Zitat von pebberbrownThere are occasions when people can become great guitarists...
Don't you think that Robert Fripp, who is rated among the 100 most influential guitarplayers, must be a very inspiring person to every guitar player? Fripp was when he started tone-def and had no sense of rhythm. This must mean he had no talent at all. Him wanting to learn play guitar, leave alone becoming a professional, is like a dyslectic who wants to become professor in literature. I suppose if a teacher has such student he would very soon advise him to find another hobby.
Zitat von tplu7234At my guitar school we have 3-4 guys over 70, who are just beginning guitar. One has had a few broken fingers and is going to face huge challenges as we progress but he has racked up near the most hours of practice at the school. He is retired, so he does have more time than some other people but he is spending it wisely doing something he wants. I asked him what made him want to play guitar: 'I wanted to years ago and never did...now I have a chance to change that'.
I guess the message here is that you should not worry about your age, just worry about what you want to do most. I used to worry that I was starting guitar too late at 18, I would see guys who had played for 10+ years thinking they were awesome...4 years later I realised they really weren't and were too busy worrying how their hair looks rather than how well they play. '50 years old' should really be '50 years young' if you think about it, you have stacks of time.
Yesterday, 24-12-2011, Johan Heesters who was the oldest still preforming aritst in the world died at 108 years. He was a Dutchman who lived most of his life in Germany. Compared to him I’m still a toddler. Let him be an inspiration to.
Zitat von pebberbrownThere are occasions when people can become great guitarists even if they start at a later age
On it’s own a high skilled musician doesn’t necessary be a good musician. I’m Dutch and saw Jan Akkerman many times live and found it most of the times disappointing. The fusion shit he played is not meant for a large audience. Only a few hear the beauty. I think we’re all guitar freaks here so we’re talking mostly about getting the most out of the instrument. And than we’re not talking about Keith Richards. But I’m sure he has more fans than Steve Vai ever will have. And that may say also something.
Mr. Brown, what is your definition of a good musician or guitarplayer?
Zitat von tplu7234At my guitar school we have 3-4 guys over 70, who are just beginning guitar. One has had a few broken fingers and is going to face huge challenges as we progress but he has racked up near the most hours of practice at the school. He is retired, so he does have more time than some other people but he is spending it wisely doing something he wants. I asked him what made him want to play guitar: 'I wanted to years ago and never did...now I have a chance to change that'.
I understand. At any age you can start playing an instrument. But at 70 you won’t become a Joe Satriani anymore. My point that I would like reach a more or less high level. I want to make beautiful rock music. And off course for that you don’t need to become a John McLaughlin or Steve Vai. IMO these super guitarists don’t always make likewise also super music. In that sense I can settle for less.
Zitat von tplu7234 I guess the message here is that you should not worry about your age, just worry about what you want to do most. I used to worry that I was starting guitar too late at 18, I would see guys who had played for 10+ years thinking they were awesome...4 years later I realised they really weren't and were too busy worrying how their hair looks rather than how well they play. '50 years old' should really be '50 years young' if you think about it, you have stacks of time.
When I was 18 I also though I started too late. I’m sure earlier is better but I always say the later you start the later you’re worn out. LOL.
Zitat von uderoche I did not have a job for 4 years. I sat at home and practiced guitar and studied music.
I don’t have a job at this moment. And if I do have a job it’s not an interesting one anyway. Your remark makes me thinking why not go for it. But there’s certain dilemma. I’m 50 years old so what can I accomplice? Even though Pebber would say you suck, I think I can play a little guitar. So I’m not a beginner at 50. I started at my 18th. And where does it lead? Is trying real hard to get everything out of the guitar worth the effort at my age? These days I play one to three hours a day and sometimes much more and sometimes not at all. It's hobby, not work, I do it for fun. Now the dilemma is how far to commit myself...
Mister Brown before I’d meet you on youtube my guitar-life, so to say, was a lot easier. At 6.00 of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdv8Lvce1y4 you talk about Chromatisizing a scale. I know all the modes from Ionian to Locrian in every position on the guitar. But if you start to chromatisais this than it means you can play (always?) any note. And that there’s no such a thing as playing out of the tune or false. Playing in scales or modes gives you a certain help in what to play and what not. Now my question is when does someone play out of tune if every note is possible?
Zitat von pebberbrown So I spent a lot of time not caring.
In most sports it’s often good after a season, or a period of hard training, to take some time off. Maybe it’s even good to get a little out of shape. Doesn’t this also apply a musician?
Zitat Just remember Theo, the greater your technique the better you will be able to play in any type of music. It is hard to over-practice this kind of thing, ideally you want to be at a level where you can focus mainly on songs but your technique must come first. Be realistic and proportionate, the daily practice routine on this website will put you on the right track.
Yes I know. Damn I'd whish that when I was 20 there was internet and people like Pebber Brown around. I didn’t take lessons because I’d read Jimmy Hendrix and many others also didn’t take lessons. I thought they were sitting at home, like me, finding things out all by themselves. I didn't realise they were constantly among other musicians where they learned from. At that time I’d knew that a lot of practicing was good so I did, but not in a daily schedule of a certain amount of time. And also off course didn’t know what to practice. So I must have wasted a lot of time. Well life is all about learning.
Zitat think you will find Theo actually agrees with you Pebber, just looks like a grammatical error. You are from the Netherlands aren't you Theo?
Sure I agree, with you all. And yes I'm Dutch. I wasn't aware of a grammical error. Sure I don’t believe there’s a guy that can reach the absolute top in just three ours a day. But I wanted to make a side note. Not all the people are the same. A friend of mine is a mathematician and he hardly made any homework while others have to study many hours a day. What I’m trying to say is that if you have a natural gift for your craft life is a lot easier. Rubinstein said that there were lots of pianists technical better than him. So maybe he never went to the edge. Talent can also become a disadvantage in a sense that talented people in many cases aren’t used to work hard which at a certain point they also have to do.
And here’s maybe an example of what Rubinstein meant by over-practicing. Here are two piano versions of Iron Maidens Aces High. The first one is played by probably an amateur, and second one by a highly skilled en well schooled professional called scott lavender. You hear the difference right away. But IMO, and of many others, the amateur version is much better. So it may make you wonder why… There are many iron maiden piano versions of this same amateur called Bluepurplewave and Scott lavender on youtube. And in all case IMO the amateur wins. I wonder what’s your opinion about this…
Well I don’t believe either that Rubinstein in his younger days didn’t practice more than three hours. On the other hand he was a child prodigy and may have had already a big repertoire at an age where most others didn’t even have started.
I’m not into classical music but I always feel you can learn something from a master, whatever kind of music or instrument he plays. Here below I’ve put a quote, and a interview on youtube, from/with Arthur Rubinstein (1887 – 1982) who is considered one of the best pianists of the last century. He didn’t advise to practice so many hours. Three at most he said because after that you become a machine. I believe what he said makes al lot of sense. I wonder what you experts here have to say about this…
On practice Rubinstein believed that a foremost danger for young pianists is to practice too much. Rubinstein regularly advised that young piano students should practice no more than three hours a day. "It is not so good, in a musical way, to overpractice. When you do, the music seems to come out of your pocket. If you play with a feeling of 'Oh, I know this,' you play without that little drop of fresh blood that is necessary – and the audience feels it." Of his own practice methods he said, "At every concert I leave a lot to the moment. I must have the unexpected, the unforeseen. I want to risk, to dare. I want to be surprised by what comes out. I want to enjoy it more than the audience. That way the music can bloom anew. It's like making love. The act is always the same, but each time it's different."
Hi guys, I’ve a question about right-hand-technique. I try to be a rock-guitarplayer and play mostly solo-guitar and melodies. But of course rhythm guitar I also a part of it. And somehow I’m not satisfied with how I play that. I used to keep my the plectrum between my thumb and middlefinger. Because of the information Pebber Brown gives I’ve chanced that and keep it now between thumb and indexfinger. And that works very well but, not completely, my rhythms stutter so to say. And although I’m not practicing rhythm real hard I’ve improved by the months. I’m sure if I go on this way I’ll get it sooner or later.
But, I’ve another way of playing rhythm to. With my righthand indexfinger I can play very fast and very rhythmic. I never do this because I want to play in the ‘rightway’. So I never practice this. Also other guitarist in the past advised me not to do it this way. But now lately I’ve changed my mind a bid about this. The thought came to my mind that in the proper way I’ll never reach the level of my indexfinger method. It’s like being a right-handed person learning to throw stones with the left hand. Off course there always will be improvement but it will never be as good as to throw with the righthand. And I also take in consideration there are more guitarplayers with unconventional styles. Just think of Wes Montgomery.
So what to do? Go on in the ‘proper way’ of which I’m sure will lead eventually to something good? Or leave this path for an instant better result? And since I never practice this it may become even better.
So I wonder if here someone with similar experiences of if someone has to say something about this?
Hi, whoever is gone answer my question. It’s about alternate picking. This week I started exercising the whole tone scale inspired by a lesson which Pebber Brown uploaded on 11th okt 2010. And for the first time in my life I started using the metronome. It was about time.
One way I practise the whole tone scale is that I start at the low E-string at the first fret, the f followed by the g and the a. From there I move on to A-string, the b, than the c+ than d+ and so on. And than to the D-string and so on, till I reach the f of the 13th fret of the high E-string. And than I go backwards.
Alternate picking is d u d u d u and so on. I noticed that my alternate picking goes like this. I do a downstroke when I start at the E-string at the 1st fret. Than follows an upstroke at the 3rd fret. And than a downstroke followed by another downstroke when I go the A-string 2nd fret. So you get: d u d d u d d u and so on. This isn’t exactly alternate picking. Maybe it’s economy picking? But this is the way I thought myself ‘alternate’ picking. So I wonder is this something good or something that I should get rid off?
And by the way, I’ve become a little bid addicted to the playing with the metronome. I start every day at 60 bpm (which I find the most difficult tempo) and end up somewhere at 220 bpm. It takes me about two hours to get there since I only put the speed up with 5 bpm after a 100% perfect rep. This makes me wonder in which tempo a guy like PB or other good players can do this exercise.
Thanx guys for your information. Indeed I should change my strings more often. Sometimes I play a half year on them. I’m very used to the 0.09 set of strings and I’m thinking about 0.10. That may also give a different experience. If it’s not direct than maybe when I go back to 0.09.
I should have said buyable guitar instead of expensive guitar. By buyable I mean somewhere in the range of 1000 to 1500 dollars. You also can easily buy a guitar of 3000 dollar or more but does such guitar really play so much better. Isn’t it the name you mostly pay for?
Hi Pebber, I follow your youtube lessons and I love them. Let me first introduce myself a little bit. I’m Theo, I’m Dutch, and I’m 50 years old, and started playing when I was 18 and do that a bid on and off. I suppose that I’m the type of guy of which you’d say ‘he sucks’. And I’m also the guy who once called you Pepper.
I’ve have a guitar question. Basically I do have two guitars, a Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson M3. And I believe these are good guitars, they play very well. But a while ago I was somewhere where I could play on a Gibson Les Paul Studio. And I was kind of shocked. I could make bends and vibratos I’d never play before. It was like I was given magic hands. My idea always was that there’s not so much difference between the more expensive instruments. If you buy an expensive Gibson Les Paul it‘s more the name your paying for. Well after my experience I started to wonder if that’s true. So I thought lets ask a real expert. Is there anything you can say about it?
Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:55 pm
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