My wife, completely out of the blue, bought me a guitar for Christmas that is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay nicer than anything I would have considered as a starter instrument. I have a Hal Leonard "teach yrself guitar!" book/DVD that I have started looking at (it is really frustrating, btw, to be good at singing and then attempt to learn to play an instrument; the advantage of having your instrument being hardwired into your brain cannot be overemphasized). Anyway, I am two strings into the self-teaching lessons and some thoughts occurred to me that I figured I would throw out at y'all.
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:04 (twelve years ago) link
fun!
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:05 (twelve years ago) link
xp YOU ARE ONE OF US NOW!
― insert 2012 appropriate display name here (snoball), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:06 (twelve years ago) link
I already know a good amount of music theory; I can read treble clef and chord nomenclature and feel like I'm maybe an afternoon's study away from saying with confidence that I can read guitar tab (obv playing it is another thing entirely). I also already knew the notes on the guitar strings. As a result, a lot of the beginner lessons are really aggravating and slow to me; I think I skipped like 4 chapters to get to the mechanics of actually playing the instrument.
- I am considering lessons. Given my musical background and that I'm primarily looking to play stuff that would fall into the rock/pop/indie buckets moreso than anything blues/jazz/classical, what would you recommend I look for in a teacher?
- As a beginner, how often would you recommend practicing? I don't want to cripple myself attempting to toughen up and strengthen my fingers, but I also don't want to slack off to the point where I never make any progress.
- At what point should I go back and actually learn what the various parts of the guitar are called? When does that matter?
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:14 (twelve years ago) link
learning the parts of the guitar only matters when you need to work on it--lets say when you need to change strings for the first time.
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:16 (twelve years ago) link
i don't think you need to worry about crippling yourself in the early stages--i mean just respond to your body i.e. if your fingertips are killing you don't play and let them heal a bit.
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:18 (twelve years ago) link
I'd recommend practicing every single day, for an hour each day. It's better to do that than practice only once or twice a week. Also you might want to use something like a Gripmaster to build up strength.
― insert 2012 appropriate display name here (snoball), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:21 (twelve years ago) link
based on your background i'm not sure how much utility lessons are gonna have for you. if you do go forward you prob just need someone to help you play along with songs, learn some of the common tricks and shortcuts and how ppl actually put chords together, etc.
if i may grossly generalize lessons tend to most benefit ppl who want to *shred* and i don't know how interested you are in learning what we'll call "lead guitar."
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:21 (twelve years ago) link
lol yeah, I'm not super interested in shredding, and I was thinking that most teachers would either point that way or towards classical guitar, which I'm also not interested in
mostly I was looking at lessons in terms of having someone to call me out on how I am holding the thing and finger placement on the frets etc; I'm also slightly concerned that my short, stubby fingers are going to make this whole thing a fool's errand but I'm not going to let that stop me
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:26 (twelve years ago) link
ok, yeah, a lot of that type of stuff you'll pick up naturally over time but if you wanted to shortcut the process a bit you could go find someone and be like "i am an experienced musician who is new to guitar" and see how that goes.
not sure what type of learner you are but one thing that always helped me was just having the guitar in my hands even if i was not focusing on practicing something or playing something (like while watching a movie or some other passive activity). just kind of playing mindlessly to get used to chord shapes and transitions and stuff like that.
this is also a great way to annoy people around you and is easier on electric (not plugged in, obv). what kind of guitar did you get?
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:33 (twelve years ago) link
lol that is an excellent question that I don't want to answer until I am back home with the guitar in my sight
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:37 (twelve years ago) link
it is some variant of Gibson Epiphone, I can tell you that with certainty
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:40 (twelve years ago) link
I'm going to say that finger size/geometry isn't going to make a lot of difference. The thing to remember is that the suggested finger placements for chords are not set in stone, and they can be changed around to make it easier for your particular finger length/width.
― insert 2012 appropriate display name here (snoball), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:41 (twelve years ago) link
(if it's unclear, it's an electric; I also got a small Fender amp to go with it, and lol a Monster Cable, thanks honey)
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:43 (twelve years ago) link
lol monster cable!
i will actually semi-defend their guitar cables at least as an alternative to cheap crackly cables that i threw out.
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:44 (twelve years ago) link
anyway that's actually perfect because unplugged electric is the best way to practice guitar without annoying your loved ones.
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:45 (twelve years ago) link
I will be testing that tonight!
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:45 (twelve years ago) link
hahah
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:46 (twelve years ago) link
Annoying guitar practice story: one of the people I shared a house with at university was learning to play the guitar. Every night from his room we'd hear the same series of notes over and over again, but I could never work out what tune he was trying to play. Anyway, one night I walked in while he was playing and there was a guitar book open on top of his amp that was open at 'Purple Haze'.
― insert 2012 appropriate display name here (snoball), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:53 (twelve years ago) link
lol
classical guitar, which I'm also not interested in
― WATERMELON MAYNE aka the seed driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:58 (twelve years ago) link
aw don't cry, I might change my mind
the only song I've tried to play is "Faith" by The Cure, and that is only because I taught it to myself 20+ years ago on my brother's guitar
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Thursday, 5 January 2012 20:59 (twelve years ago) link
hmm some stray thoughts here
you already know basic music theory which puts you ahead of 99% of people who pick up a guitar. like, just knowing the concepts of chords and scales and how they fit together modularly is enough to get the handle on what is happening in 99% of pop songs, but that's not news probably
two things to remember tho are that guitars are polyphonic, so you get into stuff dealing with chords that many other instruments never touch as part of their pedagogy. also because of the nature of the neck and the nature of a lot of pop music guitar instruction is big into modes where as in more doctrinaire classical training those are kind of a historical afterthought. i came at guitar from a childhood of violin so those two things stuck out to me.
the other thing to remember is that the physical nature of the standard tuning, the frets, and the human hand is responsible for how a lot of rock music ends up sounding. for ex the ringing/droney/arpeggiated folk stuff to keith richards to chuck berry is just dumb simple stuff to your hands but makes unique-sounding harmonies. the whole corpus of blues-rock licks is almost a physical vocabulary as much as a musical one. idk if that makes sense.
as far as looking for a teacher i'd say find someone who is on your level theoretically so you can communicate that way if need be but is willing to walk you through the traditional guitar stuff, which is all very non-traditional classically
― goole, Thursday, 5 January 2012 21:09 (twelve years ago) link
i'm probably underselling the complexity of chuck berry there; his playing sounds simple to us out of repetition but the guy could fucking shred, his scale runs have a lot more color than just pentatonic, the double stop runs are lightning fast but totally clean, he's still amazing and i can't play any of his classic solos for shit.
― goole, Thursday, 5 January 2012 21:11 (twelve years ago) link
I am thinking the three years of piano I took as a kid and the rudimentary exposure it gave me to polyphonic music on one instrument are going to be helpful
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Thursday, 5 January 2012 21:21 (twelve years ago) link
dude absolutely positively get lessons and do it sooner rather than later
protip: as a dude in boston, you should def make sure that yer guitar instructor has at least a formal real deal BA in guitar performance.
― blurgh (jjjusten), Thursday, 5 January 2012 22:21 (twelve years ago) link
as a trained violin dude who didnt take any guitar lessons at all i am sad to think of the years (literal) i wasted by not learning stuff correctly in the beginning. and tbf i still play guitar "wrong" even now in a lot of ways.
― blurgh (jjjusten), Thursday, 5 January 2012 22:23 (twelve years ago) link
dude absolutely positively get lessons and do it sooner rather than laterprotip: as a dude in boston, you should def make sure that yer guitar instructor has at least a formal real deal BA in guitar performance.
Don't think there is any stigma in getting a teacher. Based on anecdotal first hand observation in NYC, jazz guitar players are constantly taking lessons from each other, playing duets together and just generally hanging out with one another being guitar dudes
― WATERMELON MAYNE aka the seed driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 5 January 2012 23:59 (twelve years ago) link
I must admit I am envious - learning to use the guitar as an interface to produce music, when you already know some stuff about how music works, sounds idyllic to me.
As DJP and goole already noted, a huge amount of early guitar instruction is stuff like: this is what a note is, this is what a scale is, this is what a chord is, this is what I and IV and V mean, this is what minor and major mean. Not having to wrap your brain around that stuff when you're also wrapping your fingers around the guitar must make a huge difference.
I am not a particularly good guitar player but I really enjoy the peculiarity of the guitar-as-interface. The layout is both so bizarre (compared to a linear keyboard) and so friendly (in terms of giving you immediate feedback about what you're doing) it can't help but affect the music you make and don't make.
The guitar makes suggestions to you. When you're fingering a particular chord shape, there will be other notes that are more or less easy to reach; you can choose to accept those suggestions or resist them. Sometimes the result is cliche; sometimes it's great. Guitars like some keys more than others; you can choose to go along with that tendency or work to subvert it.
Um, anyway good luck and godspeed
― Ye Mad Puffin, Friday, 6 January 2012 01:45 (twelve years ago) link
jjusten totally totally OTM and yes you live in the one city other than LA where super-competent gtr instructors like fall out of trees.
ime the first few months are tough and then as your fingers get stronger and smarter everything just opens up and it's beautiful
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 6 January 2012 03:04 (twelve years ago) link
Dan, the first thing you should get your new teacher to show you is what a Power Chord is.
― WATERMELON MAYNE aka the seed driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 6 January 2012 03:05 (twelve years ago) link
first off- congrats on the guitar!
second- ditto on lessons, between your personal contacts and craigslist there should be no problem finding somebody you vibe with.
finally- i'd start off learning some basic open chords: a, am, c, d, dm, e, em, f, g, g7... you'll find you can play a ton of different songs with basic open chords, and they are a good first dance for your fingers to learn
oh almost forgot the most important advice: Do Not Keep The Guitar In A Case. get a stand, put it on the stand near where you spend lots of time (couch, computer area, etc.) so it is in reach & readily available.
-'case kryptonite' is real, i started playing way more once i started keeping my guitar out.
― natlawdp, Friday, 6 January 2012 17:37 (twelve years ago) link
case kryptonite totally real. also, that is good advice to not fuck with b chords...yet.
― beachville, Friday, 6 January 2012 17:38 (twelve years ago) link
...or you could drop your low E to D and proceed directly to Soundgarden 'Outshined'.
― natlawdp, Friday, 6 January 2012 17:40 (twelve years ago) link
edit: "between your personal contacts and craigslist there should be no problem finding somebody you vibe/DIE with."
sidebar- anybody ever skype guitar lessons?
― natlawdp, Friday, 6 January 2012 17:43 (twelve years ago) link
lol, the guitar is on a stand already but is currently in the back bedroom; I am working up the courage to move it to the living room where I expect my wife will lovingly notice that the wonderful gift she gave me is totally in the fucking way and is going to get knocked over plus it just causes clutter and why do I have to play all the time while she's trying to watch TV, anyway
or maybe I'm just inventing all of that
I did some cursory guitar teacher research and there's something undeniably off-putting about seeing a guitar school with a 20-year-old on their teaching staff, no matter how impressive her performance bio appears to be
I mean, maybe this is totally ageist of me but I do not want to take lessons from someone the age of a hypothetical child I could have had assuming my life had taken a slightly different turn
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Friday, 6 January 2012 17:48 (twelve years ago) link
'case kryptonite' - never heard it called that before, but yes, have the guitar and amp set up so that you can pick it up and strum away for ten minutes (which will quickly become two hours but that's another thing).
― insert 2012 appropriate display name here (snoball), Friday, 6 January 2012 18:05 (twelve years ago) link
is it wrong that I want to tune the entire guitar a half-step down so I have an instrument that matches my preferred singing range, before I've even learned how to play it
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Friday, 6 January 2012 19:15 (twelve years ago) link
you know who tuned a half step down? weezer.
― call all destroyer, Friday, 6 January 2012 19:18 (twelve years ago) link
Eb tuning, very 90s :)
― goole, Friday, 6 January 2012 19:19 (twelve years ago) link
yeah the more i think about it like every fucking alt rock band used that tuning. it was really annoying.
― call all destroyer, Friday, 6 January 2012 19:20 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.wfu.edu/~breckers/howtoplayguitar.htm
― (๑•̀⌓•́๑) (am0n), Friday, 6 January 2012 19:21 (twelve years ago) link
DJP you can learn the songs of metallica's "load"
― goole, Friday, 6 January 2012 19:21 (twelve years ago) link
yeah the more i think about it like every fucking alt rock band used that tuning
that's because every fucking alt rock band in the 90s was fronted by a yelpy baritone
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Friday, 6 January 2012 19:27 (twelve years ago) link
you should just capo the 11th fret instead
― congratulations (n/a), Friday, 6 January 2012 19:29 (twelve years ago) link
Then cut the neck off immediately behind the capo.
― insert 2012 appropriate display name here (snoball), Friday, 6 January 2012 19:40 (twelve years ago) link
I'm sure your new teacher, Mick Goodrick, author of The Advancing Guitarist will be very impressed with this instrument
― WATERMELON MAYNE aka the seed driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 6 January 2012 19:56 (twelve years ago) link
Eb = Hendrix tuning. Eddie Van Halen too. Stevie Ray too, I think...
― natlawdp, Friday, 6 January 2012 20:23 (twelve years ago) link
Slash
― beachville, Friday, 6 January 2012 20:24 (twelve years ago) link
Have you practiced yet this weekend yet, Dan?
― Fanfare for the History Mayne (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 7 January 2012 20:37 (twelve years ago) link
haha have I practiced yet
I spent 90 minutes Saturday afternoon playing simple songs from my lesson book on strings 1 and 2, including "Jingle Bells" and "Ode To Joy" (which btw was annoying me because the version in the book was super simple and all in half and quarter notes and without the drop down a fourth at the end of the third line, so I started playing it "right" and using the third string as well).
Then, I started playing the C scale during the 2nd half of the Saints game and kept playing it and random songs until the end of SNL.
Then I started working on really incorporating string 3 yesterday for about an hour but my evening shenanigans really did a number on my fingertips and shoulder.
Need to pick a teacher this week.
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Monday, 9 January 2012 15:09 (twelve years ago) link
. because my new year's resolution is to learn to play the guitari need to get a guitar first.does anyone want to sell me a guitar for cheap?
― bene_gesserit, Monday, 9 January 2012 15:46 (twelve years ago) link
talk to jjj, it's kind of like he does that for a living
no wait, it's EXACTLY like he does that for a living
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Monday, 9 January 2012 15:46 (twelve years ago) link
to be fair i took guitar lessons for about 6 months in high school, but my teacher was a jazz dude, and that's not the kind of guitar i want to learn to play now (plus i don't remember anything).
― bene_gesserit, Monday, 9 January 2012 15:48 (twelve years ago) link
Which shoulder hurts, Dan? I have to admit I'm a little confused.
― beachville, Monday, 9 January 2012 15:49 (twelve years ago) link
right shoulder
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Monday, 9 January 2012 15:51 (twelve years ago) link
Perhaps one of these arrangements will be more to your likinghttp://www.guitarnoise.com/topic/christmas-songs/
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 January 2012 16:49 (twelve years ago) link
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 January 2012 17:43 (twelve years ago) link
ha that is assuming I have a shortlist; as noted upthread, Boston is DROWNING in music teachers
oh and I moved the guitar into the corner of the living room; no fight!
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Monday, 9 January 2012 17:51 (twelve years ago) link
How cheap is cheap bene?
― blurgh (jjjusten), Monday, 9 January 2012 17:56 (twelve years ago) link
Dan, I assume you acted prudently and looked on craigslist asked your opera buddies for recommendations
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 January 2012 18:05 (twelve years ago) link
not yet I haven't, that is today's Facebook project
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Monday, 9 January 2012 18:07 (twelve years ago) link
Too bad Peter Frampton found his guitar, bene_gesserit, or maybe you could have bought that one.
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 January 2012 18:56 (twelve years ago) link
jjj, under a hundred
― bene_gesserit, Monday, 9 January 2012 19:01 (twelve years ago) link
Don't tell Dick Destiny that.
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 January 2012 19:06 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.rondomusic.com/
― beachville, Monday, 9 January 2012 19:20 (twelve years ago) link
I have not personally played a Rondo instrument and cannot go to bat for their quality.
― beachville, Monday, 9 January 2012 19:22 (twelve years ago) link
Any progress? IMM wants to know.
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:12 (twelve years ago) link
I've started playing the C scale up and down across all 6 strings. I've also solicited friends on Facebook for guitar teacher recommendations and have gotten a couple of good leads; one is a Berklee prof and the other is an NEC grad. Self-instruction wise, I'm up to doing "songs" on the third string but I don't want to go too much further than what I'm doing now without seeing a teacher.
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:21 (twelve years ago) link
Which Berklee prof? Freddie?
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:27 (twelve years ago) link
this dude: http://www.berklee.edu/faculty/detail/eric-byers
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:34 (twelve years ago) link
To think I learned by playing along with records :(
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:35 (twelve years ago) link
How old were you when you started?
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:53 (twelve years ago) link
I admit it was tricky having to get up every so often to wind up the gramophone
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:58 (twelve years ago) link
Doesn't work for everyone though - I learned by playing along to records as well and I'm a lousy guitarist!
― The Eyeball Of Hull (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:59 (twelve years ago) link
What makes you think I'm not!
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 16:01 (twelve years ago) link
question: does it make sense to bring examples of the types of things I'm most interested in doing with a guitar into an initial lesson or is that jumping the gun/potentially prejudicing the teacher's ability to show me the fundamentals?
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 16:03 (twelve years ago) link
I don't see what harm it would do
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 16:05 (twelve years ago) link
Definitely do that.
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 16:11 (twelve years ago) link
xxxpost cos I've heard you play on an ILX comp and you're pretty good?
― The Eyeball Of Hull (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 16:16 (twelve years ago) link
Shucks, I'd forgotten about that
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 16:17 (twelve years ago) link
zomg I just realized that I had completely forgotten to try playing Siouxsie songs
"Night Shift" here I come FUCK THE MOTHERS KILL THE OTHERS
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 16:19 (twelve years ago) link
Do you have any books with chords in them? As a permanent guitar NOOB myself, I recommend Chords and Progressions for Jazz and Popular Guitar, by Arne Berle for the chords and then one of Rikky Rooksby's guitar books for chords plus arrangements of songs.
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 18:27 (twelve years ago) link
(I'm just assuming that ultimately single note stuff is going to end up being pretty easy for you)
― TEH PNINFOX aka the veen driver (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 18:29 (twelve years ago) link
hey y'all
I haven't contacted a teacher yet because I feel like I should get my wisdom teeth taken out first. I know that logic doesn't make much surface sense but in my head it TOTALLY makes sense.
I have gotten VERY tired of playing the C scale on strings 1-3 and have started walking up and down all 6 strings. I also kind of stumbled across E, E7, Emin, Emin7 and C and have jamming back and forth between them. I also found some chord that I am CERTAIN is the first chord to "Love Will Tear Us Apart" but I can't recreate it now. Also been playing the intro to "Crystallised" over and over.
― Bam! Orgasm explosion in your facehole. (DJP), Wednesday, 18 January 2012 20:13 (twelve years ago) link
how are current Epiphones? their version of the Gibson ES-339 is only $400 online, which seems pretty affordable
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Monday, 13 February 2012 16:38 (twelve years ago) link
aww djp i meant to ask you how this was going on saturday!
― call all destroyer, Monday, 13 February 2012 16:41 (twelve years ago) link
ha I am still kind of struggling through on my own, although I have like 3 ppl I need to contact re: lessons
I can now play C, E and Emin chords! Also I am pretty sure the opening chord to "Love Will Tear Us Apart is just the third string/third fret but I haven't looked it up to confirm. I've also been teaching myself the opening to "Crystalized" and the main guitar riff to "Dull Life"
― I spend a lot of time thinking about apricots (DJP), Monday, 13 February 2012 17:09 (twelve years ago) link
Been recommended this site, pretty comprehensive free video lessons, will check them out myself when I get a mo:
http://www.justinguitar.com/
― ledge, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 10:05 (twelve years ago) link
Dan, you should definitely learn the E and A chord shapes - those are the most important shapes once you start playing barre chords). throw in D and you can play songs w/I-IV-V progressions!
― plee help i am lookin for (crüt), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 10:20 (twelve years ago) link
E major(/minor) = 022100(/022000) E-B-E-G#-B-E (E-B-E-G-B-E)A major(/minor) = 002220(/002210) E-A-E-A-C#-E (E-A-E-A-C-E)D major(/minor) = x00232(/x00231) x-A-D-A-D-F# (x-A-D-A-D-F)
― plee help i am lookin for (crüt), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 10:23 (twelve years ago) link
don't forget the fingering! (231/12 or 23, 123/231, 132/321). trivial or ymmv you might think but i played D as 231 for ages, which is definitely bad and wrong.
― ledge, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 10:42 (twelve years ago) link
I play E minor the exact same as E major except without fingering the G string, so it's easy to switch between the two if necessary. My guitar teacher taught me to do it that way.
― plee help i am lookin for (crüt), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 11:40 (twelve years ago) link
wait how do you play d minor as 321 and not 231, my fingers are not physically capable of doing this afaik
― plee help i am lookin for (crüt), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 11:42 (twelve years ago) link
oops yr right, i knew i'd make a mistake. e minor like e major makes sense but i tend to use first two fingers anyway if i'm not playing e major or say playing esus4 as well, nothing wrong with using more than one fingering if it suits the occasion.
― ledge, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 11:45 (twelve years ago) link
altho 234 for esus4 works too, always good to get the little finger in on the action.
― ledge, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 11:46 (twelve years ago) link
Guitar is fun! My advice, if you're teaching yourself, is to familiarise yourself with the main open chord shapes and then start learning tunes from Ultimate Guitar chord tabs - you'll get used to switching between them pretty quickly.
― The Invisible Superstars (dog latin), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 11:58 (twelve years ago) link
Any sites that teach you country picking?
― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 12:51 (twelve years ago) link
There are a few good lessons on http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Category/Premier_Clinic.aspx
filter by issue: All Issuesfilter by category: Premier Clinicfilter by section: Country
There are some lessons on chicken picking and double stops and stuff.
― getting good with gulags (beachville), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 13:15 (twelve years ago) link
Awesome. Pedal-Steel Effect that's what I want!
― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 13:18 (twelve years ago) link
milo current epiphones are uh how best to put this - inconsistent. like wildly so. i would play the one that you buy. also the pickups are mediocre at best - im assuming you are looking at the fact that its a somewhat shrunken down 335 shape? if so, id look at the ibanez am73, which i think is a better guitar. feel free to hit me up with for a price quote if you are thinking of buying online anyway and i'll email you one. but go play one first!
― Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:17 (twelve years ago) link
yousendit me an artcore, jjj.
― getting good with gulags (beachville), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:26 (twelve years ago) link
If I may offer a general newb tip for budding guitarists:
Guitar is probably the easiest instrument on which to take shortcuts, like you don't have trumpet players trying to do trills two octaves above middle C when they don't even know how to play middle C, but that's exactly what the guitar allows you to do. This is not to say you should avoid shortcuts. But devote a little time to learning, e.g., the 12 major scales in first position, the difference between a halfstep and a whole step, how scales are constructed, the intervals in a basic major chord, etc. In the long run this does so much for your ability to play inventively and to play with other people, like when you can actually build a maj7 chord and not just say "Oh Cmaj7 means my fingers go like this"
― happiness is the new productivity (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:31 (twelve years ago) link
sorry should say "exactly the KIND OF THING guitar allows you to do."
― happiness is the new productivity (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:32 (twelve years ago) link
^^^ exactly the kind of thing I should know by now after 17 years of playing on and off.
― The Invisible Superstars (dog latin), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:33 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, I've been playing guitar longer than that and I don't think I know any of that!
― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
the 12 major scales in first position, the difference between a halfstep and a whole step, how scales are constructed, the intervals in a basic major chord, etc
I... know all of this already? (except for precisely how first position chords for the major scales translate to guitar fingering)
― I spend a lot of time thinking about apricots (DJP), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
Well you're a guy with a formal music background so that doesn't surprise me. But so many people just go straight to tabs and then it's like "I want to learn some blues licks" or w/e, and then dudes play these fast bendy lines that don't even go over the chords they're soloing over.
― happiness is the new productivity (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:38 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.ibanez.com/HollowBodyGuitars/model-AM73B
if you dont dig the look, they do make a cosmetically tweaked version with the same specs
http://www.ibanez.com/HollowBodyGuitars/model-AM93
million xposts because i got interrupted by work
― Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:39 (twelve years ago) link
Also that was just a jumping off point and there's obviously a lot more to learn along those lines
― happiness is the new productivity (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:39 (twelve years ago) link
I have a book of sheet music that is tab-free (it was written for fiddle, although I've previously gone with other C Instruments). Whenever I practice that stuff, I feel like it really improves the rest of my playing. I've done stuff like blacking out the tab on guitar sheet music too, although that isn't always helpful because there can be notation in the tab that's not in the regular transcription.
― getting good with gulags (beachville), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:44 (twelve years ago) link
well dan you "know" those things already but are you comfortable doing them in rhythm at the drop of the hat all the time? ie can you play x scale without thinking about the fingering, while keeping your right hand picking pattern consistent, etc?
― Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:44 (twelve years ago) link
thats re: knowing the 12 major scales in first position, i know you know the other stuff - i just say this because as a dude who did violin before guitar, i knew that stuff too but the difficulty is in the translation to the fingerboard and the physicality of playing.
― Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:46 (twelve years ago) link
I mean it's important to learn fingerings too. I don't consider tab "cheating" per se, I just think it can't be the sole basis of your learning. I mean there are certain things on guitar you just can't learn from sheet music alone.
Books like Sal Salvador's Single String Studies are useful because they give you fingerings underneath staff notation, iirc.
― happiness is the new productivity (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:51 (twelve years ago) link
lol of course not, I'm not a guitar savant
My point was more that the stuff Hurting was talking about is in many ways a step removed from the mechanics of playing a guitar; for example, I know instantly when I've hit a wrong note when I am running up and down through a C scale because I know how a C scale is constructed and what it is supposed to sound like.
Also I kind of explicitly said "I know what first position chords look like on paper but not how they all translate to a guitar neck"
my goal this week is to contact a teacher before my life becomes insanely busy
― I spend a lot of time thinking about apricots (DJP), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 17:04 (twelve years ago) link
Ok this is going to be a sort of unhelpful post, but there's a good Ted Dunbar book that pretty much breaks down the whole fretboard in musical terms and gives you a way of learning it. I wouldn't recommend it to someone with no musical background but it's probably good for you. The problem is (1) I can't remember the name of it and (2) it's probably out of print. I will check the name when I get home though. I might even be able to scan it for you at some point.
― happiness is the new productivity (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 17:10 (twelve years ago) link
I have a Hal Leonard book that does something very similar; it starts you out with a C scale counting down from the first string and layers in accidentals and other key signatures as it goes. Basically I used it to learn the fingerings for a C scale and have been riffing on other scales/etc since while procrastinating in getting a teacher.
― I spend a lot of time thinking about apricots (DJP), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 17:12 (twelve years ago) link
Oh right, it's called "The Interrelationship of Chords, Scales and Fingerboard of Each one of the Twelve Tonalities of The Guitar"
which explains why I couldn't remember it, lol
― happiness is the new productivity (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 17:13 (twelve years ago) link
haha no lie, that sounds like it would be exactly my type of shit
― I spend a lot of time thinking about apricots (DJP), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 17:15 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah and I should say I really do mean learning the relationship between this theory stuff and the fretboard, it's just that if you don't know the theory at all you have to learn that first.
E.g. understanding that one fret up on same string = halfstep, two = wholestep, three = minor third, etc., or that the interval between any two strings at the same fret is a perfect fourth, except between the second and third strings, which is a major third, and that this applies up and down the fretboard. Internalizing this kind of stuff really helps with lead playing, forming your own chords, etc.
― happiness is the new productivity (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 17:18 (twelve years ago) link
What about something online for music theory noobs who only really know chord shapes and anything more in depth is down to luck/trial and error? I'd love to know more about scales and theory but I'm scared???
― The Invisible Superstars (dog latin), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 17:31 (twelve years ago) link
try this, maybe? http://www.8notes.com/theory/
I haven't read it at all so I have no idea if it's terrible but it looks like it covers most of the basics you'd care to know
― (thinks and smiles) (DJP), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 19:54 (twelve years ago) link
Trying for 2 years to make 12-year-olds understand this was no fun at all.
― St3ve Go1db3rg, Thursday, 16 February 2012 01:20 (twelve years ago) link
well dan you "know" those things already but are you comfortable doing them in rhythm at the drop of the hat all the time? ie can you play x scale without thinking about the fingering, while keeping your right hand picking pattern consistent, etc?― Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:44 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalinkthats re: knowing the 12 major scales in first position, i know you know the other stuff - i just say this because as a dude who did violin before guitar, i knew that stuff too but the difficulty is in the translation to the fingerboard and the physicality of playing.― Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:46 AM (9 hours ago)
― Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:44 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:46 AM (9 hours ago)
― AINT ET ENNE (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 16 February 2012 02:08 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks, jjusten, definitely hitting you up when I save up more guitar money. Leaning toward a Reverend, I think or one of those Ibanezes.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Thursday, 16 February 2012 02:53 (twelve years ago) link
so I failed to contact a teacher last week
on the plus side, I have taught myself to play an A chord and have been doing A - E progressions like a happy loon
I still have a week left before my life starts sucking tho
― (thinks and smiles) (DJP), Wednesday, 22 February 2012 22:31 (twelve years ago) link
One month later...
― Singularities Going Steady (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 27 March 2012 22:40 (twelve years ago) link
... I am terrible at finding a teacher
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 27 March 2012 22:41 (twelve years ago) link
To paraphrase Ian Faith, Boston's not a big guitar town.
― Singularities Going Steady (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 27 March 2012 22:44 (twelve years ago) link
haha I know, I know
basically by the time I get home, I'm tired and don't want to look for one
then, on the weekends, I often find myself wrapped up in projects or in concerts/rehearsals/etc
I need to send out some emails tonight. Also I need to rescue my poor guitar from its banishment to the back bedroom
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 27 March 2012 22:47 (twelve years ago) link
That's why you need a teacher, so he can yell at you for not practicing!
― Singularities Going Steady (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 27 March 2012 22:49 (twelve years ago) link
Of course, to paraphrase Nigel Tufnel: I don't really literally mean "yell."
― Singularities Going Steady (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 27 March 2012 22:51 (twelve years ago) link
lol I still don't have a teacher
HOWEVER! I do have the game Rocksmith, which at first glance is FUCKING AMAZING
it's not even the songs (although they have shit in there by QOTSA, The XX and The Cure), it's the minigames that help you get used to the guitar, like the Duck Hunt-meets-Pole Position fretting game
― an independent online phenomenon (DJP), Tuesday, 17 April 2012 14:05 (eleven years ago) link
I wanted to buy that for myself and my kid, but we haven't had much scratch since I bought his PS3 for christmas. Maybe I can eke it out next payday.
― beachville, Tuesday, 17 April 2012 14:07 (eleven years ago) link
@hurting2
I am very interested in acquiring a copy of "The Interrelationship of Chords, Scales and Fingerboard of Each one of the Twelve Tonalities of The Guitar." I have "A System of Tonal Convergence for Improvisors, Composers and Arrangers." Maybe we can set up a trade?
― groothe, Wednesday, 18 April 2012 17:40 (eleven years ago) link
Rocksmith seems pretty awesome. I read that you should have a separate receiver/speakers for audio so that there's no lag?
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Thursday, 19 April 2012 03:49 (eleven years ago) link
They recommend that but I haven't noticed any problems
― an independent online phenomenon (DJP), Thursday, 19 April 2012 04:24 (eleven years ago) link
i feel like i should buy rocksmith just to make myself not play the same 100 riffs and cheats all the time when i play guitar. the shame of the bass player that fakes guitar fairly well.
― Badu and a sax run hand-in-hand (jjjusten), Thursday, 19 April 2012 06:37 (eleven years ago) link
i bought one of these. damn does it sound nice. kinda stoked for the madness
http://phantomguitars.com/store/product_images/p/ph12_w_pvt12__95037.jpg
― biggie smallclothes (brownie), Thursday, 19 April 2012 13:55 (eleven years ago) link
If I have ever seen a 12 string with a whammy before, I had never stopped to think about the implications.
― fruitsbs (beachville), Thursday, 19 April 2012 14:05 (eleven years ago) link
warrrrarrarararng. out of tune, somewhere.
― biggie smallclothes (brownie), Thursday, 19 April 2012 14:13 (eleven years ago) link
I know! holy shit!
― fruitsbs (beachville), Thursday, 19 April 2012 14:29 (eleven years ago) link
*spends two hours tuning 12 string, gust of wind blows whammy bar, has to start tuning guitar all over again*
― Cheggers Plays Populous (snoball), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:01 (eleven years ago) link
good ear training
― i just believe in memes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:08 (eleven years ago) link
This may be me soon.
So I have pretty much no experience. I want to get a guitar for my birthday and start learning to play. I can't read music, know nothing about music theory, just want to rock out on my own for fun. I'm hoping to find a teacher too.
So - what kind of guitar should I be looking for? What is a good way to get into playing and not be discouraged (had a few lessons when I was a teenager but got frustrated)? And...how to find a teacher that "gets" me?
― Memorial Highway (admrl), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:18 (eleven years ago) link
Get a made-in-China guitar. Just about any will do because they're all made there, anyway, at this level. You might consider taking someone with you who can play guitar to the store. If you're not buying a cardboxed guitar, you can try them and there will be duds with various defects, either from lack of quality control or because they've been beat up by other shoppers who did not buy, on the floor. Having someone who can play will steer you away from those.
Been decades since I had lessons. However, I'd think you would want to find a teacher, if you must, who shares, or at least pretends to share, an interest in the style of music you'd like to learn to play.
― Gorge, Friday, 20 April 2012 16:26 (eleven years ago) link
This last sentence otm
― i just believe in memes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 20 April 2012 18:31 (eleven years ago) link
rocksmith has some pretty interminable loading times and a lot of weird little bugs. i think a better "game" would be something that let you play along with your favorite music, but let you slow it down and repeat during the hard parts till you get the hang of it.try songsterr.com for something halfway there. (whoa-oh!)
― Philip Nunez, Friday, 20 April 2012 18:45 (eleven years ago) link
adamrl are u still in LA? if so i can recommend an awesome teacher.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 05:25 (eleven years ago) link
re: My First Guitar since you mention rocking out steel-string acoustic is a good place to start. if only to develop calluses and finger strength. there are a ton of great, affordable guitars out there. and if you're still in LA I can recommend a few good shops.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 05:29 (eleven years ago) link
Yes I am still in LA and want an awesome teacher.
Also I want some pedals! What are some good one to get?
― Acute puppy syndrome (admrl), Tuesday, 15 May 2012 23:36 (eleven years ago) link
A little wishlist of things I've used/borrowed/owned before. The only one I have left is the Keeley but I don't play a huge amount of guitar anymore. I think the Electrohamonix pedals do a good job of packing in quality for price.
Delay - Electroharmonix Memoryman, BOSS DM2, Ringmod - Moogerfooger MF102 (expensive)Fuzz - Bigmuff (cheap too)Overdrive - Fulltone Fulldrive Pitch - probably Electroharmonix again, think they have a new one out that is quite somethingCompressor - Keeley 4 knob (this is amazing and well worth the price)
― owenf, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 13:54 (eleven years ago) link
ooooh, I understand "Delay" and "Fuzz', the rest are a mystery
― Ian svenonononius (admrl), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:10 (eleven years ago) link
lol. if you're already looking at pedals, you may not want to bother with acoustic after all. though it really is good for developing your technique...
for My First Electric, there's no way you can know yet what you're going to like, so the next best thing is something that looks cool to you and makes you want to rock the fuck out, or at least practice that you can also flip without taking too much of a hit. LA is one of the better markets for finding dope gear on craigslist. i'd vote for a used made-in-mexico fender telecaster or an epiphone sheraton, casino, or les paul.
pedals are a whole crazy world of their own. to start, you'll want an overdrive, maybe a delay, and maybe a compressor. recommendations for some of these things will be based on what guitar you choose. and what amp.
e.g. strat into fender amp loves a tubescreamer, les paul into marshall amp loves a treble booster. i have been down this rabbit hole and am happy to share. let's start with the guitar tho. and the amp.
re:teachers, since that's less interesting to the hivemind i'll reach out offboard if that's cool
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Thursday, 17 May 2012 04:55 (eleven years ago) link
good place to start gearwise: what sort of guitar music do you like?
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Thursday, 17 May 2012 05:34 (eleven years ago) link
this looks like nice delay pedal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3LSfEEaJmQ
― biggie smallclothes (brownie), Thursday, 17 May 2012 22:41 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si85s8dvKWI
― Ian svenonononius (admrl), Thursday, 17 May 2012 22:44 (eleven years ago) link
So...how long will it take me to get from COMPLETE newb to /\/\/\/\/\/\?
Not long, I'm sure!!
― Ian svenonononius (admrl), Thursday, 17 May 2012 22:45 (eleven years ago) link
I'll also settle for
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VUnf8WRt-E
I'm on a big Ride tip right now
― Ian svenonononius (admrl), Thursday, 17 May 2012 22:46 (eleven years ago) link
So like...I'd like to be Link Wray crossed with Joe Strummer crossed with Kevin Shields
― Ian svenonononius (admrl), Thursday, 17 May 2012 22:48 (eleven years ago) link
and Rowland S. Howard and also I want to sound like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvvWccgN3Zs
rowland howard's gear iirc:
fender jag ---> mxr blue box ---> mxr distortion+ ---> some external multi-band eq with everything at 10 ---> twin reverb (reverb on most of the time i think)
― arby's, Friday, 18 May 2012 02:56 (eleven years ago) link
could probably swap those pedals out for some others and still be in that ballpark, his sound imo has to most do with his playing, then that jag + spring reverb tank in the twin. probably?
― arby's, Friday, 18 May 2012 02:58 (eleven years ago) link
Blue box forecer
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Friday, 18 May 2012 03:09 (eleven years ago) link
Blue Box looks cool.
I'll buy one of those then
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 03:28 (eleven years ago) link
mexijags are gettable. the new johnny marr jag is The One imo but a little spendy for My First Guitar,
ampwise you won't want to start with a twin unless you already have a soundproof garage or live in a stadium but the princeton reverb reissue is dope. either way you'll need pedals for dirt.
blue box is crizzazy
there's a pedal-building rowland howard fan who will make u this pedal for $300. combo blue box/d+
http://www.messandnoise.com/images/3028385/640x461-c.jpeg
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 18 May 2012 05:22 (eleven years ago) link
bah mexijags are false jags /jerk
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Friday, 18 May 2012 06:28 (eleven years ago) link
overwound pickups. balls to that
lol jj it's a bit early to introduce the NEWBs to grumpy guitar people sittin-on-the-porch conversation. my first electric I wouldn't have even noticed the difference between humbuckers and single coils.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 18 May 2012 15:33 (eleven years ago) link
My feeling about most people debating the merits of pickups and the like is stfu and learn how to play. As long as a guitar is playable, holds its tuning and doesn't create horrible noise/interference you can change the sound quite a lot just through things like picking technique, messing with the knobs, etc. Even moreso if you're using pedals, although this is another area where people put too much focus. If you're a pro or a very experienced player you'll be more aware of how the tech can help improve your sound and solve your problems, but there's nothing more depressing than a shitty guitarist with an overly-thought-out customized guitar and rig.
― this guy's a gangsta? his real name's mittens. (Hurting 2), Friday, 18 May 2012 15:39 (eleven years ago) link
edge.jpg
― banal like a null (snoball), Friday, 18 May 2012 15:41 (eleven years ago) link
"but there's nothing more depressing than a shitty guitarist with an overly-thought-out customized guitar and rig" OTM
'audio' people are the worst. Gearslutz steez = "yeah but I null tested it and there was something at -40db and I can't have that' Sorry how many records have you mixed? Stop worrying and apply some art.
― owenf, Friday, 18 May 2012 15:47 (eleven years ago) link
holds its tuning
Key as fuck. I feel like I would have advanced a lot more in my younger years as a guitar player if I a.) hadn't had shitty tuning heads and b.)actually knew how to tune a guitar.
― Lee Morgan Come Again (how's life), Friday, 18 May 2012 15:51 (eleven years ago) link
speaking of tuning i can highly recommend this one
http://www.tcelectronic.com/media/polytune_persp_poly.jpg
― biggie smallclothes (brownie), Friday, 18 May 2012 15:56 (eleven years ago) link
sorry i couldn't find a bigger picture
― biggie smallclothes (brownie), Friday, 18 May 2012 15:58 (eleven years ago) link
I've heard those are great. They make a slightly smaller one now as well that costs about $10 bucks less.
― Lee Morgan Come Again (how's life), Friday, 18 May 2012 16:01 (eleven years ago) link
xxpost btw it's not really the tuners that are responsible for holding tune. grease yer nutz people. and learn how to wrap your strings.
and cut this shit out we're scaring the NEWBs
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 18 May 2012 16:20 (eleven years ago) link
I unquestioningly accept that I may have had nut problems as well.
― Lee Morgan Come Again (how's life), Friday, 18 May 2012 16:32 (eleven years ago) link
In the past, I've had problems with my (truss) rod.
― banal like a null (snoball), Friday, 18 May 2012 16:58 (eleven years ago) link
it's common for truss issues to cause problems with your rod
― this guy's a gangsta? his real name's mittens. (Hurting 2), Friday, 18 May 2012 16:59 (eleven years ago) link
I wouldn't have even noticed the difference between humbuckers and single coils.
uhhhh
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:03 (eleven years ago) link
Guys, I already spend a regular pretty penny on film/video equipment, I don't want to go in the hole for another gear-heavy hobby! Hobby being the key word here, the video is my primary dayjob/creative outlet, I just to learn guitar so I can play in my garage and take my mind of the other stuff. I basically don't want to spend more than $300 on initial setup. Although the pedal Roger posted loooks sweeet.......
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:05 (eleven years ago) link
that's where everyone starts ;-)
you'll be hard-pressed to find a satisfying electric guitar/amp/pedals setup for under $300 but it can be done. Again the good news here is that LA craigslist is about as good as it gets for guitar stuff.
Starter guitars to look for imo:- MIM telecasters or strats- Epiphone 335s or Les Pauls (there are a couple on LA craigslist right now around $300 that look pretty promising)
Starter AMPS to look for imo:- Fender Champion 600 (with single coils; not a lot of clean headroom with 'buckers)- Vox AC4- Vox Pathfinder- dunno what the hot el cheapo modelers are these days, but these will let you play with effects without buying pedals yet. Vox Valvetronix? Roland Cube/MicroCube? Line 6 MicroSpider?- Yamaha THR10 looks ideal but it's $300 and not yet on the used market
Starter PEDALS to look for imo:- EH Big Muff or Little Big Muff- Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer- RAT- MXR Distortion III - not a classic or anything but super handy and cheep- Digitech Digidelay- Line 6 Echo Park
Would love to hear other folks' thoughts on a good affordable NEWB rig. Wonder where DJP's got off to...
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:45 (eleven years ago) link
ugh, money
maybe I'll just learn the flute or go acoustic...
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:47 (eleven years ago) link
vox pathfinder is a perfectly fine little practice amp. can be had for under $100 on amazon.
― Lee Morgan Come Again (how's life), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:47 (eleven years ago) link
I like this place, it near my house:
http://futuremusicstore.com/
xp - nice! thank you. I was hoping for like a $100 amp and a 200ish guitar. I realize that isn't much but for now...
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:49 (eleven years ago) link
i've heard some good things about the Mascis Squier Jazzmaster ($300)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgVEtGXJRzo
― biggie smallclothes (brownie), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:49 (eleven years ago) link
MASCIS?
uh oh....
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:50 (eleven years ago) link
That sounds nice. I wanna be J too =(
it's CHEAP too
― biggie smallclothes (brownie), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:51 (eleven years ago) link
seriously do not worry about this crap at all ;-)
i think we can put together a totally sweet low-cost electric rig 4 u. esp. if you can stretch to like $500. it'll grow over time if you enjoy it, and you'll be able to ditch it all for more or less what it cost. zero risk!
and yeah Future Music is grebt. lotta oddball stuff, can get a little spendy. but a great place to dream, in a good way.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:51 (eleven years ago) link
Dude, this is a nice guitar.
I'm fucked. This is the same thing that happened when I was a bike newb!
xxp
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:51 (eleven years ago) link
i have a mexijag : (
― am0n, Friday, 18 May 2012 18:52 (eleven years ago) link
It sounds cool, whatever it is
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:53 (eleven years ago) link
By a strange chain of events I came to own a Johnson Solara. I believe they are around 150 new. I play it through a lower end tube amp, a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, and I love the way it sounds and it plays great.
― this guy's a gangsta? his real name's mittens. (Hurting 2), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:54 (eleven years ago) link
names of guitars and gear are great, huh?
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:55 (eleven years ago) link
Am I having an early midlife crisis?
wish i still lived in LA. would have happily just loaned u gear to start.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 18 May 2012 18:57 (eleven years ago) link
my vox da5 has intermittent sound from the speaker (sometimes it works, sometimes it's silent). i attached alligator clips to the leads and attached them to another speaker and it works OK, so it must be something inside the speaker itself, but can't imagine what it is. (bad capacitor?)
just based on this, i wouldn't get a vox, since even the worst of the worst crate practice amps have always at least worked, though this just could be a freakish defect.
― Philip Nunez, Friday, 18 May 2012 18:59 (eleven years ago) link
awww thanks roger
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 19:04 (eleven years ago) link
Here is a thread all about cheap-ass guitars
Hey, hey, how are the slave labor guitars: Gibson-Baldwin Signatures and SX/Agiles
― Lee Morgan Come Again (how's life), Friday, 18 May 2012 19:08 (eleven years ago) link
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, May 18, 2012
welp one nice thing about acoustic is it definitely limits the variables so you can focus on just learning the instrument. iirc the first few months were tough for me. it's not like e.g. piano where on day one your touch might be a little lacking but you can at least produce an F or B chord that sounds like it came from a musical instrument.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 18 May 2012 19:19 (eleven years ago) link
Are there any really good slave labor amps? I would think it would be easier to build adequate amps than adequate guitars
― this guy's a gangsta? his real name's mittens. (Hurting 2), Friday, 18 May 2012 19:20 (eleven years ago) link
acoustic is definitely a great way to learn and build hand strength. your hands and fingers will hurt and you will want to die
― biggie smallclothes (brownie), Friday, 18 May 2012 19:20 (eleven years ago) link
xpost hurting there are TONS tbh.
just listed a few of them on the low-cost/low-power side of things but there are also e.g the various new Voxes and Fenders, Jet City, Egnater, the lol Bugera Matchless knock-off, etc etc.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 18 May 2012 19:27 (eleven years ago) link
Re: speaker intermittent thing upthread - no caps in the speaker, prob either a tinsel lead or a slight voice coil rub. Short version - replace the speaker.
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Friday, 18 May 2012 23:20 (eleven years ago) link
heres a $200 range guitar thats prob good for the pricehttp://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/squier-cyclone-electric-guitar/h77032000004000
― shit_ebooks (am0n), Saturday, 2 June 2012 04:20 (eleven years ago) link
UPDATE:
I still don't have a teacher. I'm a lazy SOB.
I can play the following chords: E/G/C/D/A/F (ps F sux) (I assume I'm doing F right anyway, I kind of figured it out instead of looking it up and ended up with XX3211)
I can't play anything in rhythm yet. Switching between chords is a 3-10 second "um okay my fingers go here no wait HERE dammit press harder ow my fingers" ordeal.
I have a newfound appreciation for anyone playing fast-strummed rhythm guitar parts because that shit is hard and hurts.
I need to get a teacher, it's stupid I haven't gotten one already.
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 14:49 (eleven years ago) link
full F chord is 133211, it's basically the E chord with everything pushed up a fret, but yeah it's a lot harder to play because you have a make a barre
― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 5 July 2012 14:51 (eleven years ago) link
yup, that's F
learning the barre chords is fun and good for hand strength
xp
― goole, Thursday, 5 July 2012 14:52 (eleven years ago) link
like n/a said: the "E major" shape barre chord: 133211the "e minor" shape barre chord: 133111
the "a major" shape barre chord: x13331 (people mostly play this as x1333xthe "a minor" shape barre chord: x13321
― goole, Thursday, 5 July 2012 14:55 (eleven years ago) link
I looked at making F with all 6 strings and my hand basically went "you know what, that idea can go fuck itself"
sigh
wait, wouldn't x13331 be... B-flat, E, A, C#, F?
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:00 (eleven years ago) link
B-flat, F, B-flat, D, F
― goole, Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:02 (eleven years ago) link
oh right, 3 not 2
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:03 (eleven years ago) link
i'm putting those chord names in quotes because that's the shape when played as an open chord.
i probably should have called it "e string root major and minor" and "a string root major and minro" which is more accurate.
― goole, Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:03 (eleven years ago) link
no I got what you meant, I was just thinking A = fret 2 and being dumb about translating into notes
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:04 (eleven years ago) link
another good practice chord is the minor 11
111111
― goole, Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:05 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, that's a good way to practice the barre. Especially if you don't play the A string, making is just a minor 7th.
1x1111
― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:12 (eleven years ago) link
I haven't really wrapped my head around how to skip a string in the middle of a chord
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:12 (eleven years ago) link
Well, you could try to either1) play fingerstyle2) skip TWO strings xx1111
― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:24 (eleven years ago) link
you don't have to skip the string at all. that would be hard! just mute it. much easier.
btw just to gloss n/a's post above re the F chord: the full barre is 133211 but the xx3211 you're playing is also technically a complete F and has a long and honorable tradition. the "baby barre" you're playing on the E and B strings is sort of one of the guitar player's early rites of passage.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:25 (eleven years ago) link
this is a little ~advanced~ but if you take any two or three strings of any of those barres it will sound like something familiar.
xx333x = a major triad with root on the 5.
xxx211 = major chord, root 3
xxx321 = minor chord, root 1
xx321x = major chord, root 1
you can move these around anywhere
― goole, Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:32 (eleven years ago) link
ha that is what I was figuring out yesterday
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:33 (eleven years ago) link
haha, yes. i'm reliving this frustration. i decided to really start teaching myself finger style stuff by learning bert jansch's version of angie and it's those first days of learning cowboy chords all over again.
"okay, these two fingers here at the same time, alright then this bass note with my thumb while hammering on th--AAGGGH why is that note muting when i...?!"*forgets place in song even, though i've spent all afternoon on four seconds of music**HURLS GUITAR AT CAT*
― arby's, Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:44 (eleven years ago) link
cowboy chords?
― goole, Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:44 (eleven years ago) link
you know, those chords which, when you finally get them to sound, make you leap up and shout "YEE-HAW" while tossing your ten-gallon hat in the air
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:46 (eleven years ago) link
I thought it meant those chords that are so frustrating that you want to shot something?
― Jeff Goldblum is watching you, pope! (snoball), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:48 (eleven years ago) link
haha, it's just another term for open chords. i prefer the DJP definition
― arby's, Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:49 (eleven years ago) link
I don't! Wherever i can avoid playing barre chords I do, instead I use my thumb to hold down the lowest string (btw Dan I am not recommending you learn to play the guitar this way)
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:53 (eleven years ago) link
you have to have pretty big hands to do that, seems like it would also inhibit mobility of your fretting hand but i guess whatever works for you!
― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:54 (eleven years ago) link
don't worry, my hands are barely large enough for me to do open chords, let alone utilize that type of barre cheat
btw up until I started actually teaching myself how to play the guitar I just KNEW that it was "bar" chords because you had to use a finger to make a bar across the neck
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:55 (eleven years ago) link
ha well i think barre is just french for bar
― goole, Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:56 (eleven years ago) link
you have to have pretty big hands to do that
I don't though. Having a thin neck helps... on the guitar that is, obviously.
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:57 (eleven years ago) link
Dan, didn't they ever need you at least once to sing at the ballet?http://rainonsunday.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/bar.jpg
― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:58 (eleven years ago) link
ha nope
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 16:00 (eleven years ago) link
Ich spreche Deutsch, Franzoesich ist fuer Maedchen
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 16:02 (eleven years ago) link
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Thursday, July 5, 2012 10:57 AM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yeah i have pretty small hands and can do this tho it depens on what is demanded of the rest of my fingers, setup of the guitar etc
― arby's, Thursday, 5 July 2012 16:07 (eleven years ago) link
what i mean to say a lotta times ppl will say things like 'you can't play this unless...' and it's sometimes can be a false zapper of ambition. lots of stuff you think you could never do you probably can, just really takes practice. for ages i thought it was impossible for me to use my thumb that way!
― arby's, Thursday, 5 July 2012 16:10 (eleven years ago) link
"what i mean to say is that..."
rushing on my way out the door to class here lol...
― arby's, Thursday, 5 July 2012 16:12 (eleven years ago) link
It's how I learned to play, I don't know what gave me the idea, other than the fact that friggin' barre chords were hurting my hands
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Thursday, 5 July 2012 16:13 (eleven years ago) link
i know hendrix did the thumb thing but he was hendrix so you know
― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 5 July 2012 16:13 (eleven years ago) link
Hands like shovels
I'm sitting here listing to old Banshees stuff like "Into the Light" and going "holy fucking shit, how did he even do that" which is semi-disheartening because one of the main reasons I wanted a guitar was so I could learn how to play "Night Shift" (btw, did you know that apparently no one on the entire internet knows how "Night Shift" goes?)
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 5 July 2012 16:16 (eleven years ago) link
So I've decided to start with acoustic now, mainly because of $$$. What should I be looking for in such a purchase? I want something that looks good so I will want to play it
― www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 6 July 2012 16:16 (eleven years ago) link
once again, i recommend the mccabe's rental program. super-low cost of entry, you can buy it if you like it minus the very reasonable rental cost. alongside the crazy high-end stuff they have a really impressive range of low-cost acoustics and set them up in-house so they play and sound their best.
they like beginners and want people to learn to play and enjoy guitar. super nice and not condescending and will get you set up right.
http://www.mccabes.com/rentalpolicy.html
full disclosure i don't work for mccabe's but I did get started on a mccabe's rental.
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, 6 July 2012 17:42 (eleven years ago) link
it's semi pathetic how many takes I'm having to do just to get a simple riff recorded for my AC comp song, I am not used to this
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Sunday, 15 July 2012 18:46 (eleven years ago) link
okay lol
I have identified a place where I want to take lessons but I now am not sure I have time in my schedule for them
on the plus side, I can now play the main riff from "Never Let Me Down Again" and can almost reliably play barre chords (well, F and B); I can also play "Mother" really arrhythmically and slowly (G-C-G-C-G-C-D-C-G, F-C-F-C-F-C-G-D-C-D-C-D-C-G)
I am looking forward to the painful unlearning of all of the terrible habits I have created for myself
― The Owls of Ja Rule (DJP), Wednesday, 10 October 2012 21:01 (eleven years ago) link
still no teacher, but I did spend some time over Thanksgiving going over some things with natlawdp that led to:
a) me losing my fear of the fretboard past fret 5b) me getting better at barresc) the most important thing at all and the justification of my acquisition of a guitar; I found a sensible tab for the bass line to "Night Shift" by Siouxsie and the Banshees and, from that and combining a) and b), was able to extrapolate a rudimentary rhythm guitar part for the song, when means OMFG I CAN PLAY "NIGHT SHIFT", I CAN NOW DIE HAPPYd) fuck the mothers, kill the others
― I loves you, PORGI (DJP), Monday, 3 December 2012 15:37 (eleven years ago) link
welp, I emailed a potential teacher whose name I've had for a year thanks to being super embarrassed about dragging my feet on the root 5 barre chords thread
let's see what happens
― This beat is TWEENCHRONIC (DJP), Tuesday, 26 February 2013 01:04 (eleven years ago) link
Glad we could be of help.
― Stranded In the Jungle Groove (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 26 February 2013 01:21 (eleven years ago) link
And people say shame isn't a good motivator.
― how's life, Tuesday, 26 February 2013 14:07 (eleven years ago) link
Seriously, this is the most important part about guitar playing
c) the most important thing at all and the justification of my acquisition of a guitar; I found a sensible tab for the bass line to "Night Shift" by Siouxsie and the Banshees and, from that and combining a) and b), was able to extrapolate a rudimentary rhythm guitar part for the song, when means OMFG I CAN PLAY "NIGHT SHIFT", I CAN NOW DIE HAPPY
― how's life, Tuesday, 26 February 2013 14:08 (eleven years ago) link
in the meanwhile, occupy yourself here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/JustinSandercoehttp://www.justinguitar.com/
― natlawdp, Tuesday, 26 February 2013 17:02 (eleven years ago) link
Have any of you played around with Rocksmith? I can kind of play "Boys Don't Cry" now :-D
― "Bellini." (DJP), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 14:22 (eleven years ago) link
I haven't, I'm guessing it's kinda lead guitar focused? Would like to try but suspect it'd end up being an expensive underused gimmick.
― ledge, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 14:36 (eleven years ago) link
It covers both guitar and bass; the guitar parts can be lead, chords or a combo depending on the song.
― "Bellini." (DJP), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 14:37 (eleven years ago) link
i'm gonna hold out for ROCKSMITH FINGERSTYLE.
― ledge, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 14:39 (eleven years ago) link
speaking of which can i just give a shoutout to trying out different picks in the early stages? its kind of amazing how big a difference they can make once you have at least a basic familiarity with the instrument, and how much the wrong one can hold you back. pro-tip: it is not necessarily easier to hold on to a larger pick, despite that being a little counterintuitive.
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:25 (eleven years ago) link
wait, there are different picks...?
I mean, I know about the ones that slide over your fingers etc but I guess I never noticed that guitar picks come in different sizes? (and really why would I notice, considering I never actually owned a guitar before last year)
― "Bellini." (DJP), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:28 (eleven years ago) link
oh yeah, different sizes, different thicknesses, different materials, all of which change the way you hold the pick, the attack it has, etc. I am a big fan of the max-grip dunlop jazz III.
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:31 (eleven years ago) link
also different shapes to the point of the pick as well.
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:32 (eleven years ago) link
i should say max grip jazz III nylon. its the red one.
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:33 (eleven years ago) link
that is a very fancy name for a pick
― "Bellini." (DJP), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:37 (eleven years ago) link
i am a fancy guy
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:38 (eleven years ago) link
maybe I will go to Daddy's Junky Music and buy a bunch of random picks, see which ones I like
I'll be sad if I can't find a Pilot Inspektor Jazz Hands Infinity pick tho
― "Bellini." (DJP), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:41 (eleven years ago) link
different sizes, different shapes, different thicknesses
i usually use these but sometimes go to 1.0 for acoustic and keep a bunch of random ones around to change things up
http://www.jimdunlop.com/images/products/UltexStandard73-5.5.png
― inste grammophon (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:43 (eleven years ago) link
I should see what mine are, as far as I can tell they are "generic blue picks"
― "Bellini." (DJP), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:44 (eleven years ago) link
some day i will find the dude that invented the "hey with this shitty tool you can make a pick out of any old crap lying around your house" thing and kick the shit out of him.
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:51 (eleven years ago) link
this is the only pick i use
http://www.buriedtreasurefossils.com/images_Chile/images_C_GW_XL/C1206-P.jpg
― brownie, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 16:53 (eleven years ago) link
I only use $60 quartz crystal picks
http://realrock.us/catalog/gpteardropquartzcrystal.html
― how's life, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 17:36 (eleven years ago) link
Dunlop Nylon Standard Pick Packs, .88mm/Gray
idk i've never really tried playing with anything else!
― goole, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 18:09 (eleven years ago) link
Plectrums/Picks - what do you use?
― These goons are from Galactor and who gives a s*** (snoball), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 18:16 (eleven years ago) link
.73 or .88s for me too. I like the red jazz one as well
― dog latin, Thursday, 7 March 2013 01:16 (eleven years ago) link
I like thinner picks for acoustic strumming and thicker ones for lead playing. I don't really have a standard size anymore though, just kind of use whatever I find.
― space phwoar (Hurting 2), Thursday, 7 March 2013 03:04 (eleven years ago) link
srsly what wormhole have you ppl sucked me into
― "Bellini." (DJP), Thursday, 7 March 2013 03:45 (eleven years ago) link
oh we should definitely talk about strings
― inste grammophon (rogermexico.), Thursday, 7 March 2013 05:08 (eleven years ago) link
and what is the most transparent overdrive
I can't stand jazz picks, but maybe because I'm just butterfingered. They seem to go flying all over the damn place.
When I started playing guitar again a year or so ago, for some reason I initially took Slash's advice and started out with 1.14s. I dunno, maybe I was reading his autobiography or something? iirc he used size 12 strings too, which I didn't do on my electric, but I did restring my acoustic with 12s and I mean, well, it built up a lot of finger-strength but I couldn't imagine playing it regularly in a rock context!
I've worked my way down to .73s, but I'm going to try something other than Dunlop Tortex. The reason I haven't yet is because I always order them in 12-packs and so it's not like I'm wanting for guitar picks around the house. I don't really like the feel of tortex though, so I'm open for suggestions. When I was a teenager, I used Pickboy picks a lot for some reason and hated Fender picks. So brittle and breakable. Anybody ever have to get through a band practice or something playing with shards of Fender picks?
― how's life, Thursday, 7 March 2013 09:50 (eleven years ago) link
Sorry, I'm using .88s at this point, not .73s.
― how's life, Thursday, 7 March 2013 09:53 (eleven years ago) link
http://beta.ilxor.com/sandbox/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?action=showall&boardid=148&threadid=1469
And don't forget about that most essential piece of guitar hardware, the bit that connects it to the strap...
Guitar Strap Buttons/Strap Locks
― These goons are from Galactor and who gives a s*** (snoball), Thursday, 7 March 2013 09:56 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5QIoKvlgvY
― These goons are from Galactor and who gives a s*** (snoball), Thursday, 7 March 2013 09:58 (eleven years ago) link
I can't remember what brand of guitar strap I'm using these days, but it doesn't come off unless you pry it off. I don't think it cost me more than $15 or so either. Anyway, no need for strap locks over here.
― how's life, Thursday, 7 March 2013 12:03 (eleven years ago) link
only strap i use
http://www.deviantart.com/download/129026641/Dragon_Moray_Eel_for_Vulpa_by_Night_eco.jpg
― brownie, Thursday, 7 March 2013 13:19 (eleven years ago) link
I have a couple of cool Couch straps but I don't like their complete lack of give. After an hour they always start zapping the Spock nerve. Happiest with the el cheapo black woven Levy's.
― inste grammophon (rogermexico.), Thursday, 7 March 2013 15:47 (eleven years ago) link
ha as a dude who owns a store, i am still such a dirtbag wrt accessories, basically my strap of choice is "whatever knifelike nylon piece of shit came free with an order" pretty much all the time
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 7 March 2013 16:27 (eleven years ago) link
I thought I'd put a picture of the awesome strap I bought in Tokyo up on Facebook but apparently not; it matches my guitar beautifully and has sumo wrestlers on it
― "Bellini." (DJP), Thursday, 7 March 2013 16:32 (eleven years ago) link
you know what's been sorta crazy to me since starting playing again? going onto all these guitar internet forums like tdpri or harmony central or whatever, and how many of these dudes are playing their guitars in church. and not like classical guitar either. dudes saying shit like, "oh yeah, I prefer a tube screamer to an ocd, but I use a joyo ultimate drive on my church pedalboard."
― how's life, Saturday, 9 March 2013 13:12 (eleven years ago) link
We're you not aware of the gross modernization of church music, aka the rise of the "praise team"?
It's the worst. I am super happy I never have to deal with that again.
― Darth Icky (DJP), Saturday, 9 March 2013 14:07 (eleven years ago) link
Also FYI lots of those dudes are getting paid pretty well for those church gigs, so it is often not driven by a spiritual awakening exactly
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Saturday, 9 March 2013 15:54 (eleven years ago) link
it is, however, driven by incredibly terrible music like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wutmEjdbedE
― Darth Icky (DJP), Saturday, 9 March 2013 16:28 (eleven years ago) link
as tacky as modern gospel can get, at least most times the music rules; this shit is basically " let me fart in your ears with my piety"
― Darth Icky (DJP), Saturday, 9 March 2013 16:30 (eleven years ago) link
modern christian is the pernicousest of pernicious U2 influences
― inste grammophon (rogermexico.), Saturday, 9 March 2013 18:30 (eleven years ago) link
Haven't yet found a teacher. Have been playing a LOT of Rocksmith, which means I can now halfway fake through:
Islands by the xxBoys Don't Cry by The CureAngela by Jarvis CockerGo With The Flow by QOTSABlack by Pearl Jam
I also figured out the opening riff to "Crystalised" by the xx and have been practicing that along with the riffs in "Never Let Me Down Again"
I can also kind of fake "Classic Girl" by Jane's Addiction although I find it easier to play in E than A
― Darth Icky (DJP), Monday, 11 March 2013 13:31 (eleven years ago) link
things I have learned from Rocksmith:
- Muse writes terrible songs that are super fun to play- changing chords in time is hard- Boys Don't Cry is built off of butt easy barre chords- I find single-note lead lines to be much easier to wrap my head around than chords due to the whole "changing chords in time is hard" thing- I don't know who Jenny O. is but I hate her, I hate her and her dumb-ass hammer offs so fucking much
― Call me at **BITCOIN (DJP), Monday, 22 April 2013 02:05 (ten years ago) link
i tried to restring my lap steel after not touching it for actual years and broke all the strings because i've never done it before
jjj: are ppl that bring their guitars into music shops to have them restrung/tuned equivalent to newbs that bring their bikes into have flat tires changed, or are they WORSE
― well if it isn't old 11 cameras simon (gbx), Tuesday, 23 April 2013 17:42 (ten years ago) link
broke ALL the strings?? sounds like something wrong with it, idk
― goole, Tuesday, 23 April 2013 19:38 (ten years ago) link
yeah that's strange. You could have been WAY overstretching the strings I guess but that seems unlikely. Sometimes there's a "burr" somewhere that can accidentally cut a string, but unlikely on all of them. Maybe faulty strings?
― huun huurt 2 (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 23 April 2013 19:41 (ten years ago) link
maybe but bear in mind i had no idea what i was doing, even tho i watched a youtube and everything
― well if it isn't old 11 cameras simon (gbx), Tuesday, 23 April 2013 21:04 (ten years ago) link
Do not be offended but you were using lap steel strings right? And a set for the tuning you were shooting for?
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Tuesday, 23 April 2013 21:22 (ten years ago) link
not at all
i was using the strings that a friend nicely bought me after he broke one. he at some point in his youth played guitar, but i wouldn't be surprised if he had no clue that lap strings are different. i sure didn't until you just told me
― well if it isn't old 11 cameras simon (gbx), Tuesday, 23 April 2013 21:31 (ten years ago) link
ooooooh yeah that could be it
― huun huurt 2 (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 23 April 2013 21:53 (ten years ago) link
Spent the past three days figuring out and then playing the main guitar riff from "To Bring You My Love" over and over and over again
Also started playing around with some chords and trying to write a song, but everything I do sounds suspiciously like something else
For example, I feel like there are a ton of songs that go E-D-B-C, right (all barre 5 chords)
Also, is there a Coldplay song that uses A-e-G-D on either the bridge or the chorus? Or maybe some grunge song?
― Call me at **BITCOIN (DJP), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 13:50 (ten years ago) link
Unless you're Derek Bailey this goes for pretty much every guitar player in the world
― Bees Against Racism (Tom D.), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 13:57 (ten years ago) link
OTM
There are only 12 notes. Start by just writing something that sounds suspiciously like something else -- that's how everyone starts.
― huun huurt 2 (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 14:08 (ten years ago) link
There are only 12 notes
don't tell tony conrad that
― am0n, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 17:17 (ten years ago) link
writing microtonal songs as a guitar newb would certainly be a strategy for avoiding cliches
― huun huurt 2 (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 17:19 (ten years ago) link
i'm working through this book with my teacher:
http://www.amazon.com/Chord-Melody-Guitar-Combining-Arrangements-Musicians/dp/0634032119/
it's great! it's jazz-ish but not really. it bridges the gap between chords and melody playing; lots of exercises that connect scale shapes to chord shapes.
― goole, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 17:22 (ten years ago) link
I had a post for this thread but somehow it ended up over here: will tim tebow have a good nfl career?
― Call me at **BITCOIN (DJP), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 18:08 (ten years ago) link
hahaha
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 18:09 (ten years ago) link
Diddley Tebow
― Camp Macaroni Style (snoball), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 18:12 (ten years ago) link
Have you tried playing a pedal point yet?
― Blue Yodel No. 9 Dream (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 18:18 (ten years ago) link
can't spell Tebow without an EBow
http://rwtc.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/blog_ebow2.jpg
― Punxsutawney PiL (brownie), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 18:26 (ten years ago) link
have you ruined your technique through mad doctor stutter tremolo abuse yet
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 18:31 (ten years ago) link
that + microtonal should be enough to make your wife and any neighboring cats hate you
oh I had a glorious Saturday fucking around with the Mad Doctor a few weeks ago, it was magical
I had to disconnect from it because I am afraid that if I continue to play through it I will never actually learn how to play in fast rhythm
― Call me at **BITCOIN (DJP), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 18:39 (ten years ago) link
re: pedal points: I started doing the thing of moving the E and A chord shape up and down the neck of the guitar without the barre to make cool chords with an E or A pedal in them, which was mostly how I stumbled upon how to play a good chunk of the chords to "Classic Girl"
― Call me at **BITCOIN (DJP), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 18:52 (ten years ago) link
I... think I wrote a song? :-D
― far too much asshole flesh (DJP), Sunday, 12 May 2013 21:03 (ten years ago) link
For everyone?
― Retreat from the Sunship (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 12 May 2013 21:27 (ten years ago) link
well I have to record it and write lyrics
it's very "dude who can't really play the guitar writes a guitar song" and features an A octave played across three strings
― far too much asshole flesh (DJP), Sunday, 12 May 2013 21:34 (ten years ago) link
kind of want to start a thread called I Love Power Chords
― far too much asshole flesh (DJP), Sunday, 12 May 2013 21:35 (ten years ago) link
Eb = Hendrix tuning. Eddie Van Halen too. Stevie Ray too, I think...― natlawdp, Friday, January 6, 2012 3:23 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink Slash― beachville, Friday, January 6, 2012 3:24 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― natlawdp, Friday, January 6, 2012 3:23 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― beachville, Friday, January 6, 2012 3:24 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
This fucking tuning.
― how's life, Monday, 20 May 2013 19:47 (ten years ago) link
It's not a city in China.
― Oulipo Traces (on a Cigarette) (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 20 May 2013 19:49 (ten years ago) link
haha what about that tuning??
i have an irrational dislike of it myself tbh
― goole, Monday, 20 May 2013 20:19 (ten years ago) link
I kind of love it but that is partially because I'm a baritone and all my good singing keys are flat (particularly Eb and Ab)
― AMERICA IS ABOUT RESSLING (DJP), Monday, 20 May 2013 20:21 (ten years ago) link
That people record songs in it! Wanted to figure something out last night and I was like, "OK, thing that's an open E strong there...." Nope! Open Eb. transposed everything into E, but then playing along with the recording is out. And it comes up rarely enough for me at least that it's not worth detuning another guitar for.
― how's life, Monday, 20 May 2013 20:26 (ten years ago) link
String, not strong
― how's life, Monday, 20 May 2013 20:27 (ten years ago) link
so many '90s alternative bands recorded in Eb
― congratulations (n/a), Monday, 20 May 2013 20:28 (ten years ago) link
the old trick used to be rehearse in E, record in Eb - it's a way to keep singers in their comfort zone.
― AMERICA IS ABOUT RIESLING (jjjusten), Monday, 20 May 2013 20:30 (ten years ago) link
My work band recorded/performed everything in Eb tuning (guitarist was a Van Halenite), which was great for me because that meant I could actually sing some of the covers we were doing
― AMERICA IS ABOUT RESSLING (DJP), Monday, 20 May 2013 20:32 (ten years ago) link
it's more common than you think, historically. i learned of it as a 'grunge' thing to do -- it certainly was seen as such in the guitar mag universe when metallica did it on load. but long before that i think r&b players would tune down to Eb (or up to F!) to be able to fit in better in horn-driven arrangements
― goole, Monday, 20 May 2013 20:34 (ten years ago) link
also dreaded stevie ray vaughan
― AMERICA IS ABOUT RIESLING (jjjusten), Monday, 20 May 2013 20:39 (ten years ago) link
i don't know if DJP specifically would like this, but i'm enjoying this web series on vice's music page called "guitar moves" that has matt sweeney (of chavez and other bands, one of my personal musical heroes) interviewing guitarists from various bands (so far including josh homme from queens of the stone age and james williamson from the stooges) about their guitar playing. it's not tech-y, it's more just cool dudes sitting around bullshitting about playing guitar, but if you're into these kinds of bands, it could be useful/inspirational in learning guitar i think
http://noisey.vice.com/guitar-moves
― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20:27 (ten years ago) link
Some Neil Young songs are in Eb tuning and only sound right to me in that tuning
― THIS IS NOT A BENGHAZI T-SHIRT (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20:33 (ten years ago) link
Jimi often tuned Eb
― a very generous Cordoban (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20:37 (ten years ago) link
that looks super interesting and is really conflicting with my "avoid Vice at all costs" personal stance
― they are either militarists (ugh) or kangaroos (?) (DJP), Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20:38 (ten years ago) link
holy shit that blake mills kid
― goole, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20:48 (ten years ago) link
i like Eb tuning. you can play along with a keyboard easily by mucking around with the black keys, don't have to worry about all those white keys
― lipitor retriever (brownie), Wednesday, 29 May 2013 22:48 (ten years ago) link
those vids are fun. the josh homme one is cool, i realise i've never heard him speak before and his voice is not what i was expecting.
― ogmor, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 22:50 (ten years ago) link
just FYI, I am putting guitar on my contribution the NIN pre-cover comp
I am still horrible at playing chords in time but, with some drilling, I can do simple lead melodies, which is exciting to me.
― DJP, Monday, 24 June 2013 13:42 (ten years ago) link
bernard sumner over here
― goole, Monday, 24 June 2013 15:40 (ten years ago) link
So I am (for real) finally getting a guitar. I think I want a Jaguar. I want a couple pedals, maybe a practical one and a fun one. Any suggestions? I am not really interested in rocking out, more in being weird/annoying.
― Kornblud (admrl), Wednesday, 4 June 2014 20:40 (nine years ago) link
Awesome! The hotbed for ilx pedal talk is over here:
Pedal geeks i need u (help jjjusten make decisions about awesome pedals for his store)
But I guess the first question is what's your pedal budget looking like?
― how's life, Wednesday, 4 June 2014 23:30 (nine years ago) link
And what kind of weird?
― how's life, Wednesday, 4 June 2014 23:33 (nine years ago) link
and what's your amp situation?
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 4 June 2014 23:34 (nine years ago) link
Little practice amp, probat. They have a little Fender amp and a little Silvertone at the store.
Pedal budget- maybe couple hundred, for now, little less.
Kind of weird - give me some choices.
― Kornblud (admrl), Thursday, 5 June 2014 02:54 (nine years ago) link
Probat=probably
Reverb. I want reverb.
― Kornblud (admrl), Thursday, 5 June 2014 02:56 (nine years ago) link
everyone does
― gbx, Thursday, 5 June 2014 02:56 (nine years ago) link
Tc electronics hall of fame and hall of fame minidi some weird shit,esp with the toneprint options
― Everyone is awful except you. Wait, no, you are also awful. (jjjusten), Thursday, 5 June 2014 02:58 (nine years ago) link
Blue box sounds cool?
― Kornblud (admrl), Thursday, 5 June 2014 03:00 (nine years ago) link
I don't understand jjustens last post at all!
― Kornblud (admrl), Thursday, 5 June 2014 03:02 (nine years ago) link
Budget weirdness options - mooer lofi, mooer slow engine
― Everyone is awful except you. Wait, no, you are also awful. (jjjusten), Thursday, 5 June 2014 03:02 (nine years ago) link
my unhelpful opinion is to do nothing re: pedals until you love your amp
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 5 June 2014 03:03 (nine years ago) link
Toneprint allows you to use your smartphone to play a modem sounding noise into your bridge pickup and change the settings in the pedal.
― Everyone is awful except you. Wait, no, you are also awful. (jjjusten), Thursday, 5 June 2014 03:04 (nine years ago) link
Also low budget weird - pretty much every single idiotbox pedal.
^^^^ THIS
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 5 June 2014 03:52 (nine years ago) link
Sometimes I think people learning guitar should be banned from pedals for at least 1 year, maybe 3 years.
― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Thursday, 5 June 2014 03:55 (nine years ago) link
I would say that they should be banned from playing with them for longer than 3 minutes in a space where others can hear. Otherwise, it's too much fun.
― Sufjenga Cat Giffin (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 5 June 2014 04:01 (nine years ago) link
yeah, i regret not waiting to use pedals, they really atrophied my playing skills. not!Guitars are for making sounds
― brimstead, Thursday, 5 June 2014 04:56 (nine years ago) link
fucking how do you turn pedals off anyway, do they make pedals that turn off?
― brimstead, Thursday, 5 June 2014 04:57 (nine years ago) link
A bistable multivibrator
― Sufjenga Cat Giffin (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 5 June 2014 05:10 (nine years ago) link
they don't make pedals that 14 year olds can figure out how to turn off
― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Thursday, 5 June 2014 05:16 (nine years ago) link
Pedals for your pedals.
http://www.loop-master.com/images/Five%20Loop%20with%20Master%20Bypass%201506.jpg
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 5 June 2014 06:51 (nine years ago) link
I like that Slow Engine
― Kornblud (admrl), Thursday, 5 June 2014 13:17 (nine years ago) link
Tc electronics hall of fame and hall of fame minidi some weird shit,esp with the toneprint options― Everyone is awful except you. Wait, no, you are also awful. (jjjusten), Wednesday, June 4, 2014 10:58 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Everyone is awful except you. Wait, no, you are also awful. (jjjusten), Wednesday, June 4, 2014 10:58 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
These are hella cheap right now too. I accidentally bought a Hall of Fame the other week when I entered a half-serious high bid on one on ebay and it turned out to be the winning bid.
― how's life, Thursday, 5 June 2014 14:21 (nine years ago) link
Speaking of reverb, jjusten (or anyone else) how do you like the Dispatch Master? It looks like a nice, simple-to-operate pedal with the added benefit of being two effects. Does it lose anything in its simplicity? How does it stack up against other delay/reverb combos like the Boss RV-5 or whatever?
― how's life, Thursday, 5 June 2014 15:31 (nine years ago) link
I bought a Jagmaster! =)
― Kornblud (admrl), Thursday, 5 June 2014 16:04 (nine years ago) link
Nice! Would shred.
― how's life, Thursday, 5 June 2014 16:40 (nine years ago) link
― Sufjenga Cat Giffin (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, June 5, 2014 6:10 AM (13 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
insert TRS jack Boss joek
― an office job is as secure as a Weetabix padlock (snoball), Thursday, 5 June 2014 19:09 (nine years ago) link
Alright so tell me about
-amps
-vetting teachers
My friend P says not to get a teacher, just to make noises. What u think of that?
― Kornblud (admrl), Friday, 6 June 2014 14:33 (nine years ago) link
If you're not going to get a teacher, at least get Rocksmith and some teach-yrself-guitar books with some music theory in them
― On-the-spot Dicespin (DJP), Friday, 6 June 2014 14:35 (nine years ago) link
I think I want a teacher, but what is Rocksmith?
I understand the importance of learning, but I am also doing this as something of an escape from a sorta daily preponderance of theory and technology fetish in my day job (film/video), so I'm hoping to sort of avoid the pro thing and the head-of-a-pin obsession with gear and technique. That said, said day job also leaves me with a pretty good understanding of the lie behind the assumption that anyone can get by on intuition, etc.
― Kornblud (admrl), Friday, 6 June 2014 14:46 (nine years ago) link
Kool, I see Rocksmith. Seems cheap enough to give a try, but does it actually work?
― Kornblud (admrl), Friday, 6 June 2014 14:49 (nine years ago) link
if there's a certain style that you want to play, a teacher can be very helpful. if you've got enough time to practice, it should also accelerate things. I practiced obsessively in high school by just learning songs, and I developed many bad habits that needed to be broken later. try to 'alternate pick' everything you play starting now if it's not too annoying. and do some exercises! a guitar teacher can be useful in that she'll make you learn some exercises.
― sufi john paxson (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 6 June 2014 14:52 (nine years ago) link
and since you have an electric, you can do exercises while watching netflix or something. so it doesn't need to be grueling.
― sufi john paxson (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 6 June 2014 14:54 (nine years ago) link
Yeah, even if you just want to "make noises", some basic instruction in picking and left-hand technique will strengthen your fingers and muscle memory and allow you to make a greater variety of noises.
― underrated aerobies I have flung (how's life), Friday, 6 June 2014 14:55 (nine years ago) link
I dragged my feet on getting a teacher (to the point where I STILL don't have one, even though I still want one; the leads I tried didn't pan out and then I got distracted) but sporadically playing Rocksmith in three week chunks has gotten me to the point where I can play the majority of open chords, plus barre chords, plus simple melodies, and I can credibly play a rhythm guitar part to "Night Shift" by Siouxsie and the Banshees which was the main reason I wanted a guitar in the first place. Plus, it's a great teaching tool for a variety of songs across a bunch of genres that can turn into a bunch of other songs (ie, playing around with Rocksmith led me to noodling around on my own and then suddenly I realized I was playing "Classic Girl" by Jane's Addiction)
― On-the-spot Dicespin (DJP), Friday, 6 June 2014 14:56 (nine years ago) link
Yeah all this depends a lot on what you want to be able to do on guitar. But if you are trying to play in a certain style, or you want to know how to play what someone else played, a teacher can save you a lot of time and bad habits.
― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:00 (nine years ago) link
I have a good ear and started out learning by ear and I learned a lot of things not merely "wrong" but in a way that made things much harder for myself. Although I guess there's some benefit to some of it, like trying to come up with ways to play stuff that is actually in alternate tuning in a standard tuning.
i didn't know about rocksmith. it looks pretty awesome. i am sad that it wasn't available 12 years ago.
― sufi john paxson (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:01 (nine years ago) link
So amps? What to look for if I don't actually play yet? The Fender one looks nice cos it matches my guitar
― Kornblud (admrl), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:23 (nine years ago) link
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe used to be the go-to moderately priced tube amp imo, but now it seems like they've jacked up the prices. Maybe you can find a used one of these. I'm really happy with mine.
― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:30 (nine years ago) link
boy howdy those have gotten expensive!
― call all destroyer, Friday, 6 June 2014 15:31 (nine years ago) link
srsly, I think I paid around $400 new?
― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:33 (nine years ago) link
If that?
When I bought my hot-rod deluxe I had this vaguely Carlos Santanaish salesman pitching it to me, and I can still hear him saying "It's got the 'drive' button, for when you want drive, and for when you need a little more drive, you hit the 'more drive' button"
― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:34 (nine years ago) link
― underrated aerobies I have flung (how's life), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:35 (nine years ago) link
and yeah, it really has a "more drive" button, which is hilarious and spinal tappish
― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:42 (nine years ago) link
'ow much more drive can it get? none. none the more drive.
― underrated aerobies I have flung (how's life), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:43 (nine years ago) link
I just want to spend 100-200 on amp, at most
― Kornblud (admrl), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:44 (nine years ago) link
100-ish would be ideal
You're probably looking at a solid state practice amp then. I have a Vox Pathfinder. They're pretty nice. An amp of that size isn't going to keep up in a band situation, but for fooling around at home it's all you really need.
― underrated aerobies I have flung (how's life), Friday, 6 June 2014 16:00 (nine years ago) link
yeah. there are low wattage tube amps out there. you may be able to find one for around $200. $100 is tough.
― sufi john paxson (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 6 June 2014 16:17 (nine years ago) link
I really would recommend a "jr" sized tube amp. You might be able to find one for $200 or a little less, especially used. I spent several miserable years trying to get the sound I wanted out of a solid state amp.
― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Friday, 6 June 2014 16:21 (nine years ago) link
If the sound of your amp doesn't please you, you won't be motivated to play.
Also, please go to a store and actually try some amps out, maybe even ask the store guy to demo them for you if you're not comfortable playing yourself.
― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Friday, 6 June 2014 16:22 (nine years ago) link
― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Friday, June 6, 2014 11:34 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
love this
― call all destroyer, Friday, 6 June 2014 16:41 (nine years ago) link
I got Rocksmith 2014 for my birthday! It is fucking great fun! I'm not really a guitar newb as such since I've been playing guitar for almost 20 years but I never practice and therefore am probably not much better than someone who's been playing for 2 or 3 years, so I'm hoping this will get me into it a bit more. I also bought a cheap crappy bass last year to play around with so it's good for that too. I just have to be strict about using my fingers to play bass instead of just bashing at it with my thumb like I do most of the time.
― Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Friday, 8 August 2014 08:39 (nine years ago) link
I'm not a newb, been playing guitar for 20+ years but feel like I'm in a rut, particularly since not regularly practicing with a band/playing live. I pick up my guitar at home but I feel like I just do the same things and play the same songs, I'm not learning anything new or getting any better. Any thoughts on expanding skills or learning new things when you've been playing forever?
― Immediate Follower (NA), Monday, 8 September 2014 18:15 (nine years ago) link
Actually Rocksmith looks fun. Maybe I should do that.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Monday, 8 September 2014 18:17 (nine years ago) link
Though that song selection list is hilariously "guitar magazine from 1996" which is how I learned to play guitar in the first place.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Monday, 8 September 2014 18:21 (nine years ago) link
hal leonard (probably some others) publishes these huge "white pages" of guitar tab for like 30 bucks with 200 or so songs in them, scattered throughout their catalog - when i get in a rut, i just grab one of those and play stuff by people i dont care about at all and i find it kinda breaks that lockdown mindset. like hey, i would never listen to this maroon 5 song or whatever, but the guitar part is way different than my comfort zone and can be applied/tweaked/messed with
― you must have me confused with my stacked as fuck and imposing friend (jjjusten), Monday, 8 September 2014 18:30 (nine years ago) link
Mick Goodrick's Advancing Guitarist ftw
― Good Time Charlie Don't Surf (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 8 September 2014 18:50 (nine years ago) link
Believe it or not YouTube has been my go-to for guitar rut-busting. Mixed in with infinite numbers of rough webcam covers are some pretty good instructional videos. I like the ones from this instro surf guy
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 11 September 2014 07:39 (nine years ago) link
Speaking of reverb, jjusten (or anyone else) how do you like the Dispatch Master? It looks like a nice, simple-to-operate pedal with the added benefit of being two effects. Does it lose anything in its simplicity? How does it stack up against other delay/reverb combos like the Boss RV-5 or whatever?― how's life, Thursday, June 5, 2014 11:31 AM (4 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― how's life, Thursday, June 5, 2014 11:31 AM (4 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
In Tone Report this week, Jamie Stillman says this has been earthquaker's most popular pedal!
― how's life, Monday, 20 October 2014 17:26 (nine years ago) link
I have been a guitar owner for a quarter century and still feel like a newb as a player. I'm not bothered. A lot of it has to do with not having a shitton of spare time in which to seriously practice. If I'm lucky I'll get 15 minutes a day to fuck around and I'm resigned to that as the status quo for now.
But so, the thing I just started getting into in the last month or so is learning vocal lines. I've gone through phases of figuring out all the other parts of songs: chord changes, riffs, solos, bass lines, trying to teach myself how to improvise, etc. But for some reason I had never even thought to try to work out a song's vocal melodies before and that's kinda crazy to me, in retrospect. Anyway, it's been a really good rut-buste. Feel like I'm learning a lot.
― put your money where the maracas are (how's life), Monday, 24 November 2014 22:06 (nine years ago) link
ha given my background as a singer, following vocal lines is my first inclination (2nd inclination is to follow the bass line because I sing bass or baritone in ensembles)
― the farakhan of gg (DJP), Monday, 24 November 2014 22:11 (nine years ago) link
B-b-but did you ever get a teacher?
― Junior Dadaismus (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 24 November 2014 22:13 (nine years ago) link
does Rocksmith count
― the farakhan of gg (DJP), Monday, 24 November 2014 22:13 (nine years ago) link
If u want it to
― Junior Dadaismus (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 24 November 2014 22:25 (nine years ago) link
I fucking love Rocksmith
― Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Monday, 24 November 2014 22:28 (nine years ago) link
wish rocksmith used tab instead of... whatever it is it uses
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 05:43 (nine years ago) link
does rocksmith have style-specific lessons? is it mostly just for beginners? the website seems deliberately opaque about the lessons that are offered.
― $0.00 Butter sauce only. No marinara. (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 06:25 (nine years ago) link
I was initially excited about https://getinstinct.com/ but it doesn't seem to work very well at all. Using a laptop microphone and the internet maybe not such a good idea yet.
― $0.00 Butter sauce only. No marinara. (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 06:27 (nine years ago) link
but I do like how they have style specific lessons (though I couldn't even get the free section of one to load correctly in chrome to see if I was interested in buying).
― $0.00 Butter sauce only. No marinara. (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 06:28 (nine years ago) link
Also, I have been having a hell of a great time learning to play ragtime guitar, but I am afraid that it is one of those styles that is great fun to play but horrible to listen to outside of old western saloons.
― $0.00 Butter sauce only. No marinara. (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 06:30 (nine years ago) link
I realize that ragtime and old western saloons are very different times, but I also don't realize that because I guess it just sounds "old timey" is what I am saying.
― $0.00 Butter sauce only. No marinara. (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 06:32 (nine years ago) link
The default has the strings the opposite way round to tab, but you can reverse the order, I found it OK once I did that.
does rocksmith have style-specific lessons? is it mostly just for beginners?
There are some video lessons for various techniques, not sure they are any better than stuff you can find on Youtube tho. Some of the solos are pretty advanced, I think, but then I am not a very good lead guitarist - I don't think it's just for beginners though - I've got a long way to go on some of the tracks.
― Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 10:30 (nine years ago) link
ha given my background as a singer, following vocal lines is my first inclination (2nd inclination is to follow the bass line because I sing bass or baritone in ensembles)― the farakhan of gg (DJP), Monday, November 24, 2014 5:11 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― the farakhan of gg (DJP), Monday, November 24, 2014 5:11 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Yeah, it just feels like the missing piece of the puzzle to me, in terms of understanding a song. Like, the vocals are the thing people think of first when they're thinking about a song, so why wouldn't I want to figure them out on my instrument? How did I skip this?
Feel like if I did have a background in chorus, or in another instrument in the band or orchestra, I would have approached things differently. My son plays violin at his school. I can kinda tell when he's just whistling or whatever that he's getting a pretty good grasp on melody.
It's really frustrating in hindsight, but I'm having a lot of fun now.
― put your money where the maracas are (how's life), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 14:31 (nine years ago) link
xp Guitar is a weird instrument in that many people never go through the trouble of learning to play the kinds of very basic single-note melodies that a first-year student on any other instrument would learn. You learn cowboy chords, then power chords, then barre chords, then blues/pentatonic scale soloing.
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 14:52 (nine years ago) link
Like I'll bet a lot of guitarists who have been playing a couple years would have trouble picking out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in first position.
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 14:53 (nine years ago) link
meanwhile that has basically been the extent of my guitar playing lately (that, When The Saints Go Marching In, Ode To Joy, and the main keyboard riff from Never Let Me Down Again)
― the farakhan of gg (DJP), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 14:59 (nine years ago) link
It's a good thing to learn, because then when you play chords you can throw in little basslines/licks/fills and it gives you a nice little stylistic edge since a lot of people don't play that way today (whereas in the 60s it was pretty common)
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 15:03 (nine years ago) link
Do you ever take a melody and just strum in the rests? Like you could do "Oh when the saints" (strumy strummy strummy strum) "go marchin in" (strummmmmm a strummy strum) etc. -- it's a good exercise
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 15:05 (nine years ago) link
I can tell you that back in jr. high school when I was taking lessons I probably made it 1/4 way through the Hal Leonard Guitar Method 1 book. I did't want to practice Au Claire de la Lune or Greensleeves.
xp: Yes! that's another thing that I'm doing too, going back and forth between the melody and the chord or root.
― put your money where the maracas are (how's life), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 15:07 (nine years ago) link
I moved this summer and my guitar is now in a room with a computer so I've been playing a lot more - watching videos on youtube and figuring out how to sort of play Ziggy Stardust, Karma Police, Can You Get To That, Mr. Brownstone, etc.
But playing along is still all I do, and I am still totally stupid about scales, positions, keys, and any music theory stuff. I have no idea where to get started and it feels like I will have to force myself to do this and it stops being fun. Which sucks, as this is how it's been for the last 15 years.
― joygoat, Tuesday, 25 November 2014 17:26 (nine years ago) link
Well yeah getting beyond that is going to require some vegetables-eating, just like you don't get much better at basketball if all you ever do is randomly chuck up shots. But don't make it so huge for yourself, just pick one thing and learn it gradually -- how to play a major scale in a few keys (off a few different chords) or something like that. A lot of this stuff builds on itself so once you get a certain amount of base knowledge it gets easier to learn more.
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 17:48 (nine years ago) link
I think it's more that I need to find some specific list of things to work at on a daily basis that progress and build on previous knowledge but am overwhelmed by the options.
I got really good at cooking because I had to eat everyday so I practiced fundamental things over and over. My guitar playing is more like ordering takeout all the time.
― joygoat, Tuesday, 25 November 2014 20:02 (nine years ago) link
The key is to make a very small, manageable list. It won't be "complete." You won't come up with the perfect practice routine. Doing something is better than doing nothing.
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 20:04 (nine years ago) link
Do you workout? It's not that different than with working out -- unless you're a fitness nut you can drive yourself crazy trying to figure out exactly what to do and how to cover all bases and you wind up not going to the gym at all in the end. Better to just do something. That 20 minutes you wind up spending upgrade walking on the treadmill is at least exercise, whereas wringing your hands about what workout to do is not really.
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 20:05 (nine years ago) link
just keep stumbling through satin doll until you can play it perfectly in 20 years
― $0.00 Butter sauce only. No marinara. (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 20:11 (nine years ago) link
It's something that sort of fascinates me about the human mind and learning process tbh -- how you can keep doing an activity for years but actually not get better at it unless you take specific concerted steps -- the fact that there are just walls that you hit if you don't consciously direct yourself over them.
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 25 November 2014 20:13 (nine years ago) link
Hurting otm throughout, painfully so.
― Junior Dadaismus (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 26 November 2014 03:18 (nine years ago) link
i just want a basic but not-trash electric guitar because i'm in my 30s and filled w regret and want to try learning again
what do i get
or should i just get a ukulele
― gbx, Wednesday, 26 November 2014 23:06 (nine years ago) link
Are you still in town? Because I know a guy
― a strawman stuffed with their collection of 12 cds (jjjusten), Thursday, 27 November 2014 01:04 (nine years ago) link
i am not 8[
but you are just the guy i was hoping would show up
― gbx, Thursday, 27 November 2014 02:01 (nine years ago) link
Gimme a price range.
― a strawman stuffed with their collection of 12 cds (jjjusten), Thursday, 27 November 2014 02:19 (nine years ago) link
fwiw u live in a golden age of affordable electric guitars
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 27 November 2014 04:26 (nine years ago) link
big fan of the squier classic vibe tele custom fwiw but: trust in jjj
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 27 November 2014 04:28 (nine years ago) link
range would be sub five hundo but ideally sub three
― gbx, Thursday, 27 November 2014 12:15 (nine years ago) link
I really like my G&L Tribute ASAT. You can pick them up (and many of the other Tribute models) for under $500.
― put your money where the maracas are (how's life), Thursday, 27 November 2014 12:30 (nine years ago) link
G&l tribute fallout is amazing, hagstrom ultra swede, several Eastwood models come to mind as well.
― a strawman stuffed with their collection of 12 cds (jjjusten), Friday, 28 November 2014 03:28 (nine years ago) link
Through a weird series of events I wound up with a Johnson Solara -- under $300 and great imo.
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Friday, 28 November 2014 05:05 (nine years ago) link
Curious if you agree jjj
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Friday, 28 November 2014 05:06 (nine years ago) link
oh that ultra swede looks v nice
― gbx, Friday, 28 November 2014 12:14 (nine years ago) link
Agree with jjj on the fallout. At least from the demos I've heard it sounds like a super versatile guitar. Would love to get my hands on one someday.
― put your money where the maracas are (how's life), Friday, 28 November 2014 12:27 (nine years ago) link
btw Rocksmith original version is on sale at Steam at the moment, just bought it cos it has loads of songs I like on DLC that I can't play in Rocksmith 2014 without owning the original game.
― Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Friday, 28 November 2014 13:12 (nine years ago) link
is it a bad idea to buy a used guitar that suffered damage to the neck that was then repaired by a luthier?
― gbx, Sunday, 7 December 2014 22:55 (nine years ago) link
In my experience, once the neck broke it was always a weak spot. I had a Les Paul that fell and had its headstock shorn off. I had it repaired once and it broke again a few years later. had it repaired a second time and it broke again a few years later, so I sold it off as a "project" guitar.
― how's life, Sunday, 7 December 2014 23:18 (nine years ago) link
per the listing (it's an ebay ish) it did not break all the way through
― gbx, Sunday, 7 December 2014 23:34 (nine years ago) link
Terrible, terrible idea. The problem is not that it will break in the same spot, but that the wood fibers on either side of the neck have been greatly compromised. One more drop or fall could be unrepairable.
― a strawman stuffed with their collection of 12 cds (jjjusten), Sunday, 7 December 2014 23:56 (nine years ago) link
good to know, thx jjj!
― gbx, Monday, 8 December 2014 00:26 (nine years ago) link
so i got an ebay ultra swede
― gbx, Tuesday, 9 December 2014 22:10 (nine years ago) link
should i take it into the local shop to get "set up" is that what you're supposed to do
iirc you are supposed to play cliffs of dover
― $0.00 Butter sauce only. No marinara. (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 9 December 2014 22:17 (nine years ago) link
hahaha oh man i str8 up thought that song was the fucking coolest
― gbx, Tuesday, 9 December 2014 22:20 (nine years ago) link
dan meme4 months ago So good. I thought it was Joe Satriani for the longest time. This is one of the few songs without vocals that give me a lump in my throat. Emotional, progressive, futuristic, past ,present and heavy all rolled into one. This one of those songs you want played after a lifetime accomplishment with your hand raised in triumph.
― gbx, Tuesday, 9 December 2014 22:21 (nine years ago) link
lol that is otm
― $0.00 Butter sauce only. No marinara. (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 9 December 2014 22:28 (nine years ago) link
I loved cliffs of dover during the time of my life when I'd read the sweetwater catalog in the bathroom and dream of being rich enough to buy my friend Roland V-Drums so we could really show up the rival high school band by playing cliffs of dover at a pep rally or something.
― $0.00 Butter sauce only. No marinara. (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 9 December 2014 22:37 (nine years ago) link
Uh.
I did have 3 of these new and one used fyi.
― a strawman stuffed with their collection of 12 cds (jjjusten), Wednesday, 10 December 2014 05:07 (nine years ago) link
I want to ask how much you paid, it might soothe my wounded soul
― a strawman stuffed with their collection of 12 cds (jjjusten), Wednesday, 10 December 2014 05:08 (nine years ago) link
i'm going out on a limb and saying 279.95
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 10 December 2014 05:46 (nine years ago) link
oh no!!! sorry jj, i figured this would be the cheapest -- i didn't realize you had used
― gbx, Wednesday, 10 December 2014 15:24 (nine years ago) link
No worries dude, if you paid $280 I would have only saved you $25 and I'm so stupid busy that not having one more thing to ship is probably best for me anyway.
Re: setup, check this out and act accordingly:
Public service announcement: how to set up your own guitar/bass and not pay for others to do it...
― a strawman stuffed with their collection of 12 cds (jjjusten), Wednesday, 10 December 2014 21:46 (nine years ago) link
ah, cool post. thanks for that.
― $0.00 Butter sauce only. No marinara. (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 10 December 2014 22:00 (nine years ago) link
my fingers hurt
― gbx, Sunday, 14 December 2014 01:17 (nine years ago) link
went through a bunch of this guy's youtubes, too, the website is v organized: www.justinguitar.com
― gbx, Sunday, 14 December 2014 01:18 (nine years ago) link
Came across that website whilst looking for something else. Seems like it might be useful.
― Pigbag Wanderer (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 28 December 2014 16:29 (nine years ago) link
you know, I never got a teacher
I should change that, especially since I picked the guitar back up this week after a LOOOOOOOOONG hiatus
― shout-out to his family (DJP), Wednesday, 19 August 2020 14:24 (three years ago) link
btw I'm learning the lead guitar part to "Ana" by the Pixies, which is fun
― shout-out to his family (DJP), Thursday, 20 August 2020 17:31 (three years ago) link
I can recommend a couple of good teachers who Zoom. They’re west coast based but that may not be a bad thing if you’re looking for post-work hours.As a crap player who has settled comfortably into the “friend’s older brother who used to play a little” skill level i’m also happy to hop on Zoom 4 u
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Thursday, 27 August 2020 19:55 (three years ago) link
ooh I am interested
― shout-out to his family (DJP), Thursday, 27 August 2020 19:58 (three years ago) link
I am bumping this thread because rogermexico totally hooked me up with a teacher who rules and I can now get through/legitimately play the following songs:
Blackbird - The BeatlesBoys Don't Cry - The CureJust Like Heaven - The CureTrue Faith - New OrderGet The Message - ElectronicNever Let Me Down Again - Depeche ModeI Feel You - Depeche ModeLovesong - The CureThe Blood - The CureLullaby - The CureHere At The Home - TribeAna - Pixies
― a gentle push against my Wonder Bread face (DJP), Friday, 13 August 2021 13:08 (two years ago) link
<3 this makes me so happy. i've been in the black hole of work and totally dropped the ball on seeing if you guys even connected and I DIEEEE
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Tuesday, 17 August 2021 03:40 (two years ago) link
He's teaching me how to play The Rain Song by Zepplin! I never would have been able to imagine this a year ago
― a gentle push against my Wonder Bread face (DJP), Wednesday, 18 August 2021 12:48 (two years ago) link
That's awesome DJP!
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 18 August 2021 12:49 (two years ago) link
also after retuning my guitar to DGCGCD I want to keep it that way and buy another one, lol
― a gentle push against my Wonder Bread face (DJP), Wednesday, 18 August 2021 13:51 (two years ago) link
yessss…you can have one good acoustic for life but electric guitars breed like rabbits
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Thursday, 19 August 2021 04:41 (two years ago) link
i am not a guitar newb but years and years ago someone on this board recommended a guitar "instruction" book that was not about technique but more about philosophy/attitude towards playing guitar. i had it on my to-read list for years but never got around to it and now i can't remember what it was or how to search for it on here. does that ring any bells for anyone?
― na (NA), Tuesday, 27 September 2022 15:18 (one year ago) link
it totally does ring a bell but i don't think i have any more leads for you unfortunately
― call all destroyer, Tuesday, 27 September 2022 15:29 (one year ago) link
oh i think it was "the advancing guitarist" by mick goodrick. the description doesn't sound exactly like what I'm remembering but the cover looks right
― na (NA), Tuesday, 27 September 2022 15:55 (one year ago) link
Wow, I started this thread 10 years ago
Imagine if I'd gotten a teacher then, I'd be a lot better now
― castanuts (DJP), Tuesday, 27 September 2022 16:37 (one year ago) link
Also I did end up buying a d'Angelico guitar from jjjusten
― castanuts (DJP), Tuesday, 27 September 2022 16:38 (one year ago) link