The anatomy of the guitar and other terms I don't understand.
- Thread starter Kushantaiidan
- Start date
YourFuneral
SIMply Virtual
Kirk Hammet turned me off to wah for the LONGEST time... (Does he ever not use it anymore? Heck, now that I think about it, does it matter? lol!) I do like it if it's used properly and not just totally abused... Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and John Petrucci come to mind... I guess what I'm trying to say is, I like it when it's barely noticable...
On a related note, the strangest thing has been happening with my playing lately... I'm getting Wah-like-sounds from my playing without using Wah... I'm sure this isn't anything new or special but I've narrowed it down to the way I pick... Still trying to figure out how to describe it... Anybody else get this?
On a related note, the strangest thing has been happening with my playing lately... I'm getting Wah-like-sounds from my playing without using Wah... I'm sure this isn't anything new or special but I've narrowed it down to the way I pick... Still trying to figure out how to describe it... Anybody else get this?
YaYo
whendaydescends.com
- May 6, 2001
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Im in drop-C tuning though.. i used to use the same as you when i was in E
But the thicker the string the fuller the note.. and i find the slightly thicker/tighter strings easier it is to pick.
Wah has its uses, i use it in my latest songs quite a bit, but generally not in the kirk hammet type way, which is shit.
I did some weird (for me) whammy work on Forestall. If any reading this has that song, have a listen to 5:05-5:21.. theres a leady bit that starts. One guitar is playing a clean wah version of the lead bit, the other is a distorted guitar which is using heaps of whammy...you'll hear it falling and rising to the note. But i think that kind of Vai-ish use of the whammy bar is as much as needed these days.
I mean the idea of guitar is to express emotions accurately.. dive-bombing, tapping, sweeping, wah and so on really have limited uses, and for the most part are just used to say "hey look at me play this wicked solo", which is shitty... but when used properly and in very limited and practically unnoticeable amounts they can greatly enhance your personal sound.
Vibrato, bending, slides, pull-offs, hammer-ons... etc etc are all the basics to achieve this, and are used heaps more often... i dont see how anyone could not use them. To me they are all 2nd nature, i dont think about which of them to use, i just play and they naturally come out when appropriate, the same can be achieved with whammy, wha, etc if enough practice is done, but it takes a lot. Vai is master of these things.
veil the sky
Lexicon V
That's right buddy!
Have your own style and be a true musician. Make sounds that come straight from within. Every technique is another string to your bow after all!
Have your own style and be a true musician. Make sounds that come straight from within. Every technique is another string to your bow after all!
YourFuneral
SIMply Virtual
So it would seem... lol! That's a sweet solo in your song... And that's exactly what I was talking about... You barely notice the wah and the whammy was tastefully utilized. I love that tune... I know I've said it before, but that's some excellent work! Keep it up!
Misanthrope
Latin, NOT Mexican.
Originally posted by veil the sky
It's all a bit corny these days to divebomb and do general whammy mayhem. I don't ever do it creatively, but I don't think many people do anymore. It's an eighties thing. I am a big fan of string bending and I like to pick out little melodies within bends and I have a few little string bending party tricks up my sleeve
Classical instrumentalists are often distinguished by the shape of the notes they play accroding to their tonality and vibrato. I don't think guitar playing is, or should be, any exception. Mike Ammott vibrato man yyyyyyeh!!!!
There is a whole school of jaz guitarists who rarely ever bend and have a very subtle vibrato (and often use very heavy strings btw for increased tonality) but that's because jazz is about the notes themselves rather than virtuosity. Also a lot of jazz guitarists suffer from an inferiority complex towards saxophonists and try to emulate the style of the saxophone itself. True y' know
Hehehe, i know and vibrato has its uses. I just dont need it in my songs. Sometimes i play fast picking paterns with a lot of palm muting while the drums are at full speed, or blasting, and the other side of my songs are either really slow parts ( But i kinda like the sound of a clean long note with no vibrato, it can have a lot of sentimental impact without the vibrato ) or jazzy stuff. And yea ive seen alot of guitar players that try to solo as saxophonist, but its not a particulary bad thing since alof of them are pretty good anyway. Im more of a jazz harmony fan myself so i do not focus as much on learning every bebop scale under the sun, im more of a chord freak always coming up with new positions and chords and their uses, its a lot of fun to put your fingers in a random position and actually figuring out the name of the chord =P
This all above my head now.
My headstock or whatever has 3 tuning pegs on each side.
And I spose my guitar is a cheap imitation something or other...
My headstock or whatever has 3 tuning pegs on each side.
And I spose my guitar is a cheap imitation something or other...
YourFuneral
SIMply Virtual
Sorry Kush, it seems we sabotaged your thread... Let's get it back on track... Ask more questions...
Tis ok. I don't mind the hijacking. My point was, everyone is making interesting noises with their guitars, why mine just plinks and doesn't work, but I'm getting there.
The actual MAIN point of this thread, is that I wanted someone to identify my guitar.
I've posted lotsa picks. It's just some cheap thing, though it wasn't cheap, but I got it because it's very unique, looks cool, and sounds cool, except for my plinking.
And the later posts in this thread are way above my head, and I have no idea what some people are talking about, but I'll just nod my head, and pretend I know what people are talking about.
Nonetheless, I've learnt lots all ready.
A shame that I still can't get a real good picture of the body of the guitar, the webcam is really shit. The guitar is actually red, and not purple or green, as the pictures suggest.
I might try another picture..
Opth_001
Space the final frontier
So it seems to me that the only reson to get smaller strings is to pluck your strings faster? Or to tune your guitar higher?
Hmmm as of right now I have .10 .58 but I also have a 7-sting which hopefully I'll be getting rid of soon. And for me they seem to work pretty good I'm thinking that I might get some smaller strings.
YaYo
whendaydescends.com
- May 6, 2001
- 4,458
- 23
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Smaller strings are easier to bend and vibrato as well.... easier to hammer-on and pull-off... etc etc..
There are advantages and disadvantages to both heavy and thin strings.. its a matter of trial and error till you find what suits you.
So if you find bending strings hard, or you cant do trills and hammer-on sequences or slide or stuff very well then maybe lighter strings are for you?
Or maybe you're the type to solo at a slow speed and heavy strings will be better for more tone?
If you want more definition in your rhythm work maybe heavy strings are for you?
etc
etc
veil the sky
Lexicon V
The trouble is though that I find you get used to lighter strings in a short time and the advantage is all gone and you've just lost tonality.
If you really work at it with medium or even heavy guage strings it improves your technique too, I'd always recommend the heaviest guage strings you can play. (Sounds depressing doesn't it! sorry 'bout that!). If you want to use light ones GO FOR IT by all means, but then when you go to pick up an acoustic it will hurt you I'm afraid.
It's actually a good piece of advice to practice a lot with an acoustic because then when you pick up your electric it will feel so easy and you'll be playing faster and more comfortably than before! Seriously it works! Try it!
It's just like being a sportsman. You can go for lighter training sessions and it will feel better for a while, but then you'll just get less fit and you'll feel just as crap anyway!
If you really work at it with medium or even heavy guage strings it improves your technique too, I'd always recommend the heaviest guage strings you can play. (Sounds depressing doesn't it! sorry 'bout that!). If you want to use light ones GO FOR IT by all means, but then when you go to pick up an acoustic it will hurt you I'm afraid.
It's actually a good piece of advice to practice a lot with an acoustic because then when you pick up your electric it will feel so easy and you'll be playing faster and more comfortably than before! Seriously it works! Try it!
It's just like being a sportsman. You can go for lighter training sessions and it will feel better for a while, but then you'll just get less fit and you'll feel just as crap anyway!
Opth_001
Space the final frontier
So is a .10 .58 considered a light or medium?
yeah that's true but I hate playing acoustics because of how thick they are it's alway uncomfortable to play with the wide body, (not the Grand AM)
veil the sky
Lexicon V
That's medium top and a v. heavy bottom, unless that's the 7 string and the .58 is a 'b'. I use .10 .52 sometimes .10 .56
Heavy bottom strings dude! Nice!
Aha! That's just exactly why it works! They kick your ass right into gear don't they!
You pick up your superstrat afterwards and go "Hey this tiny thing is a piece of piss to play!!"
Nnneeeeeeeeoooooowwwww all over the neck you go!!
YourFuneral
SIMply Virtual
I do the same thing and give the same advice... It works wonders! Unfortunately, I sold mine so I feel like I've been suffering, heh heh...
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