Home › Forums › Beginner Guitar Discussions › Finding it hard to get the groove
- This topic has 13 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 6 months ago by Buzzy G.
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July 25, 2020 at 12:45 pm #183511
Hi guys I have been a member for 3 months now , love everything here and I try my hand at most lessons I normally slow things down to my own pace ,which is slow but I can’t speed up or get the groove for some reason .
It there anything I can do to improve my groove, a lesson ,a technique A plan to do this .
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July 25, 2020 at 12:59 pm #183513
I struggle with this as well. I’ve had success with two exercises: 1) practicing grabbing a chord, or doing chord changes, as many as I can do cleanly in 30 or 60 seconds; 2) practicing with a metronome.
best,
Jeff -
July 25, 2020 at 1:10 pm #183516
hi frank are you counting your notes ? So do you divide a bar into the individual beats?
best wishes
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July 25, 2020 at 1:12 pm #183517
Hi Frank,
I think I know exactly what you mean because I have similar struggles. What works for me the best is very simple – daily practice (of the particular song/lesson). So once I have memorized the lesson, I play it a few times every day. I find trouble spots and focus on those a little bit more, break them down, slow down and let the fingers “memorize them” by playing it over and over. Once the muscle memory kicks in then you can speed up.
Play the song every day until you think you are doing good. Then record yourself playing it – that’s the exam, to see if you pass it. The chances are you won’t 😉 This is the point where I find more trouble spots and realize that I need to practice it much more than I thought. I go through this every month while getting ready for the monthly challenge submission, for the last 3 years 🙂🎸JoLa
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July 25, 2020 at 1:14 pm #183519
I don’t do any thing really I just follow what Brian says I just can’t get the feel, the beat I get all the notes my fingers left Hand works but I just do t feel it frustration come to mind
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July 25, 2020 at 1:22 pm #183520
Someday I am going to enter the monthly challenge that is my goal I mean that, honestly, I will stay here until I have achieved it .maybe sometime away Heck one needs a reason to succeed ……
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July 25, 2020 at 2:10 pm #183525
Just slow it all down Frank, all the other stuff like speed and vibrato will follow once you have memory of where the notes are and dont have to think about playing them…
It takes its own good time though, so just slow everything right down and you will make progress …..Billy..
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July 25, 2020 at 2:20 pm #183526
Thanks billy,and JoLa,mr ink I understand but it’s sooo frustrating I know what I need to do,slow down ,check the score that Brian puts up ,one measure at a time. Good lord when do I learn to play blues ……”arrrgh. I play chords basic songs just to relieve the frustration … lol
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July 25, 2020 at 3:56 pm #183527
Are you talking about speed or tempo? To me, “in the groove” means tempo, not speed. I heard BB King say in an interview, “I can’t play fast like some of those boys, so I just try to get the most I can out of every note.” Likewise, I have never heard a single AM member who didn’t want to learn to play faster…including our teacher, Brian. But on those fast licks in some of Brian’s lessons, I can’t – and never will be – able to play those as fast as Brian. But who cares? They sound just as good when I play them slower.
As for tempo, since the dawn of time humans have learned to move their body in time with the music to stay on tempo. Have you ever seen a drummer who sits perfectly still and plays the drums? That’s why most guitarists tap their foot while playing. If your music room has carpet on the floor, you could make one of these:
Sunjamr Steve
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July 25, 2020 at 4:13 pm #183528
Thanks I suppose it just down to timing I know but I want to feel the tempo I want to feel the rhythm , as learning what Brian is teaching I play slow so I am not getting that ,can’t think of a discribtion of what I am trying to do, that feeling, that flutter in the heart, I know it is there, playing slow is just not getting me there , I know it takes time to get there but it’s the journey I suppose that makes it all worth while
Thank
Frank -
July 25, 2020 at 6:59 pm #183530
Hi Franky,
Could it be that you are trying to run before you can walk? It is common to every one of us who has ever wanted to take up guitar!
Jola and Billy have hit the nail on the head. What makes it all sound so good is the relative fluency and you cannot put that out until your fingers know exactly how across the tune. Thus the precise and slow practice drills them into creating the sound of all the licks etc so that you are then able to connect them fluently relative to each and the whole. Your brain calls up as you play and the tune and the speed of play back will then naturally assemble and increase with your dexterity. So go cautiously slow until you make no errors and then build the speed.
I think it becomes apparent that if one lick is uncertain it may well throw the whole out unless you can re pick up by dropping back right on Que and that comes with total familiarity of the approaching licks.
I hope that adds something of a sensible explanation for where most of us have been and continue to stumble every now and again.
JohnStrat
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July 25, 2020 at 8:48 pm #183535
Just listening to the audio of the lesson that you want to learn can help you develop the ear for the groove. Repetition will achieve that. When you know it well in your head then you can start playing parts of it at random.
The ear will develop over time from exposure to listening to the beat. -
July 26, 2020 at 3:06 am #183544
Thanks guys for all your advice I am sure I will get there ,well I will get there I ain’t giving up
Frank -
October 4, 2020 at 12:53 pm #194262
Hi Frank,
I have two exercises that might help anyone working on rhythm
First – Put Down Your Guitar! – And Practice Hand Tapping – using your strumming hand, just listen to a recorded song that you like and tap the rhythm through the entire song, and see if you can stay on tempo. Repeat this as a regular practice, doing the same song several times, then different songs. Then after you can do this, try rhythm variations like double time, 1/2 time, or adding fills or flourishes like a drummer would (probably better with 2 hands).
Second – Pick Up Your Guitar – And Practice Rhythm Only – rest your fretting hand lightly over all the strings to Mute them, listen to a recording and strum the rhythm as suggested in the first exercise.
After you’ve got your strumming hand working then you can work on coordinating with your fretting hand. If that is a challenge, then work on changing between two chord shapes (without strumming) just one to another, over and over – And Over, until you’ve got it smooth. Repeat with two other chord shapes you find challenging to move between…Rinse and Repeat as they say 🙂
Gradually over a few weeks this should help with your rhythm.
Hope this helps.
G
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