How do they do that!!

[bob barnes2]

Hi, I´m new to the site so please be gentle with me.

It seems that you don´t have to look far nowadays to find people who are playing up and down the fingerboard as if they were born practising major and minor scales etc.

It is also worst when they are half your age!

Does anybody out there have the answer to take my guitar playing a stage further.
At the moment I can play chords, a few solo breaks but nothing to write home about,also I seem to be transfixed to the song sheets I have in front of me because I find it near impossible to memorize the lyrics and the chords I should be playing. It does´nt help in a live situation because I don´t have the freedom to take in whats happening around me as I concentrate on the music.
I know the professionals amongst us do it for a living and it shows with their stage presence, however if someone has any good tips on how to advance on this never ending learning curve it would be appreciated,

Cheers,

[lalimacefolle]

Do you have a teacher, or a player that's better than you to lead you along the path?
Learning alone is good, but having someone throwing back at you criticism or ce, so he can show you the drawbacks etc...

[PonyOne]

One theory I've hatched is that people from this last generation (born post-1980) have a distinct advantage whe it comes to hand/eye coordination, thanks to the advent of video games and computers. This could explain one of the reasons why so many people my age can fly up and down the fretboard like it's no big deal.

On the other hand they grew up in a pre-packaged world, and cannot seem to break free of the "norm" when it comes to music. Quote from a friend of a friend, to said friend, in the one practice we had together: "I don't care if it sounds good, you can't use that chord progression! It's wrong!" Too many kids with too much physical ability, no mental ability.

[nechako]

song express videos on the warner bros website, quick easy to the point fun.

[Slow Diver]

Originally posted by PonyOne
One theory I've hatched is that people from this last generation (born post-1980) have a distinct advantage whe it comes to hand/eye coordination, thanks to the advent of video games and computers. This could explain one of the reasons why so many people my age can fly up and down the fretboard like it's no big deal.

.

I think that computer games made more serial killers than guitar players

[lalimacefolle]

Originally posted by Slow Diver
I think that computer games made more serial killers than guitar players


That's a weird statement... I've always had a video game system at home. The first Coleco Vision, with the tennis (two bars and a ball), up to the gamecube, and PS2, both sitting in my living room.
There has always been some kind of "bad thangs happen to folks who gonna plays dis evil games" first, it ****ed up your TV set, then it made you an epileptic, now it makes you a serial killer due to violence...

I'm none of the above.
If your TV sucks, it will blow when you use it, be it watching ESPN, a DVD, or playing a game....
If you are a latent epileptic, you'll have some day a crisis, due to a camera flash, being in a car that drives by overhead lights, or playing a video game.
Then, if you are a potential serial killer, you will fulfill your sadistic dreams when a movie, a book, your girlfriend, or a game gives you the idea to do so...

By misunderstanding the Video Games world, people try to make it an Evil one...
If your kid plays a game (paid in france more than 50€, the equivalent of 2 months money when I was 12) that has violence in it, you aren't doing your parent's job. I've even seen people who burn the CDs for their kids...

[^Chacron^]

Its only certain kids that need protecting. I used to play games like 'Mortal Combat' all the time behind my paretns backs and it never made me want to go and rip someone's spine out or do anything else like what I saw on my screen. I know many people who were exactly the same way: Having to sneak around to get to 'forbidden' games or movies was part of the fun for me, but I agree anyone should think carefully before allowing their kids to play violent games and watch adult movies because sometimes its hard to be sure how they will be affected.

[Slow Diver]

Actually I didn't mean to rise the question of violence in video games. My point was that games won't make a differnce in your guitar performance.
Still the question of TV and video game violence is very arguable. I watched on the TV about the following case -- a kid in the kindergarden slammed another with some heavy object and was quite surprised when his fello didn't rise(like they do in Tom&Jerry). I don't think however that the TV is guilty, but u see ****s indeed happen.

[lalimacefolle]

Well, nobody has ever beaten me on the 100 meter dash in Track and field because my fretting hand goes so fast... DOctor, am I a shredder because I have played video games for so long?

[nechako]

TO BECOME A DOCTOR one aquires a lot of PATIENTS(patience). To become a shredder one aquires a lot of shreddance,...a steady drip in the bucket now, and remember a watched pot doesn't boil,...and if you have boils try not to scratch them.

[Lordathestrings]

'n don't pet the sweaty things! :D

[PonyOne]

Ok, let me explain...

-If you rode your bike 3 hours a day for a good chunk of your life, you'd have very strong legs. Strong legs are a vial part of Thai Kickboxing. Though riding a bike will not make you an amazing kickboxer, if you take the training necessary to learn Thai Kickboxing, you have a step above the guy who just came in off the couch and decided to learn: you have well-toned legs.

If you have excellent hand/eye coordination that you have been honing for years, you won't automatically be able to pick a guitar up and go on that Dream Theatre thing. But after years of memorizing circle, square, x, up, up, up, L2, R2, X, you will have much more an advantage in remembering C, G, A, etc and their appropriate positions. So when you learn the theory, it will be that much easier.

And if it weren't for video games, I would have made Columbine happen two years before it eventually did.

[LeftSide]

PonyOne>> my man.

glad to see sumone with sum common sense... video games= hand/eye coordination and hand/eye coordination= important to guitar players... Thank you... ill be here all week.



End.

[^Chacron^]

Pony-one has it right :)

Practicing an instrument isnt the only way to improve how you play it. Take me for instance, my Piano teacher advised me to keep playing guitar to improve how i play the piano, as the fingers have to get used to moving quickly and develope physically as well. I play cello also which further adds to this. Although I have to admit my devotion to the guitar is much more intense.

[PonyOne]

Thanks, guys... always nice to have support...

Also, said it before & I'll say it again... WORK OUT THEM WRISTS, I do 50 25lb reps per wrist a day plus about 200-300 squeezes w/a hand grip tensioner and that helped out my playing speed. Not to mention it makes me look cooler & more muscular :)

To quote Kusanagi from Ghost In The Shell: "Overspecialize, and you breathe in weakness." If you decide you're going to be the best jazz guitarist ever and never look at rock, you won't be the best jaz guitarist ever. If you want to be the best rock guitarist and never look at jazz, you won't be any better. Everything is somehow linked when it comes to music and so, even if you don't like a certain style (i hate jazz, personally) it still has its validity and things to learn from.

Okay, I didn't intend to get into this philosophy thing, sorry... just spent an entire night at work talking about philosophies and politics... so i keep inadvertantly doing so...

[Slow Diver]

Well
I agree with you. Finally:). I didn't mean to make such a big deal of this.
List night I played a lot on the FIFA because I got mad at how Argentina got out from the world cup and now I'll test on my guitar if my coordination has improved :P joking of course
BTW best greetings to lami for the french team's performance

[lalimacefolle]

Originally posted by Slow Diver
BTW best greetings to lami for the french team's performance


I know, they can't play soccer anymore, but there's 152 commercial with their faces on TV. I say that a kick in the butt is sometimes quite good to get back to work.

[Slow Diver]

:)
two cups in a row would hit everybody in the head

[lalimacefolle]

There were all those commercials by adidas with the two stars (you have a star on your jersey when you have won a world cup). The day we got kicked, they were all removed. I wish our team was that efficient...

[nechako]

A lot of jazz sounds like someone sitting on the back of a wagon pharting off solos. Same as other music. For good jazz check out miles davis, or pat metheny(imaginary day)