Members Tom B. Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Strengths: I can play in time with a 4/4 beat pretty well (I think?), learning chords. Weaknesses: Playing fast (I know its not that essential, but i think it would be a cool thing to do), learning by ear I really need to get a teacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mahon451 Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Strengths: I can play rock rhythm guitar like a monster. Weakness: I play rock lead guitar like Keith Richards. Good thing for you, nobody really cares about how well you play lead, except for other guitar players. For the 90% of the population that doesn't play guitar, Keith Richards is a perfectly adequate lead player. A good rhythm guitarist can make or break a band... hell, I spent 2 years almost solely developing rhythm technique, during which time I almost completely eschewed practicing leads. It paid off... not only can I lock REALLY well with a drummer (on, behind, ahead or off of the beat), it infinitely helped my phrasing in general, thus helping my leads. They're all related. Now if I could only get the tapping and sweeping thing down, I'd be in business... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Weathered Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Good thing for you, nobody really cares about how well you play lead, except for other guitar players. For the 90% of the population that doesn't play guitar, Keith Richards is a perfectly adequate lead player. A good rhythm guitarist can make or break a band... hell, I spent 2 years almost solely developing rhythm technique, during which time I almost completely eschewed practicing leads. It paid off... not only can I lock REALLY well with a drummer (on, behind, ahead or off of the beat), it infinitely helped my phrasing in general, thus helping my leads. They're all related. Now if I could only get the tapping and sweeping thing down, I'd be in business... Same here - I played in a pop-punk band for a few years, and that really develops a quick right hand. I can mess my way through leads, but I am never going to be the next Steve Vai or SRV, and I've come to terms with that. I focus more on writing and putting on a show, which is what most people (non-guitarists) care about anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mahon451 Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Same here - I played in a pop-punk band for a few years, and that really develops a quick right hand. I can mess my way through leads, but I am never going to be the next Steve Vai or SRV, and I've come to terms with that. I focus more on writing and putting on a show, which is what most people (non-guitarists) care about anyway. Word. Why would you wanna sound like the next Vai anyway? There are already 50,000 people who sound like that... Besides, I'm absolutely convinced that songwriting and stage presence are lost arts. Which makes me happy (and should make you happy) that I (you) can do both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members drummer_14_92 Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Strength - Playing easy {censored}. Weakness - Playing hard {censored}. what he said:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DCBullet Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Pros: I can start playing along to a song the first time I hear it which goes along with my ability to hear a song and immediately tell what chors are being used and what key it's in. I'm quick with chord changes and figuring out the same chord on a another part of the neck relativley quickly. To quote Mick Jones, "It is lovely when you realize that the same chord that you are playing down there is up there in a different configuration. It all clicks into place sometimes. You just keep going at it, and going at it, and then suddenly it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mistersully Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 strengths: feel.. writing... playing what the song calls for weaknesses: technique Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ignatz Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Good thing for you, nobody really cares about how well you play lead, except for other guitar players. QFT. This thread is making me feel a lot better. I've been playing 30 years now (holy {censored}!) and I'm nowhere near the level I think I should be. Honestly, I don't think I'd describe any of my traits as "weaknesses" because they have a lot to do with my come-from as a musician. I never got much into EVH or Yngwie or any of the other big shreddy monster guys, so I never developed my lead playing that way. In fact, I came of age playing in punk bands in the 80s, during which time the whole concept of "lead guitar" was considered passe. So I guess that's a "weakness," though I've actually come to enjoy my half-assed low-tech minimalist soloing style for what it is. And in the plus column I've got a great rhythmic sense, a thorough knowledge of theory, and a really good ear; I know my fretboard as well as it's possible to know it. And I can lay down big fat rhythmic grooves that are impossible to sit still to. And a one-note guitar solo can kill if it's a really good note. So -- shrug? I yam what I yam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tedddy Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Strengths:--Good ear, can pick up songs quick--Good vibrato Weaknesses:--can't shred--don't know enough chord shapes up the neck. I only can play either cowboy chords like Malcolm young, or barre/power chords. Don't know jazz chords, don't know how to improvise with jazzy jammy type players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Doctor Morbius Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 My strengths are knowing how to spell strengths and weaknesses. Playing guitar is a lot less important to me than having a semblance of an education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alchemist Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 My strengths are knowing how to spell strengths and weaknesses. Playing guitar is a lot less important to me than having a semblance of an education. my spelling is awful, and its no reflection of my edumacation, or my accomplishments strengths: speed and accuracy, and ability to play complex things with relative ease, ability to learn things quickly weakness: I fall into ruts easily, and I can overcomplicate things unless I have a band to follow, I am also easily bored and go off on sometimes undesireable tangents.... and my vibrato is too fast if I am not paying attention (again when I dont have a band to follow)..... I have so many things on my mind, that I easily forget all the theory I have learned, which means I am relearning the basics pretty much once a year:freak:..... I also forget songs fast if I dont play them for a while.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bloolight Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Strengths: I have decent a decent sense of melody when I'm soloing. I have good bends, and vibrato for blues solos. Weaknesses: I have short, skinny fingers so barre chords are a pain in my ass. I'm too lazy to learn how to sight-read. I'm not good at improvising in non-pentatonic scales on the fly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metallica_00 Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Good thing for you, nobody really cares about how well you play lead, except for other guitar players. I don't really agree with that. I do agree that the song is most important, but "lead" playing is important in creating a song. Lead playing isn't just taking a long wanking solo over a 12 bar, it's also about adding melodies and phrases to the song (rather than say just playing chords). So in that case I think lead playing IS very important. I've played gigs with three guitarists, two guys taking leads at a time sometimes, and people in the audience (bars) seemed to enjoy the improvisation, harmoniesm etc. It makes music more interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Greg_In_Michigan Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 Strengths:Chording. I've spent the last 4 of 6 years of playing doing mostly jazz stuff.Finger picking. I've used no pick for most of that time. Weakness:Picking. Being that I have been doing the fingerpicking thing, I suck with a pick now.Lead playing. I solo using mostly chords and I make up rhythm stuff that also involves some sort of a melody and I'm not creative/knowledgeable enough to put a solo over all of my chordal complexity. Phrasing. All of my phrasing is too percussive. Every solo I try to play is very stale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Runn3r Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 strengths i can put geetar down and play a bit of bass if i have too weaknesses often i argue first when i have to play bass . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members woodsmandan Posted December 12, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 My strengths are knowing how to spell strengths and weaknesses. Playing guitar is a lot less important to me than having a semblance of an education. I am educateted ...it's just that in doesnt show when I type en anglais... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yngtchie Blacksteen Posted December 12, 2007 Members Share Posted December 12, 2007 My strengths are my phrasing, technique and awareness of multiple guitar styles. My weakness is a rather hefty one, and that's rhythm and timing. Since I've never played in a band, I don't have very good natural rhythm, and that bothers me. I really hope I can get a band together some day, so that I can get that last piece of the puzzle in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dragonsoni Posted December 13, 2007 Members Share Posted December 13, 2007 Strengths = Good Timing and improvisation/wanking I guess Weaknesses = Lost part of my hearing due to a childhood illness in only one ear. So notes sound differently in each ear - developing my ear has been a struggle for 20 years to say the least. Studying theory always gives me a headache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alchemist Posted December 13, 2007 Members Share Posted December 13, 2007 My strengths are my phrasing, technique and awareness of multiple guitar styles. My weakness is a rather hefty one, and that's rhythm and timing. Since I've never played in a band, I don't have very good natural rhythm, and that bothers me. I really hope I can get a band together some day, so that I can get that last piece of the puzzle in place. I had that problem, so I taught myself to play drums, a bit extreme I know, but I found it helped me a lot.... I couldnt handle just metronomes because it bored me, so playing drums at least helped me think in terms of rhythm and kept it fun... of course I love funk drumming, so most of my clean rhythm playing sounds like the beginning to 70's porn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members r0ck0ut Posted December 13, 2007 Members Share Posted December 13, 2007 Strengths- improvising, technique, feel Weakness- no knowledge of theory, scales and chords. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dragonsoni Posted December 13, 2007 Members Share Posted December 13, 2007 Weakness- no knowledge of theory, scales and chords. Really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sylvesterlowery Posted December 13, 2007 Members Share Posted December 13, 2007 Strengths-I can hold the guitar properly, tune it as close as possible to correct pitch, can hold a pick, I can make squealie noises. Weaknesses-everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr.Tramples Posted December 13, 2007 Members Share Posted December 13, 2007 I'm able to play behind Moonlight Sonata, and other odd things, does this mean I'm good? Other times I can sit and stare at my guitar, and belt out licks while thinking them, or does this mean I'm awesome? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mahon451 Posted December 13, 2007 Members Share Posted December 13, 2007 I don't really agree with that. I do agree that the song is most important, but "lead" playing is important in creating a song. Lead playing isn't just taking a long wanking solo over a 12 bar, it's also about adding melodies and phrases to the song (rather than say just playing chords). So in that case I think lead playing IS very important. I've played gigs with three guitarists, two guys taking leads at a time sometimes, and people in the audience (bars) seemed to enjoy the improvisation, harmoniesm etc. It makes music more interesting. If I didn't think lead playing was important, I would never have learned to play lead. But in 90% of my experience, the non-guitar playing masses could give a {censored} whether you shred harmonic minors or do slow pentatonic runs. If it sounds "right" it's all good to them, provided they don't dislike guitar solos (and I know people, non-musicians, who do). What I was saying is, strong rhythm skills are FAR more important than strong lead skills... however, strong rhythm skills lend themselves well to strong lead skills. So it all evens out in the end. But yeah... those sweeps and taps get me every time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AndersonTech Posted December 13, 2007 Members Share Posted December 13, 2007 Strengths - I'll play any style music on any guitar you hand me. Weakness - I might not sound so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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