Guitarists

[Vega]

Hello,
This is my first post here so i'd just like to say heloo to everyone here. Well heres my question :

What stage are all you guitarists at in your guitar playin? eg how long have you been playin for and what techniques n stuff ?
Im 15 and i just wanted to see how everyone is gettin on with their guitar playin. Im up to sweep arpeggios and im tryin to avoid learning scales but i suppose ill have to have you got any advice?
Sorry for all the questions, feel free to cancel this thread if it is wrong.
Goodbye for now.

 

[Divine Wings Of Tragedy]

i have been playing for almost 2 years now, my advice is to learn as much as you can with the theory stuff, chords and scale relation, then after your comfortable with them focus on your techniques (sweep,alt pick,eco pick, tapping) each on its own and may god help ya hehe

 

[The Yngster]

I'm 16, been playing for a little over a year, and I still suck at everything

 

[Mr. Shred-ididle]

Ive been playing since I was 8, but I got REALLY serious when i was 11 and heard Steve Vai for the first time. I used to go to a really crappy techer, but my dad's best frind (who is one of Australia's most respected session drummer in the industry) has introduced me to two really good teachers. They're both reallt top session jazz players, ones 18 and he does the more traditional way of teaching. I'm going through the burklee book series, and the other is a young surfie dude (Silent Realm will love this guy) who is in the band thonk ( www.getthonked.com ) who is more unorthodox and layd-back in his teaching. He teaches more improvisation and stuff while the other is more reading, theory ect..

 

[Nevermorian]

I am 20 years old, playing Bass since late 1999 and guitar since mid 2000.
My playing does not really satisfy me. I don't like my own improvising (although I like my ryhthm playing) and besides my alternate picking, there is no technique I am really good at. I am currently working on more advanced tapping techniques and sweeping, but I don't get much better. But that's what makes playing the guitar interesting; you always have something new to learn and it never gets boring.
I am all self-educated and have some basic knowledge about theory which I intend to improve a little bit more to help my improvising. But still, I think that you should not dive too much into theory because there is much more to music than mathematics. But some won't hurt, so; give it a try

 

[Zax666]

I've been playing for a bit more than 2 years.
I enjoy my rhythm style, I think rhythm guitar is probably the only thing I'm REALLY good at.
I also have a descent legatto and alternate picking, I'm also descent at two-handed legatto (your right hand behind your left hand).

I LOVE my improvisation and vibrato skills, it came quite neturally to me. Never had to learn any of it.

I CAN'T SWEEP and I'm not a descent tapper!

On the cool side, I'm dealing with computers ever since 7 so I'm a tweakmaster!!!!

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

Over 10 years here...but I never got serious until the last couple years...I can do any Slayer or Deicide song in my sleep but I'm really trying to get into music theory and stuff now...of course....It's a little late. I'm too old....yes too old to begin the training.

 

[Starwind]

Hiyas!
I'm 29 and have played for 17 years. (Been that long already?? heh) I'm primarily a classical guitarist and I'm trying to get more into metal playing. Have always listened to it. I site read mostly.

No band at the moment but I'm looking to change that in the near future.
Techniques?? Heh, classical playing is full of it naturally. I started trying some sweep picking on my electric and play around with a flamenco type tremolo on my takamine.

Back to learning Bach's Prelude....

~Gwen

 

[Manga-San]

I'm sixteen. I've been playing for almost four months. I have an instructor, and I learn from the Guitar Method book series. He teaches me theory as we go along in the book, and he gives me finger excersizes and some songs to work on. I take one lesson every Tuesday, and when I practice, I try to learn songs that I know...

I just finished learning my first complete song outside of lessons; "Dark Saga" by Iced Earth...

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

Good job Manga-San!

Here's a tip...learn good stuff when you're young. Challenge yourself!!!

When I was young, all I played was 'tallica and it killed my progression. If I hadn't gotten into DT so early I would surely be done as a musician.
Know that there is a vast array of styles and techniques, try to become familiar with all of them!!!
I just began doing that recently and it's so much more difficult now. Learn well, while you're young! Then when you get older, you'll be able to learn new things like cake.

And eat it too.

 

[Manga-San]

Good job Manga-San!

Here's a tip...learn good stuff when you're young. Challenge yourself!!!

When I was young, all I played was 'tallica and it killed my progression. If I hadn't gotten into DT so early I would surely be done as a musician.
Know that there is a vast array of styles and techniques, try to become familiar with all of them!!!
I just began doing that recently and it's so much more difficult now. Learn well, while you're young! Then when you get older, you'll be able to learn new things like cake.

And eat it too.

mmmm...cake...

Any suggestions on songs I should try..?

 

[Zax666]

@ Manga-San - how about Another Day?

 

[ElPredicador]

i've been playing for 5 years now, but seriously about 2 and a half. now i'm getting into chords and jazzy stuff with my teacher, so i guess technique is for the free time...

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

Manga-San...
Yeah, Another Day is a good one. Take the time and Under a Glass Moon are good too...so is pull me under.
For SX??? Inferno has great picking exercises built into the intro part. The rythm part is fairly complex too, but not too tough.

After that try to play some of the slower SX songs like TeoF and the Communion and the Oracle. These will be a challenge but easier to start with for SX.

Try some Rust era Megadeth too. Great for rythm and leads...
Holy Wars, Tornado of Souls, Five Magics...all full of great guitar parts that will build your chops and skill

Come to think of it, Rust in Peace probably had a lot to do with my being able to not completely suck right now.

Good luck!!!

 

[sands of the seas]

I'm 17 and i'm in my third year of playing, and DAMN I'M GOOD!
I'm currently learning chord progression and scales and stuff, and also some theory at school, which i probably won't persue much. As long as i know time signatures, scales and progressions i don't think i need any more knowledge of that area.

I'm doing yr 12 music at school and for the exam at the end of the year we have to play a selection of songs from a list we were given at the start of the year. Here's my list thus far (got one more to pick):
Joe Satriani - Always With Me, Always With You
Joe Satriani - Midnight
Steve Vai - Sisters
Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing
Eric Johnson - Cliffs of Dover

Needless to say, they are providing me with a challenge. I've pretty much got them all down except for Cliffs of Dover (damn he's a fast son of a bitch!)

 

[Zax666]

Always With Me, Always With You isn't THAT much of a challenge, dude - the tapping part is quite easy (EVEN I can do it).

 

[Zax666]

If you want challenge try 5th caprice at 180 BPM.

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

I think the Bach thing at the end of the Dressed to Kill solo is pretty hard to pull off cleanly...awesome picking exercise...it really emphasizes CONTROL!
Control, control, you must learn control!

Yoda would have been a great guitar teacher...but his fingers are too short.

 

[Zax666]

He'd have used the Force.

 

[SMP]

Learning the guitar can be very frustrating, the best advice is to keep at it. Some of the things that have really helped me to learn scales and precision is to learn some of the fantastic tabs and play along with the records. This builds speed and after awhile you can kind of get a feel for what scales and how the pros apply them.