Quote: Katie1109 wrote in post #2What is the "real book"?
Hi Katie 1109!
First off, WELCOME to the PB Guitar Forum! The Real Book can actually refer to a number of different volumes of "underground" books that contain lead sheets & chord charts for many Jazz Standards (there are also versions for Rock & Country,,,but the original versions were created for Jazz). There are no royalties paid to the songwriters & musicians, so the book actually infringes on copyrights, making it technically illegal.
Having said this, you can purchase & download the book online. Check out pretty much any jazz ensemble (of any level: Beginning to Professional) and you will find a Real Book!
I see that you have deleted your account, so I'm not sure if you will see this, or not, but I was hoping you could post your videos in the Forum: PB Guitarstudio FORUMS, where your colleagues can view and respond.
You are demonstrating some really good stuff, here! Those "Segovia Scales" look & sound nice, so now try playing those over the backing tracks Pebber linked up for you...In fact, try incorporating Pebber's "Stacked Pentatonics" and/or Pebber's "Scaletone Forms" into those backing tracks.
Thank you so much for sharing, even though the song simply cuts off at 4:35! However, I like your overall approach to this tune and like the way you "sit back" and then take off on your bluesy runs.
LOTS of delay/chorus on this track, though,,,even on the cymbals!
I would love to hear a version with CLEAN drums and no delay/chorus on the guitar...NONE! Perhaps you can "dirty up" your guitar tone,,,but I would keep it simple & straightforward!
You have really good ideas, now it's just a matter of refining your tone and overall execution!!!
,,,and to think, Farelli, that I was simply referring to gigging in bars in/around Chicago with a singer-songwriter, and not about gigging at The Baked Potato out in Studio City, California, where the Who's Who of REAL Guitarists will go to catch (and critique) shows from their peers!
The moment I THINK, "I'm a truly great guitarist" will be the day I stop practicing.
There's no graduation from learning guitar!
Now, getting back to the actual topic: Monkey Puzzle initially posts on 02/24,,,then posts again 3 days later that he's worked on his technique "for a bit longer now..." and goes on to share his thoughts.
I strongly encourage Monkey Puzzle to keep doing what he's doing, and then post a video and share with us a 6-12 MONTHS from now! If he sticks with Pebber, and is true to himself and his practice routine, I can pretty much guarantee that he'll be light years ahead of where he is now.
Having said all of this, how are things going these days, Monkey Puzzle? Hope all is good,,,Share with us, Brother!!!
If it were easy to undo a "bad" or "improper" technique, then the World would be much more full of insanely good guitar players! Alas, there is no quick fix...no "3 Secrets To Becoming A Master Picker In 1 Week" like we have all seen peppered all over the internet.
That is a SCAM, run by strip-mall guitar "instructors" who are only there to fleece the pockets of generation after generation of aspiring rockers, be-boppers, thrashers, and punks.
From my own experience, it took me at least 6 months of working on my picking to even be able to implement it comfortably (KEY WORD) in a live setting,,,and at least 1 year for me to be able to pick like that without thinking. I'm talking about the scalpel picking.
Sarod picking is something I still work to develop and perfect. I'm able to switch up between the 2 techniques comfortably (there's that KEY WORD, again), but I am always working to improve. Like I always say: There is NO graduation when it comes to learning guitar.
Having said all of this, please keep in mind that Pebber instructs us on methods that have worked for him and many students, but Pebber will be the first to remind students that the best players almost always incorporate a few different picking techniques. Don't hesitate to PUT IN THE WORK and just see what happens a year from now when it comes to your playing!
Keeping at it, I see,,,and I am LOVING it! Before I get to your questions below, I just wanted to point out the following:
1) Place the camera back a couple of feet, so we can see the entire fretboard. Your right-hand-technique is clearly visible throughout this video, but we only get snippets of your left-hand technique.
2) You are "flicking up" on those upstrokes, so try using a more "smooth" approach by focusing only on your thumb and index finger (and not the wrist).
3) There are certain notes that are "staccato," while the rest of the notes ring out nicely. Try letting each note ring and decay evenly. For example: On those descending exercises, this will require you to move your left arm down the neck much quicker. Play 4 evenly-spaced notes, quickly move left arm & fingers to next position (keeping those fingers as close as possible to the fretboard), and continue to execute the pattern.
Now, on to your excellent Questions!:
Zitat 1. Should I just place all my practice vids in one thread or is it fine making new threads each time?
Make a new thread each time. This way, others can post videos of themselves performing the same technique. This way, there is one thread for everyone's "Upstrokes at 70-BPM" and a separate thread for "Chromatic Warm-Up Exercises," so on, and so forth.
Zitat 2. With each new video I get new things to practice but with the same time constraints. My question is how should I go about my practice? Just practice each thing for a short time during my 1 /12hr practice time or select certain things to practice for a long time during that time?
This answer varies from player-to-player, and it also depends on what technique(s) you are working on. For example: I generally believe that practicing each exercise EVERY DAY is the way to go; breaking exercises down to 5-minute intervals. Having said that, there are times when I would just sit there and grind out Sarod picking for the entire practice session, especially when I was first introduced to this technique. If I had to make a choice, I would prefer the first method: Break down each exercise to 5-minute intervals.
Quote: Farelli wrote in post #7I took a quick look, and it could be hardware acceleration in your browser. Try disabling hardware acceleration in your settings.
So I tried disabling the hardware acceleration, but it did not work. It turns out that it was my "No Script" that was blocking Vimeo!
Needless to say, I was finally able to view this, and this is a FANTASTIC video. I am so glad I was able to see this! It took me a solid 6 months of practice before I was comfortable enough with this technique in order to use it live on stage with my band at the time.
Long story short, I am always working on Sarod (and Scalpel), too. I work at it slowly, because I find it is more difficult to practice these techniques at lower tempos. However, I also find that it yields better results (more accuracy, for example).
Thank you everyone for the feedback (What's Up, Ivan!!), and thanks especially to GuitarStyles88, for posting the video!!!
Quote: Farelli wrote in post #5I can still view it. It's a Vimeo video, if that matters.
Yeah, I was just emailing GuitarStyles88 back and forth, and he mentioned this being a Vimeo video, as well, and that he can still view it, too. I jumped right back on here, but I still cannot view this video for some reason.
LOL,,,,it's all good, Connor! I was very confident that you were not doing that on purpose. Hey Man, you have a FANTASTIC ATTITUDE and you work hard. Just keep doing what you are doing,,,,you will grow by LEAPS AND BOUNDS before you know it! Pebber and I see it constantly with the more dedicated students
So, your "self-critique" was spot-on. You know what you need to do to tighten up the video length & editing (I go into much greater detail about this in my responses to some of your other videos on the Forum).
Really no need to say this, but Pebber is absolutely right. Now, I LOVE the fact that you are challenging yourself. I still do it to this day! However, we need to recognize when we are "putting the cart before the horse," if you know what I mean. If I'm lost, confused, and/or have lots of questions, then that is a clear indication to me that I need to take a few steps back.
Once again, Farelli hit the nail on the head! I agree with everything he mentioned. There are a couple of VERY IMPRESSIVE moments here, my friend....WOW!!
Looks like I am working "backwards," since my first introduction and extended review was in response to your most recent video (The "In my 2nd Month.." thread). In case you are seeing this post first, my name is Adam Steinz, and I am an administrator here at PB Guitarstudio FORUMS. I'm VERY happy to see you here!
Anyway, Farelli pretty much summed it all up, although there are a couple of things I can add:
1) A Friendly Reminder: PLEASE refer to Pebber as "Pebber" (not "pepper"). Now, I am sure this was an oversight on your part, but I do see this a couple of times in your post. Trust me when I say that he takes great offence to plays on his name (intentional or not).
2) Video Length & Editing: Pebber and I definitely prefer videos no longer than 2-3 minutes. They are easier to review, and they tend to get reviewed quicker (because we get hundreds of videos each month, obviously outside of this Forum ). There is just not enough time to sit through dozens and dozens of 5+ minute videos and still be able to focus on what we do during the day (lessons, teaching, work, my own practice/playing/recording time). Hey, my first video to Pebber was 10 minutes, so I'm definitely "guilty" of submitting excessively long videos! LOL!!! Never again, though. Shorter videos should also help with your editing, and doing away with excessive talking, starting/stopping an exercise repeatedly...things i mentioned in my response to your most recent thread. I also had a habit of doing all of these things, so again, I am just speaking from experience.
3) What/When To Practice: When it comes to learning an instrument, as long as you can get in at least 10-15 minutes a day for practice, you WILL continue to improve. It's not about the quantity of your practice, rather it's about the quality. Now, if you can rock out a Module per day, you are doing just fine!
Thanks again for posting your videos in the Forum, and KEEP AT IT!
My name is Adam Steinz, and I am an administrator here at PB Guitarstudio Forums. Thank you so much for posting this video! I watched it and would like to share some things with you:
1) Video Length & Editing: As you can imagine, Pebber gets HUNDREDS of videos like this each month. I know this, because he often sends a handful my way for me to review. It is highly suggested that we try to keep our videos no longer than 2 - 3 minutes each and just focus on one exercise at a time, as opposed to just a few seconds of demonstrate exercise-then-skipping-to-the-next-exercise--for-a-few-seconds-then-skipping-to-the-next-exercise (I think you get it). This will help ensure that each video is reviewed MUCH quicker, because Pebber will often try catching up on reviewing videos in between his in-person lessons and in-between his classes at LaVerne. It is way more easy for us to watch a few 2-3 minute videos, than having to start/stop several times in a 9-minute video. Short videos will are also easier to edit in terms of getting rid of what I refer to as "dead space." This includes things like having the metronome clicking in the background for extended periods of time without playing along to it, tuning up, excessive talking, "um's" , "ahhs," or "uhhhh's", and starting/stopping an exercise multiple times. I'm definitely not saying that you did all of the listed items. These are just examples of things we constantly see. Having said all of this, THANK YOU for posting your videos in the actual Forum, where it suggested they go.
2) Metronome: Thumbs WAY UP for using one!
3) Timing: Your timing is really good! However, most exercises were only played for short bursts, as opposed to a more sustained demonstration of your abilities. Try playing each exercise, without starting and stopping, for at least 20-seconds, or more. This will give us a much better understanding of how well your timing is. I really did like the way you would try to accent on the "1." So now that we know you can do this, try playing each note with the same "attack;" keeping each note at the same volume.
4) Right-Hand Technique: Looks GREAT!
5) Your Questions Regarding Picking: Pebber will the the FIRST to say: Use whatever technique works best for YOU! I often rest, or "anchor," my right hand when scalpel picking, but I also let it "float" when playing/strumming chords (especially open chords). I also float my right hand when using Sarod Picking.
In closing, I believe that you certainly have the tools which will allow you to get better and better. You just need to "tweak" some things, especially playing each exercise for longer, consistent amounts of time --- No more starting/stopping over and over! Shorten the overall length of future videos, as well. Other than that, you are well on your way, my friend!