sit with a metronome or click track for hours....record yourself, if you can't HEAR that you are rushing then you have bigger problems than just rushing.
i think playing with a looper, after soloing over your base once, listen to it once as is, then when it goes around again add more, slowly trickle in stuff and reflect how it sounds. if you run out of space in just a few passes through slow it down.
Metronome at very slow tempos. Record yourself playing to a metronome. Also play without a metronome and record yourself. Make your own rhythm jam tracks without a metronome so you practice developing your internal clock. Use a looper and try and comp 4-5 choruses of a slow blues. When you start the loop again, see if your tempo moved.
Don't (at first anyway) substitute a drum machine for the metronome. And get a LOUD metronome. Set it at 60 bpm and play the easiest major scale fingering you know... up and down, repeatedly, and try to BECOME the click. Get spiritual, dude. And try to PRODUCE THE NOTES _so precisely on top of the clicks that you cannot HEAR the clicks_ . This ain't easy, and some guys want to speed up the click, to (they think) make the exercise easier. Don't give in to this. One note per click. This isn't easy -- but, if it were easy, you wouldn't be working yer ass off -- which is all worth the work, because this WILL get you there. Every other day or so, record yourself and listen back. Are you "erasing" the clicks with the notes of the scale? If not, slow it down one notch. Proceed. To deal with any boredom, move the scale fingering up and down the neck. Also, change fingerings. Play a simple fiddle tune. And remember to listen to the click -- not so much to the notes, at first. The click is the thing. This could take months, but a couple hours (or more!) a day will make you a kickass time keeper. Good luck, and work hard!
Mick Goodrick, who wrote and taught a lot of the original curriculum at Berklee College of Music, said "Notes are what we use to get form one silence to the next."
Enrolled in a music class in college and on the first day the instructor walked out and said “silence is beautiful”. He said to think about that today and I’ll see you all tomorrow.
The jazz guitarist who taught the great folk guitarist Dave Van Ronk (can’t remember their name) said “why play two notes when one will do, and why play anything when silence will do”
I just love this human. What a kind soul, amazing teacher, and observant dude. Don't forget the great distraction also brought us all together. Would not of known who you were other wise! We have to reject the trash and keep the rest. Stay strong and happy everyone.
These 4 tips are some of the most important tips I’ve heard about guitar playing from anyone. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the stuff that separates the boys from the men. Watching you play over the years made me realize all of these things.
The thought occurred to me tonight that these videos aren’t for us at all. They are for his sons. So that one day when he’s gone, his boys will be able to sit down, share a beer with their dad, and talk about music. I need to find something like this to do for my kids.
@@pdveintimillanah. I'm crying enough for all of us right now. I won't be Debbie Downer so i won't explain why. Ill just say I wish my daughter was still here so I could do something like this. 😔 Doesn't help that I just found "I've always pictured you with pants (part 15)" a few mins ago. One of the saddest songs I think I've ever heard.
A long time ago I realized that we (or maybe just I) thought that I was past being a "Beginner", but it has taken forever to get out of the "Intermediate" class. And the more I learn it seems like there's so much more to learn -- which tells me that I'm actually closer to being a Beginner. The guitar provides a lifetime of learning.
Hallmark #3: In the book of Psalms (the songbook of Israel), the word “Selah” is used frequently. No one is quite sure what it means or how to translate it into other languages, but I’m convinced it means, “Dude… pause and think about what you just read. Don’t be afraid to create some space and silence before you go rushing into the next idea.”
Tom I'm 61, and I've been a sign painter. Portraits, murals, and countless letters. Letters of all kinds. And sizes. I was a gunsmith. I built world championship winning 45 autos. I know things. All through this time I played guitar. The disciplines you described. Hallmarks. Milestones. Whatever you call them they're all the same. Plateaus, levels, and the long awaited breakthroughs. Here's One for the accomplished. Recess. A vacation. A pause in the practice regimen. I watched world champion Jerry Miculek intensely when I worked with him at Clark Custom Guns. This gunshop produced and hired many champions. Hundreds of years of combined knowledge. Much like your exposure to other great players at Nashville. The rest, is important. The vacation from playing. Jerry hired a professional olympic shooting trainer as he wasn't military and he was self taught. What that trainer taught him for $4,000 was to take a break! He trained too much! Too steady. They told him to wait as long as it took for him to not be able to stand not shooting before starting back at practice. I have lived this principle in my whole life. It makes you SO MUCH better because the desire is like waiting for sex until you can't put it off anymore. THEN see how it goes! Jerry started winning more and enjoying shooting more. Sometimes we need to put the guitar down a few days. It works and it's necessary to advance at OUR own rate. Decompressing and restarting takes more than sleep.
Tal Farlow was a signpainter.... and Miculek is a SRV type guy, there are plenty of great competitive shooters but Miculek is a freak of nature. What he can do can't be taught, he refined it (like SRV) but what he has - can not be taught to just anyone.
@@Nitromessiah correct. Just like the guns I built for the champions. NOBODY has equaled what I did with 1911's. Few are as obsessed. What we're talking about is practicing beyond inspiration or reason. This kind of person is naturally talented AND driven, like Billy Strings. I should also mention that Jerry used to Thank me for not competing. MANY times after work when we shot together he asked, you SURE you ain't shot competitively before? I always said no, to which he'd always say, Thank You for that! He said I was the only one that could make his leg shake nervously in practice. I should also add that I was one of the first to predict computers finding dead spots on barrels to determine the proper length of a barrel for a certain bullet, rate of twist and weight and velocity. Lots of my ideas came to pass. I watched a documentary on Tal Farlow in the early 80's. Amazing guy and a Big inspiration when I was first starting to paint signs.
I just subbed to your channel. I've been fortunate enough to figure out what you mentioned about waiting between practice. I could work on a new song and stumble.. put the guitar down and come back two days later with a nagging urge to just play. And the new song I was stumbling on became improved. Our brains seem to like work things out behind the scenes. Thanks man.
Ted Nugent talked about this many years ago. How important it was to go do something else you love (hunting for him) and leave the guitar alone. Then you come back to it with a real passion for it.
That was a great interview with Rick! That’s actually how i found you and Guthrie. This is gold. Shit like this feels like it shaves months and years off of parts of the learning curve. It would be cool to hear your thoughts on if/how the electric guitar needs to be played differently than an acoustic. Thanks!
As a gigging solo guitarist I have learned more about the spacing and less is more guitar playing through your channel. my focus over the past few years has been your very own mantra of servicing the song. this episode is another one that I need to hear and practice. ❤ heartfelt thank you uncle Larry for freeing up my mind and helping me hear music differently.
Thank you for this video. I've been playing for 30+ yr...mostly noodling. I've only gotten serious the last 5-8 yrs. I rush constantly...working on that. But what I came here to say is my cynical self expected a beatdown of intermediate level players...but no, he pointed things to work on...not things to make fun of. That's what I needed.
I totally agree! I’ve been playing for 50 years and still struggle with these things. Being cognizant of them is a huge help in improving. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
So happy you brought up the “great distraction”. More young people (old too) need to spend time being expressive, focusing, growing. Whether through music, art, sports, etc.
I am certainly not as qualified as Tom on advice for soloing in the studio...but I received this advice in pre production from a producer waaaay back in 1986..."one should be able to whistle your solo"...certainly not going to work for every genre...but it has served me well.
Another thing is that people should be practicing recording at home. It's cheap and easy nowadays, little excuse not to do so if you have any ambitions at all. Red light anxiety is something that takes a lot of people some time and experience to get over, so it helps to get a start on it by recording at home. It's not the same as recording at a studio in front of others, but it's part of the way there. Plus it'll let you hear yourself properly, and give you a sort of unbiased view of what you need to work on.
I think some may have told David Gilmour that same advice. I can't think of another guitarist with more whistle-able solos. And look how acclaimed his playing is.
This video should be a must watch for anybody who is fairly new to the guitar before they pick up any bad habits. But it helps all of us who are intermediate as well. Absolute gold, thank you so much for sharing!
Morning Larry, from over on the other side of the rock. Man, can't wait for the interview but today's lesson was really valuable - so important for folks to feel your playing as much as hearing it..and vibrato with intent. Or not at all. Perfect.
these lessons are invaluable, i love the guitar learning but godamn buk you have such a beautiful insight to the world and for a young guy like me i can’t thank you enough
I've been doing your "two strokes on alternating strings" exercise with a metronome, and boy, it's exposing my weak right hand. Thanks for that and a million other tips. XOXO, Random Hack Guitarist
@501chorusecho Wow Tom. This one is a doozy!! Being that most of your audience (including myself) fall into this category, this is PURE GOLD for us! Don’t be afraid to hammer us with all the teachings of what a beginner/intermediate player needs to know about technique!! There is so much wisdom in what you said. That only comes with a lot of thought and experience from many years. Thank you uncle Larry for your wisdom - like a great uncle does 🙏
Thanks, Tom. I am always fighting my inclination to "groove the vibrato". This is where all vibrato is executed in an identical manner, thereby sounding the same regardless of when and where it is employed. Such an easy trap to fall into...and so hard to get out of once it becomes second nature.
Just found you. I'll be 54 in Nov. Started playing at age 50. Very serious, am able to devote many hours per week learn (great understanding wife)! Have made some great progress but realize the goal never ends. Needed to see this video. Thank you!!!
Thanks for the lesson Uncle Larry! As a tennis coach, I couldn’t agree more with your link. Tension, rushing and lack of intention are all very common mistakes at the beginner/ intermediate levels, and even for some professionals.
Right on!!! So true. Listening to recordings of my playing, I notice I don't let the notes finish, not even knowing I'm rushing through them. Relaxing is a struggle when I equate emotion with the intensity of how I'm grabbing that neck. Great advice!!!!
Sage advice. I always played to accompany myself as a singer. Only recently have I dared to try being more of a 'color' player. I don't imagine I will ever be a lead guitarist of any repute, and the quest to play true quality rhythm will continue until I die. But, I think there is space and time for me to develop a way of playing that expands and compliments what matters to me about music. Melody and message. Pocket and groove. Listening listening listening, always listening. 50 years of guitar, and some days feel like those first. Sitting alone and reaching deep to get 'that sound'. When it happens, there is nothing like it.
Thanks, Uncle Larry! I check off on all points. I've been caught up in the "Content Creator" mode - rushing, tensing up, out of tune, sloppy... Just yesterday I concluded to take my f'n time and perfect my playing and video creation. Thanks, Tom! This is gold!
Great giveaway your advices big time here! Many kids use more excess pressure on left hand because they don't use a real guitar amp! I wish they can learn how to use less pressure (left hand). Intonation, time feel... can suffer. Thanks for sharing Tom!
I hear you on the technology front man, it's hard to do but it's healthy to try and power your phone off for awhile and just touch some grass. Just my 2c. Thanks for the vids Uncle Larry
Hey, Tom, this is a fantastic class, even if it doesn't begin with a brilliant kitchen jam. (we're so spoiled) Phones are designed to engage the dopamine reward system. Ah, dopamine, the chemical of more. At least at Homeskoolin' the content is so much worth the time and is the opposite of anxiety producing. Your four things for intermediates are pure golden doubloons. Thanks again.
Great class today Uncle Larry! This is great material for any and all artistry! Agreed also on sorts and echo the sentiment on life in general. These nuggets are gold! You’re laying out the blueprint for those willing to do the work. I appreciate that immensely!! 🙏 Can’t wait for the upcoming lessons 😬👏 You’re the best! -From a fellow Clevelaner 😎🤟
Dear Tom, Nice dive today. My son’s a player too and it pleases me to no end. It’s very relatable the time travel as your thoughts wander while you watch your kid play. I like sharing highlights of your show with him. It always makes good conversation. The greatest thing is seeing the adjustments after. Thanks for that. Your humble skooler and Pisces Joe.
This was an excellent lesson! I think I’ll be watching it a few times in the future. I still grip my guitar way way too hard, but I’m getting better in the other areas you mentioned for sure.
Great conversation over morning coffee with Uncle Larry, what a great way to start the day. It doesn't matter that i have been playing a long time, but needed to hear all of this. Thank you so much Tom for keeping us (me), coming back to the basics...its so easy to let this get lost. Time for me to practice playing the silent parts ;)
This was an amazing insight to playing as I notice everything in my playing that you spoke of. Dude you are a great teacher with fewer word but words that mean something. Thank you and please do not stop. God Bless you!
To keep your body relaxed: practice with a tongue depressor, popsicle stick, whatever in your teeth, hanging down loosely, avoid putting bite marks into it - when you notice yourself standing that thing up, means you're clenching your jaw, means your arms are already tight, all the way through your shoulders and up to your jaw. Keep that stick loose, your hands will stay loose and you might even start to find your autopilot/ghost mode when your consciousness divides and suddenly you're doing two things at once, independently - try not to notice it or you'll fall off (it's kind of quantum effect, once you look at it now it don't work no more lol). Maybe the real zen of music is considering the spaces between things and letting the notes fall and shape, bend, and bloom where they may; as long as you've contemplated the space between things, the space where things are should be equally defined - the difference is how conscious the act is. Sometimes you can hear the space *behind* notes...it's there all the time, but at times it has significant presence; the quiet time growing underneath the decay of the audible, because what is sound lessening if not quiet expanding? I guess it really was all in the dark matter, after all.
What a treasure. Also, what a generous human for creating all of these vids. I know you're doing it for your boys, but we all get to learn from them. Thanks Tom.
Hallmarks: Stop squeezing the neck so hard. Don’t tense, be fluid and smooth. Don’t rush. That means you. We all do it. A good story has lots of space. So does a good melody. Let them take it in. Voluntary vibrato. Have intention with every bend or note. Choose carefully.
🔥🔥🔥🔥 lesson from Unc 💯💯 1. Stop squeezing & RELAX 2. Stop rushing- take your time 3. Allow for silence & space - you don’t need to constantly talk/play 4. Vibrato - when & when not to Thank you Tom 🙏 Rick Beato will see you now. He just got done interviewing Elon and Trump 😂😂
John Wooden: “Be quick, but don't hurry.” I believe it was Frank Gambale who said to emulate horn players. They have to stop and catch a breath, we don’t. It’s zen like to be aware of your breathing and only play on the exhale. Easier said than done!
Uncle Larry... speaking of Jesus... you just laid out four gospel laws for all of us intermediates to attend to. Thanks! It's curious in timing, those four are what I've been working on this last chapter of 67 years on guitar. I will double down on these for my next gig in August. Thanks!
Awesome. What are your thoughts on guys who did a lot of “talking” or making a lot of statements without breaks and could pull it off, like Johnny winter for instance
Thanks man, such great points. Felt like you were 100% talking to me with the rushing and the squeezing. I know I struggle with that. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
@@501chorusecho Do you tune like Vince Gill tunes? I remember you once talking about how nobody tunes a guitar like Vince. Also do you credit your "in tune-ness" to your guitar setup or just your simple touch on the instrument?
After watching Tom for a few years seems the way you play is just as important as getting it in tune. Many people have a perfectly tuned guitar but they play Out Of Tune 😂
Incredible words of wisdom Uncle Larry! Never heard another great, highly respected player such as yourself share these things so eloquently. Much respect!
This shit is gold. People really don't realize how lucky we are to have a legend like uncle Larry let us sit under his learning tree. I for one am insanely grateful
I totally get what Tom’s saying (and Guthrie) but ever since I started following these guy I don’t even want to play anymore because everytime I play anything I’m thinking, “Damn, Guthrie/Tom would have hated that lick” 😂😢
Just came back here to say thank you! Tried to apply some of this at my gig last night. Best I’ve ever felt, every time I tensed up or over played you were in my head saying RELAX!! One of the best gigs I have played - thank you Larry 🙏
That was uncanny, All those points and tips were as if Tom just reviewed my playing style. Video ends and Guthrie walks out of the bathroom and yells “I wouldn’t go in there for a good half an hour “ 🤣
Thanks Tom! 4 great struggles of being a fine musician! A fifth one along with vibrato is when to hold/release a note. So much of all these is managing stress. Looking forward to seeing how the new “critique” series goes! I imagine we’re all in fear of hearing the inconvenient truths about our playing but what the heck do we have to lose except bad habits?!
Sage advice Uncle Larry. I was taught to approach rhythm playing like a drummer and lead playing like a vocalistic. It really does save a lot of heartache.
my man, you are spot-on about nervous energy, the 'rushians" particularly the uncontrollable vibrato. unfortunately, for me anyway, you cannot force yourself out of these habits. it took me experience, the comfort/confidence level that experience naturally brings.. 20yrs ago i was playing 2-3x week. it's been some years since ive done any live playing & i'm betting most of those habits you talked about would probably bubble right back to the surface!. keep up the great content!
Wise words, I stumbled across your channel randomly and when you mentioned Mr. Trapp I realized who you are. Thank you for the lesson I'm subscribing 😊
Does anyone have any exercises or ideas about working on , not rushing?
sit with a metronome or click track for hours....record yourself, if you can't HEAR that you are rushing then you have bigger problems than just rushing.
i think playing with a looper, after soloing over your base once, listen to it once as is, then when it goes around again add more, slowly trickle in stuff and reflect how it sounds. if you run out of space in just a few passes through slow it down.
Metronome at very slow tempos. Record yourself playing to a metronome. Also play without a metronome and record yourself. Make your own rhythm jam tracks without a metronome so you practice developing your internal clock. Use a looper and try and comp 4-5 choruses of a slow blues. When you start the loop again, see if your tempo moved.
Don't (at first anyway) substitute a drum machine for the metronome. And get a LOUD metronome. Set it at 60 bpm and play the easiest major scale fingering you know... up and down, repeatedly, and try to BECOME the click. Get spiritual, dude. And try to PRODUCE THE NOTES _so precisely on top of the clicks that you cannot HEAR the clicks_ . This ain't easy, and some guys want to speed up the click, to (they think) make the exercise easier. Don't give in to this. One note per click. This isn't easy -- but, if it were easy, you wouldn't be working yer ass off -- which is all worth the work, because this WILL get you there.
Every other day or so, record yourself and listen back. Are you "erasing" the clicks with the notes of the scale? If not, slow it down one notch. Proceed.
To deal with any boredom, move the scale fingering up and down the neck. Also, change fingerings. Play a simple fiddle tune. And remember to listen to the click -- not so much to the notes, at first. The click is the thing.
This could take months, but a couple hours (or more!) a day will make you a kickass time keeper. Good luck, and work hard!
@@belascialoja4812 amazing, thanks this is solid and easy to understand
When I was learning piano my teacher said 'silence is the most powerful note, but also the hardest to play' - wise words!
Mick Goodrick, who wrote and taught a lot of the original curriculum at Berklee College of Music, said "Notes are what we use to get form one silence to the next."
Enrolled in a music class in college and on the first day the instructor walked out and said “silence is beautiful”. He said to think about that today and I’ll see you all tomorrow.
The jazz guitarist who taught the great folk guitarist Dave Van Ronk (can’t remember their name) said “why play two notes when one will do, and why play anything when silence will do”
thought something like that a few years back... not just playing notes but the silence too
Brilliant.
Being an admitted intermediate player this talk is absolute GOLD. Thanks Tom!
I just love this human. What a kind soul, amazing teacher, and observant dude. Don't forget the great distraction also brought us all together. Would not of known who you were other wise! We have to reject the trash and keep the rest. Stay strong and happy everyone.
“Overposting” does NOT apply to our favorite Uncle!
Keep up the good work there Uncle Larry!
That Beato interview of you and Guthrie was outstanding. The Christ one was so so.
These 4 tips are some of the most important tips I’ve heard about guitar playing from anyone. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the stuff that separates the boys from the men. Watching you play over the years made me realize all of these things.
The thought occurred to me tonight that these videos aren’t for us at all. They are for his sons. So that one day when he’s gone, his boys will be able to sit down, share a beer with their dad, and talk about music.
I need to find something like this to do for my kids.
ssssshhhhhhh......
Im not crying, you’re crying!
@@pdveintimilla😂
What an idea… 🤯
@@pdveintimillanah. I'm crying enough for all of us right now. I won't be Debbie Downer so i won't explain why. Ill just say I wish my daughter was still here so I could do something like this. 😔
Doesn't help that I just found "I've always pictured you with pants (part 15)" a few mins ago. One of the saddest songs I think I've ever heard.
Keith Richards: "Silence is the canvas where we paint music".
Robert Fripp: "Silence is the cup that holds music".
A long time ago I realized that we (or maybe just I) thought that I was past being a "Beginner", but it has taken forever to get out of the "Intermediate" class. And the more I learn it seems like there's so much more to learn -- which tells me that I'm actually closer to being a Beginner. The guitar provides a lifetime of learning.
Never sacrifice a groove in pursuit of a note. - V. Wooten.
Very good comment!
Victor is an ambassador to the joyful world of music.
The the most thoughtful comment I have ever heard and I am 68 years old
Thanks for the free professional advice Tom, always appreciated.
I like thinking about the possibility of Guthrie still sleeping while Tom is shooting this at the foot of the bed.
And getting up and ripping into a mind-blowing C run!!!
If you listen carefully you can hear Guthrie snoring in the background.
i treat my phone like a land line. it could lay around with a dead battery for days. best thing for it.
Hallmark #3: In the book of Psalms (the songbook of Israel), the word “Selah” is used frequently. No one is quite sure what it means or how to translate it into other languages, but I’m convinced it means, “Dude… pause and think about what you just read. Don’t be afraid to create some space and silence before you go rushing into the next idea.”
This is the type of vidio that got me hooked on your channel way back in the garage
Thanks Tom
Looking forward to that Beato video with y'all. Welcome to GA. Still hot as hell here too
Tom I'm 61, and I've been a sign painter. Portraits, murals, and countless letters. Letters of all kinds. And sizes. I was a gunsmith. I built world championship winning 45 autos. I know things. All through this time I played guitar. The disciplines you described. Hallmarks. Milestones. Whatever you call them they're all the same. Plateaus, levels, and the long awaited breakthroughs. Here's One for the accomplished. Recess. A vacation. A pause in the practice regimen. I watched world champion Jerry Miculek intensely when I worked with him at Clark Custom Guns. This gunshop produced and hired many champions. Hundreds of years of combined knowledge. Much like your exposure to other great players at Nashville. The rest, is important. The vacation from playing. Jerry hired a professional olympic shooting trainer as he wasn't military and he was self taught. What that trainer taught him for $4,000 was to take a break! He trained too much! Too steady. They told him to wait as long as it took for him to not be able to stand not shooting before starting back at practice. I have lived this principle in my whole life. It makes you SO MUCH better because the desire is like waiting for sex until you can't put it off anymore. THEN see how it goes! Jerry started winning more and enjoying shooting more. Sometimes we need to put the guitar down a few days. It works and it's necessary to advance at OUR own rate. Decompressing and restarting takes more than sleep.
Tal Farlow was a signpainter.... and Miculek is a SRV type guy, there are plenty of great competitive shooters but Miculek is a freak of nature. What he can do can't be taught, he refined it (like SRV) but what he has - can not be taught to just anyone.
@@Nitromessiah correct. Just like the guns I built for the champions. NOBODY has equaled what I did with 1911's. Few are as obsessed. What we're talking about is practicing beyond inspiration or reason. This kind of person is naturally talented AND driven, like Billy Strings. I should also mention that Jerry used to Thank me for not competing. MANY times after work when we shot together he asked, you SURE you ain't shot competitively before? I always said no, to which he'd always say, Thank You for that! He said I was the only one that could make his leg shake nervously in practice. I should also add that I was one of the first to predict computers finding dead spots on barrels to determine the proper length of a barrel for a certain bullet, rate of twist and weight and velocity. Lots of my ideas came to pass. I watched a documentary on Tal Farlow in the early 80's. Amazing guy and a Big inspiration when I was first starting to paint signs.
I just subbed to your channel. I've been fortunate enough to figure out what you mentioned about waiting between practice. I could work on a new song and stumble.. put the guitar down and come back two days later with a nagging urge to just play. And the new song I was stumbling on became improved. Our brains seem to like work things out behind the scenes. Thanks man.
Interestingly, Tal Farlow was also a sign painter. Pretty cool. Good luck on your journey. You've obviously figured out a lot along the way.
Ted Nugent talked about this many years ago. How important it was to go do something else you love (hunting for him) and leave the guitar alone. Then you come back to it with a real passion for it.
That was a great interview with Rick! That’s actually how i found you and Guthrie.
This is gold. Shit like this feels like it shaves months and years off of parts of the learning curve.
It would be cool to hear your thoughts on if/how the electric guitar needs to be played differently than an acoustic.
Thanks!
Tom, you spoke of your 'great trilogy of pain'. I lost my best friend and guitar partner of 51 years. I just want to let you know, I feel for ya, bro.
As a gigging solo guitarist I have learned more about the spacing and less is more guitar playing through your channel. my focus over the past few years has been your very own mantra of servicing the song. this episode is another one that I need to hear and practice. ❤ heartfelt thank you uncle Larry for freeing up my mind and helping me hear music differently.
Thank you for this video. I've been playing for 30+ yr...mostly noodling. I've only gotten serious the last 5-8 yrs. I rush constantly...working on that. But what I came here to say is my cynical self expected a beatdown of intermediate level players...but no, he pointed things to work on...not things to make fun of. That's what I needed.
You articulated great stuff to think about and work on and you have done that for us for 4+ years. Thanks for the wisdom kind sir.
I totally agree! I’ve been playing for 50 years and still struggle with these things. Being cognizant of them is a huge help in improving. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
12 years ago an influential producer told me to let the music breath and that has made such a difference.
So happy you brought up the “great distraction”. More young people (old too) need to spend time being expressive, focusing, growing. Whether through music, art, sports, etc.
I am enjoying your channel so much. I pick up pearls of wisdom every time I hear you share your insight. Thank you!
thank you bro. i appreciate it
Tom, you’re no second fiddle to any of Beato’s guests. Can’t wait to hear the interview, thanks for everything you do!
Well okay, maybe to Jesus. 😅
@@grantwilcox3738I was coming to say YEAH!!!!!!!
I love listening to my boy play. He’s so much more advanced than I was. That makes me hopeful for the future of guitar
I am certainly not as qualified as Tom on advice for soloing in the studio...but I received this advice in pre production from a producer waaaay back in 1986..."one should be able to whistle your solo"...certainly not going to work for every genre...but it has served me well.
Another thing is that people should be practicing recording at home. It's cheap and easy nowadays, little excuse not to do so if you have any ambitions at all. Red light anxiety is something that takes a lot of people some time and experience to get over, so it helps to get a start on it by recording at home. It's not the same as recording at a studio in front of others, but it's part of the way there. Plus it'll let you hear yourself properly, and give you a sort of unbiased view of what you need to work on.
I think some may have told David Gilmour that same advice. I can't think of another guitarist with more whistle-able solos. And look how acclaimed his playing is.
This video should be a must watch for anybody who is fairly new to the guitar before they pick up any bad habits. But it helps all of us who are intermediate as well. Absolute gold, thank you so much for sharing!
Morning Larry, from over on the other side of the rock. Man, can't wait for the interview but today's lesson was really valuable - so important for folks to feel your playing as much as hearing it..and vibrato with intent. Or not at all. Perfect.
Larry, This new direction of Homeskoolin', shows the world how generous you are with your talent and experience. God Bless You son.
these lessons are invaluable, i love the guitar learning but godamn buk you have such a beautiful insight to the world and for a young guy like me i can’t thank you enough
Thank you bro
I've been doing your "two strokes on alternating strings" exercise with a metronome, and boy, it's exposing my weak right hand. Thanks for that and a million other tips. XOXO, Random Hack Guitarist
@501chorusecho Wow Tom. This one is a doozy!! Being that most of your audience (including myself) fall into this category, this is PURE GOLD for us! Don’t be afraid to hammer us with all the teachings of what a beginner/intermediate player needs to know about technique!! There is so much wisdom in what you said. That only comes with a lot of thought and experience from many years. Thank you uncle Larry for your wisdom - like a great uncle does 🙏
Ahh you got me, four from four. Awesome video Tom, those things aren’t often said but are absolute gold for us at this level. You’re a good man.
This is bloody brilliant mate. Pure gold. Have a ball down there
thank you mate...i really appreciate that
That was some of the most insightful comments I’ve heard about guitar and has helped me so much ❤
Thanks, Tom. I am always fighting my inclination to "groove the vibrato". This is where all vibrato is executed in an identical manner, thereby sounding the same regardless of when and where it is employed. Such an easy trap to fall into...and so hard to get out of once it becomes second nature.
“Be water, my friend.” - Bruce Lee
I feel like this applies to playing your instrument as well. Sage advice as always Larry.
Great video brother. Working everyday to relax & not rush. Excellent advice!
“If you’re trying too hard you’re doing it wrong” applies to putting together Christmas presents on Christmas Eve too!
Before watching I already know this video is about me.
Just found you. I'll be 54 in Nov. Started playing at age 50. Very serious, am able to devote many hours per week learn (great understanding wife)! Have made some great progress but realize the goal never ends. Needed to see this video. Thank you!!!
Jesus! Very messianic personality that guy. Angelic voice.
Passing on hard won knowledge is a very noble pursuit. We need that in every discipline. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the lesson Uncle Larry! As a tennis coach, I couldn’t agree more with your link. Tension, rushing and lack of intention are all very common mistakes at the beginner/ intermediate levels, and even for some professionals.
"When you're playing your pentatonic sports bar blues licks" oh man, I spit up my coffee. Hey man, I did that for a decade in my 20s.
Great video, Uncle Larry. Thanks. And really great that you’re mentoring the young studio guys. Nice to know you’re passing the knowledge along.
Good Stuff, Uncle Larry. to this day I'm pushing against all these things -upstream against my nervous system. A life's work...
your a master slow taste it took me years not to over play and relax
Right on!!! So true. Listening to recordings of my playing, I notice I don't let the notes finish, not even knowing I'm rushing through them. Relaxing is a struggle when I equate emotion with the intensity of how I'm grabbing that neck.
Great advice!!!!
Sage advice. I always played to accompany myself as a singer. Only recently have I dared to try being more of a 'color' player. I don't imagine I will ever be a lead guitarist of any repute, and the quest to play true quality rhythm will continue until I die. But, I think there is space and time for me to develop a way of playing that expands and compliments what matters to me about music. Melody and message. Pocket and groove. Listening listening listening, always listening.
50 years of guitar, and some days feel like those first. Sitting alone and reaching deep to get 'that sound'. When it happens, there is nothing like it.
Thanks, Uncle Larry! I check off on all points.
I've been caught up in the "Content Creator" mode - rushing, tensing up, out of tune, sloppy...
Just yesterday I concluded to take my f'n time and perfect my playing and video creation.
Thanks, Tom! This is gold!
Hey you just explained me in guitar with 4 things lol. But hey I just like to play at home for my mental stability and just love it.
Great giveaway your advices big time here! Many kids use more excess pressure on left hand because they don't use a real guitar amp! I wish they can learn how to use less pressure (left hand). Intonation, time feel... can suffer. Thanks for sharing Tom!
I hear you on the technology front man, it's hard to do but it's healthy to try and power your phone off for awhile and just touch some grass. Just my 2c. Thanks for the vids Uncle Larry
The Beato interview was just epic too, just loved it!
Uncle Larry the Wheat Farmer.
Farming that fretboard for music.
Freaky Freddy & the Fret Farmers is a great band name for Fred
Very insightful Tom because I am guilty of all 4. It’s like you’ve been watching me play. You are the absolute best!
Relax and play it...works for life and guitar. Cheers Tom!
Hey, Tom, this is a fantastic class, even if it doesn't begin with a brilliant kitchen jam. (we're so spoiled) Phones are designed to engage the dopamine reward system. Ah, dopamine, the chemical of more. At least at Homeskoolin' the content is so much worth the time and is the opposite of anxiety producing. Your four things for intermediates are pure golden doubloons. Thanks again.
Great class today Uncle Larry! This is great material for any and all artistry! Agreed also on sorts and echo the sentiment on life in general. These nuggets are gold! You’re laying out the blueprint for those willing to do the work. I appreciate that immensely!! 🙏 Can’t wait for the upcoming lessons 😬👏 You’re the best!
-From a fellow Clevelaner 😎🤟
Dear Tom,
Nice dive today. My son’s a player too and it pleases me to no end. It’s very relatable the time travel as your thoughts wander while you watch your kid play. I like sharing highlights of your show with him. It always makes good conversation. The greatest thing is seeing the adjustments after. Thanks for that. Your humble skooler and Pisces Joe.
This was an excellent lesson! I think I’ll be watching it a few times in the future. I still grip my guitar way way too hard, but I’m getting better in the other areas you mentioned for sure.
Outstanding feedback Tom, I find myself needing to work on all four of the points you covered. Thank you!
One of the best things is watching homeskoolin while I practice
Great conversation over morning coffee with Uncle Larry, what a great way to start the day. It doesn't matter that i have been playing a long time, but needed to hear all of this. Thank you so much Tom for keeping us (me), coming back to the basics...its so easy to let this get lost. Time for me to practice playing the silent parts ;)
The great distraction….i thought you meant discovering girls
They were actually what motivated a lot of us to play guitar.
This was an amazing insight to playing as I notice everything in my playing that you spoke of. Dude you are a great teacher with fewer word but words that mean something. Thank you and please do not stop. God Bless you!
Uncle Larry Waxing Nostalgic from Atlanta -- pretty cool. 🙂
Also, for me, these four points you make, are the best guitar playing advice I have ever heared. Absolute pearls of wisdom. Maximum thanks.
To keep your body relaxed: practice with a tongue depressor, popsicle stick, whatever in your teeth, hanging down loosely, avoid putting bite marks into it - when you notice yourself standing that thing up, means you're clenching your jaw, means your arms are already tight, all the way through your shoulders and up to your jaw.
Keep that stick loose, your hands will stay loose and you might even start to find your autopilot/ghost mode when your consciousness divides and suddenly you're doing two things at once, independently - try not to notice it or you'll fall off (it's kind of quantum effect, once you look at it now it don't work no more lol).
Maybe the real zen of music is considering the spaces between things and letting the notes fall and shape, bend, and bloom where they may; as long as you've contemplated the space between things, the space where things are should be equally defined - the difference is how conscious the act is. Sometimes you can hear the space *behind* notes...it's there all the time, but at times it has significant presence; the quiet time growing underneath the decay of the audible, because what is sound lessening if not quiet expanding?
I guess it really was all in the dark matter, after all.
welp, now I'm off to find negative chords since I broke my own mind with that one...anti-chords? The structure of the void.
What a treasure. Also, what a generous human for creating all of these vids. I know you're doing it for your boys, but we all get to learn from them. Thanks Tom.
Hallmarks:
Stop squeezing the neck so hard. Don’t tense, be fluid and smooth.
Don’t rush. That means you. We all do it.
A good story has lots of space. So does a good melody. Let them take it in.
Voluntary vibrato. Have intention with every bend or note. Choose carefully.
This incredible insight Tom and priceless for all musicians, not just guitar players. Thanks again for all you do man.
At first, I thought the great distraction was a reference to girls.
Still suffering...
Women are the Grand distraction
🔥🔥🔥🔥 lesson from Unc 💯💯
1. Stop squeezing & RELAX
2. Stop rushing- take your time
3. Allow for silence & space - you don’t need to constantly talk/play
4. Vibrato - when & when not to
Thank you Tom 🙏
Rick Beato will see you now. He just got done interviewing Elon and Trump 😂😂
Me too, but of course my teenage self wasn't in much danger of attracting the ladies.
My first thought, too.
Thanks for sharing all your wisdom with the Homeskoolers! Much appreciated!
John Wooden: “Be quick, but don't hurry.”
I believe it was Frank Gambale who said to emulate horn players. They have to stop and catch a breath, we don’t. It’s zen like to be aware of your breathing and only play on the exhale. Easier said than done!
Best way to accomplish this is to sing what you’re playing.
Hey Larry, Well said, some great playing tips!
Imagine the maid walking in as he’s saying ‘dude, stop squeezing so hard’ to a camera.
“And then, shake it off”
Uncle Larry... speaking of Jesus... you just laid out four gospel laws for all of us intermediates to attend to. Thanks! It's curious in timing, those four are what I've been working on this last chapter of 67 years on guitar. I will double down on these for my next gig in August. Thanks!
Awesome. What are your thoughts on guys who did a lot of “talking” or making a lot of statements without breaks and could pull it off, like Johnny winter for instance
Thanks man, such great points. Felt like you were 100% talking to me with the rushing and the squeezing. I know I struggle with that. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
You are the most in tune player on RUclips.
He's got it. Beautiful intonation is like a candy bar, for your ear . . . . . .
@@rigelloar7474 and very rare
thank you homie
@@501chorusecho Do you tune like Vince Gill tunes? I remember you once talking about how nobody tunes a guitar like Vince. Also do you credit your "in tune-ness" to your guitar setup or just your simple touch on the instrument?
After watching Tom for a few years seems the way you play is just as important as getting it in tune. Many people have a perfectly tuned guitar but they play Out Of Tune 😂
Incredible words of wisdom Uncle Larry! Never heard another great, highly respected player such as yourself share these things so eloquently. Much respect!
This shit is gold. People really don't realize how lucky we are to have a legend like uncle Larry let us sit under his learning tree. I for one am insanely grateful
Sounds like Beato has got a great interview lineup comin lol thanks for the update, Uncle Larry!!
“Pentatonic sports bar blues licks” GLOL 🤣🤣🤣
I totally get what Tom’s saying (and Guthrie) but ever since I started following these guy I don’t even want to play anymore because everytime I play anything I’m thinking, “Damn, Guthrie/Tom would have hated that lick” 😂😢
@@Johnjingleheimerschmidtt screw that. play what you enjoy. always a place for that kind of stuff
Just came back here to say thank you! Tried to apply some of this at my gig last night. Best I’ve ever felt, every time I tensed up or over played you were in my head saying RELAX!! One of the best gigs I have played - thank you Larry 🙏
I ate two hits of orange microdot and went to see "The Jerk" at the Midnight Movies in Charlotte. Laughed my face off.
Two hits? I’d still be trippin!
@@tomcoryell I might still be...
Always take two in case one's a dud. Lol
It's hysterical, even sober.
I love this guy! He is always so baked but stays completely on topic and relevent. Such a great player too.
That was uncanny,
All those points and tips were as if Tom just reviewed my playing style.
Video ends and Guthrie walks out of the bathroom and yells “I wouldn’t go in there for a good half an hour “ 🤣
Thanks Tom! 4 great struggles of being a fine musician! A fifth one along with vibrato is when to hold/release a note. So much of all these is managing stress.
Looking forward to seeing how the new “critique” series goes! I imagine we’re all in fear of hearing the inconvenient truths about our playing but what the heck do we have to lose except bad habits?!
Sage advice Uncle Larry. I was taught to approach rhythm playing like a drummer and lead playing like a vocalistic. It really does save a lot of heartache.
"Jesus is back out on tour" 🤣🤣🤣
Yeah he just left Chicago… 😂😂😂
my man, you are spot-on about nervous energy, the 'rushians" particularly the uncontrollable vibrato. unfortunately, for me anyway, you cannot force yourself out of these habits. it took me experience, the comfort/confidence level that experience naturally brings.. 20yrs ago i was playing 2-3x week. it's been some years since ive done any live playing & i'm betting most of those habits you talked about would probably bubble right back to the surface!. keep up the great content!
Mornin' all! ❤
Wise words, I stumbled across your channel randomly and when you mentioned Mr. Trapp I realized who you are. Thank you for the lesson I'm subscribing 😊