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[ask] I'm a Guitar Teacher

Blogs > ella_guru
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1 2 3 4 5 Next All
ella_guru
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Canada1741 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-08-21 19:05:12
August 21 2010 15:38 GMT
#1
Guitar is a pretty popular instrument, and I know some on TL play it. Over the months I've recieved PMs on and off about playing the guitar / the lifestyle, so I figure we can just do this publicly and everyone can benefit.

Ask any questions about playing, theory, or what it's like to be in my shoes and maybe I can shine a light.

I'll do my best to answer but answeres will only be so far reaching as I cant physically show you anything and (the big one!) we can't communicate through sound. So, I won't be able to give my best nuggets away, but I'll do my best through text.

I guess I'll start by answering the most obvious...


Will this help me get laid?

[image loading]

If you have even a shred of personality, yes.

*however* over the years I have noticed something, that I can draw up in graph form.

[image loading]

It helps markedly. There comes a level in skill where girls can pick up on the fact that you've dedicated time to this instead of beers. Too much time for their liking. Not only does their perception of your attractiveness diminish, it becomes inverse. I labeled the graph wrong because the pain was all too real.

You can never go back.


*****
Each day gets better : )
Bair
Profile Joined May 2010
United States698 Posts
August 21 2010 15:45 GMT
#2
Broad question I know, but what is the best place to start for someone just learning?
In Roaches I Rust.
green.at
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Austria1459 Posts
August 21 2010 15:50 GMT
#3
On August 22 2010 00:45 Bair wrote:
Broad question I know, but what is the best place to start for someone just learning?


bathtub!
what do you mean "the best place"? its always easier to lern from a teacher (when you are an absolute beginner) than starting yourself.


Inputting special characters into chat should no longer cause the game to crash.
Redunzl
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
862 Posts
August 21 2010 15:51 GMT
#4
do you have any practice exercises for legato techniques?
Holgerius
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Sweden16951 Posts
August 21 2010 15:51 GMT
#5
Hehe, I recently played live for the first time in quite a while, and the result was me getting laid by a foxy chick for the first time in quite a while. :D Being a kick-ass guitaritst is great. ^__^
I believe in the almighty Grötslev! -- I am never serious and you should never believe a thing I say. Including the previous sentence.
Torenhire
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States11681 Posts
August 21 2010 15:56 GMT
#6
On August 22 2010 00:51 Holgerius wrote:
Hehe, I recently played live for the first time in quite a while, and the result was me getting laid by a foxy chick for the first time in quite a while. :D Being a kick-ass guitaritst is great. ^__^


Hahaha! Awesome!

+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]



Sorta related/unrelated, my friend is going to teach me to play bass guitar! Pretty stoked :D
SirJolt: Well maybe if you weren't so big and stupid, it wouldn't have hit you.
Archaic
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States4024 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-08-21 16:11:34
August 21 2010 16:04 GMT
#7
That graph is surprisingly true... If I strum, girls are all happy. If I play an intricate fingerpicking piece, guys who play guitar are happy...

(However, electric is a bit different, since simply songs on electric are BORING, and no one likes them. It's like spamming power chords. No one in their right mind likes that.)

EDIT: I actually have a question. For electric guitars, how do you keep the intonation stable? A lot of times, I find that I physically can't get some strings intonated because the bridge won't move far enough in a direction.
Galois
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States124 Posts
August 21 2010 16:07 GMT
#8
Can you please explain in detail the fingerpicking position that I first read about? I got the impression that I'm only allowed to use my first, second, and third fingers to pick the strings and my thumb for the 6th string. I didn't really understand this and the tutorial I found on it didn't really get through to me unfortunately.

Here's a link for your pleasure to the lesson I'm talking about:

http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa020601c.htm
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you / There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
Chromyne
Profile Joined January 2008
Canada561 Posts
August 21 2010 16:09 GMT
#9
I have been playing guitar casually for about 2 1/2 years. I am wondering what the best way to learn to sort of decorate as a secondary acoustic. Say the main guitarist is playing chords, is there a preferred way to learning how to play fills or licks to complement the main guitarist? My first guess would be to learn scales (like where more improvising starts?), what do you think?
Soli Deo gloria.
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
August 21 2010 16:11 GMT
#10
The next girl that asks me to play "Wonderwall" when I have my guitar is going to get a solid slab of ash smashed into their solar plexus.
SirGlinG
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
Sweden933 Posts
August 21 2010 16:12 GMT
#11
I'm playing in a band and it's getting more and more serious.
I'm wondering if it ever gets really important to know the theory behind it all?

I've just learnt from playing tabs on the internet and youtube guides the last 9 years, which have given me quite a good understanding and music ear but whenever my band mate on the piano asks for a certain chord I don't understand what he talks about...
So far it's been working out anyway through me experimenting til it works but is that gonna last forever? And how helpful is it to know music theory for playing the guitar and playing in a band?
Not my chair. Not my problem. That's what I say
SubtleArt
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
2710 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-08-21 16:30:52
August 21 2010 16:13 GMT
#12
I absolutely love listening to rock (classic, hard rock, and progressive rock) and some metal (like black sabbath and deep purple), so I'm really interested in starting to learn electric guitar. Is it too late to start tho? I wanna actually be good and play well. Right now I'm 18 and the only musical experience I have is being grade 8 in piano and 2 years of music theory.
Morrow on ZvP: "I'm not very confident in general vs Protoss because of the imbalance (Yes its imbalanced, get over it)."
Lexpar
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
1813 Posts
August 21 2010 16:15 GMT
#13
Noob question: How do I transfer from D to C without wanting to cut off my stupid sausage fingers for being to slow?
koreasilver
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
9109 Posts
August 21 2010 16:15 GMT
#14
It's always good to know theory. As for the thing Chromyne asked, you should learn theory relating to chords, particularly how Jazz musicians approach chords. You should always know the basic major and natural minor scales. If you play an instrument it should be implied that you at least know your scales.
madnessman
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States1581 Posts
August 21 2010 16:19 GMT
#15
Is there a best way to fix the intonation of a floyd rose guitar (which doesn't take like 2 hours)? I realized that the top few frets of my high e string are a little sharp.
Archaic
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States4024 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-08-21 16:22:17
August 21 2010 16:19 GMT
#16
On August 22 2010 01:15 Lexpar wrote:
Noob question: How do I transfer from D to C without wanting to cut off my stupid sausage fingers for being to slow?

A key to chord changing is looking at your fingers and considering efficiency. (Assuming you're going xx0232 to x32010), look at your D. Your ring finger + middle finger pressing the high B + E are in the exact same position as they should be for the C, pressing the A + D. Just keep that exact same position, move upwards, while your index finger slides back one fret (on the same string). Eventually you'll get it. Practice!

I know I'm not actually the starter of this thread, but I found chord theory and scale theory has been extremely useful. I generally don't use many scales past major/minor/pentatonic (with the blues note). But honestly, an understanding of what it is (not how to play it) is very useful when experimenting. I.e. you don't have to know how to play a A Lydian scale, but you should be able to figure it out after looking at the scales a bit, and eventually play one.

As for chord theory, I think the whole diminished, suspended, dominant 7th stuff is all very useful when you are trying to figure out chords, or what they mean. Even in scales + soloing + melody. I'd suggest getting a book knowledge first. You can figure out the rest later. It's all really quite simple once you get the hang of it.
Bibbit
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Canada5377 Posts
August 21 2010 16:22 GMT
#17
Did your graph factor in vocals?
Azerbaijan
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
United States660 Posts
August 21 2010 16:23 GMT
#18
I have been playing guitar for 6 years and I feel like I hit a wall a while back and have been unable able to get over it despite 3 years of music theory class and, for the most part, consistent practice since I started playing. My wall is applying modes in composing and improvising. I understand how modes are constructed out of major scales and how they different patterns of whole and half steps create different sounds out of the modes but I feel like there is some key element that has just never "clicked" in my head when it comes to this stuff.

So if you can explain anything about modes that might help or even just suggest a book/website or anything that might help I would be grateful.
Emon_
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
3925 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-08-21 16:32:18
August 21 2010 16:26 GMT
#19
I feel like I've plateaued and I don't know where to turn to improve. I can play a lot of songs by seeing the chords and I've tried to learn about scales and how it all fits together. My main interest is in rhythm guitar, but I only have a rough idea of what to train. Is there some direction you can point me to, maybe some good acoustic songs with great rhythms? I've been playing as a hobby for 3 years
"I know that human beings and fish can coexist peacefully" -GWB ||
ella_guru
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Canada1741 Posts
August 21 2010 16:30 GMT
#20
On August 22 2010 00:45 Bair wrote:
Broad question I know, but what is the best place to start for someone just learning?


Well, depending on what sorts of music you're interested in, the E minor, G Major, and D Major chords are good starts for a foundation. Soon after, pick one scale (C major being the most likely candidate) , follow the fingerings and alternate pick that.


On August 22 2010 00:51 chrisSquire wrote:
do you have any practice exercises for legato techniques?


OWNER OF A LONELLLLLLLLY HEART! (Fragile is their best album)

When doing these techniques, make your real goal to minimize movement and maximize effectiveness. Aim to be very accurate in the early stages, and don't lift your fingers up high for the hammers, or pull out far for the pulls. Be efficient. A real pull off pulls at about 30 degrees. Many guitarists pull up and that makes for a dull and un-articulated sound hidden by the volume of an amp. Don't do this.

In terms of what to play, for now just go through a scale you like, and be meditative about it. Slowly, and try and minimize movement while maximizing sound.

NO TENSION ALLOWED. Before the hammer, the finger is completely relaxed, and only at the precise moment you choose to send it is it energized. Same for the pull off. Relax, relax......then everything all at once for a split second.


Each day gets better : )
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