When the woodshed pays off!

Tonight was one of those rare nights where my guitar playing broke through to another level. It's been stuck in second gear for several years now and I finally got it into overdrive. My tone, timing, and structure all got turned up to a notch I didn't think I could get to.

I've been working on becoming a lead player and spending a lot of time learning things stylistically that are very uncomfortable. Once I was warmed up at rehearsal this evening those hours started paying off and I hit a few licks that made the drummer and bass player miss a beat. No joking they were wide eyed looking at my hands as i was ripping on this new song. I've been playing with those guys for over a decade now and that doesn't happen. Just for a little bit I got to feel like whatever sound I wanted my guitar to make, it just happened, without much effort. Wrote and finished a keeper song with a seriously killer rock riff & a solo that blended with it perfectly, front to back in 20 minutes that may be my best work ever.

It was a night where making that guitar sing was as much fun as a guy can have standing up. Shout out to everybody here that's given me advice on how to improve and how to see my approach in a different light. Anyway, guitar player geek-out over.:hank:wail

I know what you mean, these breakthrough moments are rare but totally awesome. That's when you know that all the hard work pays off. I had one about a year ago, and can't wait till I'll reach the next level. Might be a while though, at least for me that doesn't happen more often than maybe every 2 years.
Congrats, enjoy that great feeling!

Dude! --- :dude::yaheace2

Awesome!:salude

I know exactly what you mean.

Last year, I finished a stint of nearly four years playing in an R&B / Soul band. Though they played some nice tunes, that was definitely NOT my "comfort zone." But that made me learn an entirely different way of playing. I had to MAKE myself learn songs from artists I never would have considered on my own.

At the end, as I moved on to a new band playing mostly Rock and Blues, at the first practice I realized how far I had come thanks to that experience. Granted, I wouldn't want to do that again (having a great time playing songs I love), but it really did push me further along as a guitarist.

Practice! -- there really is no substitute. :salude

Yeah! Way to break through. It is rare, and no one else in the world cares. But it gives you a soul satisfaction that just does not exist elsewhere. Good one.
I did the same thing with country guitar, which I used to put down. About 6 years ago I really tried to learn, and got in a band. First thing I learned: in the hot Tele world, everybody is a freaking EVH. Open string licks, popping string with your fingers, and knowing when not to play. Hot Tele players get much respect from me now. It is hard! It taught me to play around chord shapes. And sure made be a better all-rounder. And it made me feel like I was 18 again.

You rarely, if ever, feel like you are good enough. That is how you get better without knowing it.