Need more things to practice

[zesn]

Hey guys, each time i pick up my guitar, i just play some nonsense that i don't know what i'm playing.
Other than that i'll be just playing some random songs or just practicing chromatic with alternate picking.

Is there anything else i can do to improve my playing?
eg. Modes or anything else that i can do except for chromatic.

 

[huckie]

Hi i play mostly blues (major and minor) with a looper for the rhythm section. and i never get tired of it. maybe you should try it as well. i believe the scale really catches emotions.

or you could try buying guitar magazines from there you can practice all exercises.

or try playing all your favorite songs

 

[bf0502tr]

have u tried pinch harmonics? economy picking? sweep picking? tapping? (dunno if its the right description of the technique but it looks to me like) sweep tapping? the basic 7 modes? harmonic minor? melodic minor? and of course who can forget: trying to nail 16th note patterns at 500bpm

 

[zesn]

haha yes pinch harmonics can say i'm quite there.
economy picking not really.
sweep picking yes, tried, can sweep, not clear only, needs practice.
tapping... finger not strong enough(can train) , not sure where to tap also!
will try harmonic and melodic minor soon, how to add it into songs?

thanks for the suggestion!

 

[bf0502tr]

from what my teacher told me, the harmonic minor can be added in songs in which have notes from the harmonic minor scale.
eg. A harmonic minor
the notes are A B C D E F G#
so when an A minor progression is played with the E major instead of the E minor, u can use the A harmonic minor.
if the same A minor progression has the Cmaj7#5 instead of the Cmaj7, u can use the A harmonic minor.
if the same progression has the G#dim, u can also use the A harmonic minor and etc

i'm not too sure about that but that's all i could absorb during lesson, and we just touched topic and went on. maybe the more knowledgeable amongst us could help clarify. i also know that the harmonic minor can be used on most sad or heavy songs. as for the melodic minor, well i havent dared venture there yet, got my fingers and mind full for now lol

 

[imkeith]

lol whn u speak of harmonic minor yngwie/metal/arabic just came straight to my head haha
but anyway i wouldnt really recommend learning modes unless u do have theory knowledge on atleast the major scale.. makes life a whole lot easier

 

[zesn]

thanks bf0502tr. useful.
yea imkeith i do have some self learnt theory.
but other than shredding, what are modes for?

 

[bf0502tr]

np we're here to share after all.

the modes are a way to understand ur chords more. then there is the caged system that can be derived from the modes also(or at least i used it to derive my caged) the modes also help u find ur arpeggios faster, imagine u didnt know the modes and u had to know where every note on the fretboard is when u wanna find ur arpeggios and chordtones lol (u die deep deep)

 

[hydrogencynide]

thanks bf0502tr. useful.
yea imkeith i do have some self learnt theory.
but other than shredding, what are modes for?

Modes are not for shredding. which in this case they are not patterns across the neck.

i am not the best person to explain this. But modes are variations to the parent scale which gives a different sound when you use them

 

[imkeith]

differnt modes have a different uniqueness in their sound but in short they are split to the minor and major modes with that said you could prolly guess why, mode's are used more in the blues and especially jazz context more often...
for me though im still learning modes, i would say modes is something essential if you wna give ur improvising alittle flavour as compared to ripping of the major/minor scale all the time

 

[theusedrocks]

you could try transcribing songs! helps improve your hearing, feel and technique as well. :]

 

[imkeith]

ahhh!! i hate learning intervals!!! my theory teacher's gona force me to sing out the intervals argg$@^@$^$@

 

[hydrogencynide]

differnt modes have a different uniqueness in their sound but in short they are split to the minor and major modes with that said you could prolly guess why, mode's are used more in the blues and especially jazz context more often...
for me though im still learning modes, i would say modes is something essential if you wna give ur improvising alittle flavour as compared to ripping of the major/minor scale all the time

Yeah man. totally agreed. unfortunately, the proper use of modes requires good knowledge of chord building and progressions

 

[imkeith]

knowing the major scale inside out be in the typical pattern to linear playing, note for note would be quite essential too.. definitely better thn stickin to one part of the neck as compared to running down the whole neck.. it just has a differently feel to it due to the arrangements.. sigh with that much said im still pretty much green to modes..
if only things were alil less complicated lol

 

[zesn]

haha
http://www.youtube.com/user/XenoZenoLove

all the songs ear-ed out myself.