Sitting easy blues

Clem

Blues Newbie
OK , I've played this at least 20 times or more, and still sounds like hen pecking. I was wondering, if anyone else suffers from reading tab and especially when it comes to chords and melody. Seems I can do one or the other, but not both. How many times does one have to play a simple song like this before is gels?
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
OK , I've played this at least 20 times or more, and still sounds like hen pecking. I was wondering, if anyone else suffers from reading tab and especially when it comes to chords and melody. Seems I can do one or the other, but not both. How many times does one have to play a simple song like this before is gels?

The key is memorization. Memorize the parts, play along with Griff and put away the tab.
 

Clem

Blues Newbie
ok, Ive seen lots of posts referring to the same thing as I search back. That is my new plan to memorize.
thanks
 

ChrisGSP

Blues Journeyman
Clement, 20 times is just a start. I usually set up the Playalong track (i.e. play along with Griff) in VLC Media player and set it to loop. Then I just fire it up and play along as many times as I can, mistakes and all, just keep playing. Never taking my hands off the guitar.
THEN, I put the Jam track following the playalong, still in VLC, still looping. And go through it all many times again - but this time I'm on my own every second time through.
When you start out you'll be reading the TAB, but sooner or later you'll find that you don't need to look at it. By that stage you should be able to "hear" the piece in your head - you'll have an earworm and it won't go away.
 

Clem

Blues Newbie
spending several hours with it , and I thought, for sure I can get this. I make my own songs in a few hours from scratch, and they sound ok. reading someone else's music is a totally different deal. But I get the point, I have to play it many many times over. thanks
 

LVincent

Blues Newbie
I have to admit, this one's giving me a bit of fits, too. Have printed out the page, as Griff suggests, and taking it slow.
 

Jim Laney

The Dabbler
for Practice, slower is faster to acquisition! If you're practicing mistakes you'll be able to repeat these every time you play the piece. -so I'm told.
 

ChuckAbernathy

Blues Newbie
Going down this path myself! Great suggestions! Love the loop feature and playing along with Griff, but found that my computer I am using has some lag and throws me off playing along! I have to find a better solution to be able to use the loop feature to play along!
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Going down this path myself! Great suggestions! Love the loop feature and playing along with Griff, but found that my computer I am using has some lag and throws me off playing along! I have to find a better solution to be able to use the loop feature to play along!

Have you tried downloading the video or audio and using a program on your computer to loop them? (Song Surgeon and Video Surgeon work well and there are also some free ones out there too, but you might have to do some searching & testing)
 

Elwood

Blues
OK , I've played this at least 20 times or more
It sounds like you are doing the same as many of the rest of us. It is not unusual for me to run through a tune 20 times or more before I realize I either don't like it anymore or I have no chance of playing anything close to what I was hoping to hear. Really.
Lesson stuff...enjoy the process. Quit counting reps unless you are trying to establish a habit. Instead record yourself playing ol sittin easy. Keep playing for a week and record it again. You should hear improvement on some aspect of your lesson, you probably did not ace it yet, that's OK (I am not that fast). Embrace the improvement and use it to fuel the coming week's efforts.
Don't forget to just grab that guitar and give it hell sometimes too, try to have fun and don't measure or compare. Then even if you feel like you aren't improving you might just surprise yourself and play some stuff you like just because you can. That is when the improvement feels good to me.
(caveat - this coming from a hack player and an admitted lousy student - but one who treasures his guitar time)
 

ChuckAbernathy

Blues Newbie
Have you tried downloading the video or audio and using a program on your computer to loop them? (Song Surgeon and Video Surgeon work well and there are also some free ones out there too, but you might have to do some searching & testing)
This lesson does not have a download for that lesson, but does have a MP3 version which seems to play fine without lagging! Thanks!
 
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