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The Next Step For Me?


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Posted

so I've been playing guitar for about 3 years now...I havent really played that seriously for too long tho. Anyway, I've pretty much mastered the basic scales. I've learnt some finger stretching excercises and stuff. But I just don't know what my next step should be?

 

I am more of a lead player. I love metal and and older classic rock. (My favorite band are Pink Floyd and Pantera).

 

 

What should I start learning next (not including other scales, i already know that) ? What guitar riffs should I learn?

 

I also like Blues riffs, and wouldn;t mind learning some if it would help me advance..

 

Man I don;t even understand what im asking, im just kinda confused..

 

 

:freak:

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Posted

what I always say; once you have that basic theory, starting picking songs apart. Classic songs that everyone knows-Zep, Beatles, Allman Bros, Elvis, Motown, etc. That way you'll learn what works and that will help you write and play on your own.

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Posted

I'd suggest working on your chords. If you describe yourself as "more of a lead player" that's great. But there are two good reasons for getting your chords/sense of time/groove in good shape:

1) If you play with a band, the vast majority of playing you'll do is rhythm/chords. Might as well be good at it.

2) Being strong at harmony helps your lead playing in ways that studying scales won't.

Food for thought. :-)

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Posted

Honestly, just learn your favorite songs. Learn a bunch of Pantera, Dime's riffs will get you going. RIP Dime!!!

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Posted

Agree, learning more licks and riffs is the next step. Chords and scales are just the grammar, now you have to start learning the "words".

 

You maybe don't neccessarily need to learn stuff note for note, just get the basic idea of where the notes are. Pick it apart a lick at a time. Try to relate the lick to the same lick from another song or band. "Connect the dots" so to speak. Don't get hung up in one key, try to visualize that same lick in different keys. Try relating it to an underlying scale shape.

 

For example, the opening lick in the solo to Walk:

 

----

-15-

-12 bend this note a whole step

----

----

----

 

(note: I've notated in key of E but because he's either downtuned or in drop-D tuning on that song (I always forget which) it sounds more like somewhere between C# and D. (and if he was in drop-D then obviously you'd be two frets lower then as notated above) Also I've seen that lick mis-tabbed in some places, the trick to making it sound right is to do the third string bend reeeaaly slowly, 'milking it" as Dime might say! )

 

Anyway that's what you call an "oblique bend" - two notes, one string bent while the other remains stationary. It's a really common lick. There's different types of oblique bends, that one happens to be the most common. Notice how it relates to the underlying minor penta scale (blues scale, to be technical, since he's all over that b5 note the first few bars of the solo)

 

Try finding that same lick in other songs you like, even if they're in different keys.

 

I'll go try and find a Gilmour example of the same lick (meaning, same position relative to the underlying minor penta scale shape)....

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Posted

Well I didn't find you that same lick in the two Gilmour solos I just ck'd (Money and Another Brick) but did find another example of what I'mm talking about. In Money you've got this really distinctive part of the solo using "double-stops":

----------
---7----9-
---7----9-
-9----9---
----------
----------

The same thing, only in a different key, in Another Brick, from 2:23 - 2:25

---------------------------------
-10--10-----10--10---------------
-10--10-----10--10------10-12-10-
--------12---------12---10-12-10-
---------------------------------
---------------------------------

Notice how they're both related to the underlying penta scale shape (B for Money, D for Another Brick)

(and also notice how the higher note on the second string is not in the scale shape, another advantage of studying licks, you see things that might not be apparent from just looking at scale shapes)

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Posted

OOPS I typed a wrong fret number in that reference to Walk, should be this instead:

 

----

-15-

-14 bend this note a whole step

----

----

----

  • Members
Posted

Anyway that's what you call an "oblique bend" - two notes, one string bent while the other remains stationary. It's a really common lick. There's different types of oblique bends, that one happens to be the most common. Notice how it relates to the underlying minor penta scale (blues scale, to be technical, since he's all over that b5 note the first few bars of the solo)


Try finding that same lick in other songs you like, even if they're in different keys.


I'll go try and find a Gilmour example of the same lick (meaning, same position relative to the underlying minor penta scale shape)....

I believe that Mr. Gilmour does this in the solo for Shine on You Crazy Diamond, early in the song, at the part where he begins really digging in with the pick and the feel moves from free to a more hard rock edge. I believe it is on the two highest strings though.

 

Another example of a riff doing this same kind of bend using the highest strings is: 21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson, just before the distorted vocals enter.

 

The best example of the technique that I can think of is the closing riff of Stairway. I believe the entire final riff is played with those same kinds of bends, this time on the on the 'B' and 'G' strings.

 

I like this technique because depending on how long you take to reach the top of the bend you can make that wavery, unsettling sound. It's also nice because you are sounding the same note you want to bend into, so you can check and see if you are bending in tune.

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Posted

Thanks for all the responses !!

Let me say that I have already learnt licks of some musicians I like. However, there are many more that I shouly start learning.

Can someone recomend me a good blues riff that's between 15-30 seconds long (something not too hard or too easy)

Thx again all ! :thu:

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