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How to get better at guitar

jakeworth.com

11–20 of 276 posts

Re: How to get better at guitar

#11
Tommy Emmanuel apparently learned by transrcibing, famously thinking that both the bass line and guitar lines he was hearing were a singular "guitar part". Just by having his expectations (incorrectly) raised, he rose to the occasion and played both parts.

I forget where I heard this story -- it's probably either rather famous, or buried in an interview somewhere.

Re: How to get better at guitar

#12
post #2

It's still tabs, but marginally better because you're making your own tabs. Work on hearing the key and chord progression and you won't need tabs. You'll be able to jam with anyone, anytime. It'll take a couple months to get there, but you'll no longer rely on tabs - which I think is the goal.

When you are transcribing a guitar part you have to think about the key, the chords, and how to play the part efficiently. It's a great way to get a better understanding of the neck since there is usually more than one way to play a part.

Re: How to get better at guitar

#14
post #3

Sting famously learned to play bass using this sort of technique with music on LPs, lifting the needle and dropping it back a bit in the track over and over again as he gradually worked out the notes and fingering. Probably almost any method is effective at learning guitar, as long as it includes the key factor - time spent practicing.

That's called ear training and it's crucial. I don't think all ways one can play and call it "practice" are equal

Re: How to get better at guitar

#15
post #3

Sting famously learned to play bass using this sort of technique with music on LPs, lifting the needle and dropping it back a bit in the track over and over again as he gradually worked out the notes and fingering. Probably almost any method is effective at learning guitar, as long as it includes the key factor - time spent practicing.

> as long as it includes the key factor - time spent practicing.

And at least for me, frequency beats duration. I make more progress when I play consistently for even 10 minutes every day than when I play for 90 minutes on Sunday afternoon.

Re: How to get better at guitar

#16
post #3

Sting famously learned to play bass using this sort of technique with music on LPs, lifting the needle and dropping it back a bit in the track over and over again as he gradually worked out the notes and fingering. Probably almost any method is effective at learning guitar, as long as it includes the key factor - time spent practicing.

My music teacher said that practice does not produce perfection, only perfect practice produces perfection. If you mess up, redo the part you messed up correctly 5 times in a row. And, don't just practice the easy stuff. You have to challenge yourself to grow.

Time is the largest factor though. Some ways are better than others but there is no substitiute for time.

why am I posting here instead of practicing?

Re: How to get better at guitar

#17
post #11

Tommy Emmanuel apparently learned by transrcibing, famously thinking that both the bass line and guitar lines he was hearing were a singular "guitar part". Just by having his expectations (incorrectly) raised, he rose to the occasion and played both parts. I forget where I heard this story -- it's probably either rather famous, or buried in an interview somewhere.

He tells it everywhere. (Also demonstrates the thumb vs fingers playing independently everywhere.)

Re: How to get better at guitar

#18
post #6

Are you telling me that spending time writing an app to learn the guitar neck isn't the best way?? Blasphemy, I tell you! Anyway here is my app of shame: https://kelvie.github.io/chord-finder/ I also came to the realization after making this that my time was better spent transcribing, but I wanted to learn egui (and this was before coding agents, so it actually took some time).

There should be a saying like "A tool is not the task" similar to "A map is not the land." As professional tool makers it can be easy to replace the task with a tool in theory, but that's not reality.

In a similar vein I think that's why there are so many devs making game engines instead of games.

Re: How to get better at guitar

#19
I am playing for quite a while... Had private lessons with a coach to practice solo guitar, and general understanding for a couple of years. Before that around 10 years or more as amateur, now it's been 3 years since I spoke to a guitar coach last time.

I play every day, I do my solos, I play blues, I don't need chords. But it's hard.

Just don't underestimate how hard it is - to be able to play any solo by ear. I guess I just don't have any freaking talent. Pretty obvious at this point, since some people do a better progress in 3-5 years of work.

But for me it's not. I realized that for me something isn't just clicking. There was no breakthrough moment I expected all these years.

I invested a lot into playing guitar, but... meh. Honestly, I wish I spent all that time learning AI math or just math in general. Or spend my time on something that would have a better ROI.

Looking back I see how much effort it took, and how low my ROI is. I wish I gave up earlier.

Re: How to get better at guitar

#20
TLDR: practice. If you have sufficient natural talent xor will, you will eventually go past the canon of available material and begin to transcribe your own. Then there are those who move to creation, either immediately or somewhere in the path.
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