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I picked my guitar up about 18 months ago after a break of about 10 or 11 years. It was hard getting those fingers back into shape. I have now only just reached a point where i am happy play for family and friends but 18 months ago even that would have sent me screaming from the building.
I don't know how many guitars you have but if you have more than one why not offer one to the guy as a loaner to see how he gets on. After a couple of months and he is still the same them fair enough. Just a thought.

You may be better off getting a cheap drum machine NZ, just make sure it has plenty of presets for rock and pop, so you don't end up spending all your time programming drums (thataway is the long slippery slope into dance music ;-)  ! ).

I can say from personal experience playing along with a  drum track smartens up your timing alot. Also some rock tracks that sound a bit wrong with just guitar come alive when there's drums pounding away. 'Don't Bring Me Down' by ELO comes to mind, it needs a pounding beat to happen ('Modern Rock Drums 1' on Garageband - the apple mac software).

I find this topic utterly amazing. I cannot believe that the musicians in your church have treated you like this. Some people tend to forget that they had to learn too.
I have kept my guitar pretty much a secret from my church group because when they find out they will be HOUNDING ME TO JOIN IN! But I don't feel confident enough yet.

This group of people in your church need to realise that they may not always be there. For whatever reason they may move on, or whatever. Where does this then leave your church? With nobody left to carry on the music. They need to see the bigger picture and realise that the work of the church is what's important and not their own little private club.

Most churches that I know are desperate for people to join their groups (for all activities) so that they can carry on into the future. This even goes as far as welcoming people without any church background in the hope at showing people what it's all about and sparking an interest  in their spiritual life.

What surprises me most is that they do not even invite you to rehersals. They are quite happy to watch you struggle away DURING SERVICES and then tell you to pipe down! Something not right there.

I have nothing but admiration for the way you have stuck it out.

Detman101 wrote:

Greetings everyone,

         This past sunday was the first succesful attempt at playing with the church band. I pointed my amp towards me and played on. I found that with the amp pointed towards me, it was easier to roll the volume knob and find the right notes to play, they turn the knob all the way up and play along with the band.

And people could hear me too!!! Well, the front row of the audience could hear me.... =p
But it's a start!!!

Dm

Fella, I'm really pleased for you! Keep right at it and keep on rocking my man

I truly hope that it's just misunderstandings and learning pains and not egos at work with your Church group...sometimes getting a good sound is a real challenge. Typically I'll set my amp over to the side and point it back at me and away from the keyboard...that way I can hear it and use it for a monitor...once I get my sound set then I'll place a mic in front of the amp and the sound tech can mix it with the overall sound. Sometimes this is difficult in a smaller church with limited space and sound resources but ideally the amps should each be micd and the drums should be "boxed in" in with a plexiglass sheild and also micd...then let the sound person mix everything. I find that I can stand in front of my amp and hear what I'm doing over the overall mix, or I can step to the side and hear the stage monitor to hear everything. Hopefully you are able to have some practice sessions to check things out...

yo detman since you are the only guitat player you might ask the keyboard player to get together just you and him and work at figuring the chords to the songs. have him play his chord and slide a bar chord up and down the neck until you hit the right chord.You can the transform it to an open chord. One thing I would suggest also is that at the next preformance you bring a tape recorder and record the songs. With the recorded music you can practice and figure out chords replaying as much and as often as needed. People often tell me that I am lucky to be such a good guitar player. I attribute that to only one thing. The amount of hours and hours I have practiced . I honestly beleive that anyone with that many hours of practice would be as good or better than me on the guitar. Keep Pushinhg and it will come

Also it is quite common when playing electric. Everyone wants to be louder than the other, thus drowning out the other guy. Place you amp so that you are standing directly in front of it and not pointing directly at the other musicians. This sould help so that at least you can hear yourself

<look at it like this

if he starts out with great equiptment hes gonna be more enthusiastic about playing- thus he will practice more-thus he will get better

if he starts out with a lousy squire or something then he'll be less enthusiastic about playing

Do you know that GIBSON, the Memphis plant, destroy 30% of what they made, because of a sometimes almost invisible scratches, or the paint, or the sound. Some workers, they play the whole day on guitars, straight from the production line. They will not sell it, even under an other name. I don't know if they destroy the electronics.
I should like to have an epiphone (have a Sheraton) solid body, standard or custom. I think they are good, and I have heard other electric guitars: THE LOUDER the AMP, THE MORE SIMILAR SOUND of DIFFERENT guitars.