Okay, so I’ve been hearing a lot about this “Brian Timmons” lately, mostly guitar stuff, so I figured I’d give it a shot and see what the fuss is all about. I’m not a pro or anything, just a dude who likes to mess around with music in my spare time.
First Steps: Listening and Getting a Feel
First thing I did was just listen. I mean, really listen. I put on some of his tracks, closed my eyes, and just tried to absorb the vibe. It’s a lot of instrumental stuff, really melodic, with some killer guitar work. It’s got this chill, almost dreamy quality, but with some serious chops underneath.
Trying to Copy… and Failing (a lot)
Next, the hard part. I grabbed my guitar and tried to play along. Yeah, that didn’t go so well at first. I’m used to playing more basic stuff, chords and simple riffs. This was way more complex. The speed, the phrasing, the little nuances… it was tough. I spent a good hour just trying to figure out a few bars of one of his easier songs, and I still sounded like a total beginner. I felt pretty bad!
Breaking it Down
I realized I needed a different approach. Instead of trying to play whole songs, I started focusing on tiny sections, like, just a few notes at a time. I’d loop those sections on YouTube, slow them down, and really pay attention to what his fingers were doing. There are some tabs out there, but honestly, watching his hands helped me more.
- Slow it Down: Seriously, YouTube’s playback speed control is a lifesaver. I went down to 0.5x speed, sometimes even 0.25x.
- Focus on One Thing: I picked one technique, like his vibrato or his legato runs, and just practiced that over and over.
- Listen for the Rhythm: It’s not just about the notes, it’s about how he feels the music. I tried to tap my foot along and get into the groove.
Making Some (Small) Progress
After a few days of this, I started to see some improvement. I still wasn’t anywhere near his level, but I could play a few licks that actually sounded kinda like him. It was a small victory, but it felt good. It’s like, I could finally hear the music in my head and get my fingers to cooperate, at least a little bit.
Keeping it Going
I’m still working on it. It’s a long process, and I’m definitely not going to become Brian Timmons overnight. But it’s been a cool experience, pushing myself to learn something new and challenging. And hey, even if I never get that good, I’m having fun, and that’s what really matters, right?
My current practice looks like this:
- Warm up my fingers.
- Choose a small section, like 10 seconds long.
- Loop it in YouTube.
- First listen a couple of times to get the idea.
- Then play the section very slowly.
- Repeat, gradually increasing the speed.
Important Note: I’m not trying to be a clone. It will be great to add some of his flavour to my style.
