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If you're having trouble moving your ring finger far enough, try doing the exercise higher up on the neck where the frets are narrower. It also might be worth doing the same exercise only fretting one finger at a time (instead of keeping them all down) just to get your finger used to moving around and fretting notes, to build up a bit of strength. It is your weakest finger too so it needs the help! This will probably be helpful too, once you get that finger under control - try it anyway, seeing a video of the technique might help something click too http://www.justinguitar.com/en/TE-007-FingerStretch.php
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Mar 4, 2011 21:30
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ABlix- posted:On the bright side, I guess I learned a few major chords...C, D, and G and also E minor.. Em + Asus2 + G Maj (partial - E string 3rd fret, A string 2nd fret)are fantastic jump points for strumming and working on melodies. Since each of those only use two strings anyone can do it on day one. They all play together great. Then start throwing in C, A, G, E, D chords (CAGED). Doooooooo it. You will have all sorts of songs, and can literally strum these for hours on end.    Literally the easiest things to learn. (Thank you guitar jamz!) Also, technically on the Asus2 you're not supposed to sound the low E string. However, you can do both ways to add more bottom end. Mix it up. Philthy fucked around with this message at 00:56 on Mar 5, 2011 |
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Mar 5, 2011 00:35
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Thanks everyone for your help! I truly appreciate some of this great advice/encouragement. So I guess there's more to Something Awful then making fun of people in E/N! I did have another question -- at the moment I don't have an armless chair and usually practice sitting on my bed. I do notice my posture slipping from time to time and sometimes my neck hurts after I practice. Is practicing on a bed a no-no or should I just be more mindful of my posture when I practice (most of the times it's when I'm frustrated and tense up a bit that my posture suffers).
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Mar 5, 2011 14:34
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I'm not sure if this question belongs in this thread but thought I'd give it a go posting here. I've played guitar on and off for the past 10 years or so, and am slowly trying to pick it back up properly again. I have a standard mexican made telecaster which I love, but I'm slightly frustrated by the tone it gives. When I first started I was much more into alternative rock and metal and wanted a more 'rocky' sound (Which is why I bought a Telecaster and not a Gibson SG or something far more suited right??) and a friend convinced me to replace the pickups with a couple of Don Lace telecaster pickups. While I loved them at first (And the fact I no longer got terrible hum from my CRT monitor and bedroom light back when everyone still used old incandescents), over the years I've noticed compared to other telecasters, when plugged in it sounds a teensy bit sterile and less 'twangy'. Could anyone recommend some decent replacements for more of that original classic tele sound? Part of my problem is I don't know what would be most suitable, is it worth getting some of the American made pickups? I know it won't make my standard telecaster sound exactly like an American model, but would it still be a decent sound or am I best off just buying some replacement standard pickups and getting the stock sound back? I understand tone/sound is all subjective, but if anyone can help I'd appreciate it, I feel a beginner all over again 
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Mar 5, 2011 15:05
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Lord Dekks posted:tone stuff I'm a huge fan of Lindy Fralin pups for Tele replacements. http://www.fralinpickups.com/telestyle.asp
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Mar 5, 2011 18:23
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ABlix- posted:I did have another question -- at the moment I don't have an armless chair and usually practice sitting on my bed. I do notice my posture slipping from time to time and sometimes my neck hurts after I practice. Is practicing on a bed a no-no or should I just be more mindful of my posture when I practice (most of the times it's when I'm frustrated and tense up a bit that my posture suffers). If it's all you've got then go for it, it just might be harder to keep your back straight and not tense up. If you don't have support you have to use your muscles to hold a certain position. Try practicing standing up if you have a strap (which will help if you ever perform too)
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Mar 5, 2011 20:17
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Lord Dekks posted:pickups The Fralins mentioned above are good, and another I'd recommend are Seymour Duncan SH-1's, or even STH-1's. They're stacked humbuckers so they'll fit in a single-coil slot. On a side note, speaking of S-D's, I'm considering putting a P-Rail pickup in the neck position on my SG... anyone had any experience with them?
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Mar 5, 2011 23:46
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 Any tips on picking this fast? Right now I'm barring the G down to the A# to get those and using my ring finger for G's octave when I need it. Hitting a down stroke when coming back to the G seems to make things more rhythmic... but I can't get over the delay when getting my hand back in that position again. Would it be a crime to just hybrid pick that, i.e. use my middle finger and ring finger to fingerpick all but low E?
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Mar 6, 2011 01:10
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meatcookie posted:The Fralins mentioned above are good, and another I'd recommend are Seymour Duncan SH-1's, or even STH-1's. They're stacked humbuckers so they'll fit in a single-coil slot. The Fralins are hard to get in the UK it seems unless I'm willing to pay crazy high prices (compared to the US retail price at least). I had a listen to a few samples of the Seymour Duncan STKs and definitely sounds like what I want and within my budget, I'll definitely have to do a bit of research but could be on a winner there. Thanks. Lord Dekks fucked around with this message at 01:17 on Mar 6, 2011 |
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Mar 6, 2011 01:13
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SSJ2 Goku Wilders posted:
16ths at that tempo are a little above "new to guitar". Just keep on the alt picking.
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Mar 6, 2011 02:22
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CalvinDooglas posted:16ths at that tempo are a little above "new to guitar". Just keep on the alt picking. I remember there being another guitar thread like this, but for intermediate level. Checked the first two pages and didn't see it! my bad It's more of a technique question though. The way I usually pick, economy I guess, has me hitting the open A string on the way down sometimes. Thought there might be a best practice to getting around faster. It's the distances travelled vertically that I've not done before. e: it might be goony or cliche by now but the little riff there is from vivaldi's summer (in case someone was wondering) and i really like it SSJ2 Goku Wilders fucked around with this message at 03:27 on Mar 6, 2011 |
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Mar 6, 2011 03:11
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I've been looking at acoustic steel-string guitars, and I noticed that some have string posts like classical guitars and others don't have that scooped headstock. What kind of affect does that have on the guitar's sound or playability? As for buying an acoustic for a beginner, what should I be thinking about? I was trying out various models today, but since I don't really know much about playing a guitar besides some basic chords and the beginning of "Dust in the Wind", I was having a hard time evaluating guitars. Looking at the physical soundness doesn't bother me, but what sound I want I don't know. I also don't know if I'm going to be strumming, playing fingerstyle, or both. All I know is that I'm going to play on my own in a quiet setting. Finally, I came across a Martin Cowboy V at a local store, and it seemed a nice price for a limited edition and nice looking guitar. I'm tempted to buy it. Is there any particular reason I should not? Are the Martin limiteds not that special?
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Mar 6, 2011 04:59
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that Vai sound posted:I've been looking at acoustic steel-string guitars, and I noticed that some have string posts like classical guitars and others don't have that scooped headstock. What kind of affect does that have on the guitar's sound or playability? I'd get a full-size guitar as my first one, the martin cowboy v seems like it's a travel size guitar. My suggestion for a nice, all round steel string guitar that won't cost an arm and a leg would be a WD series Washburn guitar. http://www.washburn.com/instruments/acoustics/
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Mar 6, 2011 10:40
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When you're evaluating a new guitar as a beginner, it's more about what's comfortable for you to play than what sound it has, really. I mean, sound is important, you shouldn't buy a guitar that can't produce the sound you want, but when looking at acoustics, you'll mainly want to see if you can play it comfortably. Worries about sound are more for people looking for a beginner electric, and all it really boils down to for a beginner is whether a person wants humbuckers or single coils. Getting the right sound is a dragon we chase later, which is why many of us have 5+ guitars.
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Mar 6, 2011 16:31
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SSJ2 Goku Wilders posted:I remember there being another guitar thread like this, but for intermediate level. Checked the first two pages and didn't see it! my bad there's an intermediate thread that seemed to die when my laptop did last fall, "No Longer New to Guitar". Unless you are concerned that your basic motions are not in shape, I would work up the alt picking. Just be sure that your pick is nice and flat! I think you'll find it easier to work with alt picking for string skips than economy. Up accents are a pain to get consistent, but remember to relax and not change the angle of the pick like you do with economy. In that intermediate/advanced thread I posted a basic alt picking exercise that you can use to get your alt and string skipping in good shape. edit: looks like the intermediate thread dropped off into the archives. Any way to bring it back? I don't have access CalvinDooglas fucked around with this message at 17:52 on Mar 6, 2011 |
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Mar 6, 2011 17:49
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CalvinDooglas posted:there's an intermediate thread that seemed to die when my laptop did last fall, "No Longer New to Guitar". Unless you are concerned that your basic motions are not in shape, I would work up the alt picking. Just be sure that your pick is nice and flat! I think you'll find it easier to work with alt picking for string skips than economy. Up accents are a pain to get consistent, but remember to relax and not change the angle of the pick like you do with economy. Thanks a lot. I'll work on that. I do have a tendency to angle the pick, especially when doing poo poo like fast runs, but it doesn't get a nice, hard attack that way. You tend also to lose the ability to accent that way... Don't think that archived threads can be brought back, only remade.
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Mar 6, 2011 20:41
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It's a shame things get archived so quick in here - it's not so high traffic that we get a mass of threads, and many of them are pretty high-content so it would be nice if they could stick around longer
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Mar 6, 2011 21:11
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Thanks to this thread and Justin guitar I have been trying to lean to play guitar. I have been playing on a a crappy old Hyundai acoustic (Yep, the car maker)for a few months and am convinced that I am ready to buy my first "real" guitar. Goons have not steered me wrong yet so I am going with and Agile 3100 from Rondo and a Vox VT30 amp. However after a recent trip to guitar center I think I like slim neck guitars (ibanaz, jackson) better them thicker ones. But I don't really know since I still suck so much I can't really play anything and I doubt I know the difference. I do not have small hands, in fact I have big hands. So I think I am going to go with the slim profile Agile from Rondo. Any reason I should not get a slim profile neck Agile? I am sure I would get used to whatever but my gut really liked the slim neck vs the thick ones. I guess I am open to suggestions on the amp as well but the VT30 looks like a good value for my first / practice amp.
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Mar 6, 2011 21:13
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Maybe not the right thread for this, but does anyone have any experience with the Pick Punch? It intrigues me... http://www.pickpunch.com/newobject.html
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Mar 7, 2011 20:07
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Popcorn posted:Maybe not the right thread for this, but does anyone have any experience with the Pick Punch? It intrigues me... Haven't used one, but thanks for reminding me to buy one. Guess I'll know more in a couple of weeks!
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Mar 7, 2011 20:40
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What's the truth behind the whole "no oil/cleaner on maple necks thing". It's just a myth, right? I'm just trying to figure it out before I get my 8 delivered today. I've never owned a guitar with a maple fretboard but I like using Fast Fret on all of my guitars.
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Mar 10, 2011 14:53
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I can only imagine it would make a maple neck wayyy too slippery to play on. No idea if it will damage the finish, but those things are plenty slick already. If you use an oily product it will make visible dirt build up faster.
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Mar 10, 2011 16:54
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Kilometers Davis posted:What's the truth behind the whole "no oil/cleaner on maple necks thing". It's just a myth, right? I'm just trying to figure it out before I get my 8 delivered today. I've never owned a guitar with a maple fretboard but I like using Fast Fret on all of my guitars. I use Fast Fret on my maple necked strat and have never heard that before. I hope it's not true because I do fast fret it whenever I play it.
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Mar 10, 2011 20:01
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baka kaba posted:If you're having trouble moving your ring finger far enough, try doing the exercise higher up on the neck where the frets are narrower. It also might be worth doing the same exercise only fretting one finger at a time (instead of keeping them all down) just to get your finger used to moving around and fretting notes, to build up a bit of strength. It is your weakest finger too so it needs the help! Something I've found helps for violin (I'm new to guitar, but hey it can't hurt) is to not just do exercises on the instrument. Now that I'm learning guitar I can see why the ring finger has issues; on a violin it's typically the pinky (the ring finger is a bit stronger for violin fingering), but the issues are similar, especially if you have to do weird doublestops or pretty much anything written by Paganini. I guess I went off topic a little there, but I'm saying it helps to stretch out the hand (just splay your fingers as wide as they'll go repeatedly) and possibly get some sort of squeezing exercise tool to build finger strength. Doing stretching exercises on the instrument can help some, but for me it also leads to what I call 'finger-lock', where the fingers get tired and start locking up in positions, it starts hurting and I have to stop playing. Exercising the fingers when you're not playing means you're less likely to have your fingers lock up and get tired during practice. It's a lot easier to warm up if you've been stretching your fingers beforehand so they're already limber.
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Mar 10, 2011 21:46
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This is sorta-kinda on-topic, and since this is the go-to thread for guitar and guitar newbs I figured some of y'all might find it interesting. Anyways, I saw this the other day on reddit and I think it's pretty cool: the Loog Guitar, which is basically a three-stringed guitar aimed at children but I think it's just a cool little instrument all the same. http://loogguitars.com/kickstarter/index.html The three models to be made: A Montgomery Ward Airline shaped body for Jack White fans:  A cigar box-style model. Or Bo Diddley, if you prefer.  And a triangular body that is reminiscent of the Doane-style ukuleles that were introduced into Canadian schools during the 60's.  The project is part of some dude's masters thesis in music or something to that effect and they're looking for donations to get up and running. It looks like they've already beaten their goal by a mile, so these things should be in production for a May release. I think that they're pretty slick and I'd like to get my hands on one of the Airline models. I've heard people bemoaning the lack of strings saying "It's not a real guitar! Six strings!?!?!" but I think that if it helps get someone into playing music then that's awesome. Having owned a Strumstick and enjoyed its simple open tuning (G-D-G), I'm interested in donating to get my hands on one, 'cause that Strumstick was fun as gently caress. I'm a sucker for off-beat instruments I guess. edit: grammar dark_panda fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Mar 10, 2011 |
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Mar 10, 2011 21:55
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Those certainly look cool. The real problem for their market viability is they don't seem to do anything that a ukulele doesn't.
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Mar 10, 2011 22:02
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dark_panda posted:the loog These are really cool, but they are priced way too high - even the donation price of $150 is steep. You can get a not-totally-horrible real guitar for that much, and a decent starter ukulele for about $40. e: ^^^^ looks like we had the same thought.
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Mar 10, 2011 22:05
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I use fast fret on my maple neck strat as well. All is good.
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Mar 10, 2011 23:37
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Manky posted:These are really cool, but they are priced way too high - even the donation price of $150 is steep. You can get a not-totally-horrible real guitar for that much, and a decent starter ukulele for about $40. Oh, yeah, they've way overpriced and I hope they get some sanity to them. I mean, they don't even come assembled, although that's supposedly 'cause it gets you to "know the instrument better" or some such nonsense. Uh, putting together my Ikea furniture doesn't help me know it any better, so please, just put the damned things together when you ship them please. That said, I still think they're pretty slick, even having owned a Strumstick and a decent uke. Again, I'm a sucker for poo poo like this though.
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Mar 11, 2011 00:01
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In regards to maple neck finishes and cleaners. It just isn't necessary to oil a maple fretboard like you need to with rosewood or ebony since it has a hard finish on it the oil just sits on top. If it gets grungy just wipe it off with a microfiber cloth and some naphta.
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Mar 11, 2011 01:14
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dark_panda posted:Oh, yeah, they've way overpriced and I hope they get some sanity to them. I mean, they don't even come assembled, although that's supposedly 'cause it gets you to "know the instrument better" or some such nonsense. Uh, putting together my Ikea furniture doesn't help me know it any better, so please, just put the damned things together when you ship them please. Can I offer a different opinion? Putting the price aside for the moment (it is too high, but this is a startup not an established company so they don't have the economy of scale yet) the loog really isn't the same as a traditional guitar or a uke. I started playing around with my grandmothers guitar when I was 6 and at the time it was a giant, scary looking thing that I could barely play. Even with a scaled guitar there was still the confusing mix of fretboard and strings, a complex (to six year old me) arrangement of tunings... and so I got overwhelmed and frustrated and stopped playing for a few years. What this is is a dead simple, easy guitar. To have the colors indicating frets is great, it makes it really easy for an instructor to teach chord positions. Kids are also more likely to gravitate toward something that looks like a toy rather than something that looks delicate in any way. Also three strings means the learner is instantly getting an idea of triads (another thing that confused the poo poo out of me when I was first starting). Putting it together is pretty cool too. If you get it as a parent or teacher you can literally name each part of the kid and have them put it together. They get some guitar knowledge and a fun activity. Is it a bit Ikea? I guess but it also makes it easier to ship, keeps prices down and adds value to people who want to show their kid this stuff. Could a uke do the same thing? No actually, because a uke isn't a guitar. Six year old me doesn't want to play a ukelele, he want's to play a guitar. I know the difference is minimal but a six year old won't care. It isn't a guitar and therefore it is useless trash. Having something like this would have made the jump between complete novice and beginner guitarist a great deal smoother. Given the choice between a scaled guitar or a uke for $150 and this for $250 for my kid I think I'd be willing to part with an extra $100 to give the best chance of success.
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Mar 11, 2011 15:42
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seigfox posted:Having something like this would have made the jump between complete novice and beginner guitarist a great deal smoother. Given the choice between a scaled guitar or a uke for $150 and this for $250 for my kid I think I'd be willing to part with an extra $100 to give the best chance of success. Oh no, I agree that it's a great little instrument and anything that makes playing music more accessible to people and especially to kids is a good thing. I just hope that they can get that price down to make it more attractive to parents to take that plunge and get their kids into music. That $100 can be a lot for some people, and I think the price point is just a bit on the side of high. It's not astronomical, but I think it would be a point of contention. I'd be more worried that someone would look at this, see the price, then look at a lower priced full-on six-string that would perhaps be more difficult to play due to it being a "budget guitar" (high action, bad intonation, etc.) and potentially more confusing (all six strings, not geared towards kids with the colour coding, etc.) and that the kid would give up in frustration rather than plow through the pain. For that to occur because of a higher price, regardless of whether the higher price is justified or perceived, would be a tough pill to swallow.
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Mar 11, 2011 21:42
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To anyone playing electric: If you're wanting to get a really crystal clear picture of what your deficiencies are that you need to improve on (Only do this if you're willing to take a big hit to your self-confidence) crank up an amplifier in the middle of the day (loud enough so the neighborhood can hear it) and try playing. Just learned this earlier; it really is a great way to force your bad habits out of hiding. Something happens when you're playing that loud.
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Mar 12, 2011 00:09
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HornyBoy123 posted:To anyone playing electric: If you're wanting to get a really crystal clear picture of what your deficiencies are that you need to improve on (Only do this if you're willing to take a big hit to your self-confidence) crank up an amplifier in the middle of the day (loud enough so the neighborhood can hear it) and try playing. And to add an adjustment, use headphones if possible. You'll get the absolute clearest reference of your playing.
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Mar 12, 2011 01:54
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Kilometers Davis posted:And to add an adjustment, use headphones if possible. You'll get the absolute clearest reference of your playing. The clearest reference is that of a very loud (tube if possible) amplifier. For whatever reason.
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Mar 12, 2011 03:59
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Got to see Joe Bonamassa last night in Milwaukee. Second row, front and center. He was basically standing on my head doing his solos. A different guitar for almost every tune, and that guy doesn't need a mic for his voice. Got so see some great guitar playing, but unfortunately the crowd consisted of olderish people who couldn't keep their mouths shut. During a really REALLY quiet solo he was doing some harmonic bits where you could barely hear it, almost ethereal and a drunk guy in the front row standing in front of him seriously yelled out 'You got the world by the.. rear end.. Joe!' louder than the freaking guitar. Ah well, very enjoyable to watch this guy play guitar. Pity about the audience. Got one of his picks, a red jazz III. Which I have been looking for a while now. All the stores never have em.
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Mar 14, 2011 05:47
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Philthy posted:Ah well, very enjoyable to watch this guy play guitar. Pity about the audience. Got one of his picks, a red jazz III. Which I have been looking for a while now. All the stores never have em. They are called Eric Johnsons now, Guitar Center has them.
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Mar 14, 2011 15:52
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So guess what dumbass managed to chip the corner off of his nut? What sort of cost am I looking at for a decent new one? And how difficult is it to install? edit: Forget to mention, Epiphone Les Paul Studio. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 00:09 on Mar 16, 2011 |
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Mar 15, 2011 23:57
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22 Eargesplitten posted:So guess what dumbass managed to chip the corner off of his nut?
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Mar 16, 2011 00:46
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| # ? May 16, 2024 11:28 |
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22 Eargesplitten posted:So guess what dumbass managed to chip the corner off of his nut? What sort of cost am I looking at for a decent new one? And how difficult is it to install? Out of curiosity, how the hell did this happen? Were you changing strings with the nut removed, or did you just happen to drop the guitar exactly right so that the nut, and only the nut, hit something? Luckily, I'm pretty sure they're very cheap and easy to install by just gluing them in. http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Graph-Tech-TUSQ-XL-14-Epiphone-Slotted-Nut?sku=712820 There's cheaper ones out there probably, but this one definitely will not bind the string when you tune. As for installation, a bit of googling will help. You probably don't even have to glue it in. You may or may not want to sand off the glue that was there before.
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Mar 16, 2011 01:19
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