Strong Praise for Neil aka Yoda

Feel free to get outside the box here.
BigBear
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Fri Jan 14, 2011 7:31 pm

I was playing one of the new lessons yesterday and it occurred to me that I've learned a whole lot with the TARGET program but perhaps most of all I've learned so many cool chords, in so many positions. Thank you Neil for getting me out of First Position and all over the neck.

So I ask my TG friends, what is the single most valuable thing you've learned from Neil's incredible lessons?

Again, thank you Neil for sharing your amazing talents. We can only imagine how hard you worked to get to this level but you are an inspiration to all of us. You show us what is possible with enough work.

Cheers! :cheer:


suziko
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Fri Jan 14, 2011 7:45 pm

Great thread, Bear. Wow.... what a hard question! But I'll say that the single most valuable thing I've learned from Neil is to strive for good hand positioning. Keeping my wrist dropped down, arching my fingers over the strings, not gripping the neck, those are all things I learned from Neil and have tried hard to incorporate into my playing.

The single most COOL thing I've learned from Neil is the part in Give A Little Bit where you slide the A7s and the Ds up and down the neck. I LOVE playing that part!!

Suzi


wrench
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Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:02 pm

This is gonna result in some long answers, Bear!

Since I was a total newbie when I found TG, my answer is, "Everything". However, I think it's most important to point this out: I learned nothing wrong from TG. Total quality here. That's a hard bar to raise.


Lavallee
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Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:05 pm

I agree Bear that there is so much to learn from Neil. I can say that the most important aspect I have learned is the fingers at home position. It has definitely help my fingerpicking. There is also the picking direction in a lead or strumming that have help so much.Quite a few other things as well

Thanks Neil for making me a better guitarist

Marc


BobR
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Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:06 pm

Well I can say that when I joined the Target Program Neil said something about being able to play in front of people.

I can now say with TG's help I've played and even tried singing in front of many and not too many got up and left :laugh:

Thanks TG

Bob


lueders
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Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:30 pm

Hi Bear,

I will certainly take advantage of this opportunity to praise our Hawaiian shirt- wearing, axe-wielding guru.
At the risk of being labeled a suck-up I will proceed...here goes:

1.) Neil's overall positive attitude & vibe: "If I get through a song without making more than a couple of mistakes
I'm happy." When I hear this I feel like it gives a hack like me, permission to keep slogging along.

2.) Prior to 2010 B.N. (Before Neil) I would OFTEN accept way too many idiosyncrasies in my playing.
Something as simple as an up stroke here or a down stroke there... can change the feel of a song
completely! So many times before T.G. I would use the same two or three stock strum or pick patterns for
everything.When it didn't work my way I would get pissed off and lose interest. lol
Now I sit lot longer at the table trying to fit that jigsaw puzzle together... so to speak.
Now, thanks to Neil I try to
think..Hey,this stuff is mostly rhythm and that there is a mathematical solution for that. If it is a problem
with execution then I try and look carefully at the problem areas and consider logic and economy of motion.
If something isn't working there is probably good reason why. I can't always pull it off but I am getting more
proficient at more things.

3.) Learn as many rules as you can and then learn when it is permissible to break those rules.
(Neil's theory stuff has answered so many questions I was almost afraid to ask.)


thereshopeyet
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Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:31 pm

Thanks


willem
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Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:01 am

It is like choosing beatles songs,,everything is valuable but the most on this moment is (when practicing)to lay down your barre finger first(on the bass string) followed by laying down the other fingers in order you need them. I practice now for a very long time on ''i'll have to say i love you in a song'' and every day it's getting better..I must say it are not only the great lessons giving in a great way and vision,,it are also the great exstra tips in the reviews..after seen the review given to Craig on this song he(Neil) gave an other great tip on practice the barre,,this was a great value to me.


I played only in open position(its a great sound there) but now also on other places on the neck and that looks intresting for 4 or 3 chord songs..

Praise the lord!!!!


tovo
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Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:54 am

And they say I ask hard questions!

Like Dan, I have learned pretty much everything from Neil. I have now been playing 2 years and although I'm cautious about sounding conceited, I know I would be nowhere near the standard I am at without Neil's lessons. I also want to acknowledge the active members who give great advice as well. But back to Neil. Gee, hand position, placing fingers as you need them, strumming, picking techniques, etc etc. The guy is a walking theory encyclopedia as well. I could go on...


tombo1230
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Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:54 am

BigBear wrote:
[quote]what is the single most valuable thing you've learned from Neil's incredible lessons?

Mmm that's a tough question, as like everyone else here I have learned so much. I would say maybe the most important technique I have learned is to change chords early and lay down the fingers you need first, along with good hand positioning on the neck. I could list a whole lot of other things like, practice with a metronome and economical finger movement between chords, practice very slowly until technique is down, then get faster and even faster than normal play, so that normal speed is easy.

One thing that I have been suprised at, is when I first tackled a difficult song and couldn't play any of it at all, how after a short while and breaking the song down into small sections, that I could eventually master and play that song all the way through. Maybe in the past I would have given up, thinking this is just too difficult for me. So maybe that is the most important thing I have learned, perseverance and regular practice on songs with techniques new to me and to break songs down into bite size manageable sections.

Probably none of this directly answers Bears question,
[quote] what is the single most valuable thing you've learned from Neil's incredible lessons?[/b]

Maybe that's because it's all important and collectively will make you a better guitar player, it has for me.

Ok I think I have an answer. Neil is an inspiration to us all (trying not to sound sycophantic here) In the past I have taken other lessons and online lessons and on occasions have found myself being taught techniques which don't agree with previous lessons I have had elsewhere, which can be quite confusing. Since coming to TG I have never experienced this contradiction as Neil gives you choice or good reasons to do things a certain way and listening through Neils lessons I realise there is no ego involved here, just good explanation that makes sense. in fact, Neil is quite humble about his great skill and knowledge. So the biggest single most valuable thing I have learned, is to trust what Neil says, because he has great skill and experience, a love of guitar playing/teaching and your best guitar playing interests at heart.

Got there in the end. :blink:

Tom N.


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