Need advice on ambitious technique goals!!!

[bluepowder]

So I have these goals....


I wanna someday be as close as I can to Guthrie's command of the instrument in terms of technique,fluidity and mastery over the entire fretboard....particularly his hybrid picking and tapping techniques...
I love Satch's melodies and how catchy they can be as main themes for a tune...esp his use of modes and how distinct the moods are(more theory?)
I like Vai's quirkiness or the unique ways he has of expressing a melody....matthias ia eklundh falls in the same category of brilliant quirky stuff....
when it comes to fast runs sounding cool...vinnie moore is the man for me....his runs have these really catchy licks in them and dont sound overly complex...mixing in some nice rock/bluesy licks.....
for complexity and exoticness...its marty friedman all the way.....
legato technique...I love brett garsed's legato sound....period
blues/jazz fusion-wise....robben ford.....I really like josh smith in terms of his blues playing.....phillip sayce is another fav for blues licks......
so obviously i have a looong way to go in terms of getting close to my goals.....WHERE DO I START??:confused:

assuming I have a 1/2 hour a day to work on technique and maybe 15 mins to play around and enjoy(cos thast the max time I can take out in a day)....how do I go about achieving my goals by reaching somewhere close to these idols of mine?I dont generally like exercises....prefer to practice things in a musical content......I also have a lot of theory to learn since I know about..... nothing!!!I have too many videos,books and I really read a couple of pages of each and then get completely muddled up:P.....I really cannot finish an entire guitar techniques magazine in a month.....(is that wierd?)...

so if anyone can point out useful threads(if previously discussed) or a direction to go in thats worked....plz!!!:D
Glad to be here:D

cheers

[jimc8p]

If you have such a clear ambition to emulate others' techniques, getting there is pretty simple in theory. Listen, watch and copy. In other words, head straight at your ambitions by learning all of your favorite guitar songs/sections. There are no magic shortcuts or secrets...unfortunately it's just practice. A crazy steep learning curve is hard, but if you're not one for magazines, videos and being spoon-fed babysteps, it's far more rewarding. Obviously you can't start learning Guthrie as a beginner, but start learning songs you like. Also aim higher than you think. Downside is, you will neglect theory and other basic techniques. But from my experience, these will come naturally in time. -

[LaughingSkull]

I don't want to discourage you. But 45 min a day i not really a lot, even if you spend it extremely wisely.

How to compress time (doing varoius things in single excercise):
theory and techinque: you can practice scales: learning the fretboard and alt picking in one go, also arps: fretbord, chord construction and alt. or sweep picking in one go.
music and theory: improvise over backing track: ear training and application of theory in music context.
music and theory: composition! very fun.
and so on
if you spend 45min each day, in few years you should come far, but not as far as you would like.
I am playing for the last three years, an hour per day. I see now that to progess further I would have to invest that another hour, which I hope I will have in few years, when kids are a bit more mature. ;)

[bluepowder]

Thanks guys,

Yea I know 45 minutes is hardly anything....but one has got to make do with they have.....:D

Ive kind of put a rough schedule for myself.....basically 1 hour a day and 2 hours on weekends....

Im gonna improve my blues through copping robben ford licks etc and basically learning from 2 books...brush with the blues by ford and GT

Im gonna spend roughly an hour per week on alternate picking and sweep picking each(simply cos I have some experience with the two over the last couple of years....playing parts of songs like concierto(cacophony),technical difficulties etc...the usual stuff)

Im gonna spend more time on hybrid picking and learning my chords(with jon damians chord factory)

and ofcourse learning random songs and composing stuff.....I love composing!!!


Just wondering if there is anything I need to do tat I am not doing!!;)

[Aresius]

Let's start with the fact that half an hour a day is not enough if you really want to be on the same technical level as Guthrie or Vai or whoever. The technical command and the touch are the result of thousands of hour of practicing and playing seriously. Start committing ALOT(three to four hours to begin with) more time to serious and focused practicing, start some sort of physical training and keep yourself fit. Start studying your playing technique from square one to avoid the possible wrong techniques. I'll see you after 20 years.

[C.C. Devil]

i agree,im not trying to be mean, just saying the truth
those people you mentioned spent like 12 hours a day for a long time to get where they are, i dont think you could match that with 1 or 2 hours a day. i guess if you keep at it you might get there eventually, but i suggest making more time

[SkinnyDevil]

Sounds like you got a good plan, bro.

Not that it's saying anything you don't know, but....Make the most of the time you have. Practice smart, not just hard. Quantity of time is not as important as quality of that time.

In an interview I did a coupla years back with Ron Thal (aka Bumblefoot), he speaks directly to this:

http://www.tinfoilmusic.net/guitar-gods-mainmenu/79-guitar-gods/1155-guitar-gods-ron-bumblefoot-thal

"....Don't overdo the practicing - the body can only expand a finite amount in 24 hours. An hour a day is good - spend the rest of the living and enjoying life - it will add more to your playing by giving you greater depths to derive from. And when ya practice, do more than just scales - practicing scales will make you great at playing scales, but ya might hit an eventual rut if ya don't work on your improv...."

[bluepowder]

Ok let me state AGAIN for the record....

I dont have more time in a day!!!....with work etc. its impossible to make more time....if I did have time I would definitely play....so please.....dont tell me I need to make more time....I have to make do with what I have...and thats an hour.....

my goals are not meant to be achieved over a year or 5...its a long term goal....but I hope to see small successes over time....and get to parts of where I wanna be.....

yesterday I practiced 2 licks from GT for hybrid picking and learnt a few bars of a rooben ford solo....also worked on arpeggio contouring(damn thats difficult).....

[Aresius]

Ok let me state AGAIN for the record....

I dont have more time in a day!!!....with work etc. its impossible to make more time....if I did have time I would definitely play....so please.....dont tell me I need to make more time....I have to make do with what I have...and thats an hour.....

my goals are not meant to be achieved over a year or 5...its a long term goal....but I hope to see small successes over time....and get to parts of where I wanna be.....

yesterday I practiced 2 licks from GT for hybrid picking and learnt a few bars of a rooben ford solo....also worked on arpeggio contouring(damn thats difficult).....



Ok, I see. In that case, I suggest you do a detailed plan on how you will achieve those goals. Pay special attention to proper technique so that your practicing won't be wasted. It's the biggest problem nowadays with players, they just don't have enough patience to really get those techniques down mechanically and down to muscle memory because they're too concerned about how fast they can play. Try to make your playing sound controlled and confident, don't play sloppy notes. Your goal is to make every note sound clear and clean. Don't worry about speed, it WILL come automatically to you when you practice control and good tone with the right technique.

[bluepowder]

Ok, I see. In that case, I suggest you do a detailed plan on how you will achieve those goals. Pay special attention to proper technique so that your practicing won't be wasted. It's the biggest problem nowadays with players, they just don't have enough patience to really get those techniques down mechanically and down to muscle memory because they're too concerned about how fast they can play. Try to make your playing sound controlled and confident, don't play sloppy notes. Your goal is to make every note sound clear and clean. Don't worry about speed, it WILL come automatically to you when you practice control and good tone with the right technique.

agreed man...that is a big difficulty i face too....cos once i get a lick i wanna use it somewhere..and i end up writing something....and ebfore u know i have no time left to practice:D

[LaughingSkull]

I think writing might be excellent practice ....

[bluepowder]

ya man I am trying to write and record all my stuff...hopefully I will get it done in a years time and will be better off for it(I have around 8 songs that I have written till date);)

[heavymental]

We would like to hear some. Could you post some samples? Please, Please? :p

[bluepowder]

I definitely will post something as soon as it is ready....which it wont be for a while i am afraid......but Im gonna work on recordings my songs....:D (nothing great-esp considering the company we keep on this website...just simple melodies)

[Patrick-Ruff]

Thanks guys,

Yea I know 45 minutes is hardly anything....but one has got to make do with they have.....:D

Ive kind of put a rough schedule for myself.....basically 1 hour a day and 2 hours on weekends....

Im gonna improve my blues through copping robben ford licks etc and basically learning from 2 books...brush with the blues by ford and GT

Im gonna spend roughly an hour per week on alternate picking and sweep picking each(simply cos I have some experience with the two over the last couple of years....playing parts of songs like concierto(cacophony),technical difficulties etc...the usual stuff)

Im gonna spend more time on hybrid picking and learning my chords(with jon damians chord factory)

and ofcourse learning random songs and composing stuff.....I love composing!!!


Just wondering if there is anything I need to do tat I am not doing!!;)

hey bro just to let you know even in school I manage to play atleast 2-3 hours a day (but not all at once, usually spread out over a few hours), and that's how I get the most effective techniques down, a ton of practice.

the thing is though,you have to WANT to play. I don't tell myself I'm gonna play strictly 3 hours, I pick up my guitar and end up playing a total of 3 hours.

enjoy your instrument, keep it somewhere where you're at the most.

good luck

[bluepowder]

I wish I was in school...used to get in 5 hours of practice....as I have mentioned before...its not about me NOT wanting to play more.....my job just is this way....