Note speed

sdbrit68

sdbrit68

Student Of The Blues
Been practicing speed, thought I was getting pretty good, then looked up what is considered slow, average and fast

Luckily Guitar World had an article on it. So I thought a consistent 100 notes a minute, hitting most of them clean was pretty good, apparently, I am not even average....WTF ?

Theres all these guys saying they play 400BPM, then to add insult to injury I did more reading

2011 John Taylor played flight of the bumblebee at 600bpm
Taylor Sterling 999 BPM

Then a kid comes along at 1300, then this guy.........................yeah, its not music, but wow

 
JPsuff

JPsuff

Blackstar Artist
Here's an excerpt from an interview with David Gilmour from Guitarworld.com:

Gilmour admits a great love of the blues, but says that the key to his playing is his melodic sense. "Yes, there's a lot of the blues in my playing. When I was young, I actually sat down and learned many of the classic blues solos by Eric [Clapton] and Hendrix as well as studying old Howlin' Wolf records. But I don't consciously delve into that area now. Blues lines as such are fairly specific.

"It's like, you've got a series of things that you can put together in different combinations but there aren't that many moves you can make. Instead, I try to approach things, given my limitations and strengths, from a more melodic standpoint and just work on it until it sounds ... nice. I don't really have any plan in hand that helps me to deal with this. I try not to be too tied down by rules and regulations. So the blues influence may come out at times but I like to think I come at it from a different angle.

Weaknesses?

"Well, I can't really play fast, per se. Not like so many players today. I don't have a very disciplined approach to practicing or anything, but I do tend to have a guitar around most of the time, which I strum on most of the day. But about once a year I have sort of an attack of a guilty conscience about my abilities, so then I'll sit and run through a couple of scales. But generally, I'm not too ambitious about that sort of thing. I just tend to strap on the guitar in the studio and do something crazy.

“Again, I don't have a very precise method of doing anything. I'm sorry ... I feel like I'm being awfully vague about all this, but that's the way I am. I just play intuitively and work the same way in the studio. I don't have any magical effects or anything that helps me to get my particular sound. It's all very hard to explain. I just keep fiddling with the little knobs on different boxes until it sounds right to me.

"I like to approach every track and every solo I do with an open mind. I don't really have any kind of general philosophy of playing, I don't think. And to be honest with you, I can't really remember how I achieved certain sounds in the studio. I don't really approach anything with any great plan, except that I work on the sound until it sounds right to me ... forgetting instantly afterwards how on earth it was done."
​
That pretty much sums up my personal take playing and if it's good enough for Gilmour, it's good enough for me.
 
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sdbrit68

sdbrit68

Student Of The Blues
JPsuff said:
Here's an excerpt from an interview with David Gilmour from Guitarworld.com:

I feel like I'm being awfully vague about all this, but that's the way I am. I just play intuitively and work the same way in the studio. I don't have any magical effects or anything that helps me to get my particular sound. It's all very hard to explain. I just keep fiddling with the little knobs on different boxes until it sounds right to me.

.​
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Its funny, I hear these guys in many interviews
"I never took lessons, I was just self taught"
"I never learned any scales"
"I just play natural"

And the first thing I think, BS. Its like they say all this garbage to add mystique like they are some kind of special prodigy. Heck, I put in a lot of work, they did too, be proud of it. Yeah, Gilmour may play "intuitively", but that intuition is based on how many years of song writing, playing , using different gear and guitars ?

There is nothing intuitive, its all learned behavior and experience, yeah, he probably plays without thinking now, just like songs you and I have played 100 times, we dont really think anymore, we can enjoy the music.

For me, a good 80's Billy Squier "Lonely is the NIght" I can play the rhythm and order pizza at the same time​
 
JPsuff

JPsuff

Blackstar Artist
sdbrit68 said:

Its funny, I hear these guys in many interviews
"I never took lessons, I was just self taught"
"I never learned any scales"
"I just play natural"

And the first thing I think, BS. Its like they say all this garbage to add mystique like they are some kind of special prodigy. Heck, I put in a lot of work, they did too, be proud of it. Yeah, Gilmour may play "intuitively", but that intuition is based on how many years of song writing, playing , using different gear and guitars ?

There is nothing intuitive, its all learned behavior and experience, yeah, he probably plays without thinking now, just like songs you and I have played 100 times, we dont really think anymore, we can enjoy the music.

For me, a good 80's Billy Squier "Lonely is the NIght" I can play the rhythm and order pizza at the same time​
Click to expand...

I dunno...I don't think that's so hard to believe.

I mean, I look at myself and though I have a lot to learn, I am constantly surprised by what I can do having never taken a lesson or seriously practiced anything in particular.

I think it boils down to genetics. Some people are just wired that way.
Back in my studio days myself and my friends generally held the opinion that there's a difference between a musician and someone who simply learns to play an instrument.
I've known many people who can read the notes and find them on the instrument but lacked the sense of swing or groove that makes a player a player.
 
Many Moons

Many Moons

Biking+Blues=Bliss
JPsuff said:
But YOU, my friend, have Gilmour nailed!
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I think 'nailed' is a bit strong JP, but thanks.
That excerpt you posted above was very interesting, as that is how I work out my lead breaks. I will be playing something and suddenly think, oh that's nice, and then I work on it to find out what I'm actually playing. I am actually beginning to understand where the licks are coming from now. (after having BGU for over 10 yrs it's about time):rolleyes::ROFLMAO: Sometimes the notes I use don't fall into the major or minor boxes so they're obviously from some of the modes, which I haven't remotely grasped yet, but they sound nice so I include them anyway.
 
Paleo

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Mark,

Don't get sucked into the abyss.

The subsequent discussion has nothing to do with your original post. o_O
 
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JPsuff

JPsuff

Blackstar Artist
Many Moons said:
I think 'nailed' is a bit strong JP, but thanks.
That excerpt you posted above was very interesting, as that is how I work out my lead breaks. I will be playing something and suddenly think, oh that's nice, and then I work on it to find out what I'm actually playing. I am actually beginning to understand where the licks are coming from now. (after having BGU for over 10 yrs it's about time):rolleyes::ROFLMAO: Sometimes the notes I use don't fall into the major or minor boxes so they're obviously from some of the modes, which I haven't remotely grasped yet, but they sound nice so I include them anyway.
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I agree and especially with your comment about including the unknown note(s).
Understanding what something is or how it fits into a concept is certainly a good thing but not always a necessary thing.

I have stumbled upon sounds, boxes and even chord fingerings completely by accident which often result in many "Aha!" moments. Each time that happens I learn more about how things are connected without necessarily studying them in any dedicated way and I think that's what makes it more fun and creative.

To circle back to the OP, I look at speed the same way. If what I hear in my head requires some dexterity or facility I do not yet possess, I find ways to work on that which are not necessarily in the form of some "Zero-to-Sixty" kind of thing.

Quite often instead of trying to immediately acquire the necessary speed for a particular track, I will try to find something similar but at a slower pace.
It's a concept or a style I'm looking for rather than a note-for-note copy.

Over time, I gradually develop not just the overall speed I'm after but an understanding of how I created that speed and with that knowledge - how to refine it and adapt it in many different ways to many styles of music instead of just learning to play a lick or phrase at so many BPM for a given tune.

For example, I have developed a collection of fast licks that I learned from playing to Hair Band backing tracks or to Fusion Jazz tracks that have now become so natural that I can use them on demand, in whole or in part in a Blues tune without even thinking about it.
To me that's a lot more valuable and useful because it's speed that developed through exploration instead of thinking about speed as a destination.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth. :cool:
 
PapaRaptor

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
david moon said:
getting back to the speed thing- 120 beats per minute is 2 beats per second, which is a pretty moderate tempo.
The Internet tells me Blind Faith "In the Presence of the Lord " is 120 bpm.
Here's an online metronome at 120 bps.
Some tabs online say The House is Rockin: is 175 bpm
and here's a metronome at 175 bpm.
Click to expand...

Any members with AAP or a copy of Griff's Ultimate Blues Jam Tracks Bonus Tracks can find Jumping and Wailing, which trucks along at a leisurely 211 beats per minute.
 
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