• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: I'd LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR APPROACH PLAYING GUITAR

Is this easy, or is this difficult, I only know that this is a kind of personal interest. A lot of great songs are BORN IN BED, (a lot of kids too)   
My "play-the-guitar-style" is more rhythmic but I try to play in that way that you recognise a song quit fast. I love strumming, and blocking the strings at the same time, and in most of the songs, I use riffs and licks, or should I say LITTLE solos? My style is recognisable, acoustic and electric, and often instrumental, this however is a lot better, the lyrics, reading what you all write about songs, your own songs. I DON'T USE YOUR LYRICS, but it gave me a pretty good idea, seeing your lyrics.
I don't know if it's lead guitar, most people tell me it is lead, but solos? Not my best skill.
Maybe you can compare it with Keith Richards, but 100 times less. Why: I admire the man, the way he plays. So my guitar style is: PLAY THE MELODY LINE, USING A LOT OF RHYTHM, BLOCKING STRINGS, while STRUMMING and ADDING (A LOT OF LICKS. I am very interested in the way you play, chordians. Jazzy? Finger Picking? Solo?.....
It is of course impossible to compare me with Keith, I just use the name him to explain my style better. He is one of the greatest players.
This how I try to play. And acoustic AND electric.
A funny thing is to make a complete different song using existing chords of an existing number, like I WILL SURVIVE (Gloria Gaynor) played as a sweet melodic ballad.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Re: I'd LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR APPROACH PLAYING GUITAR

I do a lot of strumming (this 'blocking the strings' is it like killing them? I do that sometimes on some songs, do a quick little kill for the 'chicka' sound), filling in chord switches with step dwons, 'in between' chords, quick little hammer ons and oull offs. I also do a little fingerpicking on slower songs, but I use a 'pick and finger' style thats not quite the same, almost a fingerpicking/strum combination. I use little slide licks sometimes,
  the closest player Ive ever heard to my style would be on some of the earliest Hank Williams recordings where you can hear all the little 'rolls' is what I call em I don't know what the technical name is, licks, and step ups and downs. Before he had the bbig band and it was just him and an acoustic. I would call it something between blues and bluegrass, with a little smooth fingerpicking thrown in.

All You Need is Love smile

HannahBeth's Website

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: I'd LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR APPROACH PLAYING GUITAR

I am not familiar with that little kill, but it is in fact the exact expression. It adds a kind of funk, and it sounds often strange. Since I learned that technique, from my best friend (we play Saturday or Sunday) AND HE IS A DRUMMER, I learned a lot. Since chordie, reading a lot of topics and posts, and him being angry, because he is always right, it starts to be more complicated for him. There is one thing he hate and I like: playing together in the same chord. If I don't find "fitting other chords" I start to use a lot this style, and suddenly I can put some solos, blocking wit the side of my right hand,  ON ACOUSTIC, we almost never play electric (too loud for him, but why should I change, having 1 neighbour 100 yards from my home.)

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: I'd LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR APPROACH PLAYING GUITAR

I recognize first and foremost that playing a musical instrument is a technical exercise.    You must condition muscles to work in a certain way.  Music is formed through application of a simple set of rules.   You must understand how those rules apply to your instrument.

Recognizing that,  I set out to work the technical aspect first, then the artistic.   Learn scales.  Once mastered, I can write melodies and harmonies with ease.   Learn chord progressions.  Once mastered, I can improvise songs on the spot.   Exercise my hands, and increase their strength and agility, and I can play faster, and cleaner melodies and chord progressions.

My mantra is simple.  All the artistic intent in the world is meaningless if you can not manipulate the fretboard in a predictable manner.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

5 Reply by Siege of Troy (edited by Siege of Troy 2007-12-03 04:11:39)

  • From: Zanesville Ohio
  • Registered: 2007-11-29
  • Posts: 74

Re: I'd LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR APPROACH PLAYING GUITAR

My approach is a mix of technicality and freeness at the same time. I was raised playing classical piano, so I had a hard time letting go, and being able to play stuff on the spot on guitar. My guitar teacher helped me get over that quickly, as many of my lessons were freeform blues jams, for the sole purpose of helping me get over my fear of improvisation.

My playing approach involves a mix of my favorite styles, blues, metal, and classical. Here's how it breaks down in the simplest form possible: I use classical music and theory as my base form of songwriting, hence, it's natural that I would put that into a heavy metal style, and since I can't play as fast as most metal guitarists I use blues techniques to make up for my lack of speed, and the stiffness that classical music tends to have.

Although I use these on an "as needed" basis, I do happen to love each individual style, and I chose to blend them together because I was familiar with each of them, and the fact that the sound of these styles being blended together has a "fresh" sound.

  • From: Grimsby, UK
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 604

Re: I'd LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR APPROACH PLAYING GUITAR

Well, I kind of pick up my guitar and immediately play a G chord.  I have no idea why but I guess most of us habitually start with a preliminary strum or am I weird?

The G kind of slips into a half assed Ziggy Stardust cause I love that song.  I then tend to play around with G, C and F to try to improve my accuracy with the Barre bits.  I also play the chord progression for Hotel California trying to snap to the barres again.

It's fun to take a song which you habitually strum, and pick it!

Cheers

I'm the son of rage and love
  • badeye
  • The Blues Fixer
  • Offline
  • From: Cape Breton Island, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 3,381

Re: I'd LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR APPROACH PLAYING GUITAR

I usually start by tuning my guitar which stays in tune well.
I'll do a few scales and riffs to get the fingers moving. I'll practice from open to Barre chords for ten minutes or so ,then I open my song book that has about 300 songs and I'll go from somg to song . I do it every day and its a routine that I like. I can play about 40 songs without the book.When I learn something new I usually practice for a long time and try to remember. My wife works evenings and the time is perfect for me. By the way I'm home alone so no one hears my singing. lol. The key is   Practice. My friends and I have Kitchen Jams often which helps me bieng self taught. I watch and pick up tips. My guitar helped me quit smoking ciggeretts and I pretty well stoped watching TV.

     
  I Love my guitar. 

....Badeye.

one caper after another
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: I'd LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR APPROACH PLAYING GUITAR

badeye wrote:

I usually start by tuning my guitar which stays in tune well.
I'll do a few scales and riffs to get the fingers moving. I'll practice from open to Barre chords for ten minutes or so ,then I open my song book that has about 300 songs and I'll go from somg to song . I do it every day and its a routine that I like. I can play about 40 songs without the book.When I learn something new I usually practice for a long time and try to remember. My wife works evenings and the time is perfect for me. By the way I'm home alone so no one hears my singing. lol. The key is   Practice. My friends and I have Kitchen Jams often which helps me bieng self taught. I watch and pick up tips. My guitar helped me quit smoking ciggeretts and I pretty well stoped watching TV.

     
  I Love my guitar. 

....Badeye.

Awesome Badeye!,

Keep on keepin' on my friend and you'll be amazed at how great you'll become. Your approach and attiude are the perfect recipe to cook up a big ole bowl of guitar greatness. Your love for your guitar is inspirational.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • badeye
  • The Blues Fixer
  • Offline
  • From: Cape Breton Island, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 3,381

Re: I'd LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR APPROACH PLAYING GUITAR

Thank you Southpaw, Seems I can't get enough.Only regret is that i didn't learn eariler in life. But like I always said it's never too late you gotta start somewhere.


Take Care ...Badeye.

one caper after another