What are your guitar/music goals for 2017?

[michelew]

Hi everyone,

There are now so many songs in the TG library that I've forgotten what's even in there. I was just strumming though a song that Ness taught when I started wondering whether there were any others by the same artist. I just couldn't remember. I looked and sure enough, Ness is there teaching another cool song from Seal - Crazy - that I just love. So add it to the "really learn it this time" list. Actually it's a perfect project for me at the moment not only are there heaps of cool aspect to the song that I want to improve on; for example palm muting, percussive elements and a really cool rhythm; but it will help me with a major mission this year.

So it got me to wondering, now that we're half way through January, has anyone set any goals for the year, or even the next 3 months, 6 months, whatever?

Me... I have a couple of short-term projects. But, now that I've started making friends with a thumb-pick, it's time to go back to basics and get really comfortable with a plectrum. So I'm assembling a list of strumming song, simple ones and more complex ones and I'm going to try to commit them to memory. It's the biggest and most fundamental hole in my guitar-tool kit. So it's time to fill it. I have some other goals like specific songs that I want to learn or revisit, but that's the most significant one.

So two questions:

Do you have gaps in your guitar playing that you'd like to fill?

What are your goals for 2017?

Looking forward to hearing from y'all.

Michele

[spinland]

Do you have gaps in your guitar playing that you'd like to fill?

More gaps than substance. I'm all but starting from square one. The trick is racking and stacking all the I WANT TO DO THAT items so I'm not overwhelmed by trying to do everything at once.

What are your goals for 2017?

• Muscle memory for several standard fingerpicking patterns so I can start using them without thinking about it and then adding variation by feel.

• Learning the fretboard and scales so I can noodle around and improvise. Don't plan to be a lead guitar soloist but I do want to be able to think of a sound and have my fingers hit it.

• Moar Practuss. Don't let this momentum peter out.

[TGNesh]

Hmmm......for me those are actually hard questions...

Gaps: Nothing that I'm aware of now, or that keeps holding me back in some way. Up till now, I manage to play the things that i want to play. I'm sure I have my limits, but i haven't bumped into them yet. Maybe songwriting, that's a plunge that i'm still not getting to, which actually doesn't have anything to do with playing itself. :dry:

Musical goals: All my goals are teaching related, not neccessarily playing wise. I of course dig into myself as a musician to come up with TG-lessons. So I figure out songs, arrange them if neccessary, practice them and such, but it's all from a teaching point of view. But yes, it's nice to add so many songs to my own personal library, it's a nice side-effect.

Other than that.....yeah, I do wish that I could play évery song that I can play by heart, just like that!....but it seems to me, that the more songs that i learn to play, the more i forget.... :S So I brush up on songs here and there, to find out some time later that I still forget about the lyrics or whatever. It would help if I would perform on a regular basis, but since I don't, well.....i just can't keep up. I'll likely start brushing off by the time I'll get to California, I do need something up my sleeve then.

Ness

[neverfoundthetime]

On Ness' advice, I'm working on playing all the songs I know without looking at the guitar as I'm playing. I am banned from taking a peek as I play :laugh: .... so far so good. I am amazed at what I can do if I just put my mind to it. So, looks like I was needlessly staring at the fretboard and my hands all this time for no good reason! Maybe I can finally get some communication going with the camera when I record a song... never really been able to do that as there is so much to do and I always had my hands full :laugh:

[michelew]

neverfoundthetime wrote:

On Ness' advice, I'm working on playing all the songs I know without looking at the guitar as I'm playing. I am banned from taking a peek as I play :laugh: .... so far so good. I am amazed at what I can do if I just put my mind to it. So, looks like I was needlessly staring at the fretboard and my hands all this time for no good reason! Maybe I can finally get some communication going with the camera when I record a song... never really been able to do that as there is so much to do and I always had my hands full :laugh:

Chris - haha - yep! Ness has got me working on that too. I'm finding it a hard habit to break. I'm having to do it consciously. Though I do find it easier when I'm working on something obsessively and the progression has seeped into my muscle memory.

I'm also working on some pick position adjustments that both Ness and Neil suggested. And some refinements to my barre chords that Neil gave me, including being more on my finger tips for the non-barred fingers to reduce the strength I need to use; and a couple of songs he suggested. I got quite a bit from both of our gurus at camp, more than they probably realise.

Mark - they're definitely good learning goals. I need to keep working on the second goal too. Good luck. And don't forget to learn songs as well.

Ness - having seen you perform in person and watched all of your videos, it doesn't surprise me that you don't have any gaps that are getting in the way of you playing the things you want to play. And I find the way you, and Neil of course, work out how to play things to be pure magic. It's definitely a skill I'd love to develop. Basically... I still want to be you when I grow up. :woohoo: :unsure: B) you're awesome.

[dottmcse85630]

My biggest goal for 2017 is having a list of songs to, at least play AND sing at camp.

I have a mix of 50 - 60 songs I can at least muddle through start to finish. I rotate through them consistently, some I am making real good progress others need lots of work.
But I have found that working on one for a while then moving on and so on, then coming back around it all helps.
Coming back to the lessons here helps a lot too.

Trying not to take on too many new songs but sometimes there are those tasty ones that you just cannot resist and gotta learn.

Dennis

[spinland]

michelew wrote:

Mark - ... don't forget to learn songs as well.

You got it! I have 3-4 in the queue right now. It's hard not to try to tackle a dozen at once! Gotta learn patience. Not one of my strong suits. :S

[michelew]

dottmcse85630 wrote:

My biggest goal for 2017 is having a list of songs to, at least play AND sing at camp.

I have a mix of 50 - 60 songs I can at least muddle through start to finish. I rotate through them consistently, some I am making real good progress others need lots of work.
But I have found that working on one for a while then moving on and so on, then coming back around it all helps.
Coming back to the lessons here helps a lot too.

Trying not to take on too many new songs but sometimes there are those tasty ones that you just cannot resist and gotta learn.

Dennis

That's a great goal Dennis. You'll have a great time at camp. Have fun.

Yeh it can be hard to stay focus with the new offerings coming out to be sure.

M

[michelew]

spinland wrote:

michelew wrote:

Mark - ... don't forget to learn songs as well.

You got it! I have 3-4 in the queue right now. It's hard not to try to tackle a dozen at once! Gotta learn patience. Not one of my strong suits. :S

Good luck with the patience thing. :cheer: