Guitar Player's Thread

[OvSeth]

altitudes had a GREAT point. learn one WHOLE song. it will do wonders for your stamina and strength. however don't do Bed of Razors. Try something like Breaking The Law, Judas Priest. It's not too difficult. Then step two, play it with someone. You need to get used to people hearing you play, and playing with someone cause i dont care if you're like the best guitarist in the world, if you've never played in front of/with people it is 100% different.

Also, I'd recommend a teacher. However, for starters on theory, write out the notes on the fretboard. If I said 9th fret G string, you should be able to just spit out E automatically. But the good thing is, you onlly have to memorize up to the 12th fret, because I imagine freth 12-24 as a mini version of the first half of the guitar. It all repeats (look at the dot sequences you'll start to get what I mean). However, with theory, until you get to a certain technical and knowledge point, it will seem pointless. However once you cross the hump, it's increasing returns. The more you learn, the better you can play. You'll start stringing together solos and shit just from the fact you know the theory/patterns. A lot of it is just hearing the sounds. for instance, I can recognize when someone's playing a harmonic minor scale just from the fact it's embedded in my head, and i know if i want that sound what scale to use. Is that making sense? You need to know theoretically what backs what sounds (diatonic cycle of fifths, thirds harmonies, fifths harmonies, etc.). theory might just seem like patterns at first, but once you start getting into playing diminished/whole tones over dominant7 stuff etc., i believe a good teacher would benefit X1000. guidance always helps.

Well, I do play with a friend regularly, and I've played in front of a few people (50ish?).. but only once. I really should start learning my scales. Breaking the Law is a kickass song btw

theory will make you die. but its good for me at least cuz i did piano forever. but guitar theory is the worst. get simple theory books i guess. do you know any notes at all?

I don't care if it makes me die, I WANT to learn it, it's my own decision. Yeah, I know notes.. I'll look into buying a book this week end.

Concerning the theory stuff: it's easy when you have gotten into it. I prefer "real" books over websites, because they have clear concept, which helps beginners.

@squeee:
For a start, learn the 12 notes in the right order.
C-C#/Db-D-D#/Eb-E-F-F#/Gb-G-G#/Ab-A-A#/Bb-B-C

From one note to the next (e.g. C-C#) it's a half tone-step (one fret on your guitar). C-D or F#-G# or D#-F are whole tone-steps.

So if you know how your guitar is tuned, you can easily find all the notes by counting. Did you know all these things or were them new to you?

Yeah, I already know the notes . I just wasn't sure if it'd be the same (I'm tuned in D, so it'd be D D# E F F# etc..? I'll try looking at books this weekend, one of my friends wants me to go guitar shopping with him.



Thank you all, for your help! You don't know how much this means to me!

 

[shredtastical]

I know little to no theory and I've been playing for 7 years. I have a great ear though so I guess it makes up for it.

my opinion on that, without theory backing, you play somebody else's solo, and then stop. someone might say, "why did you stop playing it was kickass?" and you'd reply, "well cause they stopped there in the video" or whatever

But someone else would come along, play the same solo, then shoot off and dick around for ten minutes. and you'd say "holy shit how did you do that?" and likely they'd reply that it's just so organic that there really is no end. cause really i think theory is what separates your style from a "clone" to "unique."

amirite?

 

[shredtastical]

Well, I do play with a friend regularly, and I've played in front of a few people (50ish?).. but only once. I really should start learning my scales. Breaking the Law is a kickass song btw



I don't care if it makes me die, I WANT to learn it, it's my own decision. Yeah, I know notes.. I'll look into buying a book this week end.


Yeah, I already know the notes . I just wasn't sure if it'd be the same (I'm tuned in D, so it'd be D D# E F F# etc..? I'll try looking at books this weekend, one of my friends wants me to go guitar shopping with him.



Thank you all, for your help! You don't know how much this means to me!

lol well yeah thats great you played for 50 people. trust me, playing for a huge crowd can either kick the shit out of you or be the best thing ever lol, good on for getting out there.

and wtf, "theory makes you want to die," thats a really immature attitude about it. If you look at it, guitar theory is all patterns. you learn it in one key, just shift it up or down to transpose it. but know the notes your playing otherwise its worthless.

edit: and the thing is about the notes, i always visualize the guitar as if it were in standard tuning. Cause the nature of the guitar, again, you can just shift patterns. and since theory is all about spacing, that fits perfectly. I play in D standard, and even though I'm thinkign "E G B," I'm really playing "D F A," however the interval is still the same (which is all that really matters for transpositions), which makes it ok to visualize always in standard. your intervals will always be the same. make sense?

 

[Virtuoosi]

Need a bit help with cool edit pro... I just dl'ed it and I have no fucking idea where I insert the serial key etc..?

 

[OvSeth]

. I already re-started learning them yesterday!

 

[shredtastical]

. I already re-started learning them yesterday.

i dropped an edit in for failing

 

[OvSeth]

So, I should know them both from the Standard "E" tuning and the 1 Step Down "D".. so when I'm thinking/talking about it, I can make the transition easy?

 

[Virtuoosi]

Need a bit help with cool edit pro... I just dl'ed it and I have no fucking idea where I insert the serial key etc..?

.

 

[Swabs]

The serial key comes with the program when you BUY it.

 

[Virtuoosi]

The serial key comes with the program when you BUY it.

I DL'ed with torrent. I got serial with it and the name also. I just cant find a place where to put it, to get the full version...

 

[Knarfi]

He didnt ask where the key is, but where to insert it

 

[Swabs]

Most programs have a window on first time startup asking for it...

 

[Virtuoosi]

Nvm. Found it

 

[Corny]

So, I should know them both from the Standard "E" tuning and the 1 Step Down "D".. so when I'm thinking/talking about it, I can make the transition easy?

Right. For the start, it's enough to treat your guitar as if it was tuned in E imo. My experience is, that you rapidly learn the location of the notes on the fretboard when you actually use them. Many pages ago, I adviced to take a jazz-standard like "Donna Lee". Don't use the tablature, use the notes (it's easy, it's only counting) and try to find good fingerings on your guitar. You will be fucking around with it for a long time, but it helps to memorize the note-locations.

The next step would be learning intervals. An interval describes the distance from one note to the other. For example the note "E" is 4 half-tone-steps higher than the note "C". That distance is called "major third".
You should find a list of all intervals and the corresponding half-tone-steps somewhere in the net.

 

[the phenom]

ummm dont you know you cant have different string gauges/comapnies on a floyd without getting it setup right?

The floyd was set up. I know how to set up my floyd. It just felt weird to go from 0.09-42 to 0.10-52. The way i like it is when its 0.10-46. Excellent gauge. So nothing to do with bad setups or shit. Just the taste of me...It was just the wrong gauge for me nothing else.

 

[the phenom]

I think even BoR is a bit hard for one year of playing, I mean if you want it to sound good, that is.

Yes well the sweeps might get someone frustrated. Ive playd over 1 and ½ years now and i can play all of BoR but not the thing before the sweeps. I coud learn it but i just dont got the motivation to learn that damn riff Its not actually so hard but...ya know.

 

[OvSeth]

Right. For the start, it's enough to treat your guitar as if it was tuned in E imo. My experience is, that you rapidly learn the location of the notes on the fretboard when you actually use them. Many pages ago, I adviced to take a jazz-standard like "Donna Lee". Don't use the tablature, use the notes (it's easy, it's only counting) and try to find good fingerings on your guitar. You will be fucking around with it for a long time, but it helps to memorize the note-locations.

The next step would be learning intervals. An interval describes the distance from one note to the other. For example the note "E" is 4 half-tone-steps higher than the note "C". That distance is called "major third".
You should find a list of all intervals and the corresponding half-tone-steps somewhere in the net.

Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

my opinion on that, without theory backing, you play somebody else's solo, and then stop. someone might say, "why did you stop playing it was kickass?" and you'd reply, "well cause they stopped there in the video" or whatever

But someone else would come along, play the same solo, then shoot off and dick around for ten minutes. and you'd say "holy shit how did you do that?" and likely they'd reply that it's just so organic that there really is no end. cause really i think theory is what separates your style from a "clone" to "unique."

amirite?

See, this statement is absolutely false. The only time I ever play anybody else's music is for the riff game thread, the moment I pick up a guitar I just play whatever comes to my head. I play over backing tracks sometimes too, but mostly just the guitar only.

Improv is the only thing I ever do on a guitar, so I disprove what you just said. One doesn't need to know theory to be creative on a guitar.. You just need to know what sound will come out of the guitar if you put your finger on a certain fret, but for the entire fretboard. Like I said, I have a great ear.

 

[Ruins]

See, this statement is absolutely false. The only time I ever play anybody else's music is for the riff game thread, the moment I pick up a guitar I just play whatever comes to my head. I play over backing tracks sometimes too, but mostly just the guitar only.

Improv is the only thing I ever do on a guitar, so I disprove what you just said. One doesn't need to know theory to be creative on a guitar.. You just need to know what sound will come out of the guitar if you put your finger on a certain fret, but for the entire fretboard. Like I said, I have a great ear.

this comes with time with or without theory.
and even if you know how it sounds like you don't always come up with pleasant random combination of sounds chords or any progression so this is where theory comes in handy. but it all worth nothing if you your self don't have it.
if you can't rock no one and nothing will ever teach you to.

 

[Altitudes]

You can know theory without even knowing it =O Loomis is a prime example.