Controlling your ideas

[John A.]

Hi guys. Do you have problems controlling your ideas on the guitar?
Sometimes, I pick up the guitar and feel almost depressed by the sheer
scale of the possibilities on the fretboard. I don't know where to
begin. Does that make sense to anyone? And sometimes I'll be developing
lots of riffs all at once that seem like they could come together into
something really good but I just sort of lack the vision to bring it all
together, so my stuff is fragmented and never quite 'there'. Perhaps I'm
just being impatient. Is this just me (yeah, I admit to being slightly
obsessive/compulsive) or a common experience for people learning
instruments?

Thanks

[christofire]

"John A." <j...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:hd6t9k$6h8$1...@news.eternal-september.org...

I find it helps to record all those little ideas for future reference,
either using notation/TAB or by recording the sound - the former is a lot
easier to 'flip through' later on. I've also found it interesting and
revealing to analyse what the celebs have done in their epics, especially to
relate their solo construction to the chord progression of the song, and to
record notes on this for posterity; many magazine authors do likewise.

In a nutshell: don't worry about controlling your ideas - let them flow
freely - but capture them for later use.

Chris

[Roger Moss]

"John A." <j...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:hd6t9k$6h8$1...@news.eternal-september.org...

Maybe finding another musician with whom you could co-write (or simply play
around with ideas) might help focus things.

Not everyone is self-contained, and no-one said you have to be - but once
you get started with some support you might just turn the corner.

Stick at it, and good luck.

Roger

[Dan]

I tend to make riff tapes on my puta then piece them together at a later
date. Check out my "scruffy" riffs http://www.danranger.com/opentape It
can be trial and error sometimes. Yet other times it just flows ;-)