What are you currently working on?

paulskirocks said:
Well... After 30 years of playing habits, I'm learning to break out of playing in a particular "key", and working a lot on chord tone solos and riffs... I used to get overwhelmed with trying to memorize the entire fretboard for whatever scale I was playing, and now I'm getting far more comfortable playing various modes and scales from wherever I currently am on the fret board, using the two strings per scale approach, and letting my ear decide what mode or scale I want to play, and not just blindly hit the "dots" on the fretboard...
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The ear is the best thing going bro. If you can hear the scale, you can play it. As Mark mentioned, take small chunks like intervals, all the scales can be built just knowing the aural/physical relation.
 
rdkraus said:
Module One

Holding the pick "Mark's way" - a sloooooow adjustment and quite frustrating.
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I have tried Mark's way. I can't do it. I see the advantages, though. I immediately noticed a better pick attack. The notes are punchier, solid. But I get lost. I am not sure where the strings are. My theory is that my hands are smaller than Mark's and that the pick doesn't rest in my fingers like his. Also, I miss not having an anchor available (I know THAT is a bad habit too!) Also, I rationalize that a lot of players don't hold a pick like Mark.

Mark, did holding a pick like you do come naturally?
 
tgk03 said:
Mark, did holding a pick like you do come naturally?
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nope.

Hand size doesn't have much to do with it, either. You just have to make a concentrated effort for a few weeks or even months to make a change like this...
 
ohhh yea. i remember watching this. you hold it the old school way. that how i was taught when i was a kid too. i now hold it in my finger tips like a writing instrument. sorta the modern shredders' way. really opens up and relaxes the rest of my hand for all the hybrid stuff i do.
 
AdamLopez said:
ohhh yea. i remember watching this. you hold it the old school way. that how i was taught when i was a kid too. i now hold it in my finger tips like a writing instrument. sorta the modern shredders' way. really opens up and relaxes the rest of my hand for all the hybrid stuff i do.
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I've been really experimenting the last year or so and this seems to give me the sound that I want...
 
I think whatever works, works. The big mistake most students make though is they don't stick with the trial long enough. The try once and go "oh, that's not comfortable" and they switch right back to their usual way.

When I wanted to learn how to use a thumbpick, I gave myself 3 months (prolly 10hrs a day). All thumbpick all the time. Even for gigs. Now I can use either/or and feel comfortable switching back and forth.
 
AdamLopez said:
I think whatever works, works. The big mistake most students make though is they don't stick with the trial long enough. The try once and go "oh, that's not comfortable" and they switch right back to their usual way.
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100% agree.
 
After about 6 weeks I am starting to feel comfortable holding the pick Marks way and I definitely am hearing an improvement in my attack.

Sent from my Samsung Epic 4G via Tapatalk.
 
Today:


1: a decent audio/visual setup at home
2: playing chord melody style
3: writing good instrumentals

Due to time constraints, here's all 3 in big audio/video barf.

The song is mostly done. The "B" section/solo sucks but the idea is mostly there just can't play what I hear quite yet.

I humbly present: Lola's Swang.

 
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AdamLopez said:
Today:


1: a decent audio/visual setup at home
2: playing chord melody style
3: writing good instrumentals

Due to time constraints, here's all 3 in big audio/video barf.

The song is mostly done. The "B" section/solo sucks but the idea is mostly there just can't play what I hear quite yet.

I humbly present: Lola's Swang.

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Nice!

I've been just trying to get videos done this week but in my off time I've been working on some new chord voicings, relaxing my picking hand a bit more and losing the anchor when I play. Also cramming blues tunes for the weekend.
 
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Currently working on 'Angie' on my acoustic, mainly the intro part. I can kind of play it, but need to get it to 'feel' like Angie. Also messing with the chords for it, and trying to get them to sound more interesting and more like the original.

Also working through 'Blues You Can Use' by John Ganapes, which I think is a really fun beginners book and I'm really enjoying some of the tunes, it's also helping a lot with learning the Pentatonic scale without making it boring.

This is followed by playing along with songs I already know, loudly, just for fun!:grin:
 
cfgsteak said:
After about 6 weeks I am starting to feel comfortable holding the pick Marks way and I definitely am hearing an improvement in my attack.

Sent from my Samsung Epic 4G via Tapatalk.
Click to expand...

It took me two months and I'm just getting comfortable with it now (take into effect my forearm issues limit my playing quite a bit (2 or 3 hours a week). Damn, I'd love to be able to play an hour or two every night. Might cause the wife some distress though.
 
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