[Guitar] Is this the best way to learn Stevie Ray Vaughan?

I've been playing guitar forever but always stayed away from SRV. He's technically a beast. We all know this. I kind of know the CAGED system so what he's playing is fast but not foreign if you know anything about CAGED and moving up/down the fretboard solo-ing in the pentatonic modes in a specific major/minor key.

But, damn...memorizing all these notes is a PITA! And, to play it the way SRV plays it...which is ultra-fast with raking style picking and lots of bends...is HARD AS F!

I've got the Bar 1 Riff and Bar 2 Riff down as far as memorizing and playing the notes...albeit played slower.

So, anyway...try to wrap your head around this lesson and try not to cry:



HELP ME!

This is supposed to be fun!

 

Here's my technique. If I can hear it and play it in my head, then I can translate it to guitar. If I can't see it and hum it in my head, then I will never be able to play it. That's why SRV is incredibly difficult to me...because I have to be able to know and hum through those notes in my head at some speed. So, all that fancy layout of notes being highlighted and stuff while played at various speeds in the video...is really helpful. I wish that format was around in the 80s and 90s. LOL. But, taking...for example...Bar 1 Riff and playing it at some speed...I have to be able to play and see those notes played in my head. I don't know if all guitarists work that way but I think a lot do. I've seen John Mayer where he basically plays blues licks where he hums the notes and plays the notes he is humming at the same time. That amazes me. That is being in complete tune between your mind and the instrument.

I just want to play the blues, man. I guess I'll have to slow it down. Maybe I should try some riffs from BB King instead. lol

 

Yea...I'm a noodler as well. When you know some scales and shapes, you can noodle. But, these notes that I assume SRV came up with all in such a melodic, free flowing sequence is just astounding. I also know when you break them down into their smaller sections, they become licks that are strung together and easier to digest/learn. Timing is its own thing probably best done with metronome to build up speed of what you are playing until muscle memory kicks in and it becomes second nature.

Even after playing all the years I have, I mostly spent that time just learning songs of bands and guitar players I like. That builds a knowledge in its own. The patterns and shapes start coming out...along with understandings of where notes are on the fretboard, octaves, thirds, fifths, sevenths, diminished, whatever. I have a pretty good grasp of where specific notes lie but it depends on where I am on the fretboard really.

I mostly get off playing along to YouTube videos and such. I like to learn by ear. I like to watch instructional videos like the one above. Learning a song, by ear or Songsterr or whatever, is a challenge and a euphoric payoff when you learn it. I love those moments on guitar.

But, in the end, I think I'm what is condered at the pre-moderate level. I think anyone on the moderate level should be able to go to any note on the fretboard and name it. And, I'm not really into an understanding of a lot of theory...like scale modes (I've dabbled). I need scales work for sure. But, I'm at the point where I can identify a scale in a particular song's solo most of the time and have an "ah hah" moment. I've had a few of those moments over the years. And, I'm getting better at being able to move up and down the fretboard using the five shapes in CAGED with pentatonic. And, that's basically what SRV is doing in that video...with some other notes added.

I understand what you're saying about the rigidity of solos note-for-note. Even Kirk Hammett just stated that he doesn't like to play a solo the same way twice and likes to embellish/improv. Noodling makes a lot of sense if you hit the right notes. And, as Kirk also said just recently, you can hit a wrong note and then hit the right note next...to recover. Kirk was talking about how he wouldn't be playing the new album song solos the same way he recorded them on their tour because he's improvising. It's whatever sounds good and works.

My main band is Rush. Alex Lifeson is the dominator of fluid, melodic, mood solos and atmospheric, organic guitar playing. So, not a bad influence in my book.

 

Yea...my mind is breaking it down into digestible licks (a series of limited notes that have a noted start/end note)....I guess what you are calling phrases. And, then stringing them together.

Some of the stuff you are talking about is over my head but I will look into it as it's probably something holding my playing back.

As far as trying to play fast, I wouldn't dream of trying to match SRV's pace there at the moment. It would be a waste of time. You have to play it right slow before you can play it fast.

I made some decent progress on "Eruption" to where I knew the notes but couldn't pace it right in parts. lol

On the feel part, that's a huge part of it imo. And, when you feel it, the dopamine flows.

Good stuff.

I remember back when I was a teen. I was beginning guitar at around thirteen. About three years later, I went to some party and these two guys had guitars / rigs in a bedroom. I sat down. And, they just started "noodling" together and it was one of the most amazing musical experiences of my life. They were on point and bouncing off each other with their playing. These guys were expert level. That had to feel insane. The music they produced on the fly was like Heaven.

 

On another note, the biggest f-ing problem I have is keeping my PRS in tune...especially the G string. I tried applying that silicon stuff, re-stringing, etc. It has those wing locking tuners. I guess I should take it to a luthier. It's frustrating because sometimes it will stay in tune but a lot of times it won't. At a minimum, I should get it checked right as it's my main axe? I have a strat as well but the neck isn't as comfortable to me. May go back to it. It's got its own tuning problems.

I woke up playing the blues this morning just using those positions and shapes that BB King uses in the other video (like the one above). And, I had it going on. Those was some tears coming out! And, a lot of it was feel in the moment and being fluid.

 

Isn't that pretty much same as recording a guitar solo? A lot of those solos are improvised on the spot and feel-based. Alex Lifeson does it like that. Then, he has to go back and re-learn what he did. But, another player like Vivian Campbell...that guy may have it all planned out before he even attempts it. Not sure but he seems like that. Very technical.

 

Tell me about how you rate yourself on guitar and your ability. Please. Same goes to Spooner. I'm kind in the dark. lol

 

It reminds me of Alex Lifeson”s newer stuff after Rush. Are you his brother? Sounds experimental with a funky vibe. It’s really good. Love the atmosphere and feels very organic.

 

what is your recording rig? I haven’t recorded in a while but, when I did, latency and not hearing exactly what was being recorded were problems for me at times. Should I try the iRig iPad attachment and use GarageBand? Or, whatever. I understand recording practices is part of finding your weak spots and improving in those areas.

one thing i've learned is tactile feel and how high you raise your fingers along with those pressure points when fretting a note or unfretting a note. it's all so subtle and very important to the final sound. as a novice, i would never grasp the importance of that. hence, the practicing with the spider crawl vertically all the way up and down. tough to nail that at high speed or even slow speed!