The Reconstruction of Mark as a Guitarist.
So I've been in this mode lately. No regular gigs, I constantly have a guitar in my hands but I never have time to practice. Then I DO have a gig and struggle with my playing, my gear, whatever. When I was gigging 2-4 times a week this was never a problem...I was always "warmed up" and in the moment. Now that I teach, run a business, have 2 kids etc. I probably play guitar more but practice and "play" less. I always feel rusty and unmusical.
The above picture was from a show I did a Cerritos College last month...I think that the look on my face says it all. My favorite amp was blown up, I didn't have time to practice that day and my voice was wrecked from being sick. It was kind of a catalyst for what I am doing now.
What I have decided to do is to "deconstruct" my playing and try to break habits, gear fetishes (more on that later) and rework my technique. My band "The Metropolitans" is jettisoning its entire catalog and we're working up an entire Classic Rock/Dance Music repertoire that I'm trying to learn note for note. This endeavor is a little difficult for me in that I've been playing many of these songs for years in different arrangements or we put songs together on gigs and never REALLY learned them. So I am having to work against 15-20 years worth of habits in that arena, too.....
Technique-wise I am really working on my alternate picking...I have always been a quick player when it comes to playing legato but now I want to really improve my right hand technique to match. This has been my biggest change...it involves reworking how my right hand wrist moves and trying to regain some flexibility that I had lost due to injury. I actually recorded a solo last night for a Recordingfest entry on my forum and while the solo wasn't the most musical thing I've done it actually showed me some improvement already in some of my right hand technique.
As far as "Gear Fetishism", its really about only feeling comfortable with certain guitars, amps, pedals, or tones. I am trying to use as much of my gear in as many different combinations as I can and have the unifying factor be my ears and my hands. People always argue about whether or not "Tone is in the Hands"...I think that if you play long enough you have what you want to sound like in your head and you use your hands and ears to get that sound with whatever you have at your disposal....the gear gives you some variety but the basic tone is in you. I've fallen into the habit of only being comfortable with my current gigging rig and I'm just getting tired of my current sound. Its a good sound, but I'm burnt on it. I also want to be a bit more flexible in my gear preferences.
So some of my blog is going to be notes on my progress...most of my students think that you get to my point as a player (especially if you are teaching or gigging for a living) and you are done learning but I think the opposite is true. You just find new things to learn or fix
The above picture was from a show I did a Cerritos College last month...I think that the look on my face says it all. My favorite amp was blown up, I didn't have time to practice that day and my voice was wrecked from being sick. It was kind of a catalyst for what I am doing now.
What I have decided to do is to "deconstruct" my playing and try to break habits, gear fetishes (more on that later) and rework my technique. My band "The Metropolitans" is jettisoning its entire catalog and we're working up an entire Classic Rock/Dance Music repertoire that I'm trying to learn note for note. This endeavor is a little difficult for me in that I've been playing many of these songs for years in different arrangements or we put songs together on gigs and never REALLY learned them. So I am having to work against 15-20 years worth of habits in that arena, too.....
Technique-wise I am really working on my alternate picking...I have always been a quick player when it comes to playing legato but now I want to really improve my right hand technique to match. This has been my biggest change...it involves reworking how my right hand wrist moves and trying to regain some flexibility that I had lost due to injury. I actually recorded a solo last night for a Recordingfest entry on my forum and while the solo wasn't the most musical thing I've done it actually showed me some improvement already in some of my right hand technique.
As far as "Gear Fetishism", its really about only feeling comfortable with certain guitars, amps, pedals, or tones. I am trying to use as much of my gear in as many different combinations as I can and have the unifying factor be my ears and my hands. People always argue about whether or not "Tone is in the Hands"...I think that if you play long enough you have what you want to sound like in your head and you use your hands and ears to get that sound with whatever you have at your disposal....the gear gives you some variety but the basic tone is in you. I've fallen into the habit of only being comfortable with my current gigging rig and I'm just getting tired of my current sound. Its a good sound, but I'm burnt on it. I also want to be a bit more flexible in my gear preferences.
So some of my blog is going to be notes on my progress...most of my students think that you get to my point as a player (especially if you are teaching or gigging for a living) and you are done learning but I think the opposite is true. You just find new things to learn or fix
Mark,
I know exactly what you are talking about! I've been there (recently). It's a weird place to be after so many years of playing but ultimately I think it allows you to grow in a completely new direction that you otherwise wouldn't have gone. It did for me at least.
Looking forward to following your journey!
Charlie
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What is funny is that you are one of the guys I've played with who always played great but was always looking to further improve his playing....what have you changed? Its been a few years since I've heard you....
btw your "Protege" Tyler has turned into quite a good drummer...
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It's kind of weird, because of the studio and teaching at Musicians Institute I have been playing a ton but have felt very disconnected from my instrument. To me it felt like I was just going through the motions. Playing a lot but not getting any better or finding a lot of joy.
One of the first things I did was, like you, change my set up. Had to shake it up a little bit.
I also decided to follow through with some things I have been trying to work on for a while now. For some reason my motivation to work on things that didn't have an immediate impact on my playing was lost. I knew it would help me in the long (6 months to a year) run and would even make me play more music but that just didn't seem to matter. I would work on it for a few weeks and then it would fizzle and die. Very frustrating.
I have also been playing a lot of keyboards lately and I must say it's very refreshing. Not only has my writing become much better buy I also look at the drums in an entirely new light.
It's alll a work in progress. I'm still not completely out of the rut but I am trying each day to get a little better. If I have any epiphanies I'll let you know.
Glad to hear that Tyler is doing well. He's a good kid and a good drummer!
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Wow...we are in similar places.
I got caught up in the grind of running the studio, having a family and for a few years playing 150 or so cover band gigs a year....I was seriously burnt.
I quit the cover band, didn't do much with Felt and tried to get caught up on life, but my playing really deteriorated. Now I'm at the point where I'm excited to learn again, excited to play music but I just need to shoehorn the time into my crazy schedule...I think I can do it.
I think its all part of getting to our present (middle) age and dealing with how life changes around us...when we were in our 20's and had no responsibilities to anyone but ourselves this was a lot easier. Now I have an incredible family life (which was missing for me as a kid) and some economic stability (which also missing in my 20's) but the guitar became a tool to earn a living more than a musical instrument for many years...I'm starting to get some of the excitement of being a musician back again...
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Hey Mark. This is cool. Very similar to what I was doing when I started my blog two years ago. I wish you success.
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Your blog is actually where some of my inspiration for the whole venture came from!
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Wow I Also Felt The Need To Further My Goals I Havent Reached ( Why ) Havent i Reached Them Is Because like Everyone I Know That I Havent Set Down
And Think About Where To Go
I Spent A Alot Of Time
Shareing New Things To Others So That
Their ( Practice Routines ) Had Something To Challeng Them Weekly Or Monthly Now The Well Is Dry
Also Recovering From Lung Cancer Has Damaged My left Arm And Shoulder Thats My Freting Hand What Im Doing About it
Is i Took Up Drumming.
This Should Be
Excellent Therpy im Hopeing It will Also Change The Way My Rhythm Playing Is Into Something Differnt And Fresh
My Gear Has Changed Over The Years Too Many Times Pedals / Rack / Pedals ect I Belive Many New Things will Come In 2010 Good luck With Your Goals Too
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It does get to be a bit much as you play and teach all day but run out of your own energy...
I learned to play drums at an early age and it has always been a great help for my guitar playing. Even having to play during our performance classes here in the studio on a regular basis really stretches my rhythmic skills...last night I had to play "Freeway Jam" by Jeff Beck in our Fusion class and it nearly killed me
I see that Dan Jacobs from Atreyu is one of the instructors on your site...I was his very first guitar teacher when he was younger and then in 2005 we did a few lessons while he was home between tours....I haven't seen him in a while but please tell him that I said "Hello"!
Thanks
Mark
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I Will Mark Im Sure He Has Not Forgotten what You Have Tought Him
Thanks For Replying Mark
Keep Jamming
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