Playing at a standstill...

[Fenderman1991]

So I've been playing for about 3 years now and all I've benn going is forwards...

 

I wouldn't say I'm losing interest in playing, but my skills have deffinately come to a standstill. THere is no improving, there is no declining, just, what I am.

 

I find that I lack speed, rather speed that I want. I'd say I'm adaquit for my time period, but like I said, I'm hoping to keep increasing.

 

My soloing also has me worried. I tend to be a 'pentatonic wanker', where as all I play is the minor pentatonic scale. Which is okay I guess, I'm not that bad at soloing in general, but I'd like to get into some more things to spice it up. New scales or modes or something...

 

 

So anyway, what would you guys suggest...

 

What lessons or books would you reccomend. What should I focus on, learning more scales? etc.

 

THanks.

[gennation]

I 100% recommend my Advanced Pentatonics Tutorial: http://lessons.mikedodge.com/lessons/AdvPent/AvdPentTOC.htm

 

Itll help you take what you already know and push it into a more musical direction. The tute is not a "bunch of Blues licks" that's for sure. But it will show a "next level" approach to using the tools you already have. And, I show how it's adapted across MANY different styles of music.

 

MAKE SURE YOU READ THE INTRODUCTION!!!

 

Also, if you are familiar with the Major scale and it's scales and patterns check out my Lydian Applications Series: http://lessons.mikedodge.com/lessons/Lydian/LydianTOC.htm

 

That tutorial will shows MANY useful ways to break the scales down to useful music ideas.

 

But if you're not familiar with the Major Scale I strongly recommend learning it across the fretboard and learn how to build chords from it and how these chord relate to a Key. You can get a great start on this uing my Beginners to Advanced Series here: http://lessons.mikedodge.com

 

Start with the Intervals section, then move to Chord Construction, then to Diatonic Theory. Spending a few day with this information will give you the foundation for years and decades of understanding.

[Jasco]

 

So anyway, what would you guys suggest... What lessons or books would you reccomend. What should I focus on, learning more scales? etc. THanks.

 

 

What style of music are you playing?

[Fenderman1991]

I play a vast amount of styles. My main gig is alternative, rock and roll (all of it), and blues...

 

THanks for your site gennation. I'm in Music Theory as an elective, so I know the major scale and how the chords relate to keys, etc. I'll look into modes though.

 

Keep the reccomendations coming.

[Jasco]

I play a vast amount of styles. My main gig is alternative, rock and roll (all of it), and blues... THanks for your site gennation. I'm in Music Theory as an elective, so I know the major scale and how the chords relate to keys, etc. I'll look into modes though. Keep the reccomendations coming.

 

For blues, you might try a book called "Playin' the Blues" by Robben Ford. Great book by a great player and nice guy.

[Mark Wein]

 

So I've been playing for about 3 years now and all I've benn going is forwards... I wouldn't say I'm losing interest in playing, but my skills have deffinately come to a standstill. THere is no improving, there is no declining, just, what I am. I find that I lack speed, rather speed that I want. I'd say I'm adaquit for my time period, but like I said, I'm hoping to keep increasing. My soloing also has me worried. I tend to be a 'pentatonic wanker', where as all I play is the minor pentatonic scale. Which is okay I guess, I'm not that bad at soloing in general, but I'd like to get into some more things to spice it up. New scales or modes or something... So anyway, what would you guys suggest... What lessons or books would you reccomend. What should I focus on, learning more scales? etc. THanks.

 

 

Hi!

 

Give this a try:

http://markweinguitarlessons.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=4&id=13&Itemid=35

 

There are technique and "styles" lessons as well....

[jonfinn]

That "brick wall" phase is very normal. From what I've seen, it's very very common. It took me a lot of determination to decide that it was "just part of the process" rather than "proof that I don't have talent."

 

I've visited that brick wall many times, and it's likely I will return for many more.

 

I wrote a book called Advanced Modern Rock Guitar Improvisation that poses the solution I came up with to conquer that "stuck in the pentatonics" trap. After I came up with the idea, I tested it on many students over a period of years. Based on all the feedback, the book was written. I can't take all the credit. It was years of conversations, and watching how other people's playing evolve, asking what helps, then finally documenting what i learned.

 

I've used it as course curriculum material for one of the courses I teach at Berklee, and it's pretty well time-tested at this point.

[Knottyhed]

 

That "brick wall" phase is very normal. From what I've seen, it's very very common. It took me a lot of determination to decide that it was "just part of the process" rather than "proof that I don't have talent." I've visited that brick wall many times, and it's likely I will return for many more. I wrote a book called Advanced Modern Rock Guitar Improvisation that poses the solution I came up with to conquer that "stuck in the pentatonics" trap. After I came up with the idea, I tested it on many students over a period of years. Based on all the feedback, the book was written. I can't take all the credit. It was years of conversations, and watching how other people's playing evolve, asking what helps, then finally documenting what i learned. I've used it as course curriculum material for one of the courses I teach at Berklee, and it's pretty well time-tested at this point.

 

 

Hi Jon, what sort of demographic is your book aimed at? I'm well beyond worrying about breaking out of "pentatonic hell" or what scales to use where, my physical chops are pretty advanced, I know my bread and butter theory - although I'm not an expert like some of you guys... is your book something that I'd find helpful, or does it mostly deal with questions I will already have the answers to?

[jonfinn]

 

Hi Jon, what sort of demographic is your book aimed at? I'm well beyond worrying about breaking out of "pentatonic hell" or what scales to use where, my physical chops are pretty advanced, I know my bread and butter theory - although I'm not an expert like some of you guys... is your book something that I'd find helpful, or does it mostly deal with questions I will already have the answers to?

 

 

It's a difficult question to answer but I will try. The book was written on several levels. What you get out of it depends on where you are, and what you're willing to invest.

 

The book's primary demographic is the advanced player who knows a fair amount of music theory. For the advanced player, it gives a different perspective because it looks at traditional music theory concepts, but attempts to explain them in a manner that applies directly to rock (where most books like this explain things in a way that relates more directly to jazz). It's not "new" information as much as a new way to organize/process.

Typically, the advanced player who dives headfirst in to every page of this book comes away with, "This approach is MUCH easier/better than what I was doing." It's written for the advanced player who wants to improve at rock improv. That's why it's more conceptual than "licks."

 

For the intermediate rock player, these concepts are fairly easy to understand and use. The intermediate player will usually miss the deeper layers and their implications. Most intermediate players look at the book on it's surface and typically think, "Oh, I know all this stuff."

 

For the beginner, most of it will go over their heads, but most (who are older than 12-ish) can see from browsing through it that once they reach a certain point, they'll be ready for it.

 

What's hard to convey is that every chapter was written to be circular: Every previous chapter has a new meaning once you've studied the next. Chapter 2 means much more after you've done all the work in Chapter 3 (and on and on and on...). Once you've completed the book, it's suggested that you go it through repeatedly (5 or 6 times maybe?).

 

Ten years after I wrote it, I'm still finding things.

[Jasco]

That "brick wall" phase is very normal...

 

I thought you said "normal" was a setting on your washing machine.

[jonfinn]

I thought you said "normal" was a setting on your washing machine.

 

hehehehe... my friend said that!

[Knottyhed]

It's a difficult question to answer but I will try. The book was written on several levels. What you get out of it depends on where you are, and what you're willing to invest. The book's primary demographic is the advanced player who knows a fair amount of music theory. For the advanced player, it gives a different perspective because it looks at traditional music theory concepts, but attempts to explain them in a manner that applies directly to rock (where most books like this explain things in a way that relates more directly to jazz). It's not "new" information as much as a new way to organize/process. Typically, the advanced player who dives headfirst in to every page of this book comes away with, "This approach is MUCH easier/better than what I was doing." It's written for the advanced player who wants to improve at rock improv. That's why it's more conceptual than "licks." For the intermediate rock player, these concepts are fairly easy to understand and use. The intermediate player will usually miss the deeper layers and their implications. Most intermediate players look at the book on it's surface and typically think, "Oh, I know all this stuff." For the beginner, most of it will go over their heads, but most (who are older than 12-ish) can see from browsing through it that once they reach a certain point, they'll be ready for it. What's hard to convey is that every chapter was written to be circular: Every previous chapter has a new meaning once you've studied the next. Chapter 2 means much more after you've done all the work in Chapter 3 (and on and on and on...). Once you've completed the book, it's suggested that you go it through repeatedly (5 or 6 times maybe?). Ten years after I wrote it, I'm still finding things.

 

Cool sounds like I should go order it