Topic: what am i missing????

i have been playing about 30 years seriously about 2years i have advanced to barre chords most positions but i fall short when it comes to a break in a song what do i need to learn now, scales  some how the meliody gets lost when you play the notes in the scale (i can play a couple) it sounds ok but not right
i do not read music soooo what is next???
randy

always pickin someting

Re: what am i missing????

you could play a chord solo, or play the chord as single notes but mix them up a bit.
do you know the pentatonic scale positions, as these are very good for making solos, I find it better to keep the struming hand moving at the same rate playing solos as when you play the melody, and keep going back to the chord so everything flows along.
hope this helps.
tonyblue

man is the dream of the doliphin

Re: what am i missing????

I play rythem guitar and when I get to the instrumental part of the song I just continue playing the chords. These chords are usually the same chords in the verse of the song (either all or part of the verse) This works well with a good lead player as they complement each other. Also, by playing the chords thru the break it helps  my timing on when the singer need to come back into the song. Regardless of what most people think the rythem is what makes the song and everything else just add more color to the song. Here is an example;

My wife sings and I play rythem guitar while standing next to her. One of the songs we do goes =
Key of Eb
1st verse -
2nd verse
Chorus - Key change to Bb
3rd verse - Return to key of Eb
insturmental (solo) play chords of of 1st verse (16 bars) - Return to chorus
Chorus - Key change to Bb
3rd verse - Return back to Key of Eb.
Tag.

As a rythem guitar player ( at least for me) if I didn't play the chords throught the song  I would not be able to go from verse to chorus (key change), back to verse (key change again) as the song dictates. This also helps the singer kee their timing so they can come back into the song.

The chords for the key of Eb is played in a "C" progression with capo on the 3rd fret. For key change to Bb, play in a "G" progression. Thank the Good Lord for a CAPO.

Nela

Re: what am i missing????

A good thing to do is record yourself playing the normal chord progression. Then go back and "play" around with the scale while your recording is playing. Just like the pros do in the studio. They call it overdubbing. You can go all out and buy all kinds of studio gear or a stand alone recorder, but you can just use the recorder on your computer to keep it on the cheap. I started with a simple blues progression E A B and just went up and down the blues scale till it just clicked.

Re: what am i missing????

craig23 wrote:

A good thing to do is record yourself playing the normal chord progression. Then go back and "play" around with the scale while your recording is playing. Just like the pros do in the studio. They call it overdubbing. You can go all out and buy all kinds of studio gear or a stand alone recorder, but you can just use the recorder on your computer to keep it on the cheap. I started with a simple blues progression E A B and just went up and down the blues scale till it just clicked.

I second that and you won't believe how much fun this can be!!!!

I used to be disgusted; now I try to be amused.
Elvis Costello

Re: what am i missing????

Great suggestion by Craig23...   Another thing is to get a metronome and use it! I have a horrible sense of timing and often get "lost" when switching from rythym to lead and back...once I get that metronome beat going in my head then it's easy! One unit I have is a small Seiko that I can actually clip to my collar so I can hear it while playing...

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.

Re: what am i missing????

thanks for the input that one word keeps coming up "scales" so i checked it out on dan denley course (i guess i skipped that chapter) there is a need to learn scales as boring as it is it helped
at least now i do not hit "bad" notes sounds way better.
actually it sounds pretty cool not great yet but cool
man i love this site

always pickin someting

Re: what am i missing????

If you like rock and blues then listen to a lot of music. Clapton, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), and Hendrix play a lot of simple 3 chord progressions...simple in concept but not the way they do it...note how they can add so much expression and sound in those chords with little fill runs, harmonics, bends, pick slides, muting, etc...        Pick out a chord such as "A" and see what you can do with it...see how many ways you can play it and see how much expression you can get out of it...you might be amazed!

I mentioned those particular artists because they usually played as a 3 piece band of one guitar, a bass, and drums...but put out some incredible sound...

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.

Re: what am i missing????

Scales , scales , scales. Pick up a copy of the " Guitar Grimoire" for scales. They also have other editions for chords and theory etc... Don't have to read music. Shows the fingerings for every different  scale in various positons on the fretboard. Then just let your ear be the judge. It'll come with practice , practice, practice. Basic Major and Minor, Pentatonic, Diatonic and Mixolydian would be the first places I'd start. So long as you can remember which string and fret the "root" note is for the chords your playing over, you can really start to express yourself. Stagger your picking patterns. Don't just play up and down a  scale in 16ths. Jump around to root notes in different positions. Most importantly, don't worry , just have FUN. Best advice I ever got was  it's not the notes you play that are important , it's the spaces in between.

Re: what am i missing????

If you need the "Guitar Grimoire" let me know as I have a copy in PDF.


Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Re: what am i missing????

Detman101 wrote:

If you need the "Guitar Grimoire" let me know as I have a copy in PDF.


Dm

Would very much like that....small enough for email????

I used to be disgusted; now I try to be amused.
Elvis Costello

Re: what am i missing????

sorry i haven't gotten back sooner had my knee replaced finally got up the stairs i would love a copy of "guitar grimoire"
looks like others are interested also is it a link or email
randallcstauffer@yahoo.com
again thanks

always pickin someting

Re: what am i missing????

rstauffe, Hope that new knee heals fast and serves you well.
Filling in gaps in a song with your guitar is called "comping" by some. It's a good idea and sounds nice if you can find something that you comfortably do on your guitar or vocally to fill in these gaps.
If you are playing alone, single note fills better be short or the middle and bottom falls out of your sound. Playing riffs with full chords or multi-string licks serve you well even if they are not the same as on the origonal recording.

We pronounce it "Guf Coast".
Ya'll wanna go down to the Guf?

14 (edited by Detman101 2009-11-03 19:20:07)

Re: what am i missing????

geoaguiar wrote:
Detman101 wrote:

If you need the "Guitar Grimoire" let me know as I have a copy in PDF.


Dm

Would very much like that....small enough for email????

Sorry, it's 17mb. I can host it somewhere and post a link...

Here it is...

[url]http://www.mediafire.com/file/z2mkyyzmdyy/Guitar Grimoire - Scales and Modes.pdf[/url]

You can download it by clicking the link.


=]
Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle