starting to play guitar seriously

I got a copy of Guitar World for the plane flight and as I was reading it it might as well be in Greek. I guess its not unlike when you start playing videogames for the first time, and you pick up a copy of NextGen or EGM or whatever and all the terminology is baffling.

So I figured I would look online for some help on the basic terminology, how shit connects to each other, etc, and I find shit like this:

"What is an effects loop?

Effects loops give you the opportunity to plug effects between the preamp and the power amp. This is best for modulation (phaser, flanger, chorus, pitsh shifting) and delay effects because it allows them to effect the distorted signal as opposed to the preamp distorting them. It also runs a line-level signal, instead of instrument, which works better with most rack mount effects. (Distortions and boosters, etc, usually work better going straight into the guiatr input where they can affect the preamp gain) "

huh?

Does anyone know a good site that can give me the basics on all that type of stuff, or a good book, whatever? Im basically starting from scratch here.

Sounds like they're talking about effects peddles. That's all I can get from it, but I'm sure someone who knows about guitars will say something that'll actually be helpful.

Yea, thats kinda who I was asking.

And I didnt post that because I want to learn everything about effects loops, I posted it as an example of how little I know about this stuff. Of course I know what an effect pedal is, but only surface-deep.

www.guitarnoise.com It's where I'm learning to play guitar better.

I just quit playing guitar (after almost a decade) to seek out a drum set. I pass my skills on to DiffX.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Does anyone know a good site that can give me the basics on all that type of stuff, or a good book, whatever? Im basically starting from scratch here.

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The best book is your music collection. I took lessons for years, but the most important things I learned I taught myself, and the most important things I taught myself, I learned by playing along with recordings of my favorite artists. It's hard, it's slow, it's frustrating, and I wish I had the discipline to do it more, but it's how the real players are made.

Nintendo hates you playing the guitar...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JMET

Nintendo hates you playing the guitar...

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If you're going to continue crying about people trolling all the time, you should refrain from doing it yourself, especially when it isn't ever funny.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kano On The Phone

If you're going to continue crying about people trolling all the time, you should refrain from doing it yourself, especially when it isn't ever funny.

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When was the last time I said anything about trolling fag.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shakey

The best book is your music collection. I took lessons for years, but the most important things I learned I taught myself, and the most important things I taught myself, I learned by playing along with recordings of my favorite artists. It's hard, it's slow, it's frustrating, and I wish I had the discipline to do it more, but it's how the real players are made.

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No no no... Shakey, Im not asking for advice on learning to play guitar good or learning chords and shit. I asked plenty of people and I have plenty of resources to do that. But I appreciate the advice.

Im asking for any references that can help me learn the terminology, the lingo, whats the differences between amps/pre-amps/effect pedals/wahs/all that shit.

Now, you may ask, "why bother, you have an acoustic axe"? Because I want to know for when it comes time to get a dope electric one.

Basically stuff that can help me read a Guitar World magazine or whatever without being lost in all the terminology.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NoboruWataya

I just quit playing guitar (after almost a decade) to seek out a drum set. I pass my skills on to DiffX.

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If only it was that easy. In all seriousness this is my new hobby, my new thing, I wanna become good at it like I wanna bang Heidi Klum. I wanna know about music and reading music (I used to be able to, hopefully I will pick up on everything), all about the instrument, etc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JMET

Nintendo hates you playing the guitar...

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If your comment had any quality or humor to it whatsoever I wouldve tolerated it. As it is, get out of my thread, and come back when you get some funny. And besides, the only thing Nintendo hates is releasing good, innovative products on its consoles.

I can't give you any references, but if you wana just ask questions in this thread I will be glad to awnser them to the best of my ability. Good luck Diffusion.

I learned by buying a Nirvana tab book back in 1992, and learning the one chord used in rock music.

I reccommend you do the same.

TEH MIGHTY POWER CHORD 5TH!

Exactly. Now learn a major scale and you are Eddie Van Halen.

I don't know anything about guitares, but I have ears. And one thing that I hate is when guitarists play incredibly fast, not pausing between notes to allow them to chyme through. The shifting between notes just sounds like noise. I know it's picky, but if you could take your time to learn tempo and whatever you have to you'd probably be better off for it.

Just what I've observed from a lot of kids in high school who bring their guitar cases to school to impress their friends and the ladies. (say the ladies like a pimp or something, it's fun) They sound like shit when they play too fast. (unless the song is written fast... I don't know how to explain it. Maybe Icepick or somebody who knows music can)

It's called rhythm Andrew, explained.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NoboruWataya

I can't give you any references, but if you wana just ask questions in this thread I will be glad to awnser them to the best of my ability. Good luck Diffusion.

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Okay, so let's say I have an amp, an electric guitar, and effects pedal, how do they all hook up into each other? Where does the pre-amp go? What is a pre-amp? What sort of effects pedals are there?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Okay, so let's say I have an amp, an electric guitar, and effects pedal, how do they all hook up into each other? Where does the pre-amp go? What is a pre-amp? What sort of effects pedals are there?

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Guitar -> "in" on pedal -> "out" on pedal -> amp

You can get reverb pedals, delay pedals, accoustic effect pedals. There are many.

I'm not familiar with pre-amps though, sorry.

Effect pedals are stupid, but if you're gonna use one use the effects send on your amp.

That way you can at least blend the pedal with your amps natural tone.

send -> pedal input -> pedal output -> return.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Okay, so let's say I have an amp, an electric guitar, and effects pedal, how do they all hook up into each other? Where does the pre-amp go? What is a pre-amp? What sort of effects pedals are there?

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Ok, sorry, I misinterpereted the orginal question. Just about all I use these days is clean and good old distortion so I don't know as much about this as I used to. As I understand it there are two kinds of amps, the pre-amp and the power amp. The pre-amp is what shapes and changes the sound of the signal that's being taken from an electric guitars pick-ups, basically it's the preamp that affects the actual tone of the amp, the power amp is raw power, it's just what makes the signal louder and pushes it through the speakers. As for the various kinds of effects there are thousands, but they generally tend to break down into a handful of categories.

-Distortion: I'm guessing you know what this one is, and there are probably as many different kinds of distortion as there are effects.
-Modulation: I'm not sure what the proper definition is but these are effects like: flange (don't know how to describe this one) wah (voodoo chile, the theme from shaft) phaser (kind of an auto-wah) chorus and tremolo
-Echo: this includes things like delay (repeated signals), reverb and others.

I'm sure I'm missing some of the categories but, like I said I'm out of practice with effects. The best way to really learn what all this stuff is is to go to your nearest Guitar Center and sit there for a half hour playing with a multi-effects processer, if the ones around where you are are anything like the ones out here they shouldn't bug you. Thats really the only way I ever figured out what this stuff is.

Most of it you just pick up. Can you remember when you learned what a frame rate was? or a texture map? of course not, it just happened one day.

If you find a good forum, it can be a godsend. if there's a guitar forum as helpful as www.talkbass.com , then you're set.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

If your comment had any quality or humor to it whatsoever I wouldve tolerated it. As it is, get out of my thread, and come back when you get some funny. And besides, the only thing Nintendo hates is releasing good, innovative products on its consoles.

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You mean you dont like your threads ruined with unfunny tired rhetoric? How interesting...

No, the thread wasn't ruined. But your comment was both blatantly obvious, blatantly dumb, and a completely horrible and shitty attempt to derail one of my threads with crap. I post about how shitty Nintendo is in Nintendo threads, alright? Because that's where the comments belong.

I could just imagine the thought process in your head... "OMFG DIFFUSIONX MADE A THREAD ABOUT LEARNING GUITAR AND HE HATES NINTENDO, TIME FOR SOME PAYBACK LOL! RICH AND JEREMY AND SHIN JOHNPV WILL LOVE ME FOR THIS!". Give me a fucking break. What's next, you go to my Jeff Buckley thread and say "Nintendo hates you listening to Jeff Buckley!" or my college football thread and say "Nintendo hates you watching college football!"?

Go away unless you can come up with some good funny or want to discuss guitar.

Your guitar playing sucks more then Nintendo...

And you tell me this in a thread where I say I am "beginning" and "starting". You are embarrassing.

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Originally Posted by JMET

Your guitar playing sucks more then Nintendo...

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JMET: I like you man... but the Nintendo comments really aren't very funny. Just cut it out... you're better then this.

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Originally Posted by bbobb

Just cut it out... you're better then this.

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No, he isn't. :(

www.homerecording.com/bbs

Go there. Not only will you find guitar effects discussion, you can ask about all sorts of music tech stuff.

And about guitar effects pedals: There's no "right" way to hook them up, but there are some major guidelines to stick to. For instance...

You can either put the effects in the effects loop or right in front of the amp. Totally your choice. Change it depending on the song if you like.

Effects "order" is a biggie. Guitar -> distortion -> reverb is pretty common. Guitar -> reverb -> distortion would be avoided unless you wanted some sort of odd special effect. In general, you always want reverb at the very end of the chain unless you are looking for something unnatural. You usually want distortion near the front of the chain, but that is a little more flexible. Guitar -> distortion -> phaser -> reverb is how I'd probably do it, but guitar -> phaser -> distortion -> reverb might be a nice change, and wouldn't be drastically weird.

Bottom line is learn the hard rules (like reverb at the end) and stick to them until you understand all of the "why's" about doing them. Then you can think about breaking them. It's all about just doing it.

edit: And learn gain staging! Google it, read about it, and practice it!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bbobb

JMET: I like you man... but the Nintendo comments really aren't very funny. Just cut it out... you're better then this.

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Your right, I should just comment on how bad he sucks at playing the guitar in any thread that mentions music...

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Originally Posted by omfgninjas

No, he isn't. :(

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Says the shitty dupe account..

Stop making an asshole out of yourself.

Posts deleted so I dont take away from peoples enjoyment of learning how to play guitar, this has been dealt with in a more constructive manner.

Keep this in mind next time you feel the need to ruin somone elses thread.

I would recomend just hooking up effects pedals in every way possible and experimenting. My favorite part about electric guitar is the huge vocabulary the instrament has (it is capable of producing so many different sounds). But I guess much like writing you need to learn and understand the rules before you can confidently break them, so Chibi has some damn good points.

Play accoustic alot too, it really helps.

I'm not really adding much to this thread am I?

Ah yes... learn some rhythm well. I think it makes or breaks the professional edge of a song.

Start out playing alot of acoustic because it makes your fingers stronger and if you can get something to sound good on an acoustic, reproducing it on an electric is a breeze.

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Originally Posted by Javon_McCloud

Start out playing alot of acoustic because it makes your fingers stronger and if you can get something to sound good on an acoustic, reproducing it on an electric is a breeze.

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My guitar is acoustic.

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Originally Posted by Icepick

I learned by buying a Nirvana tab book back in 1992, and learning the one chord used in rock music.

I reccommend you do the same.

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Yea I learned the idea behind power chords tonight, and I knew instantly how to play Sugar Never Tasted So Good (from the white stripes), didnt have to look at a tab sheet or nothin'. Because I recognized the sound.

Anyway yea I love the guitar. I played sax and clarinet when I was a kid but I never jizzed my pants over them like I do this one. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I can try to play the songs I love, I dunno. I just wish I started 5 years ago, 7 years ago, etc. But Im still young.

Shit when I was at the bookstore today looking for a calendar I saw a Fender one and I picked that up without hesitation. it has entries like, January 17th, Led Zeppelin released, etc. And now I know that Duane Allman died on my birthday. I rule.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Shit when I was at the bookstore today looking for a calendar I saw a Fender one and I picked that up without hesitation.

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Aren't those just the most gorgeous instruments you've ever seen?

P.S. If you learn your minor penatonics (any book or website should help you out) you'll be nmost of the way to a good blues solo.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shakey

Aren't those just the most gorgeous instruments you've ever seen?

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Yea, the one for March, the Gold Sparkle Strat from 1954... holy shit. I wont own one until I win the lottery, I guess, but man, the thing is beautiful.

I want to save up for a kickass electric guitar maybe by the end of 2004.

Or maybe Ill just give one to myself, a really dope one, like a thousand dollar one, as a graduation present, or maybe someone will give me one.

Quote:

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P.S. If you learn your minor penatonics (any book or website should help you out) you'll be nmost of the way to a good blues solo.

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Thanks for the tip.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shakey

Aren't those just the most gorgeous instruments you've ever seen?

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i think I'm the only person on earth who doesn't like how a fender P-bass plays.

What type do you play, slugger?

Do you guys have any techniques that help you memorize the chords easier? I've been trying for a while but I cannot seem to remember the chords when I need them and end up practicing them all over again.

No. Im good at brute force memorization. That's how I memorized ~300 kanji and untold numbers of Japanese vocabulary words in a year and 3 months. Maybe draw pictures of them and look at em in class or something?

The easiest way to learn chords is to learn songs which use them. On guitar, I've learnt a total of about 8 chords (I don't play guitar), and thats from 3 or so really easy songs.

Usually, when I muck around on a guitar (which is hardly ever), I tune the low E string down to a D, so you just have to bar for a power chord, then go fucking nuts!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

What type do you play, slugger?

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Currently, a run down cheap copy (though still fairly decent) of a Musicman Stingray (check out musicman guitars. they're great). The original stingray design was by the same guy who designed the P-bass. Although my bass is pretty cheap ass (I paid about 500 US for it), it sounds better than alot of basses that cost twice as much. I actually turned down a P-bass for it, which most people think is fucking nuts. 2 years of neglect have put it on its last legs though.


I'm gonna get a bank loan around mid february to get one of my dream basses. A 70's rickenbacker 4003.

http://www.rickenbacker.com/images/4003.jpg


YOU SHOULD FUCKING HEAR THIS BITCH ROAR. I get giddy thinking about it.

aww man...

I wish i could post a picture of my guitar, diff's enuthisiam is making me pick it up now and then. Its one of those sweet $1000 electric fenders he wanted. But its white, so i dunno if it would look as badass as he would like.

.. I might actually be able to try guitar again. I've had no feeling in my hand for three years, which made guitar kind of a bitch to pick up and learn. I had given up pretty quick, not being able to feel the strings and all. Now, since the feeling's back (for now anyway) I'll have to find my guitar. Not that it's anything impressive, but eh, I'm just learning.

Thanks for the info, it's helping me too. :)

My friend told me to buy this book, and I got it in the mail today. It answers a LOT of really basic questions I had about the instrument. Check it out if you're beginning, I got it used for like $10 from Amazon and its in perfect condition. It has a lot of info, beautiful photographs, and will provide me with bathroom reading material for weeks to come!

edit: I also signed up for guitar lessons here, Ill see how they are, if they suck, oh well, it was only $30.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Yea, the one for March, the Gold Sparkle Strat from 1954... holy shit. I wont own one until I win the lottery, I guess, but man, the thing is beautiful.

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Fender had a limited line of sparkle strats a couple years back, they weren't cheap but they also weren't at custom prices. I think they came equipped with Texas specials (designed to emulate the sound of the legendary '58 strat that SRV popularized in his day)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Raz0r

Do you guys have any techniques that help you memorize the chords easier? I've been trying for a while but I cannot seem to remember the chords when I need them and end up practicing them all over again.

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When you finger a chord, use the page (which I get the feeling is where your chords from) to get your fingers in the right place initially, and then look at your hand, create your own system for memorization. In music, nothing you're ever taught is as important as what you teach yourself. You may need the facts, and you may need books or teachers or the internet to get to them, but ultimately how you break it down into your own personal vocabulary is what really makes a guitarist great. As for how I did it first I used the dots to remember, as I got further along (after about a year) I started to learn the thoery behind building chords and such, but that was because I wanted to play jazz. Nothing beats playing them over and over again for memorization.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Destin

I wish i could post a picture of my guitar, diff's enuthisiam is making me pick it up now and then. Its one of those sweet $1000 electric fenders he wanted. But its white, so i dunno if it would look as badass as he would like.

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I don't understand all the hate for white guitars. Some of the coolest looking guitars I've ever seen have been white with gold hardware.

not a fan of white guitars. they remind me of the 80's too much.

and shakey is right about developing your own learning methods. For instance, I learned scales kinda backwards. I first taught myself the relationships between different intervals by constant mucking around and experimenting with an array of different instruments, and eventually regressed to "oh i see, this is a minor scale". While it took longer to learn what a certain scale was, I was more comfortable playing in it than anyone else I knew who learned the right way.

Did you guys name your guitars?

A lot of my friends did and do.

I was thinking about it...

although diff wants to know about terminology, I'd like to learn how to play. So is there any good places online to teach? My dad and brother both play, so I'd like to learn mainly from them, but a source to go to when they are busy would be a nice bonus.

This is good

Also get that Richard Chapman book I mentioned. It's seriously really good, you'll learn a lot.

AND, you go to a CSU, right? There might be guitar lessons you can take through a Recreation on the cheap. UCLA Recreation offers it, the teacher is awesome.

well, they do offer lessons, but it's of the graded variety. I dunno if I want my GPA to depend on it. I could always take it credit/no credit. Although I think my brother and dad can teach me enough to know where I want to go next with it.

I'll definately look for the book though, and thanks for the link.

i'm not sure if its still up, but I remember www.activeguitar.com being really cool.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Did you guys name your guitars?

A lot of my friends did and do.

I was thinking about it...

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Nope. I have too many... I'm sure I'd forget.

Not to mention its really lame. They come with names, like Fender or Maton.

"Mr. Putter"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Did you guys name your guitars?

A lot of my friends did and do.

I was thinking about it...

---

Some chick tried to name one of mine once, I let it stick for about a month and then forgot about it.

I tried learning barre chords a few days ago, and its driving me nuts.

Like my finder has a little indentation above the knuckle which is not allowing me to press on all the strings. The third string in particular is being the dirtiest whore. I can barre the first five strings without any problem, but... not all six.

How can I overcome that?

This is the first big roadblock, everything else Ive tried Ive done in a day or two. AHHH!

I wish I was fatter or something right now... almost.

Oh, and if someone could tell me what strokes are up and which are done in that first part of smells like teen spirit that would be amazing... Im trying real hard here but Im still pretty deaf with stuff like that.

I have the same problems with bar chords.


and for strumming, I'm pretty sure that down strokes start on the beat, and up strokes are off the beat. keep your hand in a constant up and down motion and just bring it towards the strings when you want to play.

eg

Code:

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d = down, u = up

just say you're playing this simple rhythm:
xx-x--x-xx-x-x-x

and your hand moves like this:
dudududududududu

the strokes you play will be like this:
du-u--d-du-u-u-u

to make it more clear:
xx-x--x-xx-x-x-x <-- the rhythn
du-u--d-du-u-u-u <--- your strokes
dudududududududu <-- your hands motion

---

i hope thats clear.

gotcha.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

I tried learning barre chords a few days ago, and its driving me nuts.

Like my finder has a little indentation above the knuckle which is not allowing me to press on all the strings. The third string in particular is being the dirtiest whore. I can barre the first five strings without any problem, but... not all six.

How can I overcome that?

This is the first big roadblock, everything else Ive tried Ive done in a day or two. AHHH!

I wish I was fatter or something right now... almost.

Oh, and if someone could tell me what strokes are up and which are done in that first part of smells like teen spirit that would be amazing... Im trying real hard here but Im still pretty deaf with stuff like that.

---

Well learning bar chords on an acoustic is pretty hard. Its also something that becomes easier over time.

You might want to try doing minor bar chords but put your second finger on top of your first to try and help it clamp down the strings. If that helps after your fingers get a little more aclimated to the position then try majors.

or rotate your hand slightly for a straighter finger edge.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by arjue

or rotate your hand slightly for a straighter finger edge.

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that's a good one. Try not to get used to a bad thumb position though, as it can only make things harder on you in the long run. Nothing beats hours and hours of practice though.

The first book DiffusionX metioned is pretty good. Just got it in the mail today. VERY descriptive. Good recommendation, dude.

Btw... start a band as soon as you can. Once you know three chords, you can do it.

Even if you suck, keep doing it. This will teach you how to rock.

Is that serious advice?

Yes. Its what I did.

And... do you rock?

I think he rocks.

he's right. Rocking is a very important part of musical performance that is unfortunately overlooked quite often. Just compare an At The Drive-in bootleg to a Tool bootleg and you'll see what I mean.

I'll make a clip later to show you.


hmmm, can't upload for some reason. BAH!

Hey Arjue! Good call on the vintage Rick. The new shit just isn't the same. Here's my 72 (same year as me) Gibson EB-0:

Falling in love with music again has been the main thing keeping me from wasting time at message boards.

Ice-P is right. Start a band or at least play with a drummer if you wanna rock for reals.

Pa

it's mainly jazz but this site has some great excercises and studies.

http://guitar-masters.com/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

And... do you rock?

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Yes.

Quick update:

Ive been playing like a fiend. Im taking lessons through the school and today I was keeping up with people who've been playing for 5 or 6 months. Im not saying its because Im a master or anything but because Im absorbing everything and practicing every day.

I basically play it every free moment I have, which is 1-4 hours a day. I was pretty self-conscious before, like I dont wanna make too much noise and stuff but now fuck it.

I find myself testing myself on the names of the notes on the fretboard and shit as I walk from class to class, too.

edit: I started learning Back in Black today, I just wish I could sing like Johnson.

Edit2: my barre shape is sounding much better. I think my entire index finger grew one big fucking callous.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Quick update:

Ive been playing like a fiend. Im taking lessons through the school and today I was keeping up with people who've been playing for 5 or 6 months. Im not saying its because Im a master or anything but because Im absorbing everything and practicing every day.

I basically play it every free moment I have, which is 1-4 hours a day. I was pretty self-conscious before, like I dont wanna make too much noise and stuff but now fuck it.

I find myself testing myself on the names of the notes on the fretboard and shit as I walk from class to class, too.

edit: I started learning Back in Black today, I just wish I could sing like Johnson.

Edit2: my barre shape is sounding much better. I think my entire index finger grew one big fucking callous.

---

That's awesome. I still suck, but not as much as before. :) I also memorized 6 chords. I'm almost a rockstar.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Quick update:

Ive been playing like a fiend. Im taking lessons through the school and today I was keeping up with people who've been playing for 5 or 6 months. Im not saying its because Im a master or anything but because Im absorbing everything and practicing every day.

I basically play it every free moment I have, which is 1-4 hours a day. I was pretty self-conscious before, like I dont wanna make too much noise and stuff but now fuck it.

I find myself testing myself on the names of the notes on the fretboard and shit as I walk from class to class, too.

edit: I started learning Back in Black today, I just wish I could sing like Johnson.

Edit2: my barre shape is sounding much better. I think my entire index finger grew one big fucking callous.

---

awesome. Thats the perfect way to attack an instrument.



...and my video STILL won't upload. WTF?

Some days I cant practice... mostly Tuesday nights... fucking analysis homework due wednesday :(

Anyway Im going to bed, fuck it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

I find myself testing myself on the names of the notes on the fretboard and shit as I walk from class to class, too.

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Good habit. So how's it coming along now, how are you likeing the lessons?

I've been slacking recently, I need to get back into serious study and get back with a teacher again, so I'm not getting my ass kicked by highschoolers.

I like the lessons. The guy is killer, and he gives me stuff to practice. Without it, Im kind of listless, like "what should I practice"? Except... the trick is, he's been throwing stuff at us left and right that just practicing all of it every day takes up a good 2 hours.

Okay, so a few thoughts:

01. My chord changes are still very sloppy but I can do them without thinking of them - IE, I can switch from a C to a D to a A or whatever without thinking of it, my fingers just trail my brain by a little bit.

02. I need to get a metronome.

03. Im gonna start working on individual songs. Easy ones, mostly, some Nirvana (Where Did You Sleep Last Night in particular - it's in the sweet spot, not too hard but hard enough to keep me challenged for a while), some Weezer, etc. Nothing too terribly difficult, on top of what Im learning in lessons.

Good times though. If I look back at what I was doing when I made this thread... Im like a million times better. Even at stupid stuff like reading tab Im way way more efficient than I was.

Im actually pretty surprised, to be honest. But hopefully that it will stay that way for a few months...

I doubt anyone cares about all this stuff... its just like a journal of my guitar progress. Ill take it off this board eventually ("Good plan" I can hear Icepick saying).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

I doubt anyone cares about all this stuff... its just like a journal of my guitar progress. Ill take it off this board eventually ("Good plan" I can hear Icepick saying).

---

I can't speak for anyone else, but I always like to hear how other people are enjoying learning how to play an instrument.

It seems that you're not only doing that, but learning some classical guitar, am I right? Or at least taking lessons, which is a great thing. (I hate it more than anything when someone who claims they love something refuse to learn how to be better at it, like taking lessons in music.) Now you should not only be able to appreciate what it takes to perform your favorite songs, but you can actually play them.

This past Sunday I had an orchestral concert I was performing in (I was in the percussion section). During the break, lots of people come up to the section, and in particular, they look at the timpani. (For those who don't know/remember, the timpani are also called kettle drums, the big drums that you always see in an orchestra. Think of the George of the Jungle theme to refresh your memory of what they sound like.)

The reason I bring this up is that I always love it when they ask me questions about it, like "how do you read the music?" or "what do the pedals do?" and other things that I take for granted yet the general population have no knowledge about.

One guy who was maybe 70-80 years old said how he wished that he learned how to play an instrument when he was young. Ask a lot of older people one thing they wished they did when they had the chance and that's one of them.

You should be proud of yourself. Having the discipline to practice an instrument isn't an easy thing to do. A lot of the times it can seem a chore. But in the end, you're only as good as the amount of time you put into it.

I say keep up the good work, and keep us updated on your progress.

:tu:

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It seems that you're not only doing that, but learning some classical guitar, am I right? Or at least taking lessons, which is a great thing. (I hate it more than anything when someone who claims they love something refuse to learn how to be better at it, like taking lessons in music.) Now you should not only be able to appreciate what it takes to perform your favorite songs, but you can actually play them.

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Yes, you are right. Im basically learning whatever the instructor tells us to, but he has shown us things like Dioniso Aguado's "Study in A Minor" and somnething called Spanish Study and Malaguena. It's great stuff for the fingerpicking. I admit that first and foremost I picked up a guitar because I wanna play songs from the rock bands I know and love, but this sort of thing is very interesting and beautiful and shows another side to music. He's played things that I wouldnt have imagined coming from a guitar a month ago.

Unfortunately, though, I dont have too much more time for the lessons, and I cant afford private lessons right now. Maybe sometime in the Fall I could but for now, definitely not. Ill probably ask the instructor what books he gets his material from and go from there and try to keep learning.

In any case, I can say I got more out of guitar in the past five weeks than I did out of videogames in the past 5 years.

its really cool seeing someone get into it like you have. Kind of makes me feel nostalgic. I'm thinking about taking up the drums just so I can attack that first stage of playing again, before your skill starts to plateau.

Currently in a cunt of a rutt at the moment. I'm not getting any better or enjoying playing nearly as much as I did 3 months ago. These rutts have happened in the past, but they eventually pass.


Its surprising how much playing with a metronome can improve your performing. I like playing to drum loops and solo's for a similar type of practice.

further down the track, if you're ever working on timing and improv, try playing to Merkaba by Tool (a drum solo). With its odd timing (11-4, and the emphasis varies), It'll throw you in the deep end, but its great fun once you tackle it.

My guitar learning is going slower than expected. My friend needed his guitar back so I don't have anything to practice with. I've been doing more studying of notes and finger exercises. I hope that in two weeks I get my own axe so I can practice myself.

Good shit, none the less.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

I admit that first and foremost I picked up a guitar because I wanna play songs from the rock bands I know and love, but this sort of thing is very interesting and beautiful and shows another side to music.

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That's one of the coolest things about guitar. If I may make a suggestion, he may not be your style, but Joe Pass' solo recordings (the Virtuoso series are the main ones) blew my mind the first time I heard him, and I wasn't even into jazz at that point. It took me a while to become convinced that there was only one person playing.

Also, don't delete this thread. Hearing from new guitarists is always cool.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Quick update:
edit: I started learning Back in Black today

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The one song I made sure to learn very early on, and the one I still play the most. By far. Good choice.

If you keep practicing an hour or more every day, you will get competent pretty quickly. And yes, playing in a band, or at least with some other people, is a whole new ballgame. If nothing else, you'll learn to get through whole songs, as opposed to learning the first 10 bars of 100 or so songs.

Yea... I play more than an hour a day... probably 12-15 a week.

And I got a 3 day weekend coming up... with no midterms next week either. w00t.

I start with a new teacher tomorrow, he's an awesome guy. I also heard that Berklee sent him back because they said he'd just be wasting his time.

update: I had my first lesson with my new teacher today, and he's a badass. I mean, my other teachers have been better than me, but nobody has outright ran laps around me in talent like this guy, and he's the nicest guy too. This also marks the second time inside a week that someone way better than me has told me I have good time, which is kinda cool because I always thought it was a big weakness of mine.

update: I had my first lesson with my new teacher today, and he's a badass. I mean, my other teachers have been better than me, but nobody has outright ran laps around me in talent like this guy, and he's the nicest guy too. This also marks the second time inside a week that someone way better than me has told me I have good time, which is cool because I always thought it was a big weakness of mine.

cool.

I'm saving for my dream bass at the moment. Should get it in a month or so.

*air guitars*

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Originally Posted by arjue

cool.

I'm saving for my dream bass at the moment. Should get it in a month or so.

*air guitars*

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The Rick? that looks like a sweet bass.

I'm memorizing tunes now, tough stuff sometimes. I want a new guitar too, but all the good archtops out there are at least a couple grand, and that would take me forever to get.

I just picked up another guitar. Its a Fernandes Nomad. Has a built in amp, and speaker. Got it used for $175.

Looks like this:
http://www.activemusician.com/images...EM_NMD-USA.gif

fuck me, that is the best guitar ever. I'd gladly pay tripple what you did for that.

Shakey, how much do you pay for lessons?

My roomate recently got a real nice used fender acoustic. Ive played around with it, and I just think the guitar is not for me. The chords seem simple enough, but just the very basics of motion and fingering seem just so unatural to me. With a little practice though I could see myself being a mean keytar player.

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Originally Posted by arjue

fuck me, that is the best guitar ever. I'd gladly pay tripple what you did for that.

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Well then... want to buy it from me?

Icepick... I think he meant he would pay triple that, in Australian dollars. Which means he would pay about... 45 cents for it.