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Millie Imber

Millie Imber

Campfire Attention Holder 17 From UK
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Learning the Fretboard - 1st Position!

Didn't originally plan on uploading this as I started recording stuff this morning just to document my own progress. However, I figured it'd probably help my motivation to put it out there and want to improve on it later! Apologies in advance for my background, rambling, etc. So here we go, me learning the absolute basics, which @[5:@Jak Angelescu] encouraged me to do after one of my vids on Instagram! My next goal is to revisit my Kakariko Village cover thing on my Instagram and learn all of the notes the chords use, so I can gain a better understanding of what I'm doing! I'll also most likely be going back to the CAGED system stuff with this as well! Hopefully this will give me enough to do when I take small breaks from trying to sweep!
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Millie Imber

Millie Imber

Campfire Attention Holder 17 From UK
Messages
89
Media
38
Reaction score
608
XP
1703
Achievements
9
Level
14
5
Tracks Completed
29
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0
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7
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  • Millie Imber
    So I found a lot of my old guitar videos recently, and figured that while I haven't gone crazy in learning new things (I'm planning to go ham on it once I'm out of my last month of college! :eek:🤩) I know for sure that I've certainly improved on a lot of the songs I do know, since I use a lot of them as just general guitar practice and warmups. So I think I'll do a little improvement/before-and-after video, if anything just to show myself how far I've come when I first thought those songs were hard!
    Millie Imber
    Got my contest entry solo down!! I'm SO excited to finally share with you the full thing I've been working on! Unfortunately the full video is a bit long with me talking at the end, but the solo itself is within the first five minutes! I'm just so proud of myself for writing something that I'm really happy with and being able to pull it off!!
    Millie Imber
    So progress on my contest entry is somewhat happening! I made a backing track and sorted both the intro and outro (ish), but I have no idea how to get everything else to work! I have a slight idea where I've broken down the piece into around 5 parts (Including intro+outro), and I want the middle piece of it all to be a chilled out part, which I have rough ideas for, but the other two? Yeah, they just don't wanna work. Gonna have to try figure those out over the next few days :ROFLMAO:
    Millie Imber
    So part of me is still unsure of trying to some sweeping for the contest, fearing that I won't make enough progress to showcase. I'll keep trying regardless, but that being said though, I have no idea what other technique I could pick up if it just doesn't work out. I still really struggle with improv and can't quite figure out how to make one sound good, and I struggle to write my own material otherwise that I could demonstrate anything in. I just don't know where to start and feel like I keep getting stuck in the same place. Any ideas? I apologise for this sort of thing being a reoccurring theme with me right around now.
    Millie Imber
    Once again, I'm seriously struggling with sweeping, specifically Not Ready to Die. I feel like I've tried everything - Changing pick, changing picking angle, pulling off on the first note, trying to make it one fluid motion, everything. But no matter what I do, it just doesn't seem to work. I'm seriously failing at muting strings as well, which really doesn't help. It's driving me crazy, I wanted to do some sweeps for the contest but I'm doubting I'll be able to. I'm just not sure what to do. Any ideas? Or should I just move onto something else? Have I bitten off more than I can deal with?
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    Dominik Gräber
    Dominik Gräber
    After some years of trying it's only now that I feel I somehow progress with my sweeping. It is a weird thing to learn because you have to pay attention to so many things at once. Finger placement, hand synchronisation, fluid motion, right hand muting... and it differs from your normal way of playing. So I'd say, it takes time, don't get frustrated and look for other things to work on parallel so when you had enough of one thing for a day you can go to the other.

    I would also encourage you to do a video about sweeping for the contest. You always focus so much on working on your weak points and work so hard and it shows in your videos. That's exactly the spirit that we all love to see here!
    William Byerley
    William Byerley
    It's good you work on sweeps, not trying to discourage.
    Millie Imber
    Millie Imber
    Thank you guys, I really appreciate hearing from ya. I think a big problem is I'm still trying to rush and get it done now. From what I'm hearing, a lot of people have been working on it for a long time before they finally get it down, and I gotta be more patient with myself. I think I'll still try to do some form of sweeping work for the contest, and in the meantime work on some more basics as I really need to go back lol. Thank you again! :)
    Millie Imber
    Recorded another set of attempts for Heretic after spending a bit of time on it today, only to realise you can't see my fretting hand for like, the most important part and the audio track is louder than my guitar at the end. Oh well, still shows progress I guess? Vid up shortly! XD
    Millie Imber
    So there's the slightest chance I may have just figured out my sweep picking for Not Ready To Die. Had a quick mess around while setting some stuff up, and I thought I'd give it a quick go with a smaller pick and a much looser grip. It felt much better, not perfect still but better. Sad thing is it's too late at night to record or try it properly with the amp, so that's a thing on this list for tomorrow along with Heretic!
    Millie Imber
    Recording a vid on the CAGED system today (briefly stepping away from the Scales so I don't burn myself out!) but beforehand I thought I'd warm up by running through a few songs (With me mum, funnily enough). Mostly just looked up chords, but I found there were a few songs had listened to but didn't know the chords to, and yet I was quickly able to just figure it out by ear! I know that's not exactly special, but I thought I'd share since it's something I know I'll find really useful when just jamming out with others!
    Millie Imber
    So, I've been back to playing this week after recovering, and the one thing that's been really getting me is that, no matter what I do, I STILL cannot get any sort of comfortable pick position. I'm not gonna lie, it's really disheartening because I feel like I should be able to sort out such a basic fundamental step, but I just can't figure it out. I either scratch my knuckles on strings, strain my hand, or the pick just doesn't flow. I have no idea what to do. I've had people try to show me, and I just can't get it. Does anyone know what I can do? Am I overthinking it? Please help 😅
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    Millie Imber
    Millie Imber
    Andrew - I've got the Syn Custom S, so a Floyd Rose (Sorry, only just seen this!)
    Jak Angelescu
    Jak Angelescu
    OOOOHHHHkay, I'll try the best I can. This may be a little long. I actually talked with my guitar teacher (yes Bill everyone in the world knows him now :ROFLMAO:) and I actually spent about 20 minutes of my lesson time talking to him about this. Papa Gates' lesson is VERY essential because it really helps you learn how to hold a pick that makes certain techniques easier and it takes strain of your wrist. HOWEVER, Bill informed me that Kiko Loureiro and James Hetfield hold their pick for RHYTHM playing the way I use to (thumb, middle, index). But when they go to play lead, they switch to Papa Gates mode. If you were to see how John Petrucci holds his pick you would think that guy is destined for carpal tunnel.
    Jak Angelescu
    Jak Angelescu
    In summary, this is what I learned from Bill. It's like holding a pencil to write. Everyone has a different way they hold the pencil, but they also have different ways of how they write. If you hate that your handwriting is sloppy even after months and months of practice, change how you're holding your pencil (aka pick in this case). Change it up, feel around. It could even be your actual pick itself that makes that grip awkward or uncomfortable.
    I literally took about four months of nonstop, headbashing practice to get comfortable with mine. You just kind of have to get use to it and "fall off the bike a thousand times". Have you considered uploading a video of how you hold it? Anyway, I hope ANY of this helps!
    Millie Imber
    Had so many plans of things to work on, especially scales stuff, but this week my body has apparently decided we're not doing that. Gutted. Hopefully should recover soon so I don't lose progress again!
    Millie Imber
    Very excited today - I've attempted my first improv solo jam thing using one of the lessons here! It's a bit of a mess for a 'first' go (and I say that because I re-recorded it like 50 times XD), but considering I just kinda went for it after learning the scale, I'm pretty pleased with this first step! Video shortly!
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    Ed Seith
    Ed Seith
    Learning how to improv is perhaps the messiest but most rewarding part of playing for some of us. I've stuck with it at the expense of a lot of other things that I'm only now getting to. Enjoy it, and I look forward to your vid!
    Millie Imber
    Millie Imber
    It really is! I never attempted it before because I want things to be absolutely perfect, but I feel like this will really help me to get better with that, and I really enjoyed just messing around with notes and finding what worked!
    Lindsey
    Lindsey
    That’s awesome. It doesn’t matter how many times you redo it, as long as it feels good to you.
    Millie Imber
    I GOT IT!! After taking a rest for a few hours since my fingers were gonna fall off, I wanted to give that damn sweep one more go before I start on scales, and it just clicked!! Things feel smooth, things sound smooth!! Might record a very short video to show the progress! It's amazing what a small break and a clear mind can do after forever of just missing the mark!
    Millie Imber
    So, been grinding away at getting that sweeping right this morning. At first, I got pretty disheartened - No matter what, I just couldn't get it down how I wanted. I tried everything. Eventually, I think it started to click. Time for a break, and then finally gonna work on some scales and see if I can create my first lick (And maybe try shove some sweeps in there for good measure)!
    Millie Imber
    Finally uploading a new riff - It's Not Ready To Die..again. Alternate title could be, "Why you shouldn't slack for nearly 2 months." Been crazy busy doing all sorts lately, so this is long overdue, and boy does it show. Lesson learnt... again. :p
    Millie Imber
    So, I'm trying to get this fingerpicking stuff down, but I've kinda hit a wall. My college music teacher has strongly suggested I change my picking hand position so that I don't rest my wrist on the bridge area and instead have it floating, but no matter what I try, I cannot get it into the right position and be able to play, I have to have it in the position I showed in my fingerstyle video from lat month. Any ideas?
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    Brian Haner Sr.
    Brian Haner Sr.
    Hard to get a good, rich tone when you rest your hand or wrist on the bridge. Floating is the "proper" way, but is a fairly advanced move that takes time to get comfortable with. Resting the pinky is a popular fix to keep your hand stable, get a better tone, and keep from unnecessary strain.
    NONE of this is easy. It takes time. The more you do it, the better you'll get. If you have a college-level teacher, I would definitely listen to him/her.
    The harder the work - the bigger the payoff!
    Cheers!
    pg
    Millie Imber
    Millie Imber
    Thank you all so much for your advice! I've been giving it a good go all day (with a few breaks once I got a bit frustrated and needed time to clear my head and come back fresh) and while it's proving really tough to break out of my old habit, I think I'm making some progress! When I think I got it right, it sounded much better, but I'm noticing I'm straining my arm a bit, so more work is definitely needed. I'm not quite sure how people manage to rest their pinky fingers on the body, I can't reach that far at all XD
    Thanks again!
    Kim
    Kim
    I had the same thing, i used to rest my pinky on guitar and changed that few months ago and in same time i also changed the way i hold my pick, it was difficult for few days, but now i really like that i changed it. What i did was practising some songs with i already knew how to play and were not too hard for me, with the new method. I tried with my picking hand closed (so i could not rest my pinky there automaticly)
    Good luck with changing it, when you do i think you are really happy you changed it
    Millie Imber
    So finally getting back into things today, and I have discovered I hate extended chords. Of course, it just means I need to spend more time practising, working out finger positions, building a bit of strength in some fingers and getting better at barring in places, but right now it's not in my good books XD
    Millie Imber
    So what I'm supposed to be doing is working on Extended Chords or Romance De Amour... but my brain's decided we're doing the solo for Tears of a Clown by Iron Maiden instead. Love that song beyond words.
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