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Post by smojo on Jan 31, 2007 20:04:56 GMT
Michael - I ordered your blues slide guitar DVD yesterday from Euroblues Promotions and it arrived today - wow that's great service, thought you might like the feedback. Looking forward to sitting down to watch it with a glass or two of something.
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Post by smojo on Feb 1, 2007 7:57:11 GMT
Sorry don't mean to hijack this thread but just to say I watched the DVD last night and it's fantastic. Lots of useful stuff and very inspiring, I like your relaxed but informative style Michael - nice one.
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Post by Michael Messer on Feb 1, 2007 9:40:24 GMT
Hi Smojo,
Thank you - very much appreciated.
Shine On, Michael.
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Post by pete0001 on Feb 1, 2007 10:10:07 GMT
This thread has go off in a strange direction it's not every day George Clooney gets a mention.
Back to damping, I to had a little less accuracy when play on the 12th fret. I fond by adopting the more classical sitting style with the guitar between my legs like Bukka White resolved this problem instantly. Give it a go it might work for you. One problem I find with this sitting position it the shinny guitar keeps sliding of my leg. To get round this problem I thought I would play naked, this worked great but did have consequences involving a night in a jail cell. You cant win em all! I have now taken to wearing a full body lycra leotard and I think I look quite dashing.
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Post by robn on Feb 1, 2007 12:11:15 GMT
You could try playing in a wetsuit - the guitar would be rock solid against all that rubber ;D
More constructively, Pete your point about sitting position has got me thinking. I play with the guitar in both the classical position and with it across my right knee (like in my picture) - I feel quite comfortable with either method (probably because I swap between the two so often). But, thinking about it know, there are certain songs that I prefer to play in the "classical" position - the ones that require a bit more subtle accuracy around the 12th fret like "Come on in my Kitchen". Whereas more raucous stuff like "Little Red Rooster" or "Walking Blues" I'll happily belt out with the guitar on my knee. Also I think that I've probably learnt a few in the classical position (I Can't be Satisfied springs to mind) and then transferred to playing them with the guitar across my knee once I have them a little more wired.
From my perspective as a player I get a slightly different tone from my guitar in the two positions coz I'm closer to the cone in the classical position and the back of the guitar can resonate more freely - but I'm not sure if there is a noticeable difference to the listener.
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Post by fitchmeister on Feb 2, 2007 16:47:19 GMT
Gents - the classical position is working better, helps alot with my foot on a box, stomping along too.
Tried the wetsuit idea but they said they'd have to order in a 'super industrial' suit to fit a gentlemen of such stature. The missus also said she would leave me.
Roj
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Post by Mairena Red on Feb 2, 2007 17:03:22 GMT
Hi Robn, Playing in a wetsuit, eh? There speaks a man who has to endure winter in West Wales Wouldn't work in my part of the world of course. You'd fry in the heat Actually, I do own a wetsuit from my diving days but unfortunately it shrank in the wash so I wouldn't be able to test your theory even if I wanted to ;D All the best, Joe (aka Mairena Red)
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Post by robn on Feb 2, 2007 18:18:49 GMT
Hi Joe, Actually I've just come back from the beach There was a couple of feet of surf running this afternoon so me and two of my work collegues had an hour or so in the water. Not too cold for Feburary Afterwards I sat on the prom for an hour to play my reso as the sun set - now that was cool (I'd changed out of my wetsuit by that point by the way ) Booked flights to Spain last night for the last week of this month - Heading for the Costa Blanca for a weeks rock climbing on all that warm, well bolted limestone you have out there ;D Cheers Robn
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Post by blueshome on Feb 2, 2007 20:46:53 GMT
smojo, Maybe you are trying too hard just at damping - just play away until your hands and ears match one another. Get a sound in your head and try to produce it - you will find that you need to change your pick attack, touch on the frets and damping to match this. After a while (days, weeks, months?) you should find that you ARE damping the strings and doing lots of other subtle things unconsciously and can match any sound. So much of this music is feel not rules but feel and absobing the playing of the masters.
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Post by smojo on Feb 4, 2007 17:02:57 GMT
blueshome thanks - yeah probably right. I was getting the feel and spontanaeity but also a lot of surplus noise so I think I do need to practise damping more. Don't think the cheapo guitar helps too much either. A decent set-up probably helps a lot.
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Post by Michael Messer on Feb 4, 2007 17:50:34 GMT
Just keep playing....and playing....and more playing....and eventually al these problems dissappear. But you have to play a lot! Smojo, don't get too bogged down in technique difficulties, just keep doing it and ENJOYING IT!
Shine On, Michael
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Post by Bill Stig on Feb 6, 2007 15:36:58 GMT
Michael is correct in saying "just keep playing". 9 times out of 10 you'll find that just being aware of a technical problem in your playing means that you will rectify it naturally. The main thing is not to give up and you'll pick up your guitar one day and you'll wonder what the the problem was. It's a strange thing when learning an instrument that you don't seem to gradually get better - you suddenly get better after days of struggling. Also if you can do it on a badly set up cheepo guitar you'll be able to do it on anything. Bill
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Post by robn on Feb 6, 2007 16:20:49 GMT
Bill and Michael are spot on the money. There are some well founded principals from sport psychology at play here. Just because your “performance” has stagnated or you are finding new skills difficult to grasp doesn’t mean that “learning” isn’t still taking place beneath the surface. Hence the “light bulb” syndrome; suddenly you find yourself able to play something that you’d been trying to do for ages.
However, one of my favourite principles for learning slide guitar is this:
“Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that people retain physical-skills training better after sleeping for at least eight hours. According to the study, the most important factor in improving performance was the medium-deep "stage 2" sleep that usually occurs during the final two hours of a full night's shut-eye. Next time you're late to work, this is your excuse, though the boss may not approve.”
So there you go – dreaming about playing guitar just before you wake up will make you a better player – particularly if you spend that extra couple of hours in bed every morning ;D
Robn
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Post by smojo on Feb 6, 2007 16:58:07 GMT
Good advice guys thanks. You know sometimes I do dream of playing guitar and I can play fantastic in them. I just think of the licks and they come out, so it's in my brain somewhere, I just need the wiring from brain to my hands in reality.
I've been playing a three string cigar box guitar with slide for a while and I noticed when I picked up the 6 string after a long break from it, how much I had improved. Trouble is now I'm trying to "do it properly" I feel like I've stepped back several paces again. I get dispondant though when it sounds crap and it puts me off - not enough discipline I guess.
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