Drills to Get Better; Theoretically & Technically

I'm trying to get some drills to get better. Who isn't? More specifically, I'd like to get better at using/implementing guitar theory and improving my technical playing.

Theory: By this, I am trying to learn/incorporate all the keys/scales/modes, and go between them.

Technical: For this I am trying to become less linear and less predictable. It's nothing I think somebody listening to me play would necessarily pick up on. However I tend to end up playing one key and then just running through a scale ascending/descending pretty linearly. I'm trying to bet better at playing multi-string or non-concurrent strings (e.g. the intro to Sweet Child O' Mine). I am also just trying to get cleaner and more creative with strumming. I tend to get stuck in playing chords, doing pretty linear arpeggios, and not necessarily doing anything more interesting that that or scale runs.

Any good drills or exercises you'd recommend for getting better at this stuff? I'd be open to songs, however right now I'm at a bit of a strange spot. I find a lot of the "easier" songs boring, however when I try something like really technical, like Yngwie or Vai (not really my thing, but obviously very technically gifted) or say Megadeth or Hendrix it's a bit beyond me. I'm not sure if I should just lock myself in the basement and learn "Little Wing" and "For the Love of God" before whining about how I'm not good enough or I'm not ready for that yet, or if I need some intermediate drills.

As always, any suggestions are welcome.

-Cheers

remember, you can learn anything, just have to do it slow enough in the beginning not to make any mistakes, and repeat it enough to make it second nature. then slowly increase the speed, making sure that you can still play it perfect. i really like corelli's violin etudes for technical skill improvement. if you posted a video of you playing, it would be much easier to give you more detailed info, and maybe identify some habits that may be limiting you, that you need to get rid of.

Remember "Practise makes perfect"?
Well, it doesn't. Practise makes PERMANENT!
So +1 on Louis's advice to take it slowly. Then you'll remember how to do it correctly, and you can begin to speed it up. But if you rush, you'll remember how to do it wrong, and nature doesn't like unlearning, it's not good survival behaviour to go uprooting things in your brain that it's worked so hard to learn for you; put it in there right in the first place! Unlearning hurts, your mind doesn't want you to do it, and there is such a thing as pissing-off parts of your own mind.

Also, try listening to something new, to give yourself transcription challenges. Something within reach, but that needs listening and thinking to figure out how to do it.

Keep thinking how CAGED works (and remember minors are just majors starting from the 6th).

Don't put all your faith in modes. You can and should play anything if it makes the music you want. I think modes are like clothes; they can make a statement, but to get real you will sooner or later have to take them off.

indeed. only perfect practice makes perfect.

Remember "Practise makes perfect"?
Well, it doesn't. Practise makes PERMANENT!
So +1 on Louis's advice to take it slowly. Then you'll remember how to do it correctly, and you can begin to speed it up. But if you rush, you'll remember how to do it wrong, and nature doesn't like unlearning, it's not good survival behaviour to go uprooting things in your brain that it's worked so hard to learn for you; put it in there right in the first place! Unlearning hurts, your mind doesn't want you to do it, and there is such a thing as pissing-off parts of your own mind.

Also, try listening to something new, to give yourself transcription challenges. Something within reach, but that needs listening and thinking to figure out how to do it.

Keep thinking how CAGED works (and remember minors are just majors starting from the 6th).

Don't put all your faith in modes. You can and should play anything if it makes the music you want. I think modes are like clothes; they can make a statement, but to get real you will sooner or later have to take them off.

If I can get a video camera (my camera does videos, but only if I can get somebody to hold the button down for me, harder than it sounds these days w/ two kids) I can try to take a video. Anyway, two problems (or observations):

1) CAGED: I learned that from Fretboard Logic. It's been great. However, for better or worse, I tend to play stream-of-conscious. Not inherently bad, and I get around the fretboard pretty well and can use all notes in the scale/key I'm in, however I and up generally gravitating to the root note and then playing Major, minor, or pentatonic virtually all the time. So it's not that I'm putting all my faith into modes, just that I'd like to learn to play from all the points in the key I'm in not just the root note for the Major or minor modes. Plus, I am also just trying to get out of my funk. Which brings me to;

2) Listening to Something New: I need to find new music, or re-explore old stuff. Sometime during/after college, I sort of got out of the music scene. The stuff I've listened to since the mid-90's is kind of boring to me. I tend to find it's hard to know where to look for new music (a different problem I suppose) to inspire me. I also find if I can figure songs out, even if I like the song, they get boring. Generally, I'm finding myself either A) playing a song, figuring out the patterns right away, then getting bored, or B) trying to play something over my head and not being able to figure it out. Some of "B" can be dealt with by practicing perfectly and starting slow (trying to play Little Wing at-speed while learning/figuring out how Hendrix was doing what he does invites mistakes). Part of it is just figuring out where I am and what songs will let me play something coherent while pushing myself. Which ties into:

3) Playing Level: I'm at that intermediate stage where I'm good enough that simple stuff kind of bores me, while the more innovative stuff has me scratching my head. Yet, I can improv over stuff and have some acquired skill from doing this for ~twenty years. It feels like there are just gaps where I've missed some steps along the way.

Not sure that helps you guys give advice. Hopefully it clarifies where I'm coming from though, for whatever that's worth. I'll probably just peruse Youtube for some songs that seem interesting & complex enough, the try to learn them v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.

-Cheers

Hey Halowords,

Heres my 0.02....

Guitar theory is a really weird animal - almost next to impossible to pick up from books/youtube vids. A lot of times you really need immediate feedback as you are playing. It sounds like you are doing all the right things - I think you should find a good instructor (someone with some credentials, not just the local shop shredder ) I am sure it would only take a few sessions to get you out of your funk and down the path to enlightenment!

I have tons of material that would help you out, but not much of which would translate well on a message board. A good teacher would be able to determine what fundamental knowledge you have as well as some that may be missing to really help you get the most out of your playing.

Scott

Hey Halowords,

Heres my 0.02....

Guitar theory is a really weird animal - almost next to impossible to pick up from books/youtube vids. A lot of times you really need immediate feedback as you are playing. It sounds like you are doing all the right things - I think you should find a good instructor (someone with some credentials, not just the local shop shredder ) I am sure it would only take a few sessions to get you out of your funk and down the path to enlightenment!

I have tons of material that would help you out, but not much of which would translate well on a message board. A good teacher would be able to determine what fundamental knowledge you have as well as some that may be missing to really help you get the most out of your playing.

Scott

Thanks Scott.

Yeah, I tried hooking up with a local guitar teacher. One guy just never got back to me, another had no openings but referred me to another guy, who said I was too advanced for what he'd be able to teach me.

I might try the 2nd guy again and see if he has any openings yet, or just try and join/start a band or find somebody to jam with. What I'd really like to do would be have somebody I could play with musical ideas while picking things up from him (or maybe each other). I think I'm good enough to write some decent stuff a/o help develop ideas, I just need some outlet. But ideally, I could have somebody give me a few lessons a/o evaluate where I am and help me figure out how to take the next step, fill in any gaps in fundamentals, etc., etc.

-Cheers

Guitar lessons online from GeorgeBellas.com
I am currently taking lessons from him as he is teaching not only guitar techniques but also music composition.
If you have a working camera on your PC, it should all work. Skype is FREE.
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