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Old 08-27-2017, 05:26 PM   #1 (permalink)
RJDG14
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Join Date: Jun 2015
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Default How can I improve my guitar playing?

I've owned an electric guitar for over 3 years, however I don't think my skill has improved a lot even though I practise for a few hours over the course of each week. My style comprises of power chords and strumming (almost in a way reminiscent of the late 80s Wedding Present stuff, with a tendency for the strumming to speed up at the end of a sequence), plus individual strings of chords played in a sequence, since I find this is more melodic than some experimental guitar solo, plus it's way easier. Normally I use a distortion pedal with a small amount of reverb, which creates a slightly jangly distorted tone similar to the old Mission of Burma material. I actually kind of like the way I sound but I still feel I'm not very good and that I'm a little out of sync at times (despite some people I don't know personally saying they found my stuff interesting) and I also can't think of anyone else that sounds exactly like me on the guitar. I have no idea how to play solos or anything that doesn't involve basic chords.

Not for song critique purposes, but for reference to give you an idea of how my guitar playing sounds, here are a handful of awful demos of original songs that I made between 2014 and now:

Victim Of The Modern World (2017)

Hours Division (2017)

Dublin Skies (2014)

I don't want to sound like Yngwie Malmsteen, since it would take a lot of practise and I don't even find him enjoyable - in other words it's money for nothing.

One thing I've found is that I find using a guitar pick gives a very scratchy sound, and so I strum with my index finger and pick out strings with my thumb, which works fine for my playing style.

I really don't know why I sound the way I sound (most people, even players of a similar ability level, sound different) and why I struggle emulating other styles, even after 3 years. Can people please critique my existing guitar style and more importantly suggest ways that I can/should improve.

Last edited by RJDG14; 08-27-2017 at 05:43 PM.
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