Complicated songs to learn on guitar....?, page 1

Agh what can I advise you cos it sounds like you've hit one of those walls you come up against at different times.

I've playing for 25 years now and know fine that the things that have worked for me somebody else would find useless.

Well,we all start learning to play songs from our favourite bands.And maybe tutorials,viideos and articles can be help full but putting on the record and playing along to songs I knew and then trying to suss out songs I didn't by listening and trying.

That taught me to play by ear,to know by playing a chord or picking out the strings whether it's in tune to concert pitch.

I've never bothered to learn to read music,just tab because if I want to learn the song I just listen to it.lol.

Some theory's good.Your chords sequenceps in each key major and relative minor.I know if you been doing blues improvisation you'll be familiar with 12 bar progressios but focus more
on chords and inversions,aug,dom,6.7.9 chords through each key along with the associated modes ,,that can be real hard to master,for no other reason than it can be dull as s**t.

You'd be far better to break it down to practice pieces yourself cos you'll begin to hear it properly.

Practice that sort of thing for the first 20 or 30 mins it'll be instinct in no time.

Again not knowing what you're into,what level you're at what to suggest.

I watched your vid,the Turkish/Mozart neo classical stuff so you're into lead.

Don't,don't,don't focus on being a lead player but guitarist,thats my advice.i spent my fist 5 or so years trying to be Angus Young,Jimmy Page,Jimi Hendrix etc,etc and I learnt good,real good.

I'd practiced and devoured Yngwie Malmsteen,Kirk Hammett, Eddie Van H and all sorts n could amaze people,good players töo so i figured I was ready to get a band together and amaze people live.

Bul****t !!.Was a great lead playr,could improvise off solos etc all day but I'd put just about enough into learning rhythm,backing and what hung a somg together I was barely a 2nd rate rhythm guitarist and had to go back and learn that side.

That's why I say master the circle of keys,chord progs,scales and modes to heart.

Clearly you want to get better but nothing works like jamming with heaps other people n get a band together cos that stretches you in new ways,try n learn stuff that's completely unfamiliar to you.

If you're into metal n rock try a little bluegrass or 70's acid jazz/funk maybe.If you're really sad Country and Western,haha.
If you can play be ear then keep the guitar close and play along to jingles on t.v adverts or program/movie soundtracks while you watch

I hit a real brickwall hard 10 year ago,loving playing wi the band but there was nothing i was mad to learn,no inspiration until I'd heard some Trad English folk music that intrigued me so I bought a CD by Martin Carthy and another by Bert jansch.

Was the best 2 cds I bought that year,their guitar style baffled me.I could copy parts but the secret of it took a good few months to get.

Carthy played with a guy called Dave Swarbrick a virtuoso flddle player who's melodies n backing soars,dives,dances almost akin to way hendrix playing live would entwine with his vocals,,any guitarist who gets lead would appreciate this guy.He's brilliant.

In fact try and download a song ~ Jack Orion by Martin Carthy n Dave Swarbrick.

Think it's ön the album But Two Came By

Doubt you'd like the song but its worth it tö hear the fiddle

Spent so long trying to emulate it
on my Strat and get the essence of it with some degree of success,its the fiddle technique and sound i wanted by playing not by programmable digital effects processer,would own one.

Anyway hope a bit helps

Bob.

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