[jackr]

I practice fingering excersices and scales all the time. When I am just sitting in front of the tv you can usually find a guitar in my hands just working on simple exercises.

Aside from the physical portion of playing lead the mental part I think is even more important. What do you think about and what do you see on the fretboard?

In other words for example when I play lead I am not usually seeing note names or scale position numbers. Although sometimes I do.

Usually I "see" fingering patterns (scales, arpeggios etc) across the fretboard. I also hear the note I am about to play prior to playing it. So I can hear an accidental (out of the scale) before I play it so I know it will work.

It all happens so fast and I am wondering if the more advanced player are thinking things like note names or flat 5th or anything like that. If that is the case I can change my practice habits a bit.

Hope that question makes sense.

[nicolasalk]

i just know the sounds by memory, so i try to get the sound i want, not the 5th of the minor 3, though i know them i don't think much in them when i play, maybe in slower solos, yes, but i think ear is better, more natural

[shakedown_04092]

I actually try to think of absolutely nothing. Zero. I try to to get to a blank zen-type place where I've completely cleared my mind of thoughts, free it up to an open white space to color in. For some reason, I like to look right into lights and try to figure them out, but I just realized typing that may seem hard to explain. I try to see the glow or aura around them, and unfocus my eyes, and for some reason it interests me and helps me get to "that" place.

[Billbbill]

For me this often depends on the song or portion of a song. Like during the verse lead of scarlet or deal I'm making sure I'm on top of the chord changes as they're essential to the melodic flow. The end jam of deal and transition from scarlet to fire afford some more free form 'zonal' flow if you get my drift.

I'll think of a way to bring out a complementary phrase to a previous lick or dabble around in a certain portion of a scale looking for a place to break out and relieve some built up tension.

I'll see where a blues accent fits well over a predominantly major scale phrase or vice-versa or where a full lick lending one way makes sense juxtaposed along side a different lick lending the other way.

The line between thinking and simply doing is so fine; the more comfortable you are with a song, the easier it is to, well, er, just do it. Sorry for the nike plug.

[LazyLightnin]

im often thinking of the melody pattern, key and scale. then its just colors, lots of colors, i always associate colors with moods in music. also alot of personal experiences come to mind when im jammin, good and bad, and that sometimes helps me express myself on the fretboard.

sometimes i get this overwhelming feeling of joy when im jammin, similar to when i was going to my first few festivals when i was like 14-15 years old. that childhood feeling of excitement and wonder at new discoveries.

This might seem strange, but im always thinking of solo's, at work , in my truck, while im listening or playing, often in mid conversation i lose track of the subject and just daydream about what would sound good and what i want to try next. this usually ends up with me running to my guitar. sometimes i can play what i hear in my head, alot of times not.

sometimes im listening to music other than the Dead and im thinking about ways to just turn the song into a 20 minute jamming extravaganza, ill get a friend to play the rythm and we'll just jam forever on acoustics. recently we've been jammin to "the boys are back in town" just cause we've recently included it in my bands setlist. But even with the intro chords A B D so many different variations can be made to make it sound all crazy and jazzed up, staying true to the theme of course.

my personal dream for a band is this: A jam band that plays Dead, Dylan, Bealtes and other various traditional songs. Ive always wanted to do Dead style segues and long gooey drippy solos linking tunes from those guys together. think of how huge the catalogue would be from just the three, and all 3 groups are easy to play and easy to jam too. the possibilties would be endeless, and every tune would be "acceptable" for the audiences style.

Its been hard to meet people to jam with here in Cleveland. most guys are just acoustic coffeeshop players, and thats cool but when youve got thousands of guys playing the same tunes over and over - well sheesh, i personally cant listen to it anymore. i used to do it, but then i started to get grouped into "that" category, and guys would want to jam, and id get to their house and end up giving them lessons :( Lots of NU-METAL around here, rap is HUGE. The crowd at Ratdog was rather pathetic, and i felt bad for Bobby cause he seemed to really wanna play. I was up and doin the jive with some girls and one of them asks me if thats Bob Weir from the Dead up their onstage! i mean the girl had the whole system down....Locks in the hair, Dead tie dye, patchwork chords, hemp jewelry. i dunno whats happening to this freakin scene man...

[Crazy 9.5 Fingers]

Honestly I am usually thinking of which of these girls in the crowd is the hottest.

Then I think, yeah, she is checking me out.

Then I think, oh shit, she is checking me out.

Then I flub a note and try not to think about her any longer.

When in doubt, I give a quick look to the drummer, they love that kind of appreciation.

[shakedown_04092]

When in doubt, I give a quick look to the drummer, they love that kind of appreciation.

Too fucking funny!!! You do that too, eh?