I'm blogging about my "Reconstruction" as a guitarist in addition to the lessons...

[mark wein]

http://blog.markwein.com

I'm sick of my own playing and trying to make some changes in the limited time I have available to actually work on my OWN playing :rockon:

I figured that the process might be as educational to the guys who use my lesson videos at www.MarkWeinGuitarLessons.com (even if its a "what not to do :o) as the lessons themselves....let me know what you think! I just have a couple of entries up for the last week or so....

[sunvalleylaw]

Interesting reading (though the link did not take be straight to that blog entry). It sounds like you have been or are battling what I was/am wrestling with in my "whine" thread. And you are choosing to work on techniques too. It also makes the point of many fretters that responded to my whine, by saying that it does not matter what level you are at (after the initial beginner period), everyone goes through it, and there is always another monster to slay.

[jpfeifer]

Hi Mark,

That's an interesting blog, I can relate to this!

I get sick of my own playing quite often :-) I had this epiphany recently about an aspect of my playing that I finally decided was most important to work on. It only took 33 years of playing to come to this point, but I started to see more and more evidence that the critical element (that had been overlooked) was phrasing. It was one of those ah-hah moments when I realized there was this whole dimension that I had been ignoring (or just taking for granted) all those years and never really trying to develop it. I felt like a painter who had just discovered that I didn't have to paint everything in 2-dimensions if I didn't want to.

So, this is my new thing, until another 2 years from now when I get sick of my playing again. It will happen, I just need to be thinking of the next thing to work on after that :-)

-- Jim

[mark wein]

I think that it comes down to identifying what your current "bottleneck" is...for me its my hands so I'm working on that. I'm thinking that the next thing for me to do is to tackle a ton of transcriptions once I feel like I can pull them off....

[jpfeifer]

That sounds cool Mark. I find that I'm happier when I have something to strive for. If I can keep finding things to work on then I'll never get tired of playing guitar.

One of the other areas that I'd like to explore someday is Gypsy style guitar (Django Reinhardt stuff). The more of that style I hear, the more I think that I'd like to learn some of it.

-- Jim

[mark wein]

That sounds cool Mark. I find that I'm happier when I have something to strive for. If I can keep finding things to work on then I'll never get tired of playing guitar.

One of the other areas that I'd like to explore someday is Gypsy style guitar (Django Reinhardt stuff). The more of that style I hear, the more I think that I'd like to learn some of it.

-- Jim

I think thats key...there is so much to learn that even if you try something you're not normally into you might find either that you actually dig it or maybe you'll pick up a skill that wil help your normal "bag"...

[mrmudcat]

Not sure how much slide you do brother but one can always learn something outside their danger zone!!!:AOK:

I have dug on some of your stuff:master:

[mark wein]

Not your how much slide you do brother but one can always learn something outside their danger zone!!!:AOK:

I have dug on some of your stuff:master:

:thu:

Thanks!

[mrmudcat]

CHECK EDIT::thwap:

[jpfeifer]

Not your how much slide you do brother but one can always learn something outside their danger zone!!!

One of my favorite players right now is Derek Trucks. When I hear some of the things he can do with a slide, it makes me want to try to get some more slide things in my bag of tricks also. IMHO, Derek Trucks is one of the most orginal guitar players going. He really pours a ton of emotion into his solos, makes the guitar sound like it's going to frigg'n explode. I love that.

So much to learn with my 1 hour of practice per day (if I'm lucky). I'm like you Mark, with kids and other responsibilities too, so my guitar time is definitely limited. That's part of what keeps it fun, since I never get to play as much as I would like to.

--Jim

[mark wein]

:D

I do play some slide....I usually play it more when I'm working on my phrasing because it helps me think melody more than "licks"

[mark wein]

One of my favorite players right now is Derek Trucks. When I hear some of the things he can do with a slide, it makes me want to try to get some more slide things in my bag of tricks also. IMHO, Derek Trucks is one of the most orginal guitar players going. He really pours a ton of emotion into his solos, makes the guitar sound like it's going to frigg'n explode. I love that.

So much to learn with my 1 hour of practice per day (if I'm lucky). I'm like you Mark, with kids and other responsibilities too, so my guitar time is definitely limited. That's part of what keeps it fun, since I never get to play as much as I would like to.

--Jim

I dig Derek Trucks, too...I have his Songlines album and occasionally check out vids of him online. I personally think he has one of the most distinctive voices in the guitar world at the moment....

[mrmudcat]

I dig Derek Trucks, too...I have his Songlines album and occasionally check out vids of him online. I personally think he has one of the most distinctive voices in the guitar world at the moment....


Agreed .......part of the extended Allman family of brothers and sisters!!!!!


The South has always had a pulse on creatism.....IMHO:dude:

[sunvalleylaw]

I think that it comes down to identifying what your current "bottleneck" is...for me its my hands so I'm working on that. I'm thinking that the next thing for me to do is to tackle a ton of transcriptions once I feel like I can pull them off....

Yeah, that sound's about right. And for me, it was taking it too seriously given the time I have, and forgetting to have fun with some more simple stuff. Stuff that allows me to work on technique issues that need to be overcome before I can really get where I want to go. Like Marnold said in a different thread, if I get confused by the metronome, or am off or whatever, slow it down. Different bottleneck, but good to know you get them too and see you work through yours.

[mark wein]

Yeah, that sound's about right. And for me, it was taking it too seriously given the time I have, and forgetting to have fun with some more simple stuff. Stuff that allows me to work on technique issues that need to be overcome before I can really get where I want to go. Like Marnold said in a different thread, if I get confused by the metronome, or am off or whatever, slow it down. Different bottleneck, but good to know you get them too and see you work through yours.

With many of my adult student a big part of my job is "frustration management". Adults expect to be able to just play the stuff they are given and forget that the instrument can be as much of a sport as it is an art....you have to get the physical skills up to speed just like you were learning to play golf or tennis before you can execute much of what you have in your head...and sometimes the mental part of it is the roadblock. Just being able to step away from a problem and look at it from a different perspective later usually works more than anything else :D

[mrmudcat]

Agreed........when my 14 y.o....chase went from blues to power chords I had to step away even though I did the same thing but have always came back to the blues full circle:beer:

I have to let my 3 progress/ regress and just bite my lip at times..........:dude: