need help to focus my time

plantman
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Fri Jul 12, 2013 9:54 am

Ok, here it goes. I need help and some direction. I spend a lot of time on the computer for my work and some weeks I am lucky if I can log on for the weekly update. I do try to play something 3 or 4 times a week on my own. Since signing up for the IGC, I've been working slowly through the recent lessons on how to read music and started the Figerpicking 101 lessons. Started learning Adele's "Someone like you" and am not letting myself go past the introduction until I get that down. Barr chords are not normally a problem for me, but I find that they are when attempting them in a fingerstayle method. I am looking for suggestions on songs that I can use to help me build some basic fingerstyle skills before camp. Since joining, my skills have developed significantly, but I mainly playing (strumming) songs. Very enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but I look forward to develop new skills.
Thanks for your thoughts and ideas.
Chan


TGNesh
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Fri Jul 12, 2013 11:53 am

Hi Chan,

Firstly, which fingerpicking songs do you have down at this point?


wiley
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Fri Jul 12, 2013 1:09 pm



plantman
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Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:59 pm

Wiley,
Maybe I need to look into something like GP. I've never seen it or used it, but see frequent references in the forum. And your probably right about my worry, however, I would like to get a grasp on some of the basics before camp - I'll probably absorb more if I can, I'm guessing. Nessa, I wish I had one to list, but at this point, I don't have anything down.
Thanks!


plantman
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Sat Jul 13, 2013 12:34 am

Nessa, I may have one fingerstyle song down, if it counts - Midnight Rider. I forgot about this one Allman Bros. tune I recently learned.


TGNesh
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Sat Jul 13, 2013 3:59 am

Hi Chan,

A few basic fingerpicking songs would be 'Hallelujah' or 'House of the Rising Sun'. If you can do that, then try a song with an alternating basspattern (such as Travispicking), like Landslide, or Dust in the Wind. Travispicking is in my opinion one of the best basic-patterns to get down, since it'll allow you to play dozens and dozens of other songs as well. Within fingerstyle music (which i think Alex DeGrassi is teaching, it is used a lot in fingerstyle-music since it allows you to play the melody along with the alternating bassnotes.)

I think Wiley has a point, don't worry about camp, although I understand why you would want to get something down before you go there. I intend to go through Alex DeGrassi's book before I go, to be at least a bit updated on what he is doing. ;)

Nessa


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auntlynnie
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Sat Jul 13, 2013 6:32 am

Hi Chan,
My suggestions would be to look at Neil's "Country Blues" lessons. They take you through some nice fingerstyle pieces of increasing difficulty.

BTW - I have the same difficulty with barre chords and fingerpicking.

Good luck - see you at IGC!

Lynn


plantman
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Sat Jul 13, 2013 7:02 am

Thanks for your suggestions. Going to Columbus, Ohio today for a trade show, but since I drive to this one, I bring my guitar with me :cheer: I get to enjoy some time in the evening to play with out the distractions of home. Really looking forward to IGC and developing new skills. These ideas really will help me zero in on a few things to help me :cheer:


BigBear
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Sun Jul 14, 2013 8:52 pm

Chan- this site can be overwhelming. There is so much information, so many great songs, and so little time. It's easy to get lost. I struggle with this constantly.

If you were asked to play 5 songs (or 3) for someone right now, which songs would you play? Make those songs your focus. Practice those songs exclusively for a couple of weeks. Then add a new song to your "set" every one to two weeks and work through it. If it's a "strummer" you'll learn it more quickly. If it's fingerstyle it will take longer.

Make a book of these songs as your "Songbook". Or put them on your laptop or tablet. When you get time work on theory and technique. Try to apply these news skills to songs in your "set".

The reason I suggest this approach is it is impossible to focus on all the songs you may like on Totally Guitar. Even if all I did all day was practice, all I could master would be a tiny fraction of the songs available. At first it was possible to play most of them but soon the sheer number of song lessons became daunting.

Playing the guitar is supposed to fun, first and foremost, unless music is your livelihood. You have to get some joy out of playing. But it's also fun to get better so you have to practice. But only you can identify what you want out of your music. Self-enjoyment, entertaining friends, playing in a small group or performing. Those answers will dictate your path.

But the one constant that I think all of us face, and regardless of what we want from our music, is practice, practice and more practice!! There simply is no substitute.

Good luck and happy playing!

Cheers! :cheer:


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