Reviewing yourself

[Heywood Jablomie]

Eric: After listening to your clip, an expression comes to mind - "A Chain is Only as Strong as its Weakest Link". The singing is rather off-key and not very good, so no matter how well you play, the totality is not so good.

[NWBasser]

I rush the fast parts because I'm trying to nail them.

Yeah, this is very common. I've heard it a lot. I think a guy works on some particular passage so much trying to get the right notes down that when the time comes, nervousness sets in and it gets rushed. It becomes counterproductive at that point.

Maybe a relaxing beer would help...

I think what might happen is that the player knows it's a fast passage and tries to go a bit too fast without realizing that there's a bit of extra time in that particular measure for them to work within. Like in a football play, time gets compressed! As a bass player, I listen to and measure my notes to the drummer and this may work for lead work too.

I think timing drills would help with this and I'd wager that Robert likely has some very sage advice in this regard too.

[Eric***]

Thanks for the comments, guys.

I should qualify this/come up with an excuse by saying that this recording was never going to see the light of day. It's far from a legit attempt -- just an average run-through when I tried to sneak in a recorder without the other guys noticing, because my guitar instructor wanted to know what we sounded like. The singer/bassist is well aware that he's no Sinatra, but it's a necessary evil to help keep our place in the song.

And NWB, I think if anything, this was after too many beers to loosen me up!

I think I mostly know where the weak areas tend to be. In addition to what I mentioned earlier, there's also some hesitation in certain parts, which comes out in bright red highlighter on a recording. I'll just put a bit more elbow grease into those problem areas. I think this does sound good most of the time, but impromptu recordings can show you where the weak links are.

As for exercises, I would say bring 'em on, but I really have my hands full with my current regimen, learning new songs, and some other things I'm working on, so there's not a lot of time to wipe the slate clean and practice one particular thing.

I do know that playing helps my playing, so no matter how bad it sounds, it's all part of the process.

[Jimi75]

"Diminish everything that stops your groove until time comes where you can easily play it."
This is what my teacher always told me from lesson one. So I played shortcuts of chords or even easier rhythm patterns as long as the timing kept being tight. In a band concept one can not expect from the other musicians to wait until your fingers are positioned correctly for a certain chord. The beat has to go on. A band has to be tight.
Taping yourself and listening back to the recordings is something that could heavily hurt your self concious or vice versa give you a real rush.
I made such experience and I still make such experience, but in the end there is no way to become any better until you face the truth.

Listening to the recording first thing that comes to mind is that the singer has a timing issue in my eyes. Guitars are cool throughout the intro. In the verse and of course in the solo you play a lot of tricky gimmicks, if you don't have them down 100% play an easier version, 'cause they are darn difficult if you wanna play them with the right flow, not missing the drummer's 1.

Good luck Eric. From what I hear of your play, you have the right feel and you are on a very good way.

[Eric***]

"Diminish everything that stops your groove until time comes where you can easily play it."
This is what my teacher always told me from lesson one. So I played shortcuts of chords or even easier rhythm patterns as long as the timing kept being tight. In a band concept one can not expect from the other musicians to wait until your fingers are positioned correctly for a certain chord. The beat has to go on. A band has to be tight.
Taping yourself and listening back to the recordings is something that could heavily hurt your self concious or vice versa give you a real rush.
I made such experience and I still make such experience, but in the end there is no way to become any better until you face the truth.

Listening to the recording first thing that comes to mind is that the singer has a timing issue in my eyes. Guitars are cool throughout the intro. In the verse and of course in the solo you play a lot of tricky gimmicks, if you don't have them down 100% play an easier version, 'cause they are darn difficult if you wanna play them with the right flow, not missing the drummer's 1.

Good luck Eric. From what I hear of your play, you have the right feel and you are on a very good way.

Thanks. I think that first paragraph is really good advice.

[omegadot]

Man, listen to what I threw up in the clips area if you wanna feel better about yourself. It was fun and it helps confidence to record, listen, let other's listen. You aren't the first guy to make a mistake, realize it and learn from it. No biggie. It's all for fun anyway.