Become one with the drummer's right foot (and vice versa) and the rest of the band will fall into line.
On another front ... you still there Pipeous? Is night shift over yet? We are ready to jam online.
Musicians check in here. If you play, tell us about it!
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Become one with the drummer's right foot (and vice versa) and the rest of the band will fall into line.
On another front ... you still there Pipeous? Is night shift over yet? We are ready to jam online.
This is not a new idea. My wife bought me a starcaster a practice amp and that xbox game "rocksmith". I have spent hours trying to teach my fingers to do what the screen says. I'm getting nowhere. I'm not saying I can't learn. I'm saying I don't have the 3 hours a day for the next year it would take for me to be able to play well enough to do it in front of an audience. That is presuming I am able to sing and play at the same time once I get the fingerwork down. Lyrics, singing, performing, showmanship, being spooky and all that come natural. Playing an instrument does not. I have no natural gift. I'd probably have to work my whole life to be mediocre at best. I prefer not to pursue hobbies that I do not believe I will be good at. Still that star caster taunts me and I'll pick it up for an hour or two. But so far when I have set it down I was left feeling frustrated and inadequate. I'm not saying I'll give up. But I am not about to run out and buy a bass either.
Nowadays, everyone learns Smoke on the Water. At least it's a good exercise for the fingers.
If you want to develop dexterity, coordination, and strength in your fingers, just start at the bottom of the neck next to the nut and pick the first four frets on each string over and over, forwards and backwards, changing strings and moving from the 1st string to the 6th string. Then do it again as you move from the 6th back to the 1st. Use the first finger for the 1st fret, the 2nd for the 2nd fret, and so on. Don't ignore the little finger as some do. It can handle the load if you start out by using it. There are too many 3 finger guitar players as it is. Although a few 3 finger players are spectacular, they could be 25% better if they used all their fingers.
It's boring, but it develops the muscle memory and strength you need to place your fingers on each fret of each string. Once that gets easy, do 1st fret, then 3rd fret, then 2nd fret, then 4th fret. Vary the pattern as needed. That overcomes the problem of "My fingers won't do what I want them to do".
You will be surprised at the rate your muscles begin to learn the movements and it's the basic strength and coordination builder you need to start playing guitar. Once you can do it easily, making chords and picking melodies will come much more easily. The good part is that you only have to concentrate on one finger at a time. Repetition builds coordination.
If you want to develop dexterity, coordination, and strength in your fingers, just start at the bottom of the neck next to the nut and pick the first four frets on each string over and over, forwards and backwards, changing strings and moving from the 1st string to the 6th string. Then do it again as you move from the 6th back to the 1st. Use the first finger for the 1st fret, the 2nd for the 2nd fret, and so on. Don't ignore the little finger as some do. It can handle the load if you start out by using it. There are too many 3 finger guitar players as it is. Although a few 3 finger players are spectacular, they could be 25% better if they used all their fingers.
It's boring, but it develops the muscle memory and strength you need to place your fingers on each fret of each string. Once that gets easy, do 1st fret, then 3rd fret, then 2nd fret, then 4th fret. Vary the pattern as needed. That overcomes the problem of "My fingers won't do what I want them to do".
You will be surprised at the rate your muscles begin to learn the movements and it's the basic strength and coordination builder you need to start playing guitar. Once you can do it easily, making chords and picking melodies will come much more easily. The good part is that you only have to concentrate on one finger at a time. Repetition builds coordination.
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I'm definitely gonna try my hand at bass, as well, once I get half way decent at this guitar. I'm still plugging away at making "Little Red Riding Hood" (my mom's request) sound more pro. She was right that it's a pretty basic one for a rank beginner -
Still eager to hear an ECF musician collaboration...
Still eager to hear an ECF musician collaboration...
Me, too. I think Pipeous has been tied up with work and other things. Once we start the process of recording tracks, I think it will progress nicely.
We have new members every day on ECF. I'm sure there are more musicians out there. Everyone tell the musicians in other threads about this one! If you see and instrument avatar, hit 'em with the link to this one.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-check-here-if-you-play-tell-us-about-39.html
Sure has been quiet around here lately. I guess the advent of Spring and the approach of Summer has gotten people out of the house and away from the keyboard!
Our new bassist is the bomb! Undead Josh, I dubbed him. This fellow is KILLING it. He can instantly play any of our 23 songs by watching the guitarist for like 3 seconds. Tuesday was our 3rd practice with the guy and we already wrote a new song.
Excellent thread!
I'm a surviving 80's Rock/Metal player...still going strong. Been playing for 30+ years. Major influences are Steve Vai, Satriani and Malmsteen. BIIIIG Van Halen and Ozzy fan, along with White Lion, Dokken, Whitesnake...the list goes on and on. Current rigs are Peavey 5150 full stack, Ibanez Jem, three Peavey Wolfgangs. My bands from back in the day are Phase4, GroundZero, Iron Cross and Stone & Co. Now i'm a successful non-smoker, although I still enjoy the occassional Jim Beam and Coke.
Did a little studio work with Brad Gillis of NightRanger back in the early 90's. Currently just jammin with friends now and then, along with the occassional "open mic" jams at local bars to get the "stage fix" now and then.
Great to meet you guys!Vape On!
Bri
Excellent thread!
I'm a surviving 80's Rock/Metal player...still going strong. Been playing for 30+ years. Major influences are Steve Vai, Satriani and Malmsteen. BIIIIG Van Halen and Ozzy fan, along with White Lion, Dokken, Whitesnake...the list goes on and on. Current rigs are Peavey 5150 full stack, Ibanez Jem, three Peavey Wolfgangs. My bands from back in the day are Phase4, GroundZero, Iron Cross and Stone & Co. Now i'm a successful non-smoker, although I still enjoy the occassional Jim Beam and Coke.
Did a little studio work with Brad Gillis of NightRanger back in the early 90's. Currently just jammin with friends now and then, along with the occassional "open mic" jams at local bars to get the "stage fix" now and then.
Vape On!
Bri
Welcome to the Musician's thread, SilverCloud. We run hot for a while and then it dies and reappears. As you can see from the thread post count, we are doing just fine.
Sounds like you have had a pretty solid career in music. Most of us are weekend warrior musicians and love it. Sometimes, I'm glad I didn't hit the big time. Too many of my friends who took the Capricorn records route ended up with substance abuse and little to show in retirement. I chose music to be a part time money making hobby and consider myself a winner by maintaining a career and enough weekend gigs to keep it fun and not have it turn into a bone grinding job.
One of the guys I played with in a band as a teen went on tour with Wilson Picket. After a year on the road, he came home with a drug and alcohol problem and spent a week in the hospital for dehydration, malnutrition, and the effects of substances. That was a typical story with musicians who toured in the late 60s and early 70s. Some of my friends were caught up in the Allman Brothers Band thing and the whole experience that surrounded them. My next door neighbor and his brother became roadies with the Allman Brothers after I introduced them at the club we were playing. Even those guys went through some tough times on the road.
Our band interviewed with Phil Walden (Capricorn owner) and were wooed by his him and his brother Allen. When we were all about 19, Phil took us on a tour of his studio and Alan came to check us out one night at a practice. He told us we needed to be 21 to tour and he would be interested in signing us in a couple of years. After we played a set for him he told us to stay tight, write some original tunes, work hard at developing our chops during that time and he would put us under contract. That may have been on the level or just an easy letdown.
We all got married and the band drifted apart. A few of us kept on playing and did the weekend thing while working day jobs. That turned out to be the best solution for me. It kept my chops up and provided some side money to add to my day job career. I lived a nice, comfortable life that way and don't regret not making it big. We might have signed with Capricorn and turned out to be drugged out and worn out musicians with little love left for the music.
Funny Story: The lead singer in my first band was a child prodigy singer who sounded just like a young Elvis Presley. You could close your eyes and hear Elvis when he sang. His mother got him an audition with Andy Williams and that led to an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show when he was 6. He auditioned and was accepted for the show. When they went to New York for the gig, he pitched a fit because he wanted to see the Empire State Building earlier that day and his Mother told him he couldn't because they had a rehearsal appointment. When it was time for him to go on at the Ed Sullivan taping, he was still mad about the Empire State building thing and wouldn't go on. They scrubbed him and put on the next act. End of career.
He might have been an early Michael Jackson if he had learned to control his temper at age 6.
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Our new bassist is the bomb! Undead Josh, I dubbed him. This fellow is KILLING it. He can instantly play any of our 23 songs by watching the guitarist for like 3 seconds. Tuesday was our 3rd practice with the guy and we already wrote a new song.
Sounds like the band is progressing, Mac. A new guy with good chops can make a difference musically and financially. Once you get the right players together, things start to happen.
I'm realizing that I don't have videos of my current band. Since we play in church on Sunday morning, I'm reluctant to put someone up front with a tripod and a video recorder and obviously I can't play and video at the same time. We have video cameras with motorized turrets in the ceiling, but sound is filled with echo when you do that and someone has to zoom and pan. Our sound people barely know how to operate the board, much less do video effectively. We lost the really good sound guy when he got transferred in his job.
Anyone have a good idea on how to get good video when you are stuck on the stage and can't find someone to actually make it happen. I'm thinking a motorized turret on a tripod with a wireless remote would be good. I don't know if that exists, though.
Anyone have a good idea on how to get good video when you are stuck on the stage and can't find someone to actually make it happen. I'm thinking a motorized turret on a tripod with a wireless remote would be good. I don't know if that exists, though.
Sorry I haven't been around much the last while. I have tried to get together with the drummer as we can only do weekends. he had to work one weekend, me the next two.... been crazy. my car is in the shop now for almost 2 weeks so I have been taking overtime to cover the cost (had to get a part machined grrr)
that said, a friend teaching english in Iraq sent me an email about a gig for acoustic stuff and I emailed the guy (on our local craigslist, how odd is that?)... well I am going back for my third appearance this Friday (solo act) with all proceeds going to the Surrey Children's Art Festival. I take different instruments and play a set each night. This Friday they actually extended the gig an hour so I could appear again. It's nothing big but I am getting back in public again after so many years and having way too much fun. I got my new camera
I have this weekend off, and so does the drummer so I will certainly get him to record some drums finally. This is why I wanted to do it online so each person could do this stuff at their own pace and time...
I have also spent a lot of time on the motorcycle. it is decked out this year with bags, trunk and my woman has running boards as well. we take the camera and get pics.. 2 weeks ago we went to Manning park... was 30 celsius at the bottom and we baked but hit snow up top lol (head shaved monday so no hair left)
that said, a friend teaching english in Iraq sent me an email about a gig for acoustic stuff and I emailed the guy (on our local craigslist, how odd is that?)... well I am going back for my third appearance this Friday (solo act) with all proceeds going to the Surrey Children's Art Festival. I take different instruments and play a set each night. This Friday they actually extended the gig an hour so I could appear again. It's nothing big but I am getting back in public again after so many years and having way too much fun. I got my new camera
I have this weekend off, and so does the drummer so I will certainly get him to record some drums finally. This is why I wanted to do it online so each person could do this stuff at their own pace and time...
I have also spent a lot of time on the motorcycle. it is decked out this year with bags, trunk and my woman has running boards as well. we take the camera and get pics.. 2 weeks ago we went to Manning park... was 30 celsius at the bottom and we baked but hit snow up top lol (head shaved monday so no hair left)
Hello everyone,
Been on the site for a while and just stumbled on this thread. Been playing music for years now and am working on my masters in music composition and did my undergrad in music composition, theory, and bass performance. Gear is the only thing that I have more money tied up in than pv's haha. Love all kinds of music but modern avant-garde/classical and hard rock/metal definitely are at the top of my lists.
Haven't made it through the whole thread yet to see what everyone has been talking about but just wanted to jump in and say high to the fellow musicians.
Been on the site for a while and just stumbled on this thread. Been playing music for years now and am working on my masters in music composition and did my undergrad in music composition, theory, and bass performance. Gear is the only thing that I have more money tied up in than pv's haha. Love all kinds of music but modern avant-garde/classical and hard rock/metal definitely are at the top of my lists.
Haven't made it through the whole thread yet to see what everyone has been talking about but just wanted to jump in and say high to the fellow musicians.
You and Bassnut have similar backgrounds. He's a college music major trained bassist who works in an LA club band.
Interesting! I'm also a college-d (Berklee) bassist who majored in (Jazz) Composition. I don't do a whole lot of writing now, honestly. But I still play in several bands on the side... have an IT related career going now.
Bassnut ... you lurking?
I think Bassnut is a Berklee alumni. You guys may have points to discuss about your Berklee days.
I think Bassnut is a Berklee alumni. You guys may have points to discuss about your Berklee days.
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Was just reading a thread from a music teacher in Mississippi and heard about this group. Great idea. I play keyboards, harmonica, and just picked up the guitar about a year ago. I have been playing with a couple of bands here and there, but mostly record other musicians. I am also a good MIDI tech. A lot of the musicians I know are vapors. I guess it is easier on the old windpipes than analogs. Glad to be here.
Love the bike!!!
Sorry I haven't been around much the last while. I have tried to get together with the drummer as we can only do weekends. he had to work one weekend, me the next two.... been crazy. my car is in the shop now for almost 2 weeks so I have been taking overtime to cover the cost (had to get a part machined grrr)
that said, a friend teaching english in Iraq sent me an email about a gig for acoustic stuff and I emailed the guy (on our local craigslist, how odd is that?)... well I am going back for my third appearance this Friday (solo act) with all proceeds going to the Surrey Children's Art Festival. I take different instruments and play a set each night. This Friday they actually extended the gig an hour so I could appear again. It's nothing big but I am getting back in public again after so many years and having way too much fun. I got my new camera
I have this weekend off, and so does the drummer so I will certainly get him to record some drums finally. This is why I wanted to do it online so each person could do this stuff at their own pace and time...
I have also spent a lot of time on the motorcycle. it is decked out this year with bags, trunk and my woman has running boards as well. we take the camera and get pics.. 2 weeks ago we went to Manning park... was 30 celsius at the bottom and we baked but hit snow up top lol (head shaved monday so no hair left)
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