-
No desire to solo
Hello Folks. I am new to TAC. I am excited. However, I see a lot of content about playing solos and I have absolutely NO DESIRE to play solos. None. I have no fantasies about shredding on stage to screaming fans.
I want to play along with myself when I sing, play with my band mates in the praise band at church and I want to learn to play fingerstyle as well as strumming, and finger picking.
Do I need to do the lessons on solo playing? Will I be missing anything important by skipping them?
-
7 Replies
-
There are certainly skills you get by doing the improv challenge each week. For me it’s learning the fretboard, improving my sense of timing, and pick accuracy. These skills will translate to being a better guitar player even if I never solo.
You can certainly skip any lesson you want, but I would encourage you to try it each week as it will help with your overall journey in the end.
-
Solo or no, I would advise against skipping lessons because it’s just 10 minutes but over time you will find you become better all around. Your goal sounds similar to mine which is to enjoy community through music with others at church or a campfire or family gathering. There are a diversity of materials presented in challenges and the exposure to them accumulates. You don’t need to master the style that is presented. Just give it your 10 minutes and trust the process. (And have fun.)
-
I encourage you to keep playing even on the improv day. Really, Tony could have called it “scale day,” but that wouldn’t sound as fun. You will miss some important theory and technique by not playing on Wednesdays. That being said I doubt many of us have any inclination to stand on stage and shred a solo. Just enjoy the ride and have fun!
-
Thanks for taking the time to give me your opinions. I appreciate it.
-
-
Hi Lollyt: I pile on with everybody else. You will advance in your desire area of play faster when you do the Scale/Improv lesson. What is actually happening?… the training of your ear and connecting that knowledge to your fingers. The nutshell here: listening training, Kinesthetic Awareness, mental process of connecting your ears to your fingers, speeding up your ability to instinctively recognize the chord changes and tonality (understanding and differentiating minor and major tonality), amazing opportunity to work rhythm. I find it has overlap value enhancing my speaking communication as well. Of course it is up to you but If getting to your desired destination is a priority this will speed your arrival.
-
@lottyt, to my mind, to quote Marcus Aurelius (forgive the “man” focus), “A man never steps into the same river twice.” This quote means that experience and time modify everything, which I have found to be meaningful. There are types of guitar that I don’t enjoy as much as others, but having said that, knowing the other types or options will make you a better player in your church group. I applaud you for your service to your church. Enjoy the journey you choose.
-
Thank you everyone for the advice. I will try to be patient and do everything that comes my way in the lessons. I do actually want to learn to play guitar and not just memorize chord shapes. So. Thanks.
Log in to reply.