Leamington, Warwick and via Skype.

OldSwannerOldSwanner Posts: 56Member
edited June 2019 in Guitar Tutors
EDIT: Update of an old thread to post the new link to the same challenge - How Good is your Technique?

As a long time guitar teacher, I'm trying to get going an online version of something I've used with my own students for a while now.

I'd like to invite guitarists of all levels to join my Hall of Fame challenge.

A very simple challenge that can be done by anyone, which gives you an instant grading as to your technique level and encourages focus and fast improvement in everyone who partakes.

New link at: https://www.oldswannerguitartuition.com/post/how-good-is-your-technique

See also https://www.taplature.com

Taplature - The red pill for guitarists! Wake Up Your Practice Today!

Old Swanner (Paul Swanson).

Comments

  • Options
    Hi Paul, and welcome to the forum \:\)

    Sadly, not owning a video camera and having no desire to get involved with uploading to YouTube, I can't take part in your hall of fame. Despite the fact I got over 250bpm on my first go at the challenge... ;\)

    Paul.
  • Annoying TwitAnnoying Twit Posts: 2,771Member
    I'm scared at what might be revealed about my playing!
  • OldjonoOldjono Posts: 608Member
    Hi Paul. How would you quantify someone who has digitally challenged fingers? Like me say, with a bit missing on my first finger on my fretting hand?
  • Options
     Originally Posted By: Dragondreams
    I got over 250bpm on my first go at the challenge... ;)Paul.


    That's 16.6 notes per second ! \:o
  • OldSwannerOldSwanner Posts: 56Member

     Originally Posted By: Annoying Twit
    I'm scared at what might be revealed about my playing!


    Lol .. facing that fear is the first step on the road to improvement.

    A bit like an alcoholic admitting he has a problem.

    For what it's worth I've chucked this one at guys that have played in bands for 20 years+ and they've come in at 50-60bpm on their first look. And they'd have probably scored the same 20 years before! Of course as soon as they get a bit of focus on this sort of stuff it starts to improve, and fast.

    Facing up to the truth is rarely a bad thing. I speak from experience having spent long periods in ruts over the years.
  • OldSwannerOldSwanner Posts: 56Member
     Originally Posted By: Oldjono
    Hi Paul. How would you quantify someone who has digitally challenged fingers? Like me say, with a bit missing on my first finger on my fretting hand?


    I guess you get measured the same, but have to accept that with your disability you'll probably never be a guitar god on this scale of measurement. It's just a rough guide anyway but a pertinent and fascinating one.

    I'd love to know how Django Reinhardt would have scored on this challenge, with his 2 crippled fingers. He'd probably find a modified way of playing it and whip us all.

    However you'll still benefit from improving at this exercise, ie. whatever your current max, when you are 10% better you will have more understanding and ability, which will help other things.

    You'll also benefit from adopting a similar approach to anything you are comfortable playing, and so what you learn from this example you can apply to literally anything you want to improve at.
  • OldjonoOldjono Posts: 608Member
    Guitar god, who determines what one of then is? Are we here just to impress with speed, dexterity and hours of practice.

    Some of the greatest guitar solo's are based on emotion and feeling. Nobody has ever beaten the theory of 'Less is more' yet.

    It's too subjective but speed alone is not a true measure of musical talent, just muscle memory and physical abillity.

    Give me one note played well rather thatn a hundred without feeling.
  • OldSwannerOldSwanner Posts: 56Member
    Agreed .. my favourite player is BB King, who might not measure up too well on a scale like this. This is only one way of looking at the challenge of improving on a guitar.

    Anyone who can play like BB King please disregard this challenge. For the rest of us mortals, the insight you can get from this sort of examination is beneficial at the very least.
  • Options
    I have uploaded my video which has been artificially sped up to show me playing at 1000+ bpm.

    I await my Crackerjack pencil with some excitement.
  • Options
    Well I managed 70bpm earlier but have no camera so no way of proving it.

    Except that if I was going to lie, I'd have come up with a much more impressive number ;\)

    Woohoo, I'm competent!
  • Options
    I have to confess that I cheated
















    I used my bass guitar...
  • Options
    thats more of a handicap ;\)
  • Options
     Originally Posted By: thetenthplace
    thats more of a handicap ;\)

    Cue other random bass player jokes...
  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Posts: 355Member
    Watching that video without a guitar in front of me, I think I can manage about 150 bpm. Will confirm tomoro!

    For the record, I would rather play 2 notes, approximately 4 seconds apart and make it mean something... \:P
  • OldSwannerOldSwanner Posts: 56Member
    The debate between fast and slow playing is a separate issue to this challenge. It seems there is confusion on this matter so let me be clear .. this is not a suggestion of how to *play* music. This is a system for *practising*.

    Over 10+ years of teaching it is clear to me that the single main reason that aspiring players cease to improve (assuming they are spending time with their instrument *hoping* to improve) is that they fail to distinguish between practice and playing.

    The basic premise of the system is that to improve your maximum speed in the example outlined above, you will have to improve your technique. A fair if vague definition of technique is the combination of muscular strength and control, mental understanding and in particular finger independence. As these are developed (which can be shown by an increase in speed in the example used), ease of playing at slower speed also improves.

    The brain has less requirement to deal with the physical side of things and therefore more freedom to deal with what we call the musical side.

    Now here's something you may not have fathomed, and I have never seen discussed anywhere. The muscles which are developed to increase speed in the challenge example are the *same* muscles which hold the fingers strong in bends and consequently vibratos. Therefore by increasing speed in our example, you also gain further insight into the holy grail of electric guitar playing .. tone!

    To sum up, even if you prefer the sound of 1 note to 100, you'll be able to make the single note sound better and better as you improve your speed in the challenge example. Improving at this sort of stuff is hardcore improvement .. *everything* you play gets easier and therefore *better*.
  • Options
    may I ask why it is the pattern shown rather than any other pattern? (sorry if I missed it)

    also I got just over 100bpm in alternate picking and just above 120bpm with downpicking in my first hour of trying this.
  • OldSwannerOldSwanner Posts: 56Member
    It's just an arbitrary pattern that uses all 4 fingers in a position that doesn't require any great stretch, so is accessible to anyone however new to the instrument.

    It also sounds reasonably pleasant and can be played over any song being the 1st 4 notes of the minor scale or the 6th - 2nd of the major scale. Therefore it's a common pattern to see in famous solos in one guise or other.
  • Options
    ah ok, yeah I recognised it from alot of solos, but was left wondering if there was any great significance of the pattern and how you fret it

    Thank you \:\)
  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Posts: 355Member
     Originally Posted By: OldSwanner
    The debate between fast and slow playing is a separate issue to this challenge. It seems there is confusion on this matter so let me be clear .. this is not a suggestion of how to *play* music. This is a system for *practising*.


    Absolutely- I didn't mean to have a dig at all! \:\) It is perfectly valid to build up speed. I just know too many people who equate it directly with being a good player!
  • OldSwannerOldSwanner Posts: 56Member
     Originally Posted By: stickyfiddle
    Absolutely- I didn't mean to have a dig at all! \:\)


    No problem, looking forward to your Hall of Fame entry \:D

    More on the above reasoning at

    http://www.psgt.co.uk/technique_defined.html
  • OldSwannerOldSwanner Posts: 56Member
    edited June 2019
    Popped in to update this thread with my latest details. Specialist in helping frustrated guitarists of *all* levels. Progress guaranteed *every* lesson!

    The PSGT site linked copiously above is no more. See my signature for current links.
  • Pete_BPete_B Posts: 563Member
    Sorry, I didn't get the original post, and the new links, you are spamming us for lessons?
    There is no Mojo!
Sign In or Register to comment.