Tips for practicing/learning

[tapper mike]

I've been ignoring my guitars for too long. It shows in my playing. My fingers hurt, my chops aren't what they used to be and I'm tired of playing all the songs I knew by heart.

I'm a self educated fingerstyle player at heart. That doesn't mean I'm a slouch when it comes to some chord/melody jazz standards or pop rock accompaniment work. But my technique is all wrong when it comes to classical. So I'm trying to unlearn bad habits of posture and right hand technique.

This morning is a rough go, and I find that I'm telling myself the same thing I told students. Slower more even. Take it a section at a time make sure you have it down at a slower tempo before attempting to play at tempo.

Yes my fingers hurt. Yes I get frustrated. but each time I go back to a study I find that I'm playing better. Take every win as a win. Don't let negativity creep in because you aren't at your perceived level.

[lfm]

There are so many aspects of playing and making music.

if not playing I try to
- make mixes better to one day have a fully professional sounding mix
- experiment with plugins how to make acoustic guitars sound the best
- experimenting with guitars and floorboard pedal looking for good sounds
- making presets for synths that in turn inspire to make something from that
- since doing some video to make music for that is a very different approach to enhance images with music
- find where to make dissonant stuff to match better with drama in video
- I just do time lapses of skies and sunsets and such
- at times finding something that really clicks with video feels great

Trying to be above beginner on drums, bass, keyboards apart from guitar so grab another instrument and do that for a while
- to make better takes recording quicker
- and to find intriguing chord progressions to inspire for some song just fooling around

Things that inspire is really listening to fine musicians. I have by now at least 200 live concerts of all kinds of artists I like on DVD.
- fun to look at gear they use as well
- sometimes study how foundation of drums and bass work together
- sometimes how a beautiful hammond note just lies there making things so nice

Just so that making ant steps on some part of music projects to progress....but as they say, no pain no gain....

[Moe Shinola]

I always tell new players, if they know the "blues box" and understand what the cycle of 5ths is, to play over blues changes(even if just in their head) and when you end them on the V7 chord, start a new round of changes on that chord. You will eventually end up back in the key you started with. The trick is to do this at just a little bit faster tempo than you're used to. Not much, just a little bit. I find this helps me bypass ruts in my playing, and usually I surprise myself with original licks.

[tapper mike]

Running away from bad technique is not the way to overcome it.

Play as painfully slow as possible seven times in a row before attempting to pick up the tempo. That's what I've started doing with the linnstrument to get a better handle on my chord/rhythm patterns / arpeggios and it's working.

It's also working on my classical fingerstyle approach. While I may never develop the speed and clarity of tone due to lack of nails.

I'm trying to re-invent my playing away from Jazz chord melody to more pop/classical chord melody.
This guy makes me want to burn my guitars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJcBc1ybFd8

[lfm]

Nails are overrated. Does this guy even have a life keeping those long claws in trim.

I tried these for a bit but dropped those too in the end
https://www.alaskapik.com/

But not all bad. Better than trying to superglue nail extensions and stuff.

[Moe Shinola]

Yeah, my nails will tear like paper. Even clawhammer banjo was too much for them.

[tapper mike]

Nails are overrated. Does this guy even have a life keeping those long claws in trim.

I tried these for a bit but dropped those too in the end
https://www.alaskapik.com/

But not all bad. Better than trying to superglue nail extensions and stuff.

Of all the products I've tried those worked the best for me but. My god did they cut off the circulation. Many professional fingerstyle players simply go to a manicurist to have their nails extened. James Taylor does his own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BqISqpMRo8

[pekbro]

Hmm, i dont have any trouble using my nails or not using them but just my finger tips. My
acoustic guitar is pretty hard to play, maybe
its conditioning.

I play electric 90% of the time tho.

My left hand is another story tho as i have
to cut the daily as they grow so fast.

[tapper mike]

It's all about tone and speed envy for me with regards to nails. I can get along just fine without them for most of my playing.

I'm very satisfied with most of my playing. I'm damn good with a flatpick and very comfortable with tap and pick (more Stanley Jordan than EVH) While I'm a competent keyboard player and linnstrumentalist, somehow I'm drawn to playing entire pieces on one instrument without having to do my own backing tracks.

It's a case of the grass being greener on the other side.