how do you play with "feeling"

I am going to attempt to explain the impossible here...
Hopefully, I don't get TOO winded on this one.

When you play a song, think about how the song makes you feel and PLAY that feeling. It's gotta come from the inside or you'll always sound like you're faking it.

Try this....
Pick a simple Pentatonic lick, could be anything, and play it like you were a drone. Pretty lame, huh?
Now I want you to think back to the last time your boyfriend/girlfriend/mother/brother/dog/cat/or whatever pissed you off so back you wanted to explode and try to play the same lick like you felt. You will probably find you have a lot more aggresive attack on the strings....

Watch out now...you're starting to play with feeling...I know it hurts but it will only get better.

Now try the same lick after trying to remember the last time you had something happen that brought you so much pain you wanted to cry, and play that...

Gettin the hint yet....
You gotta live the song to play the song...and you can quote me on that.

There


[Edited by hairbndrckr on 03-23-2003 at 11:04 PM]

Funny you mention that - of course the term "playing with feeling" encapsulates the use of real, true emotion.

however - a friend of mine does actually CRY when he plays the guitar. The strange thing about it is ,that he also cries when he plays something happy... now that made me think.. next time i´ll probably call the men with the beautifull jackets.. *LOL*

The important question here is do your friends neighbours cry also? If so why!

Relax and don't think too much.

Urmph?? Murgbeerr ummmmmm.... Yip. d's goooood!

to play with feeling is... hard to explain. It depends on the type of song your soloing to.

The best way to solo with feeling is to start with a cry make your guitar (the sound and playabilty) do the work.

Or.. (this is corny) close your eyes, imagine what this solo is. It could be a loving solo, a get out of the way solo, or... any other kind.

Hope this helped a bit!

Hey, Andrew - good job on breaking this down into theory. Although many rock musicians will argue that there's no formula to playing with feeling, there are solid theoretical principles behind why one song/solo/passage of a piece will strike us and another will not affect us at all.

I also liked your explanation of how resolution plays an important role.

So, whereas you obviously can't sit down, take a song and run a mathematical formula to produce the best solo for that song, a good solo will have made use of certain aspects of music theory, whether the guitarist is aware of it or not.

This is almost getting me started in a discussion of how people like Beethoven or Mozart were masters of theory, not slaves of it. It's almost as if they "invented" theory to suit their needs and purposes. Anyways, that's off-topic.

The 3 things to improve "feeling" within your playing

1.Attack:how hard or soft you hit the notes
2.vibrato/bend:wiggle that string with your heart!
3.approach:you might sound good,but presentation counts too

also remember NOT to play your songs/music with an "exercise" state of mind!!!Learning techniques/ways to express yourself accuratley is essential "practice" as a guitarist but you must remember that the guitar is meant as an outlet for youself to convey feelings....imo
#3 seems wierd but have you ever seen that awsome guitarist heroe of yours play your favorite song and say to yourself "i can play that"...but know that somthings missing?You might have things note for note whether it be your music or somone elses but "presenting" your music "AS ART" or an "artform" is important.Stay loose,relax,and use your skill to "speak"

I haven't read all posts so I might be saying the same things as the others, sorry if that happens.

I in no way say that I'm good at playing with feeling but I don't know the first thing about theory (ask Azrael lol) and every solo I do is improvised. Rarely do I sit down and take time to analyse a solo and construct it. When I do it takes me years.

So yes I do beleive I play with feeling and do you know how I do it.... I just play man. You've learned tricks to get better and playing, be more accurate but if you only play those tricks in a solo you'll sound like the guy that made them. It's only by trial and error that you'll be able to play like you want, with feeling. Put yourself out there, play over midi files, play over music, sit down in front of the TV and play along video's on MTV but PLAY. It doesn't matter if you're out of key sometimes, with experience you'll learn with key to play. But please don't do like me and at least learn in which key you're in lol

BTW a good midi file to jam over is Confortably numb by Pink Floyd, play over that one.


I've lost so many years of not soling because I was afraid of sounding bad, this is the biggest mistake you'll ever made. Beleive in your talent and you'll see good things will come out. Then as time goes by and you develope you're style you'll realise, like me, that you sound like Sanata lol or another guitarist... man we all end up sounding like someone else, nobody can say he's original but at least you'll play with feeling. At least that how I feel.

that's my 2 cents

I think Developing your own style would help!
You don't learn to play soulfully or with feeling over-nite or Develope your own style over-nite.
I think some of the posts had some good points but this
is a very hard subject to explain.
Jamming with someone else or over a chord progression is
great once you Develope your own style and know how to improv-or adlib=Feeling.
But on the other side of coin i've heard guitarest's
that were great but could'nt improv or adlib but they
did develope thier own style!


Just My 12 cents.

Mark

[Edited by skee1 on 05-27-2003 at 03:02 PM]

Hey Skee!!

Hi Chris




Mark

I think Benoit's little signature phrase at the bottom of his statement kind of sums it up.Just let go and let the music(whatever you're playing)take you places.Music is supposed to bring emotion out of you(happy sad,mad,horny etc...)and as long as you can live that feeling thru your playing then you'll kind of get the idea of what you asked about playing with feeling.