Let's Pump Up The Jams!

[Josh Lightner]

Ok so I started today off by thinking maybe this whole thing was a bit over my head and I want to say that I made a huge mistake by not posting a riff. Now that it is done, I feel a lot better about it actually. Speaking strictly on a personal level I can say that it’s the fellow students that make this what it is. @jak you are right there are a ton of people who are strictly here for the A7X aspect and that is fine but there are others who are here to learn as well, I am so glad I posted on this thread today. This has to be the best community ever created, to have peers that want each other to succeed? That’s nearly unheard of these days.
Jak and everyone else on this thread- thank you for pushing me to do what I didn’t know I could.

 

[Dan Shipway]

I agree, many people (including myself) want to learn A7X straight away and I think that is good in a way, I think its good in the sense that everyone is aspiring to play certiain songs which gives people the drive to practice.
Personally I do this so I can takle tricky techniques in the context of a song because in my case I get a huge sense of achievement and enjoyment from being able to play along to songs.
The other side of me thinks this may be a downfall as you are only using the skills to play a song instead of looking at the bigger picture. I tend to take runs and turn them into exercises as it helps with playing the song but also with technique and I feel it is a good method to learn. To each their own non the less, what works for me may not for others.

 

[Jak Angelescu]

@JoshLightner you are completely welcomed! It was so amazing to watch your video because in that video I saw a student not only step on another milestone, but conquer it. As someone who is ALSO a lover of pop punk, I look forward to other stuff you cover and/or write!!

 

[Lauren Morales]

I tend to do the same thing. I will take different licks and techniques from songs that I have learned and incorporate them into my own guitar playing. With the skills that I am learning from being apart of this school I have seen improvement in my playing.

 

[Jak Angelescu]

If you do decide to upload a video, let me know somehow so I can check it out

 

[Calvin Phillips]

I’ll tell you tho when I jam on the weekend I usually stream it on a website. I think its streetjelly.com. I keep forgetting to mention it but you just need a camera and you can stream online people come and go but no one really says anything. Atleast not anything discouraging. kind of the same atmosphere as here. Some of you should check it out.

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Dan, I was like that once. All I wanted to do was learn A7X. Didn’t go very well at all. Then I had an issue with my guitar and it needed repairs so I didn’t have it for a month or two. So I downloaded guitar pro and started tabbing my own songs. Then I just tried to learn the songs that I wrote. I still am changing stuff up in those same songs 10 years later lol
I actually haven’t really played an A7X song in years. Maybe unholy for jokes. I found A7X way too advanced for me to play off the bat, so I started playing motley crue songs. it’ll be fun to eventually go back and relearn all those songs again the real way.

 

[Dan Shipway]

I love to learn a7x but most of my time is spent practising lead over backing tracks(Mainly Phrygian and Phrygian dominant for the vibe) and I find that using what syn does helps hugely because( at least for me) when I learn a7x I do it for fun but if I am trying to improve I never play covers unless there is a tricky run.
Don’t let difficulty put you off because failure and downfalls are part of playing guitar. I was on a plateau, as other players call it, and I made no progress but you gotta keep sticking to it because it pays off massively.

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Honestly never play over back tracks. I just write songs and play them. lol I’ve noticed too that my more recent songs are much better put together, and they kind of blow my mind. But I’m not ready to release those ones just yet. Cause they aren’t even close to finished. But yeah, I spend more time writing songs then I do just jamming over back tracks. This place should do wonders in pushing me there. I have to learn that lesson for this weeks back track so I may not get one up in time but it’ll be up before the weekends over I hope. Maybe seeing some of what others do will inspire me to pick up the guitar after work cause im in the middle of a 12 day stretch. Sometimes its hard to pick up the guitar after a hard day at work.

 

[Dan Shipway]

That is a good point, I often use backing tracks just to get some ideas out that I can use in my own songs and to get a vibe for a song and get into a groove. I have written a few ideas but they just need developing .

 

[Kirstin Deal]

I agree. I also want to thank you for believing in all of us and having as much faith in us as you do. It really means a lot to us, and we appreciate you so SO much. Thanks so much, Jak!