Vision Music

[nylenny]

I had a minor break through thought.

I have difficulty getting through changes at tempo. So I am working my model solos up to speed (actually trying to get them above speed, but we'll see). My logic is that the model solos contain the language that I'd like to be able to improvise with. If I can play model solos at tempo, I should be able to play the language at tempo.

Any thoughts?

[Larry_DC]

[nylenny]

Thanks Larry. I'll have to check out Reno DeStefano's articles.

I'm starting to see progress from pushing the model solos. Maybe it's because I've never pushed myself to practice fast (I've believed the hype about practicing slow). But I find that playing faster in practice is helping.

I've also been using what I call the "two steps forward, one step back" method. I play along with a cd at a given speed, then play it at a very fast speed, and, finally, at a speed 2/3 of the distance between the two. For example, I might play as follows, using percents in Transcribe!:

150, 165, 160
160, 175, 170

etc.

[nylenny]

Hey Larry, I've also found that thinking ahead helps me with speed. While I'm working through a given ii-V, I can go on autopilot (a little) because I know the line I'm playing, so I use that time to figure out which lick comes next. Do you do this?

[corky4strings]

len when i start thinking to much while playing i screw up big time.
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corky




let your fingers do the walking i do

[Larry_DC]

That's an interesting approach regarding speed. I sometimes play a song about 10% faster so that it seems easier when I drop back to normal tempo.

Yes, I do find that memorizing lines helps me think ahead. But definitely not up tempo (yet).

[nylenny]

Yes, I find that if I have a line totally "burned in," and I have worked it up to speed as part of a model solo, it's a lot easier to plug and play it at tempo.

[Dean]

I start slow and get the fingers going in the right form, then just play it until my fingers just know where to go...I am like corky ,can not think about it to much...just hear it...then I will play at different speeds and rhytums till it is locked in.In the end I just picture the fret board in my mind and where the notes are.Hope that makes sense.
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What don't kill you makes you stronger

[nylenny]

Dean said:

[Dean]

Thanks Lenny, I have to watch myself now,because I tend to play to fast.What was or seemed fast before is much slower to me now.Not having to think to much really speeds you up.I have learned so much this last year..I have got to that point where there is so much out there,I feel I am walking in mud with heavy boots on.The more I learn,the more there is to learn,so I feel like I have not learned enought.haha Hope you get what I am saying.Or I am playing catch up all the time.
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What don't kill you makes you stronger