I have been playing seriously for about a year now, most of my practicing being from classical guitar, and when it comes to some classical pieces I can play when I study them but for some reason when I try to learn rock songs everything I know goes out the window and I cant seem to learn songs. I can learn and understand techniques, methods, etc. but applying them to improvising or learning songs i want to learn I really struggle. Any advice?
Struggling to learn songs, help?
- Thread starter MasonTheWZRD
- Start date
The best way of learning how to improvise is simply by doing it a lot. I used to have a guitar teacher(and still kinda do but just dont see him as much) and it always was pretty much like he has a chord progression and you can use this scale to solo over it. Go and play and solo. Than he would give me tips. You could do the same. Try to find some backingtracks on youtube or something and record yourself improvising over it and than I think all of us would be glad to help!
As for learning songs. What kinda songs are you trying to learn? Maybe they are simply a bit too hard for you right now
As for learning songs. What kinda songs are you trying to learn? Maybe they are simply a bit too hard for you right now
As Ids says, what kind of songs are you trying to learn?
When I learn rock songs or metal songs, I usually take a piece of the music, learn it slowly with a metronome on. like 50% of the speed of the actual song, so its dead slow. If thats still too fast, then take it down in speed some more. Play it at that speed until you know the riff. Sometimes its best to go 2 bars at a time and just piece them together slowly. Once you have it down, up it by 10% so from 50 to 60, once you have it down. then up it again 10% until you are finally able to play it at 100%.
Dont worry if you cant get it at 100% today, if you can play it at 50% today, then maybe tomorrow 60% is achieveable. so just keep at it.
When I learn rock songs or metal songs, I usually take a piece of the music, learn it slowly with a metronome on. like 50% of the speed of the actual song, so its dead slow. If thats still too fast, then take it down in speed some more. Play it at that speed until you know the riff. Sometimes its best to go 2 bars at a time and just piece them together slowly. Once you have it down, up it by 10% so from 50 to 60, once you have it down. then up it again 10% until you are finally able to play it at 100%.
Dont worry if you cant get it at 100% today, if you can play it at 50% today, then maybe tomorrow 60% is achieveable. so just keep at it.
I just like trying to learn basic rock songs that have nothing really complicated. For example I’ve been trying to learn holiday by Green Day and it is not going my way for some reason. I wouldn’t even dare start a complicated song, I just try to find basic songs that just have say power chords to work on my rhythm and to work on remembering a song.
Put the track on a loop from the last repeat of the chorus into the bridge section, and keep playing it that until you get it right a few times, then go back and try from the beginning of the song.
It also helps sometimes to make an arrangement chart.
Intro 2x
Verse 4x
Chorus 2x
Verse 4x
Chorus 4x
Bridge 3x
Solo (chorus 4x)
Chorus 8x
End
Something like that as a cheat sheet can help until you get the whole thing down.
It also helps sometimes to make an arrangement chart.
Intro 2x
Verse 4x
Chorus 2x
Verse 4x
Chorus 4x
Bridge 3x
Solo (chorus 4x)
Chorus 8x
End
Something like that as a cheat sheet can help until you get the whole thing down.
Ids, I have a question about your improv tip: if I were to have a small chord progression on repeat (C, G, Em), do I/is it advisable to follow either the root note (C) or scales of each chord as they approach OR could I just come up with something that sounds like it fits? This is something I’ve somewhat struggled with, never having a creative mind (granted I only know the shapes of the D Major scale, working on note positions). If it helps, the individuals who inspire me most are Tremonti, Vai, Vivaldi, etc.
People’s styles i’m most familiar with is probably Syn, John Mayer, Blues guys and a bit of Django Reinhardt so I can’t really help you with your inspirations that much.
For a chord proressions like C, G, Em there are some things you can do. You can use all the notes that make up the chords(root and color tones) and occasionally throw in some minor and major sevenths. I usually pick a scale that has all the notes in it and go from there you can go with either the C major scale or C lydian.
If you get that you can try to find scales which actually have the notes you need for each chord (which changes the mode you’re using and gives you a lot of options, im still figuring out how to exactly do this) but first try to just stick to the two scales I mentioned that might be easier at first.
Coming up with something that fits is also fine it just can be a bit harder at times
and remember to always have some melodic thing going on don’t just go up and down a scale
For a chord proressions like C, G, Em there are some things you can do. You can use all the notes that make up the chords(root and color tones) and occasionally throw in some minor and major sevenths. I usually pick a scale that has all the notes in it and go from there you can go with either the C major scale or C lydian.
If you get that you can try to find scales which actually have the notes you need for each chord (which changes the mode you’re using and gives you a lot of options, im still figuring out how to exactly do this) but first try to just stick to the two scales I mentioned that might be easier at first.
Coming up with something that fits is also fine it just can be a bit harder at times
and remember to always have some melodic thing going on don’t just go up and down a scaleSimilar threads
