What are your weak and your strong points in your guitarplaying?

[thereshopeyet]

Hey all!

I am indeed very curious for the answers to these questions. It's true, I've seen lots and lots uploads, still facing each and every one of you in real time would be different though.

So if you would sit down with a face to face teacher, which 'weak' points would you discuss with him? Try to be as specific as you can be.

Also which songs (that you would like to play or are working) would you want to discuss during a lesson? What are the tricky bits, what exactly is giving you troubles?

Now your strong points, what are you most confident about, what specific? Now don't be shy or modest, just tell me! And what would you play if all of a sudden an openmic-opportunity came along?

[michelew]

Hey Teach!

That's a whole lot of searching questions. I don't have answers to all of them and you probably already know most of the answers I'm going to give.

So weaknesses:

- flat picking - I can do it, but I have to put lots of thought into it.
- A-shaped barre chords - I'm working on those and thankfully they're getting better. Yeh!
- hinge barres and my barres generally still need lots of work but they're getting better - my Fs and Bm s don't always land properly (and need adjustment).
- palm muting, I'm working on it
- never really worked on chord solos (but I prefer singing - I'm working on that too )
- I don't work on soloing - but actually that would be fun
- ear training, I don't work on, but should
- working out progressions by watching people play and listening - I rarely do this
- scales and theory - I find the former boring and I don't work at it but I should. My theory's not terrible, but it could be much better. My music reading needs work too.
- refreshing stuff generally.

And weaknesses of a general sort; challenges and new cool instruments.

Strengths:
- finger picking
- my timing/rhythm is generally pretty good
- persistence. I can play something over and over til I eventually get it down.
- willingness to try new things. also a weakness

Hmmm... Not sure what else. You could probably tell me more of my weaknesses from my uploads and strengths too perhaps. I guess a teacher who you work with regularly sees all of that.

Songs....hmmmm... I'll get back to you on that.

Open mic. Ha! I have NO idea. I'd be shaking too much.

Edit - songs Jason Mraz - I've started a few of his songs. I need to finish learning them and get them to a good point where I can keep them. The tricky bits... Once I get back to them and focus I'll let you know.

[neverfoundthetime]

Strong points would include:

- I can play along with someone else
- I can sing
- I can usually get a feel for a song quickly
- I can finger pick and strum reasonably well
- I am curious and when I bite into something, I usually don't let go til its done
- I carry a lot of songs and lyrics in my head

Weak points are:
- Reading music notation, although I could manage the musical equivalent of The Cat Sat On The Mat
- Theory
- Flat picking and using a pick
- I don't know the notes on the fretboard
- I tend to simplify things when I can't find the right way to play a part... that's a lot of simplification!

I'd ask for help on the exact changing of timing and strumming pattern involved in When You Wake UP as its a little tricky to hear it when you have to listen to the original mix with all the bells and whistles in there... I'm 98% there and it sound ok on its own.... but I keep going out of whack when playing a long with the original.

[Chasplaya]

Hm weak points... Timing.. and let me see oh! timing and yes possibly timing... Strong points I own some nice guitars...

Seriously yes timing is an issue. Strong points I like hybrid picking and in my opinion can easily get it.

[neverfoundthetime]

Chasplaya wrote:

Hm weak points... Timing.. and let me see oh! timing and yes possibly timing... Strong points I own some nice guitars...

Seriously yes timing is an issue. Strong points I like hybrid picking and in my opinion can easily get it.

You are way too modest on your strengths Chas. You are Neil's oldest "non-student" :laugh:
Yep, I'm never going to let you forget it!

[daryl]

Weak points:
- Timing
- Using a thumb pick (getting equal loudness between the pick and the other fingers)
- Hybrid picking
- Thumb independence
- A-shaped barre chords (hinged or not)
- Ear training

Also which songs (that you would like to play or are working) would you want to discuss during a lesson? What are the tricky bits, what exactly is giving you troubles?
- 'Angelina' (for timing and hybrid picking)
- 'Blue Moon' and 'Just an Old Fashioned Love Song' (timing and thumb pick)

Now your strong points, what are you most confident about, what specific? Now don't be shy or modest, just tell me!
- I have a good sense of rhythm
- I know the notes on the fretboard and can read music
- I'm reasonably confident in theory

And what would you play if all of a sudden an openmic-opportunity came along?
- I'm afraid I wouldn't play anything. I would politely decline the opportunity.

[willem]

The most weakest point will be ''playing in time'' when I put a metronome on my playing(strumming and fingerpickin) then I lose the tune (well, on the tik tak) but I did'nt gave that much practice..

I think I can fingerpick and strum in an reasonable way,,fingerpickin and let it all ring in the right way must also get attension and playing clean in all playing..

When I came down for a song I would discuss the whole thing ''Key,the way its played(strumming,,fingerpickin),,maybe ear traning,melody/vocals,,riffs,leadplaying or two guitarparts,,then maybe making it your own,

When I suddenly walked in a open mike I wouldn't play anything (shaking leg) but I wish I could,,I am more of an play along man,,so playing with someone(just strumming or pickin) or more would be an option.. so working on that I would also want to have some coaching..

The most important thing would be having fun learning it

Weaky Wilem :laugh: B)

[jimcjimc]

Hi Vanessa,

I have thought about this often as I have never had a one-one lesson - it's all been group workshops or video lessons over the internet. Weak points I would want face-to-face feedback on:

- strumming with a pick - basic questions, for example, am I using the wrong size pick, holding it wrong, doing it wrong - something ain't right
- finger-picking travis picking - I just can't seem to make progress on this
-singing - basics like what is my range, picking keys to sing in, starting on the right note
-how to practice

Songs:

I want to finger-pick a song at speed like "don't thing twice, it's all right", but I think it's a question of how to get there

Strengths:

After a few years on this site, I know an embarrassingly large amount of music theory. I can probably explain dorian mode to somebody more easily than a person could figrue out what song I am trying to play.

I don't feel the need to do open mics, but if presented the opportunity, I would pick a song with easy chords and one that I have already memorized the lyrics ans chord progression, for example "And it stoned me"

[dennisg]

I am a deeply flawed musician, Ness, and I think about my weaknesses often -- although I don't seem inclined to do much about them.
- I know almost nothing about the technical aspects of making music. I don't know any theory, I have no idea where notes reside on the fretboard, and I can't read music.
- I can be maddeningly sloppy when I play.
- I am easily bored and have a short attention span.
- I can't really play spontaneous leads.

Strong points
- I have a pretty good ear for music, which means I can figure out a lot of things, which sometimes helps me to overcome my lack of theory knowledge.
- Harmonies come pretty easily to me.
- I have a decent sense of rhythm and timing.
- I'm able to put together guitar and vocal parts fairly easily, even when the two don't always line up.

Open mic
- I've done a few of them now, and the song that I and the audience seem to enjoy the most is a song I do with my niece Shelby: The Difficult Kind by Sheryl Crow. I love that song and I love playing it, singing harmony on it, and performing it with Shelby. Here's our open mic from about a month ago:

[abiliog]

Hi Vanessa,

Well, these are my thoughts about me

- Weak points
Strumming with a thumb pick, when picking individual notes are also involved. Accuracy problem.
Hinge barres and barre Chords, I'm still not comfortable when playing barre chords, especially if I have to play a note on the low E string as the first note of the chord, and must let it ring through the measure.
There are some more weak points but these are the ones I'm fighting right now

- Songs
Currently working on On the Horizon and Mood For a Day for some time now, and recently Someone Like You, Teach Your Children and Midnight At The Oasis

- Strong points
Finger picking, I think it is my strongest point now.
Never get tired of playing
Well, and I'm also strong in, well, yeah, uh, oh yes in, uh lets see, uh, oh yes the metronome. Metronome can't be as precise as I can so I always end up to turning it off. I always win

- Open Mic
Do you know Beep Beep the Road Runner? I'm faster B) Another strong point

Abilio