I am giving up playing metal...

[Thor Von Clemson]

At least for the time being. Lately I have been all thumbs when it comes to playing anything metal. My hands just don't do what they used to do. I am going to focus more on learning Jazz and Blues. I feel like that is where my heart is, and for some reason whenever I try to play either of those two or something mellow, my fingers magically work again. I was focusing so much on writing metal tunes and putting a band together. After a year of writing and searching for members, I sat down last night came to the conclusion that I am just not into it anymore. I still listen to it, but I guess I need to take a break. I am getting married in 114 days as well as working on my house.


So can anyone recommend any good Jazz instructional vids? I found one by Robert Conti that seems pretty good. I can take my sweet old time, relax, and enjoy playing the guitar.

Also, has anyone gone through anything like this before? Long hair and spikes and chains are cool and all, but I think it is time for me to move on to something else...

[Endrik]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

welcome to the club [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

First get a Miles Davis "Bitches Brew" album, it's the jazz "bible". Try to figure out all those trumpet, keyboard etc. licks and melodies and apply them to your guitar, I promise, you start seeing things like you've never before.

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

I know all about giving up. check out the old Jazz books in Sam Ash or Guitar Center. There is great stuff on Johnny Smith, Scott Henderson, Tommy Tedesco, Tal Farlow, all kinds of cats that make listening and learning a pleasure.
There are more players to study than stars in the sky.

[Thor Von Clemson]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

I'm basically just looking for a dvd or vhs in more of a lesson type format. I am a much more visual learner, and the combination of seeing that they are doing and hearing it at the same time helps me pick things up pretty quickly. Since I do not know theory, I dare not take lessons. All the purist teachers around here would have heart attacks when they found out I can not read music.

[Endrik]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

Al Di Meola and Frank Gambale vids are good.

A little tip, try to use chromatic runs everywhere, if you GET IT, then everything you do sounds like jazz.

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

if your hands can't do metal chances are they won't do DiMeola either [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

that's afact-lol. I know little theory, I played by ear, eye, and memory, and it all just came together. If I took the time to learn theory, I may have been a really good player.

[Endrik]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

[ QUOTE ]
if your hands can't do metal chances are they won't do DiMeola either [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

that's a good point because jazz is way harder than metal

[Annah]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

Hey Gold, Heck yeah, I've gone through that. I don't seem to care much for writing metal stuff anymore after 22 years of that being mostly what I played. Maybe it's something to do with being almost 40, maybe it's just time to move on, I dunno. But I did what you're doing and find Jazz really intriguing for it's complexity and theory.

Lately I've been playing keys a lot and recently bought a Novation X-Station synth/controller/audio machine. Talk about friggin amazing! I have set it up to control Nuendo (it has transport and fader controls built-in). It makes killer synth sounds, and has two excellent audio inputs... all into USB! So now I'm writing some trancy/new-agy/neo-classical/jazz/metal-type stuff! It has really opened up my musical world a lot and has helped me get out of the rut I was in.

Anyways... I empathize with ya!

[donf]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

[ QUOTE ]
Lately I've been playing keys a lot and recently bought a Novation X-Station synth/controller/audio machine. Talk about friggin amazing! I have set it up to control Nuendo (it has transport and fader controls built-in). It makes killer synth sounds, and has two excellent audio inputs... all into USB! So now I'm writing some trancy/new-agy/neo-classical/jazz/metal-type stuff! It has really opened up my musical world a lot and has helped me get out of the rut I was in

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm with you on that Annah. I just purchased a keyboard, and Alesis Qs6 for midi applications into my home studio and I, all of the sudden got into this keyboard playing mode. Feels good, cause I get that kid feeling like I want to rush home right after work and play, just like I did when I first started learning guitar. Stirred up my interest again.

[MBreinin]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

I have always played blues based stuff. Hell, I only know one scale!!

When I add a ton of distortion, it becomes "metal".

The blues is the base of it all, all emotion can be found there.

Mike

[pro-fusion]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

My favorite jazz is the modal period of the '60s, leading into the free jazz and fusion eras, and the thing I love about all of those eras is that there is so much more freedom for the soloists than during the be-bop era of the '50s. Be-bop is incredibly complex harmonically, but the form is so restrictive that I don't much enjoy trying to solo over that stuff. That includes all of the chord-melody stuff that the guitar guys like Tal Farlow and Barney Kessel did.

In reality, you can play any scale or mode over any chord progression, and it's simply a question of the effect you are going for. Learn to love creative dissonance!

[FusionFarmer]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

[ QUOTE ]
I have always played blues based stuff. Hell, I only know one scale!!

When I add a ton of distortion, it becomes "metal".

The blues is the base of it all, all emotion can be found there.

Mike

[/ QUOTE ]

You might want to work on blues pentatonic based material. and work into more complicated stuff from there.

[Big D]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

I'm not good at jazz or "metal" which is just fine because what I really like playing is all blues pentatonic based stuff like Angus, Blackmore, or Nugent would have done.

But ummm, good luck with the Jazz efforts! Post some clips of yourself when you make some progress...

[hippietim]

Re: I am giving up playing metal...

The hardest part about playing jazz is the thinking not the technique (although the technique is nothing to sneeze at either). Playing something sensible over some of those fucking chord changes is *HARD*.