Can Someone possibly help me... - Guitars101

RabidScoobie · 03-19-2007, 11:24 PM

I've been trying to learn cowboys from hell,and Im just not getting it,i can play most other popular stuff but this Pantera is getting the best of me.Could someone please listen to this short clip and maybe tell what I am missing here,wrong notes?timing?anyways I dunno.Not looking for any input on the tone,im just running it through a Marshall AVT50 Half Stack and a Jackson DK2M w/Duncans.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...?bandID=637475

GoldenEars · 03-20-2007, 12:57 AM

Hey dude I am sending you the exact timing explanation by PM.

Golden Ears

PS Timing is your issue

RabidScoobie · 03-20-2007, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenEars

Hey dude I am sending you the exact timing explanation by PM.

Golden Ears

PS Timing is your issue

Just wanted to say thx again,I have been making some progress,almost upto speed.I knew my timing was off because I always try to practice with some kind of backing track.It was just sounding like I was trying to play too many notes within the beats,but mostly I think i was just really tired,and the truth is I havnt been able to play for 3-4 years due to serious health issues,i guess with that kind of break I have lost alot strenght in my hands,but im building back up,doing modes and scales forwards,backwards,and up and down the whole neck,using alternate picking and trying to build strenght and speed back up.I would really like any others ideas on how to improve strength and speed.

55tele · 03-20-2007, 06:37 PM

Exercise is the door to success.

I keep an old duke 6 string next to my tv spot.Its basically just an aluminum neck bolted to a 6" x12" body ( very non- obtrusive ).I pick it up 8 times out of ten when surfing the TV.I only play riff's ,but a couple times a week a new ( to me ) riff pop's out and I go record it to practice later on .
Point is ,for me it keeps me agile .

Ever notice how when you havnt played for a day or two ,even youre drive is diminished some what ? But after about 30 minutes the "color of sound " returns .

Theres 30 minutes in everyones day that they can exercise . Its just finding the activity that allows you to ( chew gum & walk at the same time LOL

)do two things at once.

A great exercise for me in early years ,( i still do ) is to play along with a band via CD record etc. And play a variety ,not just youre favorite guitarist or pretty soon all youre own songs sound just like ????

All the gimmick's are just that . Play the fretboard every day .

irongolem85 · 03-20-2007, 08:02 PM

ive said it before, ill say it again...play master of puppets with strictly down picking (unless you're adding gallops to non galloping parts)

it won't help your alternate picking technique, but it will greatly increase your speed...if you can down pick 8th's or 16th's at 180 bpm articulately, then your alternate picking will be lightyears ahead. play anything fast with only downpicks, you'll look like popeye in no time

RabidScoobie · 03-20-2007, 08:08 PM

Those sound like they would really help.I never really thought about the The master Of Puppets Thing,I always just did the alternate pick on that one,but I can remember years ago when I was trying to learn that,I was using downstrokes only,OHHHH I can remember the pain....LOL.Thx for the help all.

GoldenEars · 03-24-2007, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RabidScoobie

Those sound like they would really help.I never really thought about the The master Of Puppets Thing,I always just did the alternate pick on that one,but I can remember years ago when I was trying to learn that,I was using downstrokes only,OHHHH I can remember the pain....LOL.Thx for the help all.

Down strokes only cause a player to lag a tad and that can create an incredible groove because they are just behind the beat and very bang on in terms of each stroke being consistantly behind when used for the right song or part.
Here is a punk/ Rock and roll band from Canada called Teenage head.
Very simple songs but they were quite popular and had a really cool little thing going on at the time.
And with these simple songs they would have went no where without a couple of key ingredients.
They had the image for that time but most importantly they had a guitarist who had a great groove (did everything with down strokes) who also had a great sound especially for that era.
That simple style played with downstrokes and great rythm combined with a few tricks that the drummer did that interacted with the guitar really made this band.
They had several platimum records.
Anyways here is the link and a great example of how well downstrokes work and if you image him doing these songs with alternate strumming you will realize how important down picking can be when placed in the right style.

Also listen close to these old Marshalls played with his les Paul, they are late sixties Marshalls and he had a sound that was as special as Ed's in some ways.
He could not play like Ed which will be very obvious but what he played as simple as it was, it could not really be improved opon which is a great demonstration of how a player can be a total pro with very few chops and no speed!
And when I was at that show and the many other "Head" concerts I saw, I was always right infront of his usual wall of Marshalls and I have never heard a sound off an amp that beautiful in person.
He owns 100 of those vintage amps, he started collecting back then when they were selling for next to nothing, he could retire on the sale of those amps.
100 vintage plexi heads and cabs have to be worth close to a million, hard to believe!

Anyways I will shut up now, enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZI6v8Z6Q6E

Golden Ears
PS this is the guy that got me into guitar when I was just a little kid.
I am in this video center stage dancing hahaha