Discipline  |
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|  I've had my eye on a couple of B.C. Rich guitars that I really like, so today I stopped in to the guitar shop where I get my strings and stuff looking to sell my 12 string Ibanez and leave with a new B.C. Rich. The 12 string is a fine guitar but not as much fun as I thought it would be when I bought it, I rarely play it.
The shop owner was out and one of his instructors was running the shop. He took my guitar and gave me a receipt so I could leave it for the owner to appraise and make an offer. Then we got to talking about guitars and I told him I had my eye on a couple of the B.C. Rich guitars. He asked why I wouldn't rather have a Fender or a Martin and I explained that while they are fine instruments, they are pricey and I personally feel you are paying more for the name. Yeah okay, I'm cheap!
He asked what I liked about the B.C. Rich guitars and we discussed it for a while and I asked him if he liked to do hammer ons and pull offs. He grinned wide and said of course. I grabbed one of the least expensive B.C. Rich guitars, model Bronze, and we hooked it up to an amp. For the next hour and a half we took turns playing and discussing music. It was a wonderful time.
I have always considered myself a less than accomplished guitarist because unlike other folks, I know very little of other artists music. What I play is mostly compositions I have come up with using what I've learned over the years. I would say I wrote them myself but I can't translate guitar music to sheet music like I can with the keyboard and piano.
I can read music but cannot apply it to the guitar unless it is written in tablature. I can write tablature but rarely do as the music is in my head. I also don't really know the names of the chords I play which became evident as he asked me what chords I used to play a certain piece and I had to say I had no idea, I just played them! I replayed it for him and learned that particular piece uses an E chord for the root.
Remember, I was playing with a guitar instructor and when he first picked the guitar up, I was impressed at how easily he played songs I knew from Stevie Ray Vaughn and Van Halen. He played Eddie Van Halen's Eruption correctly which is a feat in itself. I commented that I was impressed by his playing and he looked surprised and told me that I had impressed him. As we talked more I began to understand the ability I have and why I don't feel accomplished. Lack of discipline!
He explained that as an instructor, he had to learn new songs so he could teach his students. He would spend hours with the music and a guitar to get it right. Discipline! I on the other hand, pick up a guitar and follow my heart, playing what I feel. I have music books but I rarely look at them unless I really want to learn a specific piece of music. As a result, when given the opportunity to play with others, I feel less accomplished because what I play is not easily recognizeable to others unless I start playing classic rock which I know quite a bit of.
I left the guitar shop with two things today. A new amp with built in effects like foot pedals which we had been playing on and a better understanding of my musical ability. I need to have discipline to overcome what I feel is my shortcoming so after I post this, I am going to look up the music for a song and learn it. I want to incorporate at least 15 minutes a day of learning a new song into my daily playing sessions. Perhaps the next time I get a chance to play with an accomplished guitarist, I will not feel inadequate.
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1.  liranlgo (2887)
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5 years ago
| |  I really enjoyed what you wrote here sk, i think that those two things that you got today are twp presents, and i really hope that you will continue and use them.
Those are the things that gives us the strength to continue when things are at the stage that they are not that easy.
I know that i wrote all of my life, but i always wrote when i liked to and how i liked, and when i got to the university, my teachers taught me the same two things that this instructor gave you today.
I can not say that i really liked practicing different writing techniques and writing at least an hour each day, but eventually those are the things that really help me develop. I am so glad that you had this wonderful experience today.
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 SKSOUTH (391)
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5 years ago
| | Thanks so much. I think the knowledge I gained today will be invaluable to me. In addition to learning new music, I will also be developing new skills which other musicians use to make their music. | | | |
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| 2. UDDERONES (749)
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5 years ago
| |  Sounds like you had a nice time there. Congradulations on picking up a new amp. I hope you can continue the goal you set out to accomplish.
Keep us posted on your learnings etc. I would love to hear how you are coming along.
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| SKSOUTH (391)
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5 years ago
| | Thanks, the neww amp is a Crate GTX15 and while it is not as powerful as my Marshall it has an effects switch which is just like having 6 or 8 different pedals including 3 levels of delay, 4 levels of reverb, 2 levels of flange, 2 levels of chorus, T wah and I wah, doubler and one called rotating speaker which is a combination of flange and chorus.
For a quick sample of my playing, go to my profile here on mylot and click on the sunset picture, it will open a new window at my website, The Artists Den. At the very bottom of the home page is a youtube player with a short animation I put together using my guitar playing in the background. The piece is a blues funk mix and I call it oddly enough "Funk Thang". Let me know what you think! | | | |
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| 3. jillhill (17687)
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5 years ago
| |  Good for you! I am a writer and I need disipline too so I don't get distracted by company or other things I would rather be doing, so I know what you mean. HOpe you get it down pat as it sounds like music is your passion and that is what will make you a success!
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| SKSOUTH (391)
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5 years ago
| | LOL, Hi Jill. Actually, it might surprise you to know that I am a writer also and music is just one of my creative outlets. If you look through my topics, you will find several topics which I write about childhood days. These topics are actually condensed versions of the chapters of my newest book "Campaign at Fort Stix" I also have several novels and other books I am working to get published. It's a longo tello but if you visit my profile here, click on my Artists Den logo, sunset picture, it will open a new window at my website. Here you will find the first chapter of my novel "Roadkill" which is about a disenfranchised drug interdiction officer and also the first chapter of "The StoryTeller" which is a book of short stories wrapped in an autobifictionary. What's an autobifictionary? Well read my intro at the Den and you will understand. Also, my site is open to all artists so feel free to share synopsis, poems or samples of your writing as I have categories for everything including journalism! | | | |
| hoghoney (2405)
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5 years ago
| |  come join the fun JillHill. you will like it at his Den.
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| jillhill (17687)
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5 years ago
| | I will do that!!!! | | | |
| SKSOUTH (391)
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5 years ago
| | Thanks for the vote of confidence Hoghoney! And welcome Jill, I saw your new membership at the Den and also your link which I will be checking out when I get home from work today! Glad you could join us! You might also look on my homepage for the link to Hoghoney's Mud Pen! There's always something interesting happening there too! | | | |
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| 4. hoghoney (2405)
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5 years ago
| | you should never feel inadequate about anything you do. From the first day that I met you I learned that you are a man with great vision and that your mind is filled with so much knowleage. But as with anything, a person must have great discipline to acheive the things that are in our heart. I believe that you have accomplished more in your life then what you think you have and that in its self is great discipline. you just follow you heart and everything else will fall into place. and never forget that you are just as good as the next person. | | | | | | |
| SKSOUTH (391)
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5 years ago
| | Thank you Hoghoney, you have always been a good friend. I have done a lot, there's no doubt about that but there's still a lot I want to do! Just gotta keep trucking! LOL | | | |
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| 5. mummymo (11642)
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5 years ago
| |  I think that you should have more confidence in yourself my friend - I bet that you are really good! I like your idea about discipline and I hope you get to grips with reading the music for the guitar sweets - I am sure that you can do anything that you set your mind to - and that in no time at all you will be reading music and playing virtually any song on your guitar! I think I should take note of your idea and apply it to myself but I am afraid I do not have the concentration at the moment! xxx
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| SKSOUTH (391)
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5 years ago
| | Thanks Mummymo, I know I have the ability to learn to do anything I want, it's the discipline to make myself focus that seems to be lacking sometimes. I will endeavor to focus! | | | |
| mummymo (11642)
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5 years ago
| | I know self-discipline is a hard one SK but if anyone can do it you can - I am sure of that! What song have you decided to teach yourself first! xxx | | | |
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| 6. GardenGerty (35296)
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5 years ago
| |  I think a real instructor, a person with a real teaching spirit, is able to discern talent and nurture it by positive input. I think you met a man with a teaching spirit, not just a teacher who teaches as a job. He recognized and commented on your talent, and gave you the insight and determination to do even better than you already do. He took you from where you are, musically, and started you on a little more difficult path. If your friend had lectured you, and told you all about what you were doing wrong, or told you he thought you were undisciplined, you might not have listened. It sounds like he recognized the innate ability you have and motivated you to cultivate it, and gave you something to strive for. I am sure it also was a good time for him, because your enthusiasm makes you fun to be around. Now I know what you will be doing until those flood waters all settle down.
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| SKSOUTH (391)
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5 years ago
| | Hi Gerty! You are absolutely right! He was a great guy, in his 20's but very knowledgeable and skilled but what really struck me about him was his discipline which prompted this discussion. IN addition to the time I spent playing with him yesterday, I played for about another four hours on the new amplifier and did dedicate some time to learning more. You are right, between my writing and music I am able to keep my mind off the fishing which is poorly right now. | | | |
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| 7. HighReed1 (881)
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5 years ago
| | I have listened to you play. You should NEVER feel inadequate! You have your own style. That isn't an inadequacy, that is imagination!
I think you should feel very good about an instructor telling you that you are good. He is a trained professional, after all.
I would like to play like Liberace, but it's never going to happen. | | | | | | |
| SKSOUTH (391)
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5 years ago
| | Thank you Baby, yes he did make me feel good but he also made me want to be even better. Someday I would like to be able to play like Ynvie Malmstein or Joe Satriani! | | | |
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8.  xfahctor (7620)
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5 years ago
| |  As musicians, we are all our own worst critics. It is the curse of the craft. I beat myself up daily on it even though I know deep down Im a pretty decent musician. I tend to set the bar intentionaly high for myself because it pushes me to be better. This is probably the main reason I took such a liking to bands like dream theater. I like writing and playing with that little something extra.
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| SKSOUTH (391)
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5 years ago
| | I agree, I am my own worst critic even though I have written some music that makes experienced musicians stop and listen. But I learned from the experience that my playing is more structured than I thought, I need now to learn the names and notes of the scales I play, learn the chords names and then engage in a little more intense structured training. I'm sure you also went through the times when you played simple scales over and over and over slowly at first and progressing until you reached where you wanted to be. For me the time has come to seriously learn the dorian scales, arpeggios and other functions of the greatest music.
I am also going to start learning at least one classical song because the structure of that music is disciplined and leads to so much more! Good luck to you and keep playing! | | | |
| xfahctor (7620)
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5 years ago
| | lol, bach taught me everything I need to know about guitar...very influential. I don't know jack about theory. can't read a note of music and wouldnt know a dorian scale (at least by name) if it bit me in the arse. | | | |
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| 9. xfahctor (7620)
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5 years ago
| | by the way, good pick on the guitar, I hate fenders personaly. | | | | | | |
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| 10. oneandonemakesix (23975)
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5 years ago
| | I really enjoyed your posting to.
You can do anything that you set your mind to if you want to do it bad enough.
I know many people who can play hte guitar but not know anything about reading music.
I can read music, but I find the guitar harder to master, as I'm used ot instruments like flute, and I'm more able to teach myself clarinet, more than guitar,
I guess to guitar, I need determination like you.
Mooch | | | | | | |
| SKSOUTH (391)
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5 years ago
| | Hi Mooch! Determination is truly a key factor and I think I got that since I have been working at getting better on the guitar since I was 11. Wow, that's 30 years! Someday, I hope to be almost as good as I want to be! | | | |
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