Rocksmith 2014

I guess i should start this post by wishing everybody a happy new year.

I love playing guitar, I am not very good at it but i do try. I did take lessons for about 6 months but found them very expensive and difficult to practise what was been taught between lessons due to other commitments.
I am now using Rocksmith 2014 on my PS3 to teach me how to play. This is not a perfect method by any means but it fits in with what I am able to do and it makes learning fun. I am sure many traditionalists would say you cant learn guitar like that but I beg to differ. Sure, your probably better off with professional tuition but this just isn't appropriate for everyone.
Rocksmith allows me to learn the basics of playing guitar. Its teaches everything from scales, chords, bends, slides, harmonics, how to improvise and jam with a band to learning well known songs and much more.

I have been learning "R U Mine" by the Arctic Monkeys for a couple of weeks now and though it is not perfect I think it is coming along nicely. Please excuse the sound quality, this was recorded through my phone and the sound quality from the television isn't fantastic.

My New Guitar

I have had my new guitar for a couple of weeks now so feel now is time to report on it. I could video myself playing it like Slash but I am just not that good. I will do, I just haven't got round to videoing yet. My Schecter Damien Elite 6 arrived in perfect condition and the finish in just stunning.
I bought this guitar so that I may play in Drop D tuning when the mood arises without having to faff about with my Floyd Rose guitar. I have yet to go in to Drop D... That figures!

The guitar sounds amazing playing both clean bright to dark grunting groans. This is the first time I have played a guitar with active pick ups and I have to say I like them a lot. Because I am no guitar genius I like the simplicity in this guitar. It has no coil tap and has a single tone and volume control. my other guitar has a coil tap, two tone controls and a volume control to contend with which I found confusing at times.

I love the strings been strung through the body, not only does it look good but I occasionally like to pick the strings before the bridge just to listen to the ultra bright chimes they sing out.

The neck however not quiet as nice as on my other guitar, it isn't quiet as fast and it is a little thicker. It isn't that it is harder to play or uncomfortable, it just feels different. I am however noticing the more I play it the less I notice this difference.

I am hoping to get some serious practise put in this weekend, focusing on scales, chords and perhaps try to learn a new song as well as practising some old ones. Hopefully after my holidays in August I will resume guitar lessons, I am beginning to feel less burnt out and ready for some more knowledge!

New Guitar Ordered

Today I took the plunge after many weeks of thought and bought myself a new guitar. I love my current guitar which is a Schecter Omen Extreme 6 with a Floyd Rose bridge. It has been a joy to play but buying the guitar with a Floyd Rose was a mistake. Don't get me wrong, it has been fun messing about with it but to be frank I hardly ever use the tremolo system. This in itself isn't a huge issue but having a Floyd Rose bridge means I have never tried different tunings on the guitar as it would be too much messing about.

With all the above in mind I have chosen to buy myself a nice hard tail guitar, the bigger and more

versatile brother to my current guitar. I have decided get myself the Schecter Damien Elite 6 which is not only stunning in looks but offers much more versatility in its tones.
It is fitted with active EMG pick ups which I do actually like the sound of after watching many YouTube reviews and have no issue with them not been passive.

The guitar I currently use will be sadly sold as I just cannot afford the space to keep it which is a shame as I have truly loved playing it. Hopefully it will find an owner that will make use of its Floyd Rose bridge and play it better than I ever could.

Ironman

I thought that since my wife was working late tonight I would take advantage of the quiet house and play a little guitar. Not having to worry about progression since I am taking a break from formal tuition I thought I would go back to Ironman. I love this Black Sabbath song. I can honestly say that I think this was the first heavy metal song that I was introduced to. I think it was a cartoon called Ironman in the early 1980's and he went on a rampage killing people to Black Sabbaths anthem. I remember asking my mum why he was killing people and she told me to listen to the words of the song again and then explained that he had helped the people and then they had been nasty to him.

I have looked on you tube to try and find this video but I cannot see it.

Anyway, this still remains one of my favourite songs and is probably the reason why i chose to practise it tonight. I hope one day to be able to play it in full and without making any mistakes but I fear I am a long way off this yet. 

Guitar burn out?

So as of now I am no longer taking guitar lessons, I emailed my tutor to let him know I needed to take a break for a while. I guess this will come as a surprise if you have only just read my previous post. Don't get me wrong I still love playing guitar and this is not about to change any time soon but I found that the pressure I put on myself to improve and practice what was being taught during a lesson was making me not want to pick my guitar up. I just need a break from constructive learning and recharge my batteries I think.
I do fully intend to take lessons again but I need to get myself to the stage whereby I am willing to practice what is begin taught otherwise I may as well just set fire to the £25 I pay for each lesson.

Guitar

On top of everything else I am doing to keep myself busy and free from boredom I am also learning to play guitar. I have been taking lessons twice per month for the last year and began as a complete beginner not knowing anything about scales or chords.
I have loved music since around the age of 12 but never took the subject in school as I found the lessons dull and who wants to learn to play the recorder anyway?
The decision not to take the subject I deeply regret as I am now having to learn everything thing from scratch which can be a little frustrating at times.
I love playing even though I totally suck and it is on my bucket list to become proficient enough to play on stage one day at my local pub.
I like to play mainly rock music and a little blues from time to time. I mainly try to play Black Sabbath songs as I don't find them too fast. I get the most enjoyment however from finding a nice rock backing track and just improvising along with it. I find it soothing and kind of lose myself in the music when improvising.
Anyway, below is a video of me playing along to a rock themed grade 3 guitar track called Fallout, hope you enjoy.