The new guitarist in our band...

[guitarsjb]

...is kickin my ass.
He's VERY good, (we play death metal), and I'm forced to catch up!!
I'm not complaining. I've learned a LOT in the last 3 weeks!! The band practices 2x per week, and now him and I get together one night a week just to work on guitar. Write and hone new riffs, and honestly, give me a lesson or two.

I'm really inspired. It's really been awhile since I've been "excited" about playing guitar. I love it, don't get me wrong, but I seemed to be at a plateau and played the same things over and over. Now, it's a whole new world again, and I'm stoked!!

Has a new band member ever breathed life into your playing like this before??

[VitaminG]

that's great, Jeri!

Unfortunately, I'm the best guitarist in my band (not that that says much).

Lately I've been buying a bit of learning material, trying to get something going on with my playing. It's helping, but what has me really jazzed lately has been exposure to better players. A friend had a big production launch at his store yesterday (now carrying Fender, Gretsch & JACKSON!!) and spending a couple of hours there listening to some smoking guitarists demoing instruments has left me feeling pretty inspired. Seeing what an otherwise regular guy is capable of on guitar helps me believe that I could do it too.

[markD]

VERY cool, and yes, i have had band members that have inspired me again. my current bass player is like that. he took lessons from jeff berlin and plays like billy sheean, BUT holds down to root exceptionally well. we have started writing new stuff, and it is awesome to have a straight ahead rock song that breaks into odd timed jazz patterens in the middle. things like that have helped me play in a whole different way.

i play more like a fusion player now with my leads instead of just being a rock guy. i played a lot like michael schenker before, now i am like scott henderson or brett garsed (sp?). it is cool because from a jazz solo in 13/16 time the song will go back to 4/4, change the key and tempo ALL at the same time. i really had to stretch myself to be able to play it. now when we play live, it is no big deal. it is great seeing the look on all the "metal" faces!!! sure they are doing their sweeps and shredding, but to move in and out of odd times with varying tempos causes them to stare like confused chimps!!!!

[thetroy]

I've always heard that you should strive to jam with people who are better than you or at least know things that you don't.

I jammed a few times last month with 2 guys who are into Rush, Return To Forever, and that kind of fusion and prog stuff. Keeping up with them and adding my own stuff was HARD. I definitely learned a few things even if I'm not really into that style of music.

[lerxstcat]

See Jeri, this is the silver lining in the cloud of losing other band members. You got a good one there and it's re-energized your love of the guitar. That's awesome.

I really admire the way you have always soldiered right on when you lost band members. That perseverance is really a great quality and you should be given max kudos for that. So, max kudos!

[xxxcreaturexxx]

Lol things went the opposite for me. We decided to go back to one guitarist (me) and things seem to be going great. Music is sounding much tighter and I'm loving it!!

Pete

[Cenk]

I kicked everyone from the band , except myself And i stopped playing a bit ago... That's uncool

[emperor_black]

Has a new band member ever breathed life into your playing like this before??

First of all, congrats on finding the right guy! I'm in my first band. I've been playing for almost 5 years now. the other guitarist who recruited me has been playing for over 15 years. So, yes, I'm learning a LOT from him. He's been writing all the songs so far and has been encouraging me to come up with one of my own. For the first time, I'm trying to come up with something new rather than mimick someone's playing. And its HARD to come up with the simplest riffs and yet sound original.