Originally Posted by: maggiorCool...I can talk guitar all day also :). I've been playing for a little over 30 years. The first 15 years was mainly rhythm. In 2000 I got a nice guitar (American Std. Strat) and took lessons for about a year and worked on soloing. Learned some songs and the pentatonic scales. That took me to a new level. Then a little over 2 years ago I signed up here to refocus again. Lessons and advice here from instructors (mostly Anders since he does the blues stuff which was my focus) and also fellow students took me to yet another level. Focusing on phrasing is what got me where I am now.
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Yeah I feel like I've learned a ton from Anders and Christopher. They're so knowledgeable in what they do. Man, I wasn't impressed with the stratocaster at first at all. I had, first taken a look at SG's and LPs. "Oh man those are so cool!" i was thinking, but at the recommendation of a friend I bought a 200 dollar fender squier strat. Best decision ever. I love the way they feel. Tone wise there's so much variation and right up your alley for some great blues playing. I just bought my first nice guitar last month. Sadly it hasn't come in yet, but I nabbed a strat style Chapman ml-1 (bea signature) model. New company, but I really think they know what they're doing. Excellent reviews on ALL of their guitars so far. They're cheaper by a couple hundred bucks b/c they don't use a distributor.
Video of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNYXUh67hDI
[QUOTE=maggior]
You are smart to include listening to other players to help your learning. I'm strictly a pentatonic player at this point, so what you heard me play in those solos was all from the pentatonic scale. Nothing fancy going on in there scale-wise. It was listening and watching Anders Moridsen here that made me realize how much unlocked potential there was in the scale for me!!
At the moment I'm learning songs and pushing my improvisational skills to see what I can do with them. I've done some funk and some pop that is outside my normal genre, which has forced me to branch out of my comfort zone, which is blues or blues based rock. Sometimes some amazing things happen! Speed isn't my thing either so I've learned to play to my strengths.
The journey continues...
Did you start learning guitar here? What genres and areas are you working on? What sort of player do you want to be when you grow up?
I tried to play guitar at 16. Learned some chords and played boring hymns and worship songs because I was involved with a church at that point in my life. I gave up b/c I felt I had nothing to inspire or teach me. 10 years later, the summer of last year I picked it up again. I have an odd... well eclectic interest I should say in music. I literally listen to just about everything...and when I say everything I mean all of it. Metal, hip-hop, electronic, blues, classic rock, country, reggae (not in any particular order of preference here). The only thing I don't really like to listen to is todays pop music. I really love certain elements of all of 'em. When it comes to playing I don't think I'm a whole lot different. Which is probably good and bad b/c it'll be hard to really master one thing I think. The idea of blending genres together sounds great to me! I feel you on the blues though. One of my favorite things to do right now is throw on one of the jam sessions from anders' lessons and lay down some licks over it.