It's great to get some objective confirmation that I have improved again. Regardless, I feel I have grown a lot since starting on these Guitar Solo Assignments.. A huge thank you to whoever started this, and also a big thank you to those who have supplied the backing tracks as well. Without those backing tracks, it just simply wouldn't have happend and I'd still be playing the same old "stuff" again and again. I played this month's track to some people including some people at work, and even my Dad said he thought it sounded like someone else he knew from the radio. I asked people to try and guess who it was but no one could put their fingers on who it was.. When I said it was me, they were all.. including my Dad.. genuinely shocked. Even the people at church who I play with every 2 weeks or so say how much I have improved.
I'd love to say that my subscription to GT made all of that possible but it's really the forums that have helped me the most. Having said that.. without the many videos of lessons I have simply watched through without actually using them to practise, I would never have been inspired to learn music theory.. never inspired to try something new.. never inspired.. period. The full access sections did have A LOT of knowledge.. and I think that was the problem for me. There was just SOOOOO much... it is overwhelming. Especially so when you had decided that you had reached the peak of your abilities.
Guitar is now just as exciting as it was 6 months ago but now I actually know what I am doing. Well sort of at least... a better idea of what I am doing, perhaps.. anyway, if you asked me to replay the entire solo, I could.. note for note. I'm not jamming any more.. I am actually "creating" stuff now.. and it's effortless compared to before. I can even discuss the solo in proper musical terms so as to relate the technical side of things to other people to share in the lessons I have learnt from it. I am even thinking of borrowing my parents' digital video camera and trying to make a audio AND visual experience.
Just wonderful.. :)
