evolucian
So what have you been practicing this year? Have you surpassed your goal? .... n stuff. Just a thread to tell peoples what you learning or have learned. And what your goal for the new year would be (this does not include drinking more/less or quitting/starting smoking or buying the whole custom shop line from Fender).
Sooo... whatchabindoin?
Personally I got sidetracked in games for the last year... only picked it up properly a week or two ago. So I'm busy learning some picking patterns with grooves in between the patterns kinda thing. Purely fingerstyle (I aint good enough to start using a thumbpick... sigh. Mostly cos somehow I break them... ☹ )
singemonkey
I made some big improvements in slide playing, in rhythm playing - everywhere basically. But not enough. I find that as I improve and gain more knowledge, I discover that the distance between my goal and where I'm at becomes more complicated when I know better what's involved in crossing it.
I need to be better. A lot better. I've had intense periods of practise this year, interspersed with major slacking off. I'm back "on" now, and I want to be able to lay down the law by March. I need much better phrasing. Much better ability to follow the chords in my lead playing. I need to improve my left hand damping of open chords and strings. Always the vibrato needs improvement (although it's come a long way and I've got a rather inconsistent bend vibrato going now).
Scales with the metronome (as insisted on by morecowbell who's forgotten more about music than I'll ever know). More licks. More freedom to range the fretboard. More jamming needs to go in there somewhere. And a steady increase in number of songs written per week.
What can I say? It's a mountain.
Edit: I have a vocal target now. When I can sing "This is a man's world" like James Brown, I'm there.
Squonk
I got sidetracked by my Family and my own laziness :-[
But I did progress in exploring Alternate tunings , DADGAD, Open G, Open D and DADF#BD
Progressed hugely with Hammerons, Pull offs and Acoustic tapping, percussive playing etc.
My Jazz Exercise didn't happen. Will pick it up in 2012
I need to learn how to play Electric Guitar, 2012 seems good for that.
Theory - I know absolutely nothing, 2012
I need to formulate a practice schedule that combines all of the above.
Averatu
We finaly have a competent band together, and the learning curve for us has been to 'gel', which we've achieved thru a massive collective band effort.
I've decided to abandon my 'alternate picking only' approach, working on sweeps and legato for the first time.
DonovanB
singemonkey wrote:
Edit: I have a vocal target now. When I can sing "This is a man's world" like James Brown, I'm there.
then you really will be a Singermonkey...
theantirockstar
planning for 2012 to be pretty big, finish writing , recording and giving away my album for free. getting a good bunch of muso's together and playing out alot!
from a guitar point of view theory, and clean up my technique with both acoustic and electric.
Ray
Squonk wrote:
I got sidetracked by my Family and my own laziness :-[
Ja, you make plans and then life happens. But my main obstacle is laziness and procrastination. I have done close on nothing constructive unless you call dweedling around and having fun constructive.
guidothepimmp
I'm super disappointed in myself... My playing has gone backwards mostly due to my not playing. I'd love to learn in the new year, learn theory, learn modes and scales, start to improv. Tried my hand at vox for the 1st time.. Lol, shame, what a laugh..
Wana meet a teacher that will actually teach me instaed of showing off all his jazz skills.
Squonks approach sounds about right..
Overall, a good year professionally, shart for evrything else. Will be glad to see the the end of 2011. 2012 can only be better
evolucian
guidothepimmp wrote:
Wana meet a teacher that will actually teach me instaed of showing off all his jazz skills.
Come meet me.. I won't show yu any jazz skills, lol (cos I don't have any)
dee
I've been lazy. That's it. No other excuses. So it's back to basics for me.
BMU
Ok I'll play, since it's Evo asking. The usual: I can pointlessly shred a little better than last year. My ear is a little better at interval recognition and production & mixing. I've made a few songs during the year, which is a relief 'cos that stuff is freakin' hard work.
But mostly I'm ever more acutely aware of all the things I don't know and can't do (and wondering wtf it's actually for...fun? Sometimes.)
singemonkey
BMU wrote:
But mostly I'm ever more acutely aware of all the things I don't know and can't do (and wondering wtf it's actually for...fun? Sometimes.)
+1 (although I'm still finding it huge fun)
Averatu
singemonkey wrote:
BMU wrote:
But mostly I'm ever more acutely aware of all the things I don't know and can't do (and wondering wtf it's actually for...fun? Sometimes.)
+1 (although I'm still finding it huge fun)
Jip. This sweep picking thing is anonying me, I can alternate pick these licks faster than this damnet! But hey, eye on the prize, eye on the prize.
evolucian
BMU wrote: The usual: I can pointlessly shred a little better than last year.
:roflmao: that is awesome to see when someone says that. That would mean you are super fast now... next year you'll be super super fast... better buy yourself a cape man. But that is cool.
Glad you've become more aware and asking if its fun... its a very good question actually.
BMU
evolucian wrote:
BMU wrote: The usual: I can pointlessly shred a little better than last year.
:roflmao: that is awesome to see when someone says that.
Hehe. Just for general clarification, I'm not calling shred pointless. Just -my- shred. ? Not so much on recordings where I take time to plot out a solo. Just when I practice/noodle I bore myself to tears haha.
Anyway yah. Fun is a cheap word, I guess 'satisfying' is a better way to think about it.
Rocker-Gramps
You want to experience deterioration of skills,(your own)? Try giving lessons year after year! This was my sixteenth and it does not help, believe me!
DonovanB
I always learned more by teaching than I lost. Not always guitaring skill but just something.
SvR65
Well, I got some pointers regarding Vibrato just the other day, so I'm currently working on that. Also want to improve on chordal theory and rhythm work.
Although I've got a long long way to go I've always enjoyed the journey... that's half the fun! ?
Averatu
Rocker Gramps wrote:
You want to experience deterioration of skills,(your own)? Try giving lessons year after year! This was my sixteenth and it does not help, believe me!
Damned kids, get off my lawn!
Nicholas-L
Uhm no comment :-[ .... so ashamed in myself. Got side tracked by the games and amp building projects and I'm just lazy ??? ... sad but true ...
