Can You Consistently Nail Your "Hard" Licks?

[iamdavea]

I probably practice differently from a lot of guys, because I'm not interested in doing a lot of regimented "scale & arpeggio" practice, and I don't do a lot of repetitive licks. I kind of take what I aready know and try to think of new lines, and seeing how far I can extend those lines into new places. What's hard for me might be a breeze to a lot of guys here, but every time I play, I get into that "Wait, I can do that better" mode, where I'm playing the same line and ALMOST nailing it, and occasionally actually nailing it. So, my question--and I DO have one!--is, what's your sort-of "success ratio"; how often do you absolutely nail the tougher things you're trying for? Thanks!

[Mattbedrock]

When I'm playing live with my band, I am trying to cleanly execute the songs. I'm not usually "trying for things", I'm playing the part. I think I cleanly execute 95+% what I am playing. On a bad night, I might donk a lead line or miss a chord.

"Trying for things" more often happens in the context of writing and recording in my studio when I'm developing the parts and the arrangement or when I am practicing on my own and working on new techniques or learning new songs.

[shredtrash]

I have no problem reaching a bit when playing live. For the most part, I hit my difficult passages consistently and I try to stretch a bit when I'm feeling it.

[BadCat]

I can't nail the easy ones.:bonk

[Ziggy AngelDust]

I'm pretty sloppy even on my best night, but there are a lot of parts where I am really at the mercy of the tempo.

[shane88]

yep and fwiw i think the stuff u play live should be a walk in the park - the idea that u struggle to play stuff live isn't something i subscribe too

it's only rock and roll

[cram]

If not in the right state for playing - either cold, my mind is elsewhere or otherwise have brain fart occurring, I can have early indicators while playing that I'm not there yet and I gravitate toward the simple things until I feel better.
We play some covers that have some parts that are challenging for me and I have flubbed them, but again I'd chalk those up to brainfart rather than physically not able to play them.

[Flyin' Brian]

yep and fwiw i think the stuff u play live should be a walk in the park - the idea that u struggle to play stuff live isn't something i subscribe too

it's only rock and roll

Unless it's a written out part or a lick that a song is build around, I totally disagree. First of all what about the jazz, funk, fusion, country guys here?

Jazz guys generally "go for it" all the time. Otherwise it's not improvisational. Anybody can learn licks til they have them down pat and then regurgitate them.

That's not what music is about .. to me anyway. Going for the same lick all the time = BORING.

[GCDEF]

Practice and practice until it becomes committed to muscle memory. I'll just sit with the guitar for a few hours while I watch TV or whatever just repeating the lick or run until I can do it without thinking about it.

[Don A]

Practiced solos usually come off as expected.

Improvised blue solos- anything can happen! If I blow part of a lick, sometimes I'll through it back in later in the solo (played correctly- I hope). Improvised music without mistakes isn't very improvised.

[Phil M]

No. I play live 2-4 times a month and am somewhat erratic when it comes to soloing. Many of my leads are improvised based off a loose framework. Since it's a cover band, some are also by the book (or as close as I can).

I had a pretty 'blah' show this past Friday. Sloppy bends, sloppy picking. My style is more about attack and less about precision but this was even too sloppy for me. We have a break coming up and I plan to clean up the slop during this time. I haven't been practicing nearly enough.

[billm408]

there are a lot of parts where I am really at the mercy of the tempo.

+1. This way when I screw up, I just blame the drummer! :rotflmao

[germs]

i've got about a 80% success rate on harder licks in a cover song.

my personal stuff...there's some licks i've over-written as a challenge to myself to keep pushing the envelope. and when i can't nail them at practice i know it's time to practice them again!

even then, i have to admit that i'm a fairly sloppy player (IMO) and nowhere near as tight as i'd like to be - but then i'm my own worst critic. when i'm onstage i'm more worried about being an entertainer than an automaton...

[thedroid]

When you don't "nail it" do you mean you play a clam that even the audience can hear? Or is it just a bit sloppy? If the latter, playing with feeling should get you through it just fine -- better, in fact, than precise but unfeeling playing.

[iamdavea]

When you don't "nail it" do you mean you play a clam that even the audience can hear? Or is it just a bit sloppy? If the latter, playing with feeling should get you through it just fine -- better, in fact, than precise but unfeeling playing.

When I say "nail it", I mean playing a somewhat complicated and extended line with excellent articulation, feel, and in time. And NOT having that feeling of "almost, but not quite."

[Chas]

Even Les Paul hit a clam every now and again. There is no perfect.

[GCDEF]

The other thing you need to do, and it's pretty hard to explain, is really let yourself relax. Once you practice enough to get it into muscle memory, you almost have to turn your brain off and let your muscles do the work. If you think about it or worry about it, you'll probably tense up and blow it. Just hear the music in your mind as if someone else was playing it, but let it flow out of you. A lot of it just comes from your state of mind when you approach it.

[iamdavea]

The other thing you need to do, and it's pretty hard to explain, is really let yourself relax. Once you practice enough to get it into muscle memory, you almost have to turn your brain off and let your muscles do the work. If you think about it or worry about it, you'll probably tense up and blow it. Just hear the music in your mind as if someone else was playing it, but let it flow out of you. A lot of it just comes from your state of mind when you approach it.

Good advice; I certainly feel like I'm stiff and a little tense in my hands when I'm playing. And certain things I end up doing, picking-wise, are kind of unorthodox, and then I start to pay too much attention to right-hand stuff, and then neither hand is just flowing. What a mess!

[thedroid]

When I say "nail it", I mean playing a somewhat complicated and extended line with excellent articulation, feel, and in time. And NOT having that feeling of "almost, but not quite."

Audiences pick up much more on your mood than on your playing. The average person doesn't walk out saying "Terrible show; his guitar playing just wasn't perfect." They do say, "Terrible show; he seemed nervous," or "Terrible show; he seemed like he didn't want to be up there," or "Terrible show; he seemed bored."

If your "not quite" moments make you feel frustrated or tense, you're better off loosening up and having fun.

[iamdavea]

Oh, I'm having fun--I just wish I was better! It's a good thing I play through headphones, or I'd drive my neighbors nuts--"How many times is he gonna botch that damn phrase already?!?"

[billm408]

The other thing you need to do, and it's pretty hard to explain, is really let yourself relax.

:aok The biggest thing for me. My nemesis has always been Jon Lord's keyboard solo on Highway Star- it's a bitch on guitar. I always knew from the start if the the drummer was playing the song faster than I could keep up through that section. Lately, I've just been enjoying playing the song and not paying attention to the tempo and it sort of flows. The other guitar player's commented on the last few shows how well that solo sounds. Tension is a killer!

[Bankston]

I have this horrible habit of coming up with licks that are hard for me to play well every time.

[scorpio]

The other thing you need to do, and it's pretty hard to explain, is really let yourself relax. Once you practice enough to get it into muscle memory, you almost have to turn your brain off and let your muscles do the work. If you think about it or worry about it, you'll probably tense up and blow it. Just hear the music in your mind as if someone else was playing it, but let it flow out of you. A lot of it just comes from your state of mind when you approach it.


True. My best playing is when I'm relaxed. If I'm tensed up, it doesn't flow. I kind of miss the ganja days! I was always relaxed............