When you play, you concentrate on...

[StrangeSound]

..the sound which comes out of the amp or the patterns/notes you play on the guitar?

I realized that I'm busy with listening to the amp instead of being concentrated what I'm playing on the fiddle

I recorded a clip today and used headphones. I heared the backing well but the guitar not so much BUT I played less rubbish.

Perhaps you know what I mean, it's strange somehow!

[danglybanger]

...I try to concentrate on what chord is happening behind me if I'm doing lead... but usually I fail at that, and just focus on the intervals I'm playing...

If I'm playing rhythm, I tend to only listen to the drums.

[tone4days]

i start out by listening to the sound more intently - to make sure that it is 'there' ... once i know it is 'there', i get into my head a bit more to make sure that i am hitting the notes and making the changes ... as i get more comfortable, i get out of my head and start heaing 'the whole' - my tone - the notes - the backing - etc ... this is where i have the most fun and feel the most creative

t4d

[StrangeSound]

i start out by listening to the sound more intently - to make sure that it is 'there' ... once i know it is 'there', i get into my head a bit more to make sure that i am hitting the notes and making the changes ... as i get more comfortable, i get out of my head and start heaing 'the whole' - my tone - the notes - the backing - etc ... this is where i have the most fun and feel the most creative

t4d

I think that's what I'm looking for! To sort these things out and have fun later on.

Great advice, thank you!

Thanks Dangly!

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Not to think!!! Seriously...I always mess up when I think too much, so then I just concentrate on the feel of music, and remembering the breaks if any unison stuff is being done.
Just sink into the music, I forget about the guitar, if I start to hear it too much then I know that I am in trouble

[StrangeSound]

Not to think!!! Seriously...I always mess up when I think too much, so then I just concentrate on the feel of music, and remembering the breaks if any unison stuff is being done.
Just sink into the music, I forget about the guitar, if I start to hear it too much then I know that I am in trouble

I really think that's one of my problems nowadays. I know all these scales, barely use them and mess up in the end lol!

[ErikH]

Not to think!!! Seriously...I always mess up when I think too much, so then I just concentrate on the feel of music, and remembering the breaks if any unison stuff is being done.
Just sink into the music, I forget about the guitar, if I start to hear it too much then I know that I am in trouble

Same here. Once I'm happy with the sound I hear, which I tweak and fiddle with between rehearsals because, well........because I can....LOL, then I work my way in to the groove and just enjoy the ride. I play much better when I don't think to much and just feel my way through. You have no idea how many stairs I've fallen down when I think too much about what I'm supposed to be playing next. It happened to me last weekend. Couldn't quite remember the starting position of the lead break and ended up landing flat on my face, much to the disgust of the lead singer AND my wife....LOL. Thank God it was just rehearsal....LOL

Use the force.

[75lespaul]

Not to think!!! Seriously...I always mess up when I think too much, so then I just concentrate on the feel of music, and remembering the breaks if any unison stuff is being done.
Just sink into the music, I forget about the guitar, if I start to hear it too much then I know that I am in trouble

Ain't that the truth! If I can't get through it in five takes, I'll put down the guitar and try to clear my head. By the fifth try I'm probably started to get frustrated and self concious--and this is when I'm recording with nobody around, lol. I'm my own worst critic. There have been a few times though where I'm so angry that the solo comes out with more fire and feel. Go figure.

[Marinblues]

Not to think!!! Seriously...I always mess up when I think too much, so then I just concentrate on the feel of music, and remembering the breaks if any unison stuff is being done.
Just sink into the music, I forget about the guitar, if I start to hear it too much then I know that I am in trouble

+1. Thats why I like my first takes the best. After the first 2 takes, I begin to think too much about what I play. The downside is that I am playing/recording without "warming up" so they are on the "sloppy" side. However, I give preference to feeling more than I do to technique, so I keep them.

M.

[StrangeSound]

Thanks for all the input! I like how the thread developed.

[tone4days]

for me, i try to make it a pretty quick trip thru these steps ... i can usualy nail my tone during soundcheck ... i have to guard against getting stuck in the middle step ... i tend to sound too mechanical and cliched when i get stuck in my head ... it is when i am really playing my best that i can get to the final stage fastest ...

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Scales...I put them into a big pool and just go from the most simple point on...sometimes I make some strange note connections, but those makes me feel happy, I like surprises
One thing I always keep paying attention to is the beat...you can play extremely far out and still be in, as long as the rhythm makes sense

[StrangeSound]

Scales...I put them into a big pool and just go from the most simple point on...sometimes I make some strange note connections, but those makes me feel happy, I like surprises
One thing I always keep paying attention to is the beat...you can play extremely far out and still be in, as long as the rhythm makes sense

Totally! You can have a c-minor7 chord and pretend you play a II-V-I turnaround in Eb-major7 but you have to do it with balls-> it should sound as it is your plan to do it and nothing else.

I have to go more by ear!

I got timing issues then (because I can't listen, play and think what I could play next at the same time) and because of this it sounds nothing like pro!

I can switch and concentrate on the guitar but then there's no fun because I can'T enjoy the tone

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Lol enjoy it after the take....

[Marinblues]

I think of the melody ahead of me playing it, while feeling the groove of the backing.

that's on a good day....!

[StrangeSound]

hehe

I'll play tomorrow again and check the stuff out you've mentioned.

Thank you!

Edit: I just played to a lounge internet radio station, guitar unplugged and I just concentrated on the guitar (No amp) and yeah, some fine motives and melodies! And by doing this I still heared the whole song in its context...that's a nice feeling. I will record something tomorrow!

[Al.C]

I think of the melody ahead of me playing it, while feeling the groove of the backing.

that's on a good day....!

The worst is when you get that great inspiration of where you should go, but just a little too late and the moment has gone.

[tone4days]

when al plays, i think of the killer tone from those custom amps his bro whips up and that killer PRS ... long time no see, al .. hope all is well there ..

[StrangeSound]

when al plays, i think of the killer tone from those custom amps his bro whips up and that killer PRS ... long time no see, al .. hope all is well there ..

+1 precisely!

I think I'm playing too much complicated stuff and not enough "straight-ahead" songs. That makes me musically numb.

[Osensei]

My big concern is touch feel and tone. It's a big deal for me to be able to control my attack as well as they style of my notes/chords decay. A touch of reverb makes it all come out right some how for me. I sorta learned or "stole" :6: that from Metheny! It serves to blend my playing with the rest of the ensemble. These dynamics really makes me sound pro when I can pull it off.

Also, I make no bones about concentrating on motifs. Theme and development is just something that I took from my formal training that has really left an impression on me. I'm always satisfied the most when I can take a motif and do some development on it. I just don't like to play something once and forget it. Getting motifs working just does it for me.