So What Have You Learned From Neil So Far?

BigBear
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Fri Jun 25, 2010 12:17 pm

I was watching various song studies last night and marveling at Neil's ability to play literally everything. I started thinking about what I had learned from Neil since I joined this site when it first started.

What three things have you learned that either you didn't know or Neil's teaching has reinforced for you? Here's my top three:

1. It's okay to make a mistake. Even great guitarists blow it frrom time to time. Don't start over, play on!

2. Poor technique is a real limiting factor to growth. All those old, bad habits will catch up with you quickly when you try to advance.

3. You can't get to where you want to go without learning some theory. Knowing the fretbaord and learning some scales and chord construction are more important than I thought. Without this, I'm limited to becoming only a real good Campfire Song player. That's not enough for me.


So what have you learned from Neil so far?


sws626
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Fri Jun 25, 2010 12:41 pm

You've captured the essentials I would have mentioned. On technique, I've learned specifically (or am learning) the importance of alternating picking and being more aware of exactly where I am in a measure.

I've made several attempts on the theory front, but always had trouble getting past a certain stage of overload. Now I make a point -- with a lot of help from Neil -- to focus on at least one area of theory in each new song.

I still base my practice very much around trying to learn new songs, but now with more conscious focus on both technique and theory. I find Neil's approach helps keep me on the right path.

-Stuart


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Music Junkie
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Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:00 pm

Great Question Bear!

For me, there are more than three, but the most important are:

1. Playing along with a metronome and staying in time. Along with that is the transition from one chord to the next by letting go of the strings on the last upstroke.

2. Neil's breakdown of time signatures and strum patterns has really allowed my song library to grow exponentially. I can now listen to a song and get an idea of what time signature it is in and that in turn allows me to start transcribing better.

3. Hand position, hand position, hand position...... :woohoo: My hand position is still atrocious, but I am far more aware of it, and am really trying to work the bad habits out. It is taking a very long time, but it is getting better. Kind of along the same lines, it his fingering of the G chord. I still play it both ways, depending on the song, but fingering it his way has really opened up some songs that gave me a hard time otherwise.

So for all that, and everything else I did not mention, I thank you Neil!

B) B) B)

Jason


tovo
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Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:13 pm

Great question oh furry one.

Since I wasn't a player (well a couple months only) before TG I have to say that I have learned pretty much everything from Neil, but equally from the membership here. The supportive nature of this site is what drives it and you more experienced players should remember that you play a real big part in improving others along with yourselves. There are a handful of people here who have directly helped me improve and I'm very grateful. Right, back to Neil who is number 1 teacher:

1. The importance of good technique. Without that you are making the job of learning the instrument harder than it needs to be. Sometimes I don't follow advice (like using thumbs over) but at least I am doing it because I chose to not because I don't know any better.


2. Theory. I am convinced of the importance of it. But I still suck and don't give anywhere near enough time to it.

3. Fun. Playing guitar is fun and Neil communicates that pretty well through his relaxed nature.

4. Shirts. A man needs a LOT of Hawaiian Shirts so that he can wear a different on each day.


willem
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Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:14 pm

A time ago i had a litlle discus with a friend,,we were playing in C something around, i said there is'nt a D chord in that key,,he said he play a D IN C,,I SAID,in the D chord is a F# and in the key of C is'nt F# and then it came clear,so we played Dm..I learn this from this site..all i know before was how a chord is build up 1-3-5 from the scale..
but i must go back and back to the theory genius,because its a lot of info to put it in mind in ones..

Since i practise with this site i'm more aware of to do the strumming in one measer(a random strumming), i hope to set me free of the random thing..maybe then you can make a mistake and go on.. a great workout for me was to strum in 4/4 time and add the 1/8 notes and now even some 1/16 if the tempo is not to quick,,i try this in the song ''whats up''

I know and will be a litlle more then a campfire strummer and i'm sure its gonna happen,,but it needs a lot of time..


BigBear
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Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:18 pm

Stuart, Jason, Tony and Willem- those are excellent replies but the one I really missed is Tony's #3, to HAVE FUN!!! I need to remember that this isn't my job and it doesn't pay my mortgage so lighten up!

Neil instills a sense of joy and fun into what he plays. He's paid his dues to achieve the level of virtuosity he enjoys and I'd bet that many, many days it wasn't all that much fun for him. But he perservered and achieved greatness. Maybe that's why he's such an inspiration.

Keep 'em going folks, those area great!!


danakay
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Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:07 pm

Oh, this 'is' a great question.

I have always hated barr chords, and avoided them like the plague. But now that I'm playing "The Loner", and the barr chords aren't too bad, I hope to tackle the dreaded Bm. If Neil hadn't mentioned that it takes, if I remember correctly, at least six months to play a Bm well, I don't know that I would ever try.

My son tried to teach me many years ago to read tab and I just could not. But something Neil said in one of his instructional vidoes clicked with me and I had a duh moment!! So I am very grateful that I can finally read tab. See, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Watching other memembers play, and make mistakes allows me to accept the fact that it's okay to mess up and not be perfect (well at first anyway!!). And this drives me to practice, and practice, and practice.........

Now I need to work on my fear, to put it mildly, of playing in front of other people.

Six months from now I would love to see how I would answer this same question.

Dana


michelew
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Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:23 pm

There are really way more than three, but here are some:

1) If you break the song down into small enough pieces and then work on those until you have each one down, you can then put them together and play just about any song you want to (especially if Neil has demystified it first). It's just a matter of time, practice and patience. Here Comes the Sun really illustrated this for me.

2) in fingerpicking especially, it's important to get the chord down in the order of the notes that you need. This has been a really important technique for me and I use it all the time. When I get stuck this rule can often make things easier.

3) the way to tackle songs that you also want to sing, the steps to get there and why it's difficult to do.

4) heaps of techniques (including how to hold a pick - I never I'd have to relearn that one)

5) learn songs all the way through and then memorise them.

6) that you shouldn't try to do your best ever performance when playing for people, just try for OK.

7) relax your hands, especially your finger picking hand as much as you can.

8) the importance of good hand position and practicing in the same chair/position - consistency.

9) learn some songs from the Target list and it will open up a world of other songs - chords, techniques (mind you I'm so busy trying to learn just some target songs that I haven't really had time to explore the world of songs outside of Target.

10) lots of theory and practical guitar 'geometry', but I've got lots more to learn.

OK I'm an overachiever sometimes, but 3 was just too small a number. Even these ten are just the tip of the iceberg.


thereshopeyet
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Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:34 pm

Thanks


pbraun
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Fri Jun 25, 2010 7:09 pm

I think I would have to say patience, someting I didn't have when I tried to learn as a kid. Sometimes I watch neil play and wish I could come close, but I am learning that by sticking with it I am getting better
Pete


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