Been jamming with a backing track

[Twofingerlou]

Hate to toot my own horn and i certainly have a long ways to go. That said im about a month and a half in now with my new guitar instructor. We’ve been in the A minor pentatonic scale and recently working on how to navigate it around the fretboard. He’s coached me on some bending, hammer on, pulls offs ect. I’m still working on the bending which is somewhat of a struggle. He’s been giving me “workouts” as I call it ascending and descending throughout the scale ect.

He told me to sit down and fire up a backing track, and just noddle around in the scale. I did this last night at my buddy’s and hot dog!! I can actually make something sound half azz decent!! Had the strat and 5 watt DSL, my buddy was rather impressed as was I.

I had a thread on looking for a new instructor as some of you may remember and got some great advice. This guy has made guitar fun again for me and not the redundant rut I felt stuck in. I think we kinda click and he’s had fun with it as well. We usually end up sitting around for almost an hour each time now. He’s pretty good at demonstrating then letting take the reins. He even commented on my progress yesterday and said we will keep hacking at it and before long I can impress some people, we will see.

I will say some other people were over last night and another one of my Buddy’s who didn’t know I started lessons said…. Ok what did you start doing because you weren’t doing that a couple months ago.

This feels good my friends, now I just have to find some better sounding licks in A minor.

 

[telleutelleme]

Youtube is a great place to find backing tracks. I use a GDEC30 practice amp to play backing tracks. Over the years I've amassed many. You can find many on Twanger Central here as well. Congrats on your progress and enjoyment.

 

[Twofingerlou]

Youtube is a great place to find backing tracks. I use a GDEC30 practice amp to play backing tracks. Over the years I've amassed many. You can find many on Twanger Central here as well. Congrats on your progress and enjoyment.

Thanks! YouTube is we’re I was cruising and was really digging this one.

 

[tap4154]

I love using YouTube backing tracks. Here's a nice Slow Blues in A I like to use. By the way, your instructor probably told you, but if you're bending up with your ring finger, use your middle finger behind it to help you. Don't try to bend it with just one finger, use both fingers. It'll give you much more control, and then you can begin doing vibrato.

 

[Twofingerlou]

I love using YouTube backing tracks. Here's a nice Slow Blues in A I like to use. By the way, your instructor probably told you, but if you're bending up with your third finger, use your middle finger behind it to help you. Don't try to bend it with just one finger, use both fingers. It'll give you much more control, and then you can begin doing vibrato.

Yep he told me to use two or three fingers if I can to bend it up. I can do fairly well bending it up but I kinda fumble and lose it coming back down.

I’ll check out that track I haven’t seen that one yet, thanks!

 

[tap4154]

Yep he told me to use two or three fingers if I can to bend it up. I can do fairly well bending it up but I kinda fumble and lose it coming back down.

I’ll check out that track I haven’t seen that one yet, thanks!

Just practice bending up to pitch so it's in tune, and then practice going down a half step, and up again, and down again, and eventually you'll get some really good control. In fact pre-bends are a very effective tool as well. You pre-bend the note before you hit it, then release slowly. But you need to get a feel for where you begin the pre-bend. Lots of fun, keep at it!

 

[Twofingerlou]

Just practice bending up to pitch so it's in tune, and then practice going down a half step, and up again, and down again, and eventually you'll get some really good control. In fact pre-bends are a very effective tool as well. You pre-bend the note before you hit it, then release slowly. But you need to get a feel for where you begin the pre-bend. Lots of fun, keep at it!

Yep I was pretty willy nilly with the bending then he broke it down better and explained hitting the next note in the bend ect. We haven’t dove into pre bending yet.

 

[tap4154]

Yep I was pretty willy nilly with the bending then he broke it down better and explained hitting the next note in the bend ect. We haven’t dove into pre bending yet.

You'll get it. Playing guitar is a lifelong journey, that's one thing I love about it. You're always learning new things.

Try something like putting your index finger on the second string at the 7th fret, and put your ring finger on the third string on the 9th fret. Then bend the third string ( with the assistance of your middle finger behind it) until it matches the note on the second string. That's a one step bend. Once you can do it, then hit both strings at the same time when you bend.

 

[DanglingNutslots]

Hate to toot my own horn and i certainly have a long ways to go. That said im about a month and a half in now with my new guitar instructor. We’ve been in the A minor pentatonic scale and recently working on how to navigate it around the fretboard. He’s coached me on some bending, hammer on, pulls offs ect. I’m still working on the bending which is somewhat of a struggle. He’s been giving me “workouts” as I call it ascending and descending throughout the scale ect.

He told me to sit down and fire up a backing track, and just noddle around in the scale. I did this last night at my buddy’s and hot dog!! I can actually make something sound half azz decent!! Had the strat and 5 watt DSL, my buddy was rather impressed as was I.

I had a thread on looking for a new instructor as some of you may remember and got some great advice. This guy has made guitar fun again for me and not the redundant rut I felt stuck in. I think we kinda click and he’s had fun with it as well. We usually end up sitting around for almost an hour each time now. He’s pretty good at demonstrating then letting take the reins. He even commented on my progress yesterday and said we will keep hacking at it and before long I can impress some people, we will see.

I will say some other people were over last night and another one of my Buddy’s who didn’t know I started lessons said…. Ok what did you start doing because you weren’t doing that a couple months ago.

This feels good my friends, now I just have to find some better sounding licks in A minor.

Just wait ‘till you find out the same patterns work for all keys. They just start at different points.