• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 05:17
CET 11:17
KST 19:17
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book15Clem wins HomeStory Cup 289HomeStory Cup 28 - Info & Preview13Rongyi Cup S3 - Preview & Info8herO wins SC2 All-Star Invitational14
Community News
ACS replaced by "ASL Season Open" - Starts 21/0218LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals (Feb 10-16)23Weekly Cups (Feb 2-8): Classic, Solar, MaxPax win2Nexon's StarCraft game could be FPS, led by UMS maker10PIG STY FESTIVAL 7.0! (19 Feb - 1 Mar)13
StarCraft 2
General
How do you think the 5.0.15 balance patch (Oct 2025) for StarCraft II has affected the game? Nexon's StarCraft game could be FPS, led by UMS maker Terran Scanner Sweep Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book Weekly Cups (Jan 12-18): herO, MaxPax, Solar win
Tourneys
RSL Season 4 announced for March-April LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals (Feb 10-16) PIG STY FESTIVAL 7.0! (19 Feb - 1 Mar) RSL Revival: Season 4 Korea Qualifier (Feb 14) Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament
Strategy
Custom Maps
Map Editor closed ? [A] Starcraft Sound Mod
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 512 Overclocked Mutation # 511 Temple of Rebirth Mutation # 510 Safety Violation
Brood War
General
[ASL21] Potential Map Candidates Gypsy to Korea Which units you wish saw more use in the game? ACS replaced by "ASL Season Open" - Starts 21/02 Liquipedia.net NEEDS editors for Brood War
Tourneys
Escore Tournament StarCraft Season 1 [Megathread] Daily Proleagues Small VOD Thread 2.0 KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Strategy
Fighting Spirit mining rates Zealot bombing is no longer popular? Simple Questions, Simple Answers Current Meta
Other Games
General Games
Path of Exile Diablo 2 thread Nintendo Switch Thread Battle Aces/David Kim RTS Megathread ZeroSpace Megathread
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas Vanilla Mini Mafia TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
Ask and answer stupid questions here! US Politics Mega-thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread The Games Industry And ATVI Russo-Ukrainian War Thread
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club The herO Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
ADHD And Gaming Addiction…
TrAiDoS
My 2025 Magic: The Gathering…
DARKING
Life Update and thoughts.
FuDDx
How do archons sleep?
8882
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 2252 users

[ask] I'm a Guitar Teacher

Blogs > ella_guru
Post a Reply
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 : )
1 2 3 4 5 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
RSL Revival
08:00
S4 Korea Server Qualifier
CranKy Ducklings276
Gemini_1955
LiquipediaDiscussion
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
SortOf 188
ProTech143
MindelVK 38
RotterdaM 23
StarCraft: Brood War
Barracks 1504
Hyuk 1469
Jaedong 401
Light 286
Soulkey 238
Stork 194
Pusan 104
Rush 67
Leta 65
Aegong 56
[ Show more ]
soO 44
Killer 44
Sea.KH 41
Free 41
Sharp 33
Last 31
Yoon 31
NaDa 30
Hm[arnc] 30
910 25
Shine 18
yabsab 15
IntoTheRainbow 15
sorry 12
Movie 10
HiyA 9
Shinee 9
Terrorterran 9
ivOry 5
Calm 0
Dota 2
Fuzer 149
League of Legends
JimRising 513
C9.Mang0345
Counter-Strike
olofmeister1655
byalli361
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King106
Other Games
summit1g10638
Happy427
crisheroes250
Organizations
Counter-Strike
PGL17787
Other Games
gamesdonequick552
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 12 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• LUISG 21
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Jankos1649
Upcoming Events
LiuLi Cup
43m
Cure vs Reynor
Clem vs Maru
Rogue vs TriGGeR
ByuN vs Serral
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
1h 43m
PSISTORM Gaming Misc
6h 38m
RSL Revival
7h 43m
AI Arena Tournament
9h 43m
Replay Cast
13h 43m
Sparkling Tuna Cup
23h 43m
LiuLi Cup
1d
Ladder Legends
1d 7h
Replay Cast
1d 13h
[ Show More ]
Replay Cast
1d 22h
Wardi Open
2 days
Monday Night Weeklies
2 days
OSC
2 days
WardiTV Winter Champion…
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
WardiTV Winter Champion…
4 days
Replay Cast
4 days
PiG Sty Festival
4 days
The PondCast
4 days
KCM Race Survival
4 days
WardiTV Winter Champion…
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
PiG Sty Festival
5 days
Epic.LAN
6 days
Replay Cast
6 days
PiG Sty Festival
6 days
CranKy Ducklings
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Escore Tournament S1: W8
Rongyi Cup S3
Underdog Cup #3

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals
Nations Cup 2026
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S1: King of Kings
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 1st Round
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 1st Round Qualifier
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 2nd Round
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 2nd Round Qualifier
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
RSL Revival: Season 4
WardiTV Winter 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
CCT Season 3 Global Finals
FISSURE Playground #3
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League Season 23
ESL Pro League Season 23
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.