When did you hit your breaking point?


Mr. Vai
Member
Joined: 03/22/01
Posts: 91
Mr. Vai
Member
Joined: 03/22/01
Posts: 91
06/08/2002 6:35 am
Greetings, im back.

So now that its summer and school is out I have a LOT of time on my hands, so tell me, i've been playing with my metronome and I really wanna increase my speed and accuracy, can I do this with just doing chromatic scales up and down the neck (with my met.) or is there any other exercises that helped you guys?
My guitar is like an umbillical cord, its wired into my head.
# 1
IamBurnout
New Member
Joined: 06/08/02
Posts: 12
IamBurnout
New Member
Joined: 06/08/02
Posts: 12
06/08/2002 6:43 am
Strict alternate picking helps, as does legato technique.
I can effectively double my speed playing legato.
If it takes a hen and a half
A day and a half
To lay an egg and a half
How long would it take a monkey with a wooden leg to kick all of the seeds out of a dill pickle?
# 2
Mr. Vai
Member
Joined: 03/22/01
Posts: 91
Mr. Vai
Member
Joined: 03/22/01
Posts: 91
06/08/2002 1:58 pm
Whats the legato technique if you dont mind me asking, hehe
My guitar is like an umbillical cord, its wired into my head.
# 3
fendermonkey77
MORE COWBELL!
Joined: 05/29/01
Posts: 289
fendermonkey77
MORE COWBELL!
Joined: 05/29/01
Posts: 289
06/08/2002 2:42 pm
I'm not familiar with the techinique...but the term legato just means smooth...or flowing...so all the notes would be attached very smoothly with no breaks or pauses.
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"The pursuit of easy things makes men weak."

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# 4
Christoph
is Super Fabulous
Joined: 03/06/01
Posts: 1,623
Christoph
is Super Fabulous
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Posts: 1,623
06/08/2002 5:34 pm

Yes, in general music terms, legato means smoothly connected, flowing notes. When guitarists use the term, they're usually referring to playing with a lot of hammer-ons and pull-offs (with very little picking).

If you've heard Satriani, you should have a good idea of what legato technique is.


# 5
Mr. Vai
Member
Joined: 03/22/01
Posts: 91
Mr. Vai
Member
Joined: 03/22/01
Posts: 91
06/09/2002 5:05 am
satriani's my middle name. hehe
My guitar is like an umbillical cord, its wired into my head.
# 6
TheElectricSnep
Registered User
Joined: 03/06/02
Posts: 316
TheElectricSnep
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Joined: 03/06/02
Posts: 316
06/09/2002 5:28 pm
'That sounds like noise, Mr Vai!'

Hey there, seeing as I haven't met you before....nice to know you're into Satch and Vai....if you havent already, check out Paul Gilbert....he should be next to 'legato' in the musician's dictionarry. I'm currently learning how to do tapping so i can increase my range with speed. I can play fast but I always feel i keep everything very compact, i havent mastered shredding from one end of the guitar to another. Just thought I'd share that :)
'There's no such thing as bad weather, there's only the wrong clothes...'
# 7
lalimacefolle
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Joined: 09/25/01
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lalimacefolle
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Posts: 1,887
06/10/2002 4:56 am
Well, Gilbert is rather an alternate picking freak... Allan Holdsworth is so good at legato he sounds the same when picking notes or when he legatoes them.
# 8
nechako
Senior Member
Joined: 12/31/01
Posts: 190
nechako
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Joined: 12/31/01
Posts: 190
06/10/2002 10:51 pm
a Budhist monk asked me "what is the sound of one hand clapping?",a legitamite Zen Koan(unanswerable question for meditation), I answered by playing guitar with one hand, and replied, "same as one hand tapping", he then hit me with a stick and made me wear a funny yellow hat at the metal gig we played later.
# 9
MikeP.
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Joined: 04/08/01
Posts: 302
MikeP.
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Posts: 302
07/02/2002 8:51 am
I was tought an excercise years ago (That I still use today) from my old guitar teacher that I posted here at guitartricks a year ago:
http://www.guitartricks.com/2000/trick.php?trick_id=2410
I used a C Major scale as an example. You can use it with any scale (The exercises). This will develop finger independence,speed, and chording all in a simple scale pattern.
I started learning guitar because of Randy Rhoads..but Yngwie J. Malmsteen is my biggest influence.
# 10
nechako
Senior Member
Joined: 12/31/01
Posts: 190
nechako
Senior Member
Joined: 12/31/01
Posts: 190
07/02/2002 6:28 pm
my favorite solos of Vai are on the album "Joe's Garage", Frank Zappa. He was 16 at the time, lots of lydian...
# 11
MikeP.
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Joined: 04/08/01
Posts: 302
MikeP.
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Posts: 302
07/13/2002 6:37 pm
Try these exercises I wrote on the forums:

http://www.guitartricks.com/2000/search.php?input=MikeP.


I'd especially reccomend the exercises in the key of C Major for both speed and finger coordination located here:
http://www.guitartricks.com/2000/trick.php?trick_id=2410
I started learning guitar because of Randy Rhoads..but Yngwie J. Malmsteen is my biggest influence.
# 12

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