

Chris

Great news Chris! The hard work is paying off big time. It's so inspiring and motivating to see the results after all that practice time. Here's to continuing that approach all throughout 2017 and keep that confidence riding high!

Cheers!

Mike