IM SURE YOU WILL LAUGH ABOUT THIS
08-13-2006, 05:27 AM
#41
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Greenville SC
Posts: 2,317
RE: IM SURE YOU WILL LAUGH ABOUT THIS
Do you know what I used to do that helped me more than anything (besides practicing too much)? I used to record every gig. Hell, I used to record every practice too. Then, I'd go home and just learn volumes about my playing by listening to the tapes. If you do this, I bet you'll improve like you wouldn't believe. Maybe you already do this. At any rate, you're right, you just have to play all the time. In this one band, we were playing 4-5 nights a week. I'd play Orange County gigs all week, and then play Palm Springs every Friday and Saturday night--all four hour gigs. In that two year period, I got better than I got in probably ten years. Even better than when I was minoring in music in college. Nothing beats playing gigs. My wife estimated how many gigs she had seen me play, and she remembers over a hundred--just in like a two year period. My thinking has always been: "Practice until your fingers split, and then leave for the gig." It's grueling but it works. When my son was born, I didn't touch the guitar for six months. Then my old bandmates said, "Hey I got us some gigs at the Hard Rock in Newport. I was nervous as hell, not having played in a while. Well, we did one rehearsal, and it all came back to me. Mind you, my fingers were killing me, but I did OK. I doubt I would have been able to play those gigs well if it hadn't been for my grueling regimine.
Yea, when i first met my fiancee, she used to go to alot of my gigs with me. Well after we got serious, i didnt touch a guitar for probably 4-5months and i hadnt played a gig for about 6 months probably. Well, i went to my buddies house and he's a drummer and my other friend shaun came over he's a good base player, so we just kinda sat around and jammed for awhile. It does come back very quickly. But lately i havnt gotten to play for more than 20min a day, which is horrible considering when i was still in high school i would play for probably 5hours a night. But now, i got my Mustang, im trying to build a strip car with my new 308 im dropping in it. Then i got college comming up and my fiancee just moved in with me and being a Welder leaves little time for anything at all. They work you to near death. So my playings gotten a little rusty, but its like riding a bike. Muscle memory i guess. But when i pick up a guitar and play for maybe 5 min. I find myself playing stuff i havnt played in years. lol. I didnt even remember i knew how to play that particular song or whatever, but it just starts all coming back to me, it may not be perfect but if i go over it once or twice it sounds nice and it flows smoothly. Lol.....Right now i got a S/G faded edition my fiancee bought me. I had sold all my old guitars, i had an old Strat and a worn out junky Peavy i learned to play on, so she took it apon herself to buy me a nice guitar to play on. Plus im left handed so its easy to just flip it over and play it strung backwards. lol.
08-13-2006, 05:43 AM
#42
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 3,768
RE: IM SURE YOU WILL LAUGH ABOUT THIS
You and I have more in common than you even realize. You're a welder...I went to Vo-tech school for two years for welding back in highschool. To be fair, I've only touched a stick or torch once since graduation.
You're left handed...I'm left handed, although I play right handed guitars. Maybe you can answer this question: Why do they call it playing right handed when you hold the guitar with the headstock to your left, and fretting with your left hand? For me, playing "right handed" made more sense...since the left does more fine movements--not to mention the fact that I started learning on other people's guitars, and they were all "right handed".
Yeah, right now, I'm playing a Mexican Sunburst Strat. A couple of years ago, I would have poo-pooed such a notion--playing a non-Amercan Strat. It's funny how times change. I'm just happy to have any electric now, as I went almost a year after the boy was born with just an acoustic. When he was born, I was in between jobs, and had to sell ALL of my gear--even my microphone collection. All three $800 Strats--gone. My silverface Deluxe Reverb, my Boogie Mark I, my Reverberocket--all gone. My recording equipment--gone. It was a sad year. I sold everything but my wife's acoustic. Now that I'm working with a band again, all I want is some good gear again. Anyway, I think I'm gonna go to bed. Who am I kidding...I'll probably go watch TV until 4am. It was nice talking to a fellow player. Wish we could jam together.
You're left handed...I'm left handed, although I play right handed guitars. Maybe you can answer this question: Why do they call it playing right handed when you hold the guitar with the headstock to your left, and fretting with your left hand? For me, playing "right handed" made more sense...since the left does more fine movements--not to mention the fact that I started learning on other people's guitars, and they were all "right handed".Yeah, right now, I'm playing a Mexican Sunburst Strat. A couple of years ago, I would have poo-pooed such a notion--playing a non-Amercan Strat. It's funny how times change. I'm just happy to have any electric now, as I went almost a year after the boy was born with just an acoustic. When he was born, I was in between jobs, and had to sell ALL of my gear--even my microphone collection. All three $800 Strats--gone. My silverface Deluxe Reverb, my Boogie Mark I, my Reverberocket--all gone. My recording equipment--gone. It was a sad year. I sold everything but my wife's acoustic.
Now that I'm working with a band again, all I want is some good gear again. Anyway, I think I'm gonna go to bed. Who am I kidding...I'll probably go watch TV until 4am. It was nice talking to a fellow player. Wish we could jam together.
08-13-2006, 05:47 AM
#43
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 3,768
RE: IM SURE YOU WILL LAUGH ABOUT THIS
By the way, 88. I thought my tapes sounded like garbage a lot of the time--even on nights where people said that I was "on." The truth is, if you've been playing a while, you probably sound better than you think you do.
08-13-2006, 07:57 AM
#44
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Greenville SC
Posts: 2,317
RE: IM SURE YOU WILL LAUGH ABOUT THIS
Yeah, right now, I'm playing a Mexican Sunburst Strat. A couple of years ago, I would have poo-pooed such a notion--playing a non-Amercan Strat. It's funny how times change. I'm just happy to have any electric now, as I went almost a year after the boy was born with just an acoustic. When he was born, I was in between jobs, and had to sell ALL of my gear--even my microphone collection. All three $800 Strats--gone. My silverface Deluxe Reverb, my Boogie Mark I, my Reverberocket--all gone. My recording equipment--gone. It was a sad year. I sold everything but my wife's acoustic. Now that I'm working with a band again, all I want is some good gear again. Anyway, I think I'm gonna go to bed. Who am I kidding...I'll probably go watch TV until 4am. It was nice talking to a fellow player. Wish we could jam together.
About the left handed playing thing, i consider which ever hand you pick with, is which hand you play. So if the neck is off to your right, you play left handed, meaning your picking hand is your left and you fret with your right hand. I dunno, i taught myself totally, no body to help me in this case. But i did pretty well, been playing 8 years already. So thats pretty good.
Well i guess ill talk to ya later Twisted. Nice convo though.
p.s....about the jamming out, i only wish i had the time still to jam with some friends....maybe once i get out of colledge ill have some time. Oh well...still dreaming.
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