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muldercat
Is Anybody Here?
USA
38 Posts |
 Posted - 08/06/2009 : 10:49:19 PM
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I'm learning to play guitar and wonder if there are any good tips those of you who do play might give. I bought a Fender Acoustic/Electric. I'm a lefty so I got a lefty guitar. Anyway, I'd love any tips, hints you might provide me.
Millissa |
freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.--KK |
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Arthen
Alien Abductee
USA
4845 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2009 : 11:01:43 PM
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| Just do it as much as you can all the time. Even when you feel like you're plateauing. One day something will click over and you'll start mastering barre chords or something. |
Steve Hackett: "I'm my own opening act, you see."
Tim (before "Faceoff"): "Peace, love....and SEX!"
cbenc41@hotmail.com |
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Ranting Thespian
Fluffy-Esque
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 01:58:47 AM
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I always like to recommend starting on Bob Dylan songs, since he tends to use simple open chords and it is easy to sing along with (and sometimes uses a capo). Hence, look at Watchtower: Am G F G over and over again.
check out http://dylanchords.info/ |
Not communicating can hurt more than any word that can be said -
Nick
-the Ranting Thespian |
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br1
Is Anybody Here?
USA
47 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 4:12:44 PM
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| Those Authentic Guitar Recording books with tabs helped me tremendously with lead chops, chordal shapes, phrasing and just good old ear training and understanding dynamics. Go to www.halleonard.com and look up some of your favorite albums. Chances are you can find the guitar music for them and play along with the CD. Eric Clapton unplugged taught me a lot right off the bat. It's good beause it has a lot of open chord riffs and great solos to get your fingers moving right from the start. If you keep to melodies and songs your ear is familiar with, you'll get a pretty good mix of how to apply what your learning to new and unfamiliar things as well |
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rubylith
Fluffy-Esque
1915 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 10:01:23 AM
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| Use a click! It seems gay but it will help in the long run! |
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Ranting Thespian
Fluffy-Esque
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 9:17:39 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by rubylith
Use a click! It seems gay but it will help in the long run!
Hey, watch it man! |
Not communicating can hurt more than any word that can be said -
Nick
-the Ranting Thespian |
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Hopeful Rolling Waves
Alien Abductee
South Sandwich Islands
2154 Posts |
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GuitarGuy305
Alien Abductee
USA
2007 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 1:34:08 PM
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| You guys are so gay. |
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Arthen
Alien Abductee
USA
4845 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 4:17:50 PM
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| Hmmm...good to know... |
Steve Hackett: "I'm my own opening act, you see."
Tim (before "Faceoff"): "Peace, love....and SEX!"
cbenc41@hotmail.com |
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rubylith
Fluffy-Esque
1915 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 8:46:51 PM
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Tho GAY!
This was ALSO gay Arthen...
quote:
Originally posted by Arthen
Just do it as much as you can all the time. Even when you feel like you're plateauing. One day something will click over and you'll start mastering barre chords or something.
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gnome44
Yak Addict
749 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 9:13:53 PM
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| Is that hat glued to your head? |
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Ranting Thespian
Fluffy-Esque
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 02:27:37 AM
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Fuck you guys.
I really hate it when people use gay as an insult or as a negative comment. Stop it!!  |
Not communicating can hurt more than any word that can be said -
Nick
-the Ranting Thespian |
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Arthen
Alien Abductee
USA
4845 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 08:41:28 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by gnome44
Is that hat glued to your head?
Ha ha ha ha.
Nicely done Rubylith. I suppose describing how to play guitar is rife with sexual imagery. There's lots of fingering, strumming, playing, holding. Some tapping even. But don't fret! You'll get better over time and develop the skills to do it all day long. Then you'll be making your instrument sing. |
Steve Hackett: "I'm my own opening act, you see."
Tim (before "Faceoff"): "Peace, love....and SEX!"
cbenc41@hotmail.com |
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Hopeful Rolling Waves
Alien Abductee
South Sandwich Islands
2154 Posts |
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Hopeful Rolling Waves
Alien Abductee
South Sandwich Islands
2154 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 11:03:06 AM
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To respond to the young lady who wants guitar tips...
I started about 7 years ago now, and it may be backwards, but I just dove right into trying to learn songs I really loved. It kept me motivated at first because I found it difficult to practice something that was general, I guess. I went out and bought a couple DMB tab books and plugged away! Big chords, big chords. Always challenge yourself!
Now with YouTube though, you can pretty much hop online and see tons of songs played by just regular Joe's and Jane's right in front of you, which is an invaluable learning tool.
Hope that helps, though it probably didn't. |
http://db.etree.org/hopefulrollingwaves/ < My Trading List |
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Arthen
Alien Abductee
USA
4845 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 11:23:11 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Hopeful Rolling Waves
Seriously, you guys are being gay.
People! People! Our King has spoken! |
Steve Hackett: "I'm my own opening act, you see."
Tim (before "Faceoff"): "Peace, love....and SEX!"
cbenc41@hotmail.com |
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rubylith
Fluffy-Esque
1915 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 11:45:21 PM
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"Wow this place is FUCKED."
Hey...is there TRCamp next year? Do I need to post another thread? Does the mystical Fluffy still have the powers to move threads around?  Why am I still online what is wrong with me and why won't Jared call me back?
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muldercat
Is Anybody Here?
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2009 : 2:30:01 PM
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Everyone,
Thanks so much for the tips! I have to say I really love the song, I wanna be sedated by the ramones and learned they use mostly down strokes to play their stuff. Again, you all rock!! I'm going to check out Dylan! Love his stuff anyway! :) |
freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.--KK |
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gnome44
Yak Addict
749 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2009 : 3:14:05 PM
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I never really thought about it...but the Ramones might actually have the most simple guitar playing (to some extent) in history.
All down strokes. Only two chords.
HAHA! |
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muldercat
Is Anybody Here?
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 08/15/2009 : 4:52:11 PM
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I was reading one of the Hal Leonard books by Tom Kolb and he said, you have to learn to do upstrokes too or you will end up playing only Ramones songs! They may be simple for you Guitar Vets; however, it still sounds great!!!
Again, you have all been very helpful and funny too! Thanks for that! |
freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.--KK |
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br1
Is Anybody Here?
USA
47 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2009 : 1:40:05 PM
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| Upstrokes.. I remember having a hard time with really fast ska type stuff, (e.g. "Burritos" off of Sublime - Sublime) which you really must use upstokes for. I really liked Sublime at the time and No Doubt and The Bostones were huge during that part of the 90's. I still have a spot for that music. ANYWAYS - If you have a hard time with getting your right hand just getting into the comfort zone of a groove - without worrying about "Should I be stumming up or down?" - Start off with Reggae grooves - chances are the accent of the beat will fall on a downstoke. In faster grooves, like in ska or a more upbeat reggae - your upstroke will be on the offbeat. This may sound confusing, but it's not at all. You can pretty much do whatever you'd like with the stumming as long as you keep it in time and stacatto (very short.. VERY SHORT) and are not white as hell in your soul. Down or up - don't worry about it - the more you use your ear - you'll start to realize when and where to use them. It's more of a tonality thing, really. I love strumming on reggae grooves! I'd be happy doing that all night if I had to. You just sit and groove. It's the shit! |
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muldercat
Is Anybody Here?
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2009 : 02:29:28 AM
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Br1,
Yeah, I was strumming E chords as E is the first chord used in I wanna be sedated as well as Tom Petty's American Girl. It was fun just playing the chord and by ear thinking, wow, okay, that really does sound like the opening to both of those songs!!
Now, I'm practicing switching from D chord to A chord as those two aren't as difficult to switch to when strumming DDUUDU for the song, Sloop John B. I'm going to look into those Reggae Grooves.
Thanks again!
Millissa |
freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.--KK |
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br1
Is Anybody Here?
USA
47 Posts |
Posted - 08/31/2009 : 4:16:47 PM
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"Stir it up" by Marley is only three chords and a good place to start. The chord shapes he uses will get you out of the open chords as well. Pretty sure he uses some simple triads that are very easy to finger. Check it out, for sure. Pay attention to keeping the triads barley even fretted to get that short "chick-chick", typical reggae sound. If you let it ring out you pretty much won't be playing reggae. Down, up strokes. It'll get you to just use that right hand automatically, with what you hear in your head right away.
Lordamercy! BIP! |
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Silky The Pimp
Alien Abductee
3321 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2009 : 7:27:09 PM
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A few pieces of advice for the young lady...
First, don't be afraid to start slow-- literally. You need to challenge yourself to improve, and if you can play something at full speed from the get go, you're probably not challenging yourself enough. Play songs that you can only manage at half speed, or even slower if that's what it takes to play them perfectly, and practice until you build up to playing them full speed. If you're just starting out this will really help you keep from plateauing.
Second, if there are people who you look up to as guitar players, watch them play. Watch what they do, how they do it, when they do it... then emulate. I'd been struggling with rhythm for the first 2 years I was learning to play before I actually saw D&T Storytellers... in 1 song I could see how their strumming hands stayed in perpetual motion, which was new to me. In 5 minutes I could play rhythm better than I had in 2 years. Video is an invaluable tool.
Lastly, don't listen to playing from anyone like Tim or SRV... they'll just make you want to quit.  |
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muldercat
Is Anybody Here?
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 09/02/2009 : 4:56:55 PM
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Silky,
Thanks! And yeah, Tim is too good!!! But I was watching Patty Griffin (friend of Dave) play a concert on PBS and picked up the pattern for the song You Never Get What You Want. It's only got 4 chords but kinda tricky at first. I'm playing it slowly!!! :)
Thanks again, you all rock!
Millissa |
freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.--KK |
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muldercat
Is Anybody Here?
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 11/24/2009 : 2:47:52 PM
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Hope everyone is doing well.
Well, I've made some progress and love playing the guitar! I'm now learning Barre Chords! Anyone have any tips for building strength for my fingers?
Millissa |
freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.--KK |
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Ranting Thespian
Fluffy-Esque
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 11/24/2009 : 5:07:09 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by muldercat
Hope everyone is doing well.
Well, I've made some progress and love playing the guitar! I'm now learning Barre Chords! Anyone have any tips for building strength for my fingers?
Millissa
Sadly, it's just going to take practice. Even at almost 10 years of playing, I still have trouble doing Barre Chords at times, so I cheat and just do partials.
If your hand starts to really hurt from doing them, stop for a while. You don't want to put too much strain on your fingers. |
Not communicating can hurt more than any word that can be said -
Nick
-the Ranting Thespian |
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muldercat
Is Anybody Here?
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2009 : 9:33:02 PM
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Nick,
Thanks for the tips on Barre Chords. My instructor says I'm doing pretty well; as he said a lot of people are unable to get all the strings to ring out when at first. I guess I will keep practicing!
I really appreciate the insights.
Millissa |
freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.--KK |
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Silky The Pimp
Alien Abductee
3321 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2009 : 12:37:52 PM
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| Yep... I remember having difficulty with barre chords when I first started as well. The key is to just keep playing them every day so that your hands build up strength in the right areas. |
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muldercat
Is Anybody Here?
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2009 : 5:28:30 PM
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Jeff,
Thanks!
Much Appreciated,
Millissa |
freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.--KK |
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EnlightenThis
Chatterbox
USA
106 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2009 : 08:48:19 AM
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| another great thing for doing bar chords is to practice them without using your thumb. it teaches you to use the bigger muscles in your arm rather than all of the little ones in your hand. |
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muldercat
Is Anybody Here?
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2010 : 6:15:21 PM
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Thank You! I have been practicing and trying to build those muscles!
Again, thanks for all the help!
Millissa |
freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.--KK |
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Topic |
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Learning To Play (TIPS)
