Andy Wood's Woodshed - Episode 15. Improve your playing by practicing musicality.

[@droidfan]

Old guy here. Because of frustration and to prove a point (blame The Guitar Hour Podcast for that haha long story), I started practicing purely technique (picking exercises specifically). I did notice an improvement. I was super happy. Then, when I tried going back to improvising, it felt like I lost my time practicing! I had more speed and coordination, but couldn't actually play. Andy's advice is so so accurate! Right now I don't do anything unless there is something musical involved. Thanks Andy!

[@TheCrappyGuitarist]

Practice Musicality.... THANK YOU!!!

[@MsDavo123]

Basically Any outlines here how to compose a song that was my understanding because whenever I get few chords that are catchy to my I’ll put them into the key immediately i know arpeggios with inversions i can use and scales that are available then you just get a new song if inspiration strikes enough🥰

[@freakshowmann]

I really dug this episode. As a guitarist for more than 40 years, I was stuck in those "playing the pet licks" and just scales, scales, scales... Now I'm moving into more of chasing musicality and good tone. It feels so good. Thanks for this and your cool Truefire courses (which I'm learning a lot from as well!!)

[@jamesstivaly8274]

Thanks Andy so many times these simple old school ideas are overlooked but are so helpful

[@michaelblack9458]

I did that as a kid and got away from it ,so. Thanks for the reminder

[@JoshGordonGuitar]

Definitely important info here. Every musician (not just guitarists) should heed this advice. Great episode!

[@fqjcior]

That was very helpful. Thanks Andy! BTW. I love your playing and your tone as well. 😊👍

[@chrisconnick353]

Thank you for all your wisdom man I love watching your videos. Can’t wait to try this out!

[@jimhutchins2893]

Great video and insight. Thank you and keep 'em coming!!

[@JimLarranaga5k]

Great advice Andy. One way to bring musicality into playing is to practice complete songs. Study the chord harmony (is it a I,V, IV etc.) and play through the entire song, feeling the harmonic environment. Then add the riffs and solos in that context. Play it often enough you memorize it and grow your repertoire of songs. One thing I've noticed with many people who grew up playing piano is that they can only play while they read sheet music. Granted many of those songs are complex classic pieces, but their teachers didn't encourage them to play, have fun, learn pop songs etc. Learn a few songs, then a few more and it's fun

[@squashedmike]

Awesome advice Andy!!! Ironically I just started doing this this morning and I set a timer for 1 hour with a rule of no KZbin or any other distractions so it was just focus on guitar. Now the big trick for me is continue doing that! :D

[@mrmatthew2443]

Great episode I related to some of it but learned some new things and it inspired new revelations

[@PattycakesGaming]

Man I really needed to hear this episode! I don’t have a ton of time to practice these days, and when I do sit down to play I find my routines are very robotic and mostly just drills. Gonna focus more on making music in the time I can play 🎸💪

[@chrisdbluesguitar3032]

Hey Andy totally Uber coooool brother & right on the money as always!!! thanks always for your thoughts on all the ways to approach everything with musicality in mind !! I always felt a bit guilty as a practising guitarist cos I always felt the need to make music & not just do "math" {of course I didnt ignore concepts like timing & subdivisions etc} but did feel that If I practised the way I actually play I would find my own voice by avoiding study|practice by rote & methodology & I certainly had to be aware of "repeating myself" & adopt a habit buster way of practice & thanks for showing me & us a few more ways to get this going & be musical !!! you are high on my list of people I'd love to meet & hang out with dude !! take care & keep up the great work !! cheers sincerely ChrisD.

[@lucasperez9229]

I love your teaching style Andy! I have learned so much from you the last couple of weeks watching your videos than I have done in years. You are so inspiring, keep doing what you are doing.

[@MikeSealguitar]

Great lesson, thanks Andy!

[@reaganjohnson8950]

I love this episode!!! Thank you

[@ccdaville5239]

Really enjoying your lessons and advice, Andy! You lay everything out in a way that’s easy for me to understand. Appreciate you and love your style of playing. All your lessons have been inspiring AND useful in achieving a higher level of playing. Thank you! Cheers from Louisville, KY

[@TheRealJanKafka]

You already know this...You're a damned good, inspiring teacher. Thanks.

[@Bangkokguitar]

Wonderful suggestions

[@axeaddiction796]

Awesome advice

[@JMnyJohns]

You'll killing it, thanks for all this. Since you asked for feedback here's mine. My faves are 1, 2, 10, 11, 15 and some of 14 (if I remember rigtht). The EJ stuff was great. Really love your mental approach to harmony, seeing the fret-board in intervals, practicing musicality. Also, the mental aspects of alternate picking - that was probably my fave of them all. When you teach us mechanics, but then go beyond that to give it context so we know how to use it, and practice it, that's what sets you apart (aside from your overall sick technique and way with a line). Thanks!

[@MarsGuitarOfficial]

That’s a great philosophy that really works! Not only helps you grow as a guitarist but as a musician! Beautifully put man ! Thank you Andy!!!

[@wondervalleyexperimental]

An inspiring plan...The Tone recognized as part of the big picture...Thanks for putting this out there. I have been enjoying Junktown walking the dog. It is a very strong showing. That is a collection of music to be proud of. Thanks for the music!

[@JohnyMad1988]

Hi andy! I have your jamtrax modern country lessons and I really enjoyed your basic lesson on the fiddle tune "whiskey before breakfast". Could you cover some more fiddle tunes you consider interesting for alternate picking études? Thanks a lot! big fan of your awesome tone and proud suhr owner.

[@OlivvYeah]

Thank you Andy, I really appreciate your way to explain things. I can feel your experience both as a teacher and musician when I hear you talking. You don't need any editing, your explanations just flow naturally. Keep it up!

[@garymiller531]

Thanks Andy, you just inspired me for sure! Your awesome!

[@IntoTheTroid1]

Playing is practicing and practicing is playing! Just keep getting better 😁

[@michaelheinz3954]

This is it, great advice. Thank you very much, Andy!

[@paulzeman7684]

Thanks Andy...!

[@TheElvisguitar]

I have never clicked so fast! Keep up the great work Andy 👊🏼

[@robertmills9767]

This was really useful - thanks very much, Andy!

[@liquidsolids9415]

I loved this episode. Thanks for the great advice. Keep 'em coming!

[@Kurt1969]

Spot on!

[@craiggarrett9641]

You are my guitar hero. Honestly

[@daddywhetz]

Andy hits a very interesting point when speaking about incorporating new techniques or licks into your usual playing. I''ve been many times myself practicing or learning new licks/phrases and being unable to reproduce them when improvising. And, if doing so, it feels very "artificial" , not natural or organic at all; way too much anticipated, also. Many of us are "3-note-per-stringers" and still kind of enslaved by shapes. To think in terms of intervals, knowing your harmony theory or even applying the CAGED system as a new way to visualize the fretboard are invaluable tools to escape from that prison. Useful content as always. Thanks Andy!

[@smellytele9629]

Excellent stuff! Thanks for posting!

[@donald-parker]

I've started re-watch BSG (Battle Star Glactica) on Amazon Prime lately, and one of the (many) things that always stood out for me on this show was their music. The very begging of how you opened this vid reminded me of a vibe they used a lot.

[@perryguitar1]

This is amazing! It's just what I've been thinking and teaching my students for years, and it makes me happy that such an acomplished player as yourself shares the same filosophy; "Time & Tone" :-) Cheers!

[@lonnyhandwork422]

Awesome stuff Andy. By pure coincidence, I just recently made a promise to myself to play/practise everything in a musical context. It's taking some time to have bass/drums/key grooves/ideas readily available - but proving to be more than worth it. Thanks for the reminder that at the end of all, practice and technical thinking is secondary; it's only musicality that actually matters.

[@themongoloid8944]

The Woodshed is the most perfect name!!! I am going to go ahead and give ya 500 points. When I first saw you, I thought you were a lot older- I found ya thru Ben Eller. You are MUSICALITY WISE beyond your years. Hehehehe OMG YOUR SENSE OF MELODY RIVALS EVH, and I think he’s the GOAT! Seriously, you really are. Your teaching skills will catch up to your playing someday. I am going to be 50 this year, so maybe I am just a dry ass, nit picking. I live in Corbin, just across the mountain from you, I had planned on coming down to see SkankBanger before this virus bullshit, maybe I’ll get a chance to meet you someday. - your jam with Tyler Larsen was the best, you can teach just as good as him and he graduated Berkeley. I really like him too. Anyways, thanks buddy, you are truly a gift from God. I hope I live long enough to see you peak someday!!!!!! Keep on rocking lil brother !!!

[@aaronvalure9921]

Love the knowledge Andy!

[@clintn6677]

My teacher basically has me doing the same thing this week. He has me limiting myself(I think you told me something similar at a clinic) by just using two pentatonic positions over a backing track. Listening to the intervals etc. As far as my tone my KSR is my go to. I have a nice light crunch dialed in on one mode, high gain on the other, nice cleans on the clean channel. I typically play heavy stuff with high gain but when Im practicing Im using the crunch or clean with a bit of delay. I think too much distortion makes me lazy but too little kinda fights me.

[@andremiiros3435]

That was a really good “heady” reminder. Thanks for doing this fantastic channel!

[@rockinchippy]

This is great stuff, thanks Andy 🤘🏻

[@R_Thomp]

Great playing! Incredible feel!

[@SpyneMetal]

Great video! Thanks

[@wakjob961]

Whiskey Barrel into the Bella...doesn't get much better than this. Any tips or mental tricks to memorizing all the notes on the fretboard? Maybe a pattern of sorts?

[@MrYatesj1]

Great Content. Thanks Man!!

[@freefalling120]

Being able to play the melody in your head

[@mattadrian2510]

That's your best looking guitar

[@Money.Rocks.Podcast]

Andy that's a SWEET tone, what are your settings?

[@JedWunderli]

Any idea when I'll be able to purchase your new Wampler pedal? I'm dying to get it.

[@patmcmacken1435]

Crispy high fives! Andy is your new signature pedal from Wampler going to have midi in and out?

[@Ruefus]

Is that a Barnett Music Exchange hat? :)

[@andywoodmusic]

Yep!

[@freecitizen2760]

Record Blues, Jazz Real Book tunes, country vamps, metal chord progressions, and then play along.

[@abbasnosrat8898]

That intro sounds sooooo much like andy timmons

[@jamesrobinson529]

Not really clean, not really dirty. Sounds like how I smelled during lockdown. LOL!!! Jk! This is a very inspiring video. It made me want to practice immediately!

[@chuckkeller]

I've been taking lessons from Andy for about 1.5 years. This is the method that has improved my playing the most. Do yourself a favor and try this for out a month. You won't regret it! Probably the most important lesson he has posted yet! Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Andy Timmons, and Josh Smith all say this is how they approach practicing. Some of them, like Andy, don't call it practicing. Way more fun that scale exercises by a long shot!

[@freecitizen2760]

Reinvent yourself ... every day.

[@blainethemono19]

1:31 This moment brought to you by Uncle Ben

[@TheSpydersBand]

If my tone doesn’t inspire me, I suck.

[@peachfuds]

The person who disliked this video also thinks Justin Bieber is good music

[@yourpetard]

Lenny breau Harper harmonics

[@fatthor2476]

he said "gristle" he he

[@istillsuckatguitar]

Awesome video. Thanks.