KVR Audio

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Mon Mar 13, 2023 8:09 pm

For me it was an hour ago but I'm not bragging. Simply because of the gaps that go on between occassionally jamming on a half baked idea or switching instruments.

Everyday I play the linnstrument and I complete very little on it. Practice my chords scales, sweeps try to get in a different key a day then try to comp along to a chordy song just wanting to keep time and shift successfully. This is often followed by trying to cop melodies or licks on the linnstrument (When there is time.)

The only reason I bring this up is that I've been staring at my Jackson Dinky which has a broken string that I haven't replaced in 6 months.

Bombadil · Post by **Bombadil** » Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:20 am

Yesterday.

revvy · Post by **revvy** » Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:54 am

That’s the way I do most of my practice. I do other stuff first then play along with a load of songs.

Last time I practiced was day before yesterday.

jens · Post by **jens** » Sat Mar 18, 2023 5:15 am

I think that must have been a bit less than ten years ago, with the last band I played in...

Bombadil · Post by **Bombadil** » Sat Mar 18, 2023 12:58 pm

I've been doing it more and more lately. Rather than just noodling around, fantasizing I'm before a yuge crowd at Carnegie Hall. Prepping myself for the next recording session (first in 5 years) and my chops are far from up to speed.

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Sat Mar 18, 2023 5:00 pm

I was much better when I was busking at the local park a few years ago. I made the effort to get my setlist together, play all the songs through then go out with battery powered amp and just play in the park, crowd or no crowd.

These days it's all about the linnstrument. I practice scales, ostinatos and chords ad infinitum go through my presets for KLC triton (which never gets old)then try to cop some licks and hopefully I look up at a clock and remind myself its time for sleep or work.

jens · Post by **jens** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 10:20 pm

Bombadil wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 12:58 pm I've been doing it more and more lately. Rather than just noodling around, fantasizing I'm before a yuge crowd at Carnegie Hall. Prepping myself for the next recording session (first in 5 years) and my chops are far from up to speed.

Yeah, I can kind of understand that... personally I am basically constantly in a recording session - just with myself though.

But If I had to play live with a band for a recording (something I never had to do as a guitar-player btw - just as a bass-player and keyboarder), I'd certainly have to practize my songs (which I basically never do).

But then again I guess I still wouldn't practize by playing the whole thing through, but rather concentrate on the transistions instead (in my opinion lots of folks underestimate the importance of these - e.g. just stomping on a pedal a tiny moment too late (or too early) or switching a few of them in the wrong order can make or break an arrangement - not to mention smoving from pushing to dragging (or vice versa) from staccato to legato (or vice versa), making changes in the syncopation, yadda yadda - I.e. if the transition doesn't work, neither does the arrangement work - and thus neither the song.

Thankfully I am in a position where I have (more or less) full control over all of this, which is why I don't have to waste my time playing through songs.

I'd much rather spend my quality time being creative instead.

Bombadil · Post by **Bombadil** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:45 am

That's the thing. My thing is playing with others. And I have no playmates. Playing with myself gets very boring. Widdly-widdly. I have plenty of creativity, though. I just need to turn the red light on. Then I need to develop. But the main thing is, I haven't written a lyric in a long, long, time. There's plenty up there, but nothing on paper. I actually hope I can still do it.

donkey tugger · Post by **donkey tugger** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 1:12 am

I think I'm on the same page as Jens here, many years ago since I played owt all the way through...

Always in writing mode too when I play, so it's never going through old stuff. Once I've recorded something I never go back and play it through again. Have no idea how to play a lot of them I imagine now. Some weirdy chords in there too...

Best leave alone..

Bombadil · Post by **Bombadil** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:01 am

I've been playing along with albums, not re-hashing my old stuff. However, I've started working on an original anti-war song which requires a classical guitar part that I need to practice to get it right without killing it with 100 takes.
Multitracking weakened me as a musician, punching in/out, copy/pasting. I used to ping pong 2 dbx cassette decks through a cheap Radio Shack mixer, and we had to get things right, start to finish. That's how I want to work.

resynthesis · Post by **resynthesis** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:23 am

I tend to play all the way through when playing things without verse/chorus/etc. arrangements. These days that means classical stuff

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 3:13 am

Around 2005 for me. That's the last time I did a live show ...
playing a sampling groovebox & some FX iirc

digitalboytn · Post by **digitalboytn** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 4:47 am

I love that song,"All The Way Through"....

One of my favourites

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 3:01 pm

Bombadil wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:45 am That's the thing. My thing is playing with others. And I have no playmates. Playing with myself gets very boring. Widdly-widdly. I have plenty of creativity, though. I just need to turn the red light on. Then I need to develop. But the main thing is, I haven't written a lyric in a long, long, time. There's plenty up there, but nothing on paper. I actually hope I can still do it.

That killed my playing for a long time too. So much so that I had to decide if I wanted to simply sell the guitars and move on. Or look for ways to reinvent myself / methods.

I chose both.

BIAB and chord melody (but separately)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3MGBEOYW2U
Which is and isn't like backing tracks because you can score in the program. If you are less interested in writing the BIAB groups have thousands of cover songs using biab styles
Though writing / arranging is pretty damn simple in BIAB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo9sben5x1M&t=208s

I love BIAB. The "Band" isn't like cheap auto accompaniment keyboards. They sound like they are playing off of one another as do real bands. The only issue is you are not nor ever will be part of the band. You'll only ever be just playing along with them.

Chord Melody is not a method nor is it specific to Genre. Travis Style players like Chet Atkins weave come things together that Jazz fingerstyle players don't and if you can get yourself around playing pick and fingers there are even more avenues to take.

Though not my wheelhouse Kent Nishimura is classically trained, everytime he pops up on a yt feed I want to burn my guitars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epIme_tJmaU

Yup changing approaches is work, hard work and it takes time to adapt. The struggle is real. However if you want to move forward and stay in the same place at the same time.

Chord Melody guitar.

Bombadil · Post by **Bombadil** » Tue Mar 21, 2023 8:25 pm

Thanks for the suggestion, Mike. It looks confusing, but I'll research it and next time there's extra cash, I'll put it up for consideration.
I'm capable of being my own 'backing track', just can't be arsed these days. But anything that will get me moving is helpful.

When was the last time you played a song all the way through?