right! add to that: AND sometimes a 'bad' note is only a passing tone to the next good note and might sound amazing that way; maybe there are no 'bad' notes as long as you keep going using your ear to inform your brain to play the next 'good' note
no other guitar teacher gives acces to so nice and untypically tricks and hints like you do David. thank you so much for your valuable lessons. i've been watching your videos for more or less a decade now and you still won't run out of new perspectives of playing. in appreciation Pierre K.
I'm an old man, it took me 8 hrs to figure out 8 seconds of crossroads. Burned up the cassette tape, and I was 8 seconds into the song. Now you U-Tube it and it's all there in front of you. I don't know if I'm amazed or pissed.
In the pre-YT days, you had to work with other musicians to pick up stuff, much like this video describes. If you can simply learn from YT or tab sites but you can’t play with other musicians, is that really an advantage?
@@leamanc yes! I seldom encountered anyone who played and especially someone who knew more songs than me, it was easy to go yrs not learning anything new. There are people who are naturals at guitar but in real life a nonpro musician will seldom encounter them but now hit some buttons and there they are and you can slow it down, rewind, pause, spend a year or more learning it slowly..this is the greatest time to play guitar in all history!
@@joejones9520 I have been playing for 2 years now and I have not learnt a single song but I have learnt how to make songs myself and improvise... learning other peoples songs has just never interested me. A lot easier to do these days!
Kids nowadays have no idea how hard and challenging it was to learn guitar before computers and RUclips. Learning by ear...Reading guitar books and articles...Watching other players and trying to remember what and how they played something. It was hard.
I’m sure that really is true. But there are so many resources available now that it can be hard to focus - or to know what to focus on. My instrument teacher would give my one new thing to work on for next week. The correct new thing that was what I needed to learn next. RUclips doesn’t really do that.
Absolutely. I started trying to learn guitar in the late 90s early 00s and for a lot of reasons it didnt work out. I picked up guitar again recently, and with all the new resources its been a lot easier to learn.
Yes! I started in the 80's, no musical influences or friends who played any instruments. Basically it was just me and my stereo on the weekends. Even people in their 30's have had a lifetime of information at their fingertips.
I started playing after seeing Randy Rhoads when I was 13. The 80's birthed so many legendary guitarists! I was lucky enough to see just about everyone - and ruined a lot of vinyl records by picking up and dropping that needle, cassettes would make that warble sound. I spent a lot of time in the old fashioned woodshed that I wouldn't trade for anything!
I used to tell myself that if I didn´t get it right, I was increasing my chances of getting rectal cancer. It helped. It was the moment when I really started to listen and learn.
Key changes are always a little challenging when improvising. A few concepts helped me deal with them as a lead guitarist playing in unfamiliar settings / groups: 1) You are never more than one fret away from the "right" note. 2) There are no "wrong"notes. Just dissonant / unexpected ones 3) If you repeat a note or phrase, it sounds intentional, and thus "right". Especially when improvising. Especially with Jazz. 4) Cromatic scales always "work". Especially with, yup, Jazz. You can use them to find "correct" / root notes. Major to minor key changes tend to be the most difficult for me to follow / anticipate, as they sound very different (ironically). In Blues, it can be frustratingly hard to figure out when it's OK to switch from major to minor pentatonic, and rules like "move down (or up) 3 frets" are position based . If you play all over the neck like me, you have to remember where you are, or you have to return to (usually) first postion to navigate such things, and still, it won't work with ALL bluesey chord progressions and still sound like Blues. That's why most intermediate Blues players get stuck only playing minor pentatonic licks. Anyone who tells you playing Blues is "easy" probably isn't a great / inventive player. Go watch some John Mayer instructional videos if you think Blues are easy / easier than Jazz or anything else. Now, try doing what I do - buy a looper, learn how to record decent loops while performing with a drum machine that stays in time with them. Record a chord progression using open chords. Then apply a capo up at the 5th fret, play inversions over the looped open chords, all while sitting on a bench with hundreds of people an hour walking by in a public place. While singing. Without a permit to add to the fear factor. Bonus points for figuring out how to loop and switch between verse / chorus / and bridges. Even more points for staying focused and continuing to play while drunk people attempt to chat you up mid-song.... some but not all of which are I demonstrate here with "When the Levee Breaks": ruclips.net/video/SiusaHD1PV8/видео.html Highlights / lowlights - at about 4 minutes in I change from minor to major, and it's not just pentatonic I modulate between. Still works and sound like Blues. Sorta. At around 7 minutes, I screw up with my capo, which should have been placed at the first fret instead of the nut. I laugh, move it, and keep on playing....that's the real secret to actually performing infront of people. No matter how bad you screw up, just laugh it off and keep playing. Put out a tip jar. If you make more than $30 in two hours, you're doing better than one of the best violinists on earth playing a million dollar violin in a Washington DC subway station. (Google it) Oh, and I'm #actuallyautistic =D
damn! you can paint too?!! must be nice. Totes McGelatinous 5000. i can barely draw and probably barely play guitar. some folks are just inherently autistic i believe.
Really cool way of thinking about this! I remember seeing a video from Victor Wooten with some wise words. He said that you're always a half step away from the right note in a solo. If you hit a wrong note, just embrace it and move up or down half a step. It reminded me of your "yes or no" technique.
Ditto, that became my escape tactic too. For one, it made my playing less planned. Planning requires forethought- maybe only for milliseconds but that's long enough to be "late." Etc.
I had an instructor in NJ who played in a great jazz band. He had an offer to teach at Berklee but didn't like moving to Boston. He also said "you're always one fret away from getting off a bad note. He also taught me how to find the root note to isolate the key as well and singing the melody in my head. If you can't sing it you can't find it you can't find it. Learning I-IV-V visually on the neck was every opening.
Thanks for sharing part of your musical journey. Especially since it was a humbling experience that set the work needed to progress into motion. Super interesting and great video story telling, including the production/editing. Engaged me all the way to the end.
What I've come to realize in my 2 years of playing guitar is that when you actually practice well you learn very fast. But when you learn fast the exercises become obsolete or at least "not enough" fast also. So the real trick to becoming better all the time is to somehow keep improving AND maintaining. Good video, I think it's important to keep exploring different ways to conceptualise music theory!
I love that you address elements of musicallity that other people simply don't. I am 48 and a beginner, although I retain some good music theory from years ago when I played piano. I KNOW I am not going to become EVH any time soon. Nor even Jeff Beck who's playing I love. But maybe I CAN be David Gilmour if I pay attention to getting my emotions onto the fretboard. Thanks for the wisdom.
Do not worry, just try to be musical in any state of your development, even with 3 notes solos at 60 bpm, as you said expression is paramount and don't forget to have fun and enjoy your playing
Shoot video of yourself playing as much as you can. It really helps isolate your weaknesses. You can play something and in the moment you think it's great but when you listen/watch back you'll realize how bad your timing is or how sloppy your phrasing is, things like that
Man I used to think your videos keep going one after other but it's a part of my routine now watching these while working my fingers out. Good experience 👍👍
I'm coming back from a long hiatus from the guitar. The journey will begin this winter here in the tundra of northern Michigan. I used to be at best a fair player at one time, a noodler. My goal is to achieve some level of enlightenment, at least by my definition. Your plainly spoken back story and solution to a problem really hit home with me. Thank you. Subscribed.
Great story, David, and brilliant process of discovering your own way of becoming a fluent, fully competent musician. Thanks a lot - I learnt a lot from this : )
This is one of the best things i have heard on guitar. Very funny & educational. Thanks for your candor. I am an acoustic player always looking to get better. Pride commeth before a fall. Thanks again.
I love how you simplify these complex concepts into practical "thoughts" that just come back to me when I'm rehearsing. The "yes or no note" will ring in the back of my head along with the "I... play.... tha blues." which is the first video I saw. Keep up the great work, you're a godsend.
David, thank you so much for these lessons on Guitarplayback. Steves intro to modes blew my mind. Everything is starting to click, can't wait to dive into the 3 day challenge.
WOW! This is actually how I taught myself guitar! It's been an amazing experience, I don't know the science or anything behind it, just how the notes sound and what notes sound good together.
Appreciate the insight and story…. I came about this by just closing my eyes and not thinking too much, didn’t take me months though, took a couple years improving over tracks… my worst problem wasn’t keys, to me I can hear when it sucks and when it doesn’t, my problem was getting my timing to sit just right. it’s something I still struggle with some days… What key things are in is important to some degree, what matters more is that it sounds good, if fit sounds good it’s not wrong… Knowing how to play the same thing a few different ways will open up the fretboard and give you a chance to find a comfortable spot to sit on… The only real way I’ve found to do this is play the entire fretboard and listen… looking and thinking about it didn’t get me there… For me it was about using my ears more and eyes less… Sounds stupid, but I see it happening to others a lot…
My first audition went terrible too. When I played with friends we all used small practice amps. When I went to the audition there was so much distortion from the pa I had no idea what to do. Any time I took my hand off the strings the high pitch squeal almost deafened me lol. Needless to say I didn't get the spot lol
It it helps to learn the major and minor scales on one string, first. That way you hear the patterns, so when you learn other patterns, you are following your ear. If you can't hum, sing or whistle the right notes in a melody, it will be even harder to play them. The purpose of scales is tactile and visual, but most importantly for ear training.
I did a thing with a Roland R-5 rhythm composer and did a synth/bass/drums piece where I had the sequencer randomize the chord changes so I would truly never know what would come next and then practiced trying to follow those random changes so they sounded natural. That was a big help since RUclips didn’t exist so the backing tracks we take advantage of today just did not exist unless you bought some tape package like “Rock Tracks” which had a book and tape cassette with the music which was instrumental jams you could play along with if you didn’t have a band.
Holy shit the little insight between 10:15 and 10:40 is worth so much. I knew it already and would guess most musicians already do, but it didn’t occur to me how useful it is to keep in mind when jamming!
Best advice during key change.. whatever key you're in.. count 4 frets up on your index from the root note and 1 string down. New key.. same scale. So A 5th fret in E string then turns into 9th fret A string for the key change scale. It's a great way for the lead guitar to solo at a higher key then drop back down to the other key when into a verse. Same patterns.
I remember working the cassettes for my guitar player. There was no speed control, just me punching buttons relentlessly for hours on end to learn Priest and Maiden tunes. Finally when the half speed players came out, it was easier, but I'd still work the buttons for him and it sped up his learning. Now I've been trying to learn and it's a pain, but still way easier than the dinosaur days. I make myself try to learn and pick out notes at regular speed and then if I can't, I'll start looking for videos and such. thanks for sharing this insight and I'll put it to use as well
One of the pro bands I was in was so well adapted for Jam that I said lets play GO ! Go is a Hard Rock Jam we never played before . This about mid concert and we let the Singer have a break . Go was great for the Band and in it we never played Go the same way every time in any time or structure !
I did the same thing a few years earlier in the 90's. I play dark metal but it was finding, like you called it, yes notes and no notes. It changed how I approached music. I don't play that same style I did back then now. It's more feel now because of it. But I didn't go to school. Great video.
I loved the scream! Made my night! Thanks for your revelation/testimony/confession. I think being humble just may be an unspoken, and as of yet unrecognized aspect to one's learning of guitar, or any instrument for that matter. Really enjoyed this 12.48 - Thanks for sharing! ss
Hee David, awesome your are still that active, i know you from years back on guitarmasterclass , still using the v picks i see :D. Much love man, keep up the great work!
David man, I've been watching you so much. Like a TV channel! Love your storytelling, it's interesting and I think you're an insane player. Merci pour tous! :)
Great and interesting story, David. Thank you for sharing. I believe we will all get to where we want to go as long as we're always trying, and working to get there.
If there is a key change just use a Diminished 7th arpeggio/s or Dim7 scales or 1/2 dim /Min7b5 chords (full dim7th chords sound a bit TOO f****d up I mean dissonant) to dissolve the previous key then continue as normal in the new key. Put a Root5 or 6 bass note on a 1/2dim (min7b5) chord and you got a 9th chord.
Thank you for your wisdom and perception, David. Had a similar experience, yet more from a lyrical perspective. Had a girlfriend transcribe a "cover song" for me. I was the singer and she wanted to help out. This was WAY BEFORE the Internet in the 70's... so she had to lift the "record needle" from the album repeatedly as she was writing down the lyrics. Her transciption: "He's got an old kindly strap, that lays behind his back, as he sings of Lewie Lou eyes." I just smiled at her and thanked her for her effort. That was not how the 2nd verse of "Headknocker" by the band Foreigner actually went. PERSPECTIVE* IS EVERYTHING! (Don't get me wrong... she had other talents mind you. I'm glad I didn't have her transcribe any Elton John lyrics. 🤦)
I had a similar experience recently. Casual jam with what turned out to be a fellow Dead-head, and I insisted on keeping my volume down on an even keel with the bass player, while the host launched into this piercing, overwhelming clean lead sound. It wasn't a chops/theory issue, but similar "a ha!" moment. For me, I need to crank and cut through if I'm going to keep up. Makes me completely disinclined to sit in with others, and inclined to just stick to home recording! I fucking hate competitions in music.
Loopers are great tools and solo home recording can be very satisfying. Been doing it for decades. But for me, the most inspirational music always flows from people playing together. Keep looking for others to play with. They do exist and are probably looking for you as well; noncompetitive COLLABORATORS. They're few & far between. But when you connect with the right ones, the experience and music will be sublime.
I just want to comment how different it was pre-internet. As youngsters we didn't even know that such a thing called a scale even existed. We would come up with chord sequences and try to make songs out of it, and while most of it was junk, sometimes it was interesting though weird. Well one of the guys got a VHS instructional tape and announced "We shouldn't go from C to D, we should go from C to Dm because then we can use the C scale." The C scale? Show me that! And after months of jamming in C the idea came to light that we could move up two frets and do the same things in D if we remembered that certain chords were now major/minor or whatever. And the songs we made sounded completely different in D. There were so many discussions like, "I just figured out that Stairway is in Am (same notes as C holy crap!)" Or some other famous song is in E... it was a voyage of discovery. I'm not saying that the way we learned was better or anything. Everything is valid. I just wonder if young musicians today, with so much free knowledge available, still have that moment of joy and discovery the first time they play notes in a scale.
Hi David, I could very well be crazy, but I think the first time I played this video through, the tile didn't pop up at the end when you pointed up. I went back and replayed that section because I am interested in checking out the 3 day challenge, and the tile was there. I guess it could have been that it blends in unless you hover over it (the white background doesn't show up unless you mouse over,) but I think it just wasn't there on the first playthrough.
I've been playing over 50 years ! I know nothing about music theory ! Played in various bands where the looks from band members became natural ! I just went in different directions with songs that sometimes blew everybody minds and sometimes not ! LOL
thank good for loop pedals and youtube eh? lol I was pretty good when i started playing with the big boys also by my own thoughts. Jazz things in southern rock and progressive rock was also seriously throwing me off. mostly in the timing though. But if I had known where to start properly on those modulations I could have gotten through it better. It was all good in the end though. My first tough gig was people I grew up with but had never played with before because they 6 or 7 years older so they took the time to teach me. I got the gig because the song writer / lead guitarist knew I was up and coming and wanted an equal or better guitarist than him in the band instead of what they was a good rhythm player that sang a lot of the lead vocals. Some one to give him a break and play harmonies with. I learned to play slide in that band. I had a blast in that band. We had a camp at a lake we would go to in the winter and just drink beer, eat, fish and play music together most of the winter. we played a lot of television shows and shows. Great times we had. Our bass player left and went to to his real job and we took a break and went separate ways. I got into production work heavily and got far away from the live music scene.
I really need help as I don't want to give up trying to learn guitar, but without someone to help I just may have to. My problem is that I have small hands. As IamMorrison says if you don't have our tiny sized hands you just can't relate. So a C-Chord is doable for me on 25.5in scale guitar but getting to a different chord is a struggle. Not a serious problem I am just bringing that up. Where my problem lies is my wrist to the tip of my longest finger is 6.5 inches. Hard to make chords. Now here is the one that made me quit for six months as I was in 24x7 pain with a loss of mobility and that is I cannot get calluses. It is a hereditary issue as they begin to grow and I go to bed one day to wake up to baby soft fingertips again where everything is painful. SO painful that I do bad things, subconsciously, to stop the pain and it hurts my wrist and thumb joints. How can I play the guitar without calluses? I ask because with them the note ring out more but when they go back to soft the strings around the touching fingers are dead due to the pudge caused my a soft pressing onto a hard. I do not have Gorilla grip/Kung-Fu death grip as I work hard to not.
Join the 3 day challenge at www.guitarplayback.com/guitarchallenge
TLDW: Every bad note is just a half step away from being a good note.
right! add to that: AND sometimes a 'bad' note is only a passing tone to the next good note and might sound amazing that way; maybe there are no 'bad' notes as long as you keep going using your ear to inform your brain to play the next 'good' note
Yes, the half step slide up.
@@frederickrohrbacher8606 or slide down
Thank you!
Hendrix once said "I don't always hit the right note, I just bend it until it means something."
no other guitar teacher gives acces to so nice and untypically tricks and hints like you do David. thank you so much for your valuable lessons. i've been watching your videos for more or less a decade now and you still won't run out of new perspectives of playing.
in appreciation
Pierre K.
When you play guitar by yourself, you loose all perspective of where your at.
Some days I feel like I’m Hendrix others I feel like I suck
So you feel like Hendrix every day?
Nah, just messing, Jimi's awesome!
Record yourself and you'll know if you suck or are playing like Hendrix.
Well said, I do the same
I'm an old man, it took me 8 hrs to figure out 8 seconds of crossroads. Burned up the cassette tape, and I was 8 seconds into the song. Now you U-Tube it and it's all there in front of you. I don't know if I'm amazed or pissed.
In the pre-YT days, you had to work with other musicians to pick up stuff, much like this video describes. If you can simply learn from YT or tab sites but you can’t play with other musicians, is that really an advantage?
@@leamanc yes! I seldom encountered anyone who played and especially someone who knew more songs than me, it was easy to go yrs not learning anything new. There are people who are naturals at guitar but in real life a nonpro musician will seldom encounter them but now hit some buttons and there they are and you can slow it down, rewind, pause, spend a year or more learning it slowly..this is the greatest time to play guitar in all history!
@@joejones9520 I have been playing for 2 years now and I have not learnt a single song but I have learnt how to make songs myself and improvise... learning other peoples songs has just never interested me. A lot easier to do these days!
Kids nowadays have no idea how hard and challenging it was to learn guitar before computers and RUclips. Learning by ear...Reading guitar books and articles...Watching other players and trying to remember what and how they played something. It was hard.
I’m sure that really is true. But there are so many resources available now that it can be hard to focus - or to know what to focus on. My instrument teacher would give my one new thing to work on for next week. The correct new thing that was what I needed to learn next. RUclips doesn’t really do that.
Absolutely. I started trying to learn guitar in the late 90s early 00s and for a lot of reasons it didnt work out. I picked up guitar again recently, and with all the new resources its been a lot easier to learn.
@@jimcognito4631
You just can't beat it for learning songs not to mention theory.
Yes! I started in the 80's, no musical influences or friends who played any instruments. Basically it was just me and my stereo on the weekends.
Even people in their 30's have had a lifetime of information at their fingertips.
I started playing after seeing Randy Rhoads when I was 13. The 80's birthed so many legendary guitarists! I was lucky enough to see just about everyone - and ruined a lot of vinyl records by picking up and dropping that needle, cassettes would make that warble sound. I spent a lot of time in the old fashioned woodshed that I wouldn't trade for anything!
One of the best lessons I've come across.
I started doing this about a year ago. After playing with some studio musicians.
It's change my playing.
I don't want to overstate, but this is a VERY IMPORTANT lesson!!!! Thank you !!!
I used to tell myself that if I didn´t get it right, I was increasing my chances of getting rectal cancer. It helped. It was the moment when I really started to listen and learn.
And then I got terminal rectal cancer
I don't have a rectum, but thanks for the reminder, jerk!
You are an inspiration to us all.
😁
respect
Um, .. I don't think we "play" the guitar the same way ...
Key changes are always a little challenging when improvising. A few concepts helped me deal with them as a lead guitarist playing in unfamiliar settings / groups:
1) You are never more than one fret away from the "right" note.
2) There are no "wrong"notes. Just dissonant / unexpected ones
3) If you repeat a note or phrase, it sounds intentional, and thus "right". Especially when improvising. Especially with Jazz.
4) Cromatic scales always "work". Especially with, yup, Jazz. You can use them to find "correct" / root notes.
Major to minor key changes tend to be the most difficult for me to follow / anticipate, as they sound very different (ironically). In Blues, it can be frustratingly hard to figure out when it's OK to switch from major to minor pentatonic, and rules like "move down (or up) 3 frets" are position based . If you play all over the neck like me, you have to remember where you are, or you have to return to (usually) first postion to navigate such things, and still, it won't work with ALL bluesey chord progressions and still sound like Blues. That's why most intermediate Blues players get stuck only playing minor pentatonic licks. Anyone who tells you playing Blues is "easy" probably isn't a great / inventive player. Go watch some John Mayer instructional videos if you think Blues are easy / easier than Jazz or anything else.
Now, try doing what I do - buy a looper, learn how to record decent loops while performing with a drum machine that stays in time with them. Record a chord progression using open chords. Then apply a capo up at the 5th fret, play inversions over the looped open chords, all while sitting on a bench with hundreds of people an hour walking by in a public place. While singing. Without a permit to add to the fear factor. Bonus points for figuring out how to loop and switch between verse / chorus / and bridges. Even more points for staying focused and continuing to play while drunk people attempt to chat you up mid-song.... some but not all of which are I demonstrate here with "When the Levee Breaks":
ruclips.net/video/SiusaHD1PV8/видео.html
Highlights / lowlights - at about 4 minutes in I change from minor to major, and it's not just pentatonic I modulate between. Still works and sound like Blues. Sorta. At around 7 minutes, I screw up with my capo, which should have been placed at the first fret instead of the nut. I laugh, move it, and keep on playing....that's the real secret to actually performing infront of people. No matter how bad you screw up, just laugh it off and keep playing.
Put out a tip jar. If you make more than $30 in two hours, you're doing better than one of the best violinists on earth playing a million dollar violin in a Washington DC subway station. (Google it)
Oh, and I'm #actuallyautistic =D
damn! you can paint too?!! must be nice. Totes McGelatinous 5000. i can barely draw and probably barely play guitar. some folks are just inherently autistic i believe.
Really cool way of thinking about this! I remember seeing a video from Victor Wooten with some wise words. He said that you're always a half step away from the right note in a solo. If you hit a wrong note, just embrace it and move up or down half a step. It reminded me of your "yes or no" technique.
I always imagined key changes would make 2 frets, like C to D etc, maybe those are more like pitch changes. Will have to try it out.
Ditto, that became my escape tactic too. For one, it made my playing less planned. Planning requires forethought- maybe only for milliseconds but that's long enough to be "late." Etc.
Dimebag said just bend it up a half step if you hit a wrong note...
I had an instructor in NJ who played in a great jazz band. He had an offer to teach at Berklee but didn't like moving to Boston. He also said "you're always one fret away from getting off a bad note. He also taught me how to find the root note to isolate the key as well and singing the melody in my head. If you can't sing it you can't find it you can't find it. Learning I-IV-V visually on the neck was every opening.
if anyone notices your no note just say 'i used the chromatic scale to transition into the correct key'
It's crazy that I've been doing this for a while and not thinking about it, but you NAILED it. Great video!
It's been a real treat seeing your channel grow David, thanks for everything you do!
Thank you so much man, that means so much!
OK, blues riff in B. Watch me for the key changes, and try to keep up!
I'm sorry guy, I'm afraid you're just too darn loud.
Dude. Every video I’ve seen of yours is extremely helpful. Thank you !!
"You're never more than half a step away from a right note" - Victor Wooten
Thank you for always keeping it simple and straight forward you help me out a lot, Keep it up!!
Thanks for sharing part of your musical journey. Especially since it was a humbling experience that set the work needed to progress into motion. Super interesting and great video story telling, including the production/editing. Engaged me all the way to the end.
What I've come to realize in my 2 years of playing guitar is that when you actually practice well you learn very fast. But when you learn fast the exercises become obsolete or at least "not enough" fast also. So the real trick to becoming better all the time is to somehow keep improving AND maintaining. Good video, I think it's important to keep exploring different ways to conceptualise music theory!
I love that you address elements of musicallity that other people simply don't. I am 48 and a beginner, although I retain some good music theory from years ago when I played piano.
I KNOW I am not going to become EVH any time soon. Nor even Jeff Beck who's playing I love. But maybe I CAN be David Gilmour if I pay attention to getting my emotions onto the fretboard. Thanks for the wisdom.
Do not worry, just try to be musical in any state of your development, even with 3 notes solos at 60 bpm, as you said expression is paramount and don't forget to have fun and enjoy your playing
Shoot video of yourself playing as much as you can. It really helps isolate your weaknesses. You can play something and in the moment you think it's great but when you listen/watch back you'll realize how bad your timing is or how sloppy your phrasing is, things like that
Man I used to think your videos keep going one after other but it's a part of my routine now watching these while working my fingers out. Good experience 👍👍
I'm coming back from a long hiatus from the guitar. The journey will begin this winter here in the tundra of northern Michigan. I used to be at best a fair player at one time, a noodler. My goal is to achieve some level of enlightenment, at least by my definition. Your plainly spoken back story and solution to a problem really hit home with me. Thank you. Subscribed.
Great story, David, and brilliant process of discovering your own way of becoming a fluent, fully competent musician. Thanks a lot - I learnt a lot from this : )
This is one of the best things i have heard on guitar. Very funny & educational. Thanks for your candor. I am an acoustic player always looking to get better. Pride commeth before a fall. Thanks again.
Architect, latex salesman, marine biologist, importer/exporter, Venetian Blinds, acoustic virtuoso... is there anything you can't do?
I love how you simplify these complex concepts into practical "thoughts" that just come back to me when I'm rehearsing.
The "yes or no note" will ring in the back of my head along with the "I... play.... tha blues." which is the first video I saw.
Keep up the great work, you're a godsend.
When I started playing guitar in ‘72, it was picking up and moving the needle over and over on record players to learn licks. Yeah, I’m old. 😜
Same here, Bill ! But once we got it, we really had it!
@@williamj.sheehan2001 we were usually playing it wrong though.
same here. Learning was not an easy task but I developed a helluva ear at the same time. It was a different time for sure but I liked it!
@@joejones9520 Hahahahaha! Well, sometimes, yes!
1960 and I couldnt afford records, glued to the AM radio to pick up parts of songs.
Great job telling a story with this lesson. I empathized with it immensely. Great video.
David this video is amazing and crucial if you could make few videos more about this subject would be really so important. Thank you 🙏
David, thank you so much for these lessons on Guitarplayback. Steves intro to modes blew my mind. Everything is starting to click, can't wait to dive into the 3 day challenge.
You are a great teacher
WOW! This is actually how I taught myself guitar! It's been an amazing experience, I don't know the science or anything behind it, just how the notes sound and what notes sound good together.
BTW you can do this with all instruments, it's how I learned piano too
Me too! They say I need to learn theory, whatever the hell that is Lol!
You are a great storyteller.
this is a very organic approach to "Pitch Axis" what the appendix at the beginning of the Satriani Surfing with the Alien talks about
Appreciate the insight and story…. I came about this by just closing my eyes and not thinking too much, didn’t take me months though, took a couple years improving over tracks… my worst problem wasn’t keys, to me I can hear when it sucks and when it doesn’t, my problem was getting my timing to sit just right. it’s something I still struggle with some days… What key things are in is important to some degree, what matters more is that it sounds good, if fit sounds good it’s not wrong… Knowing how to play the same thing a few different ways will open up the fretboard and give you a chance to find a comfortable spot to sit on… The only real way I’ve found to do this is play the entire fretboard and listen… looking and thinking about it didn’t get me there… For me it was about using my ears more and eyes less… Sounds stupid, but I see it happening to others a lot…
Excellent the way you figured this out and devised those exercises. Thank you for sharing your story and exercises.
My first audition went terrible too. When I played with friends we all used small practice amps. When I went to the audition there was so much distortion from the pa I had no idea what to do. Any time I took my hand off the strings the high pitch squeal almost deafened me lol. Needless to say I didn't get the spot lol
Awesome story but I’m pretty sure you learned from the mistake
Thanks for sharing 🙏 inspiration at its finest
It it helps to learn the major and minor scales on one string, first. That way you hear the patterns, so when you learn other patterns, you are following your ear. If you can't hum, sing or whistle the right notes in a melody, it will be even harder to play them. The purpose of scales is tactile and visual, but most importantly for ear training.
You can't fake a key with a keyboard player. It'll always stand out. They're always in tune.
I did a thing with a Roland R-5 rhythm composer and did a synth/bass/drums piece where I had the sequencer randomize the chord changes so I would truly never know what would come next and then practiced trying to follow those random changes so they sounded natural. That was a big help since RUclips didn’t exist so the backing tracks we take advantage of today just did not exist unless you bought some tape package like “Rock Tracks” which had a book and tape cassette with the music which was instrumental jams you could play along with if you didn’t have a band.
Every recording is a backing track if you want it to be… 🤔😉
Love it! Yes, I remember pre-internet guitar learning lol. Many many magazines and books. Vhs tape here and there!
Holy shit the little insight between 10:15 and 10:40 is worth so much. I knew it already and would guess most musicians already do, but it didn’t occur to me how useful it is to keep in mind when jamming!
Wow you put a lot of hard work, time and patience in your studying but it has all paid off for you. I do not have that kind of dedication.
That’s awesome sir. Thanks for the knowledge.
Best advice during key change.. whatever key you're in.. count 4 frets up on your index from the root note and 1 string down. New key.. same scale. So A 5th fret in E string then turns into 9th fret A string for the key change scale. It's a great way for the lead guitar to solo at a higher key then drop back down to the other key when into a verse. Same patterns.
YOU ARE FIRED!
I remember working the cassettes for my guitar player. There was no speed control, just me punching buttons relentlessly for hours on end to learn Priest and Maiden tunes.
Finally when the half speed players came out, it was easier, but I'd still work the buttons for him and it sped up his learning. Now I've been trying to learn and it's a pain, but still way easier than the dinosaur days.
I make myself try to learn and pick out notes at regular speed and then if I can't, I'll start looking for videos and such.
thanks for sharing this insight and I'll put it to use as well
Thanks; great information & big ups to your video producers - one of the best on YT!
Great stuff! Love your channel.
I sat through this whole thing waiting for you to get to the point and it turns out to be an ad for your website? Gah!
Great channel mate, they way you explain things is super helpful! Breaking things down really helps understand the language of music 🌞
Great video. I really think this could help me. Sounds legit/like good advice.
One of the pro bands I was in was so well adapted for Jam that I said lets play GO ! Go is a Hard Rock Jam we never played before . This about mid concert and we let the Singer have a break . Go was great for the Band and in it we never played Go the same way every time in any time or structure !
I did the same thing a few years earlier in the 90's. I play dark metal but it was finding, like you called it, yes notes and no notes. It changed how I approached music. I don't play that same style I did back then now. It's more feel now because of it. But I didn't go to school. Great video.
Dude thank you. You have another subscriber.
Lol. The scream. I feel you, man.
I don't really play guitar but I found the video and story interesting and entertaining so I subscribed.
I loved the scream! Made my night! Thanks for your revelation/testimony/confession. I think being humble just may be an unspoken, and as of yet unrecognized aspect to one's learning of guitar, or any instrument for that matter. Really enjoyed this 12.48 - Thanks for sharing! ss
have fun
Rock on nuddt,,,,great video,,,love it
Great video, thankyou for sharing
great lesson Thanks
I bought that book. Maybe I’ll read it.
Hee David, awesome your are still that active, i know you from years back on guitarmasterclass , still using the v picks i see :D. Much love man, keep up the great work!
Not really sure why i'm watching this, im only 4 weeks in to learning :) I`ll be back in another 5 years to rewatch. Interesting though. Cheers.
Thanks for sharing your story... very inspiring.
What a great idea and excellent storytelling skills!
This video is great. Thanks.
David man, I've been watching you so much. Like a TV channel!
Love your storytelling, it's interesting and I think you're an insane player.
Merci pour tous! :)
Great and interesting story, David. Thank you for sharing. I believe we will all get to where we want to go as long as we're always trying, and working to get there.
Great advice. Playing > Studying. Love Kiesel guitars, BTW.
Hell yeah! Check out Andy James if you haven’t heard of him.
Really interesting! I have signed up for the 3-day lessons. Starting right now! 😀
Sounds like they had that key change planned ahead of time.
Now that you mention that, yeah it does!
If there is a key change just use a Diminished 7th arpeggio/s or Dim7 scales or 1/2 dim /Min7b5 chords (full dim7th chords sound a bit TOO f****d up I mean dissonant) to dissolve the previous key then continue as normal in the new key.
Put a Root5 or 6 bass note on a 1/2dim (min7b5) chord and you got a 9th chord.
Great video!
Doing this for ever
Thank you for your wisdom and perception, David.
Had a similar experience, yet more from a lyrical perspective. Had a girlfriend transcribe a "cover song" for me. I was the singer and she wanted to help out. This was WAY BEFORE the Internet in the 70's... so she had to lift the "record needle" from the album repeatedly as she was writing down the lyrics.
Her transciption:
"He's got an old kindly strap, that lays behind his back, as he sings of Lewie Lou eyes."
I just smiled at her and thanked her for her effort. That was not how the 2nd verse of "Headknocker" by the band Foreigner actually went.
PERSPECTIVE* IS EVERYTHING!
(Don't get me wrong... she had other talents mind you. I'm glad I didn't have her transcribe any Elton John lyrics. 🤦)
Nice playing. And cool lesson!
Wow , thanks man
This channel is so relatable!
I think the most important comment that you made was how you kept at it. How many time do we just move on if we don't get something right away?
I had a similar experience recently. Casual jam with what turned out to be a fellow Dead-head, and I insisted on keeping my volume down on an even keel with the bass player, while the host launched into this piercing, overwhelming clean lead sound. It wasn't a chops/theory issue, but similar "a ha!" moment. For me, I need to crank and cut through if I'm going to keep up. Makes me completely disinclined to sit in with others, and inclined to just stick to home recording! I fucking hate competitions in music.
Love my Loopers !
Loopers are great tools and solo home recording can be very satisfying. Been doing it for decades. But for me, the most inspirational music always flows from people playing together. Keep looking for others to play with. They do exist and are probably looking for you as well; noncompetitive COLLABORATORS. They're few & far between. But when you connect with the right ones, the experience and music will be sublime.
Great ideas and advice. Thank you!
I can totally relate to your experience!
Impressive
Ok, I am pausing @ 7:12 just to say that the comic video interpositions are HI-LAR-IOUS!
Carry on.
I'm 52. Same erra of caveman. Loved that reference.
I just want to comment how different it was pre-internet. As youngsters we didn't even know that such a thing called a scale even existed. We would come up with chord sequences and try to make songs out of it, and while most of it was junk, sometimes it was interesting though weird. Well one of the guys got a VHS instructional tape and announced "We shouldn't go from C to D, we should go from C to Dm because then we can use the C scale." The C scale? Show me that! And after months of jamming in C the idea came to light that we could move up two frets and do the same things in D if we remembered that certain chords were now major/minor or whatever. And the songs we made sounded completely different in D. There were so many discussions like, "I just figured out that Stairway is in Am (same notes as C holy crap!)" Or some other famous song is in E... it was a voyage of discovery. I'm not saying that the way we learned was better or anything. Everything is valid. I just wonder if young musicians today, with so much free knowledge available, still have that moment of joy and discovery the first time they play notes in a scale.
My friend, at the end of the video you reference a 3 day course relating to this video but it didn't show up for me. Do you have the link?
Thank you, Quentin Tarantino's twin brother... separated at birth. Both are experts in their fields and excellent story tellers. Cheers and Bravo!
😂right 🤙
I can soo relate to what you are saying .
The greatest thing you learned that time was humility. We all need this occasionally to remind us that noone knows it all 😃
Hi David, I could very well be crazy, but I think the first time I played this video through, the tile didn't pop up at the end when you pointed up. I went back and replayed that section because I am interested in checking out the 3 day challenge, and the tile was there. I guess it could have been that it blends in unless you hover over it (the white background doesn't show up unless you mouse over,) but I think it just wasn't there on the first playthrough.
There you go! www.guitarplayback.com/guitarchallenge/
I've been playing over 50 years ! I know nothing about music theory ! Played in various bands where the looks from band members became natural ! I just went in different directions with songs that sometimes blew everybody minds and sometimes not ! LOL
thank good for loop pedals and youtube eh? lol I was pretty good when i started playing with the big boys also by my own thoughts. Jazz things in southern rock and progressive rock was also seriously throwing me off. mostly in the timing though. But if I had known where to start properly on those modulations I could have gotten through it better. It was all good in the end though. My first tough gig was people I grew up with but had never played with before because they 6 or 7 years older so they took the time to teach me. I got the gig because the song writer / lead guitarist knew I was up and coming and wanted an equal or better guitarist than him in the band instead of what they was a good rhythm player that sang a lot of the lead vocals. Some one to give him a break and play harmonies with. I learned to play slide in that band. I had a blast in that band. We had a camp at a lake we would go to in the winter and just drink beer, eat, fish and play music together most of the winter. we played a lot of television shows and shows. Great times we had. Our bass player left and went to to his real job and we took a break and went separate ways. I got into production work heavily and got far away from the live music scene.
I’ve signed up for this , could use getting my ear in more.thank you
I really need help as I don't want to give up trying to learn guitar, but without someone to help I just may have to. My problem is that I have small hands. As IamMorrison says if you don't have our tiny sized hands you just can't relate. So a C-Chord is doable for me on 25.5in scale guitar but getting to a different chord is a struggle. Not a serious problem I am just bringing that up. Where my problem lies is my wrist to the tip of my longest finger is 6.5 inches. Hard to make chords. Now here is the one that made me quit for six months as I was in 24x7 pain with a loss of mobility and that is I cannot get calluses. It is a hereditary issue as they begin to grow and I go to bed one day to wake up to baby soft fingertips again where everything is painful. SO painful that I do bad things, subconsciously, to stop the pain and it hurts my wrist and thumb joints. How can I play the guitar without calluses? I ask because with them the note ring out more but when they go back to soft the strings around the touching fingers are dead due to the pudge caused my a soft pressing onto a hard. I do not have Gorilla grip/Kung-Fu death grip as I work hard to not.
Note selection makes a big difference. Always pay attention to the one in each chord.
Brilliant thank you !
This is great to hear the struggle articulated this way. Relatable, for an actual beginner or one who has been a beginner for decades.