[Live Stone]

Originally Posted by solidwalnut

Interesting twist to this thread Stickman and Live Stone...

I think there's a middle ground here. One of the best goals in learning how to play to my mind is learning to sound presentable...Stickman's approach is very much like mine has been for many, many years.

I have always preferred to learn parts, put them together and then play them rather than improvise. For better or for worse, this is the style of player I became. It helped me become a good studio player because I have learned to concentrate and execute every playing nuance in a song...

Although Kirk and many others prefer to improvise and to play on the fly all the time, this doesn't mean that stopping to learn and to concentrate on parts, and learning to play them well, before they're presented is a lesser skill. Improvising, and learning to improvise well, is obviously an awesome approach; one that can carry a player far but PERHAPS for the player who is just learning they might be better off concentrating on the rudiments (the arpeggios, the pentatonics, etc.)

And it's just an opinion, but I believe that a guitar player does well to learn how to do both at the same time. Obviously, only the guitar masters know how to 'do it all' while most of us generally learn to only do one or two things well. There's a difference between trying to learn to do it all and actually learning how to play, and each of us must find the approach that works for us.

This is important, because too many players miss the boat on understanding how to learn to be technically good because they're informed that all they need to learn to do is to improvise. Learning how to play a parallel harmony part to a melody is often NOT accomplished by just winging it.

Steve

Steve:

Can't disagree with that logic. I guess the main statement I didn't agree with Stickman on was:

Personally, I wouldn't "improvise"

I felt like this would be an entirely limiting and boring approach to music. But for him maybe not. Music is getting from one melodious place to another and I agree that there are many approaches that work. I myself have always been a modal player throwing in licks and chops and most of the time it doesn't sound too bad. I was just excilted to learn that there was another approach that took my playing to a more interesting and fun place for me. Therefore I get zealous of sharing that approach. No offense meant to Stickman and others that approach music diffierently.

I have two students coming this afternoon. They are from my church. One is in College and the other High School. Besides technique, Chords, licks etc., guess what I am concentrating on with them so they can have something to bring home and practice and improv and feel they are not stuck in a rut. You guessed it. Minor and Major Pentatonic, the major scale and how it can be played over the relative minor of the key. They think I am the greatest because I am giving them somthing they can apply immediately. Truth be known I am only a mediocre player on guitar but I truly enjoy playing. I have learned finger style, PT, and much more from Kirk, and you Steve also AT and others. All of you especially Clancy have made this a wonderful learning invironment . This is by far the best learning site on the internet with so many fine people always ready to step in and share what they know unselfishly. I really appreciate you Steve. Blessed are the peacemakers.


I am really a drummer all my life. But I refused to teach drums because I have no patience to go back and teach rudiments, boring, tedious things that I have for years played by instinct without thinking. Of course not thinking is one of my specialties.

Any there is really no disagreement on my part. Just wanted to share my view with the Stickman. I wish him all the great success in his lifetime guitar adventure. One thing is for sure. If you have a method and it works for you and others enjoy what you are doing then you had to have done something right.

All the best

Danny