Also, I've recently gone back to guitar lessons. I'm pretty good, but I need to be great. I practice at the very least, 2 hours a day. Is this enough to get myself into the leagues of professional status? I know it takes a lifetime to become a great guitarist, but sometimes I have no patience.
living the musician's life...
Hi! Just found this website & I'm thrilled with it! I'm female and about to turn 30. I want badly to start a band, but don't know any musicians. I write a lot of songs (a lot unfinished as well) and I really need a band. Any advice on how to go about this?
Also, I've recently gone back to guitar lessons. I'm pretty good, but I need to be great. I practice at the very least, 2 hours a day. Is this enough to get myself into the leagues of professional status? I know it takes a lifetime to become a great guitarist, but sometimes I have no patience.
Also, I've recently gone back to guitar lessons. I'm pretty good, but I need to be great. I practice at the very least, 2 hours a day. Is this enough to get myself into the leagues of professional status? I know it takes a lifetime to become a great guitarist, but sometimes I have no patience.
# 1
[font=trebuchet ms]Welcome to GT, maratherese! Look around in the Tricks section and you'll find tips and exercises for any technique you could possibly want. I recommend schmange. It's not so much how long you practise, as how you practise. Good luck![/font]
# 2
who? lil ole me? :p
Bands are tough to put together. Especially if ya don't live near a big city.
The easiest thing to do is just go to the nearest music store and ask em if there's any bands they know of looking for members.
Put a classified ad up in the music store and anywhere else you can do it for free.
If you're really serious, put some money into it, rent a rehearsal hall and have auditions.
If you're absolutely commited, move to where the musicians are. Learn songs. Learn scales and other basics, but learn real songs. Too many musicians can play great scales but are totally lost when it comes to improvising a solo.
Ya have to decide what kind of band you want ... Cover tunes, country, hard rock, originals, small venues, large venues, indie, big contract... There's nothin worse than spending a year rehearsing with a band only to find out that nobody in the band can write. Or having it in mind that you want to make a career of it only to find out that the other members are just in it for the fun of it.
Make sure you have a decent singer with a 'real' P.A. system. ie, something that can cut through the music and actually be heard. It really sucks when you suddenly realize that your singer can't hold a tune cause you could never hear em properly.
Get your show down to nearest second... time out everything and make sure your frontman can blab while you're setting up for the next song... ya gotta look like pros.
Once you have your show together, make sure you have an excellent agent who can get you gigs. Or you'll spend all your time just playing tunes to your friends in the basement.
When you get booked..get your contract in writing. Bar owners are scum & will rip you off any chance they get.
Get your own lighting system. Use your own soundman. Use monitors.
There's like 1000 other things to know, but ya gotta spend a decade on the road to learn em.
As far as practicing... play when you feel like it and leave your guitar out where you can get to it at any time. My equipment's on 24/7 and practicing is no different than playing a video game or watching tv or grabbing a bite to eat. It's just something you do every day.
If you have to force yourself to practice or make it some kind of special event that involves taking the guitar out, turning on the amp, wiping down the strings...sitting down for 2 hours, putting away the guitar... blah. Just leave it sitting by the tv or whatever and grab it whenever you get bored. Play to commercials, and soundtracks so that you learn how to quickly switch keys and improvise.
Bands are tough to put together. Especially if ya don't live near a big city.
The easiest thing to do is just go to the nearest music store and ask em if there's any bands they know of looking for members.
Put a classified ad up in the music store and anywhere else you can do it for free.
If you're really serious, put some money into it, rent a rehearsal hall and have auditions.
If you're absolutely commited, move to where the musicians are. Learn songs. Learn scales and other basics, but learn real songs. Too many musicians can play great scales but are totally lost when it comes to improvising a solo.
Ya have to decide what kind of band you want ... Cover tunes, country, hard rock, originals, small venues, large venues, indie, big contract... There's nothin worse than spending a year rehearsing with a band only to find out that nobody in the band can write. Or having it in mind that you want to make a career of it only to find out that the other members are just in it for the fun of it.
Make sure you have a decent singer with a 'real' P.A. system. ie, something that can cut through the music and actually be heard. It really sucks when you suddenly realize that your singer can't hold a tune cause you could never hear em properly.
Get your show down to nearest second... time out everything and make sure your frontman can blab while you're setting up for the next song... ya gotta look like pros.
Once you have your show together, make sure you have an excellent agent who can get you gigs. Or you'll spend all your time just playing tunes to your friends in the basement.
When you get booked..get your contract in writing. Bar owners are scum & will rip you off any chance they get.
Get your own lighting system. Use your own soundman. Use monitors.
There's like 1000 other things to know, but ya gotta spend a decade on the road to learn em.
As far as practicing... play when you feel like it and leave your guitar out where you can get to it at any time. My equipment's on 24/7 and practicing is no different than playing a video game or watching tv or grabbing a bite to eat. It's just something you do every day.
If you have to force yourself to practice or make it some kind of special event that involves taking the guitar out, turning on the amp, wiping down the strings...sitting down for 2 hours, putting away the guitar... blah. Just leave it sitting by the tv or whatever and grab it whenever you get bored. Play to commercials, and soundtracks so that you learn how to quickly switch keys and improvise.
# 3
# 4
I think I have a guitar/amp and a computer in every room in out house...poor Catherine !!!
My instructors page and www.studiotrax.net for all things recording.
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
# 5
You've got a guitar in your out house?
Man..that's what I call commitment :p
Man..that's what I call commitment :p
# 6
Well it keeps the rats away, and the acoustics are not bad !
Oh go on admit it ..you all play the guitar on the can also !!
(Ha this will sort the die-hards out from the part-timers !!!)
Oh go on admit it ..you all play the guitar on the can also !!
(Ha this will sort the die-hards out from the part-timers !!!)
My instructors page and www.studiotrax.net for all things recording.
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
# 7
Wow! That's a lot of great advice. I do practice every day because, well, it's what I do ! I can't imagine a day going by without playing the guitar even just a little bit. I just got a new Aria electric guitar that has proved to be extrememly inspirational playing-wise & writing-wise. I have a lot to learn, I know. This is certainly very encouraging and just what I needed. Thanks a lot!
# 8
I was looking at the "tricks" section & don't know what "scmange" is. Can you tell me where to find it?
# 9
There are some questions it is better not to ask !
My instructors page and www.studiotrax.net for all things recording.
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
# 10
Originally Posted by: marathereseI was looking at the "tricks" section & don't know what "scmange" is. Can you tell me where to find it?[font=trebuchet ms]schmange is the screen name of one of our instructors. :rolleyes:
Please re-read post #3 of this thread.[/font]
# 11
Hey girl!! Wellcome to this forum.
And after laughing a bit about you not being able to find that thing called schmange, I remember that this site has quite an achilles heel interms of how little help newbies get in getting around it.
all the same, now that you know what schmange is and where to find it, I hope it's helpful!!
And after laughing a bit about you not being able to find that thing called schmange, I remember that this site has quite an achilles heel interms of how little help newbies get in getting around it.
all the same, now that you know what schmange is and where to find it, I hope it's helpful!!
# 12
oh man :rolleyes:
# 13
ANd here was me thinking of this
thread !
thread !
My instructors page and www.studiotrax.net for all things recording.
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
# 14
Originally Posted by: schmangeoh man :rolleyes:
So tell us, what is you?
... and that's all I have to say about that.
[U]ALL[/U] generalizations are [U]WRONG[/U]
[/sarcasm]
[U]ALL[/U] generalizations are [U]WRONG[/U]
[/sarcasm]
# 15
Ah… lovable and adorably cute Schmange. What ever did happen to him?
The story goes that he is now sailing happily around the world on his $50 million dollar yacht with a bevy of beauties tending to his every want and need.
Some rumors have surfaced that it's just possible he spontaneously combusted from playing too damned well.
Whatever the real truth is, he will always be remembered as a legend in his own mind. The c0ck of the walk and a man you'll remember for a lunchtime.
Yes, ladles and gentleben, goys and birls… here's a toast to the late Schmange.
Having a friend like Schmange was almost as good as having the best friend in the world.
Schmange :eek:
March 6, 2000 - December 31, 2004
The story goes that he is now sailing happily around the world on his $50 million dollar yacht with a bevy of beauties tending to his every want and need.
Some rumors have surfaced that it's just possible he spontaneously combusted from playing too damned well.
Whatever the real truth is, he will always be remembered as a legend in his own mind. The c0ck of the walk and a man you'll remember for a lunchtime.
Yes, ladles and gentleben, goys and birls… here's a toast to the late Schmange.
Having a friend like Schmange was almost as good as having the best friend in the world.
Schmange :eek:
March 6, 2000 - December 31, 2004
# 16
6 Mar 2000-Dec 2004 ??
That is funny 'cos I had heard that he won the US presidential elections and was up for the Nobel piece prize next year just having got back from his trip to Saturn in the rocket he invented (Well it is batter than Uranus!!!).
Just goes to show eh !
That is funny 'cos I had heard that he won the US presidential elections and was up for the Nobel piece prize next year just having got back from his trip to Saturn in the rocket he invented (Well it is batter than Uranus!!!).
Just goes to show eh !
My instructors page and www.studiotrax.net for all things recording.
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
# 17
"Schmange" is definitely gonna die of a terminal illness by the time guitartricks changes to the new design. Apparently he's caught some kind of deadly incurable virus that causes people to keep calling him "Smange" among other things.
It seems the only chance for a cure is to transfer his accumulated knowledge into that of another host. Fortunately, Kevin Taylor has elected to take on this humongous task starting in January of next year.
(the poor bastard)
It seems the only chance for a cure is to transfer his accumulated knowledge into that of another host. Fortunately, Kevin Taylor has elected to take on this humongous task starting in January of next year.
(the poor bastard)
# 18
