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On August 24 2012 06:59 superbarnie wrote:
I'm a beginner guitarist, and I have a Squier Strat that i bought in a beginners starter pack. I enjoy listening progressive metal, power metal, and melodic death metal so I intend to play metal songs in the future. However, my current skill level is insufficient so I'll stick with practicing classical songs and chords for the time being.
If you want to start getting the basic technique for metal down, there's a lot of easy classic/hard rock that I'd recommend that will get you in the habit of working with distortion. AC/DC, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Deep Purple, and even some metal bands like Sabbath or Priest or Maiden have a plethora of very simple songs that will get you headed in the right direction.
Metal is very different from other genres in that it's 90% palm muting and alternate picking, which you run into a hell of a lot less in other genres. Practicing, for example, the intro to Curse of the Pharaoh will get you much farther than getting the hang of open chords and stuff, which, to be honest, you aren't gonna use much.
edit: thought of some other good/easy songs, mostly Megadeth, Iced Earth, or covers they did, since they're all in one place which makes my life easier. you won't be able to play all the riffs, but it's a start, at least. links go to tabs, if you want the sheet music (which I'd recommend learning), pick up a copy of Guitar Pro and find the .pro files on ultimate-guitar or something.
Mary Jane - Megadeth
In My Darkest Hour - Megadeth
Symphony of Destruction - Megadeth
Trust - Megadeth
The Scorpion - Megadeth
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Hallowed be thy Name - Iron Maiden
Highway to Hell - ACDC
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Wherever I May Roam - Metallica
One - Metallica
Welcome Home (Sanitarium) - Metallica
For Whome the Bell Tolls - Metallica
I know that's pretty much all thrash, which you didn't mention liking, but that's pretty much where you have to start. The stuff progressive and death metal bands do is far too technical for a beginner, you basically start out with stuff that's similar enough that it's honing your chops, and work up from there. Once you feel like you've gotten a decent grasp of the basics of alternate picking and palm muting, you can try moving on up to Slayer and some of the faster Megadeth stuff, or Iced Earth if you just want some very simple practice songs (their riffs are super generic which make them amazing for practice).
double edit: also get yourself a pack of Dunlop 2mm picks, or some other very heavy variety. the picks that most people use are too thin for metal, they flop around way too much under fast alt picking and don't get you the right tone. better to get used to it now than have to adjust later.
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@ elsid
Thanks for the info!
What exactly do you mean by classical songs?
Well, actually is not classical. I meant the practice songs in the guitar learning book i bought at the music store.
What bands are you into? ^^
I think there are too many to list! xD lately, I'm listening to these songs from my playlist. In the past i've listened to as i lay dying, killswitch engage, all that remains, amon amarth also. ( and probably more but i forgot)
@corpuscle
wowee thanks for all the info!
I'll start practicing those songs now.
Do you recommend any particular model/brand pick or just any 2mm pick?
Btw, I got a when i bought my squier it came with a little amp like this one. When I turn on distortion is really weird especially if I play more than one note at a time (chord) and also there would also be a buzzing sound. Is this normal for cheap amps like mine? Or maybe i put a setting wrong?
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On August 25 2012 06:56 superbarnie wrote:@ elsid Thanks for the info! Well, actually is not classical. I meant the practice songs in the guitar learning book i bought at the music store. I think there are too many to list! xD lately, I'm listening to these songs from my playlist. In the past i've listened to as i lay dying, killswitch engage, all that remains, amon amarth also. ( and probably more but i forgot) @corpuscle wowee thanks for all the info! I'll start practicing those songs now. Do you recommend any particular model/brand pick or just any 2mm pick? Btw, I got a when i bought my squier it came with a little amp like this one. When I turn on distortion is really weird especially if I play more than one note at a time (chord) and also there would also be a buzzing sound. Is this normal for cheap amps like mine? Or maybe i put a setting wrong?
No problem yo ^^
Yeah I'm more into the thrash/early death metal stuff so  my knowledge of your exact wants is close but not entirely there ^^.
A lot of metal has got to do with developing a good right hand technique while palm muting but I think it's still worth it to learn rock/blues/whatever. Perhaps try "For Whom The Bell Tolls" first as it's pretty easy ^^. Some of those songs might be a bit tricky to learn for a beginner so don't worry if you can't get them or if your rhythm isn't perfect. Those things will come with time/practice.
If you're in to early death metal some of the songs like Deaths "Evil Dead" is easy enough. As for your amp I'm not sure what level your ear is on so it's hard to tell if your ear is just like more sensitive than your amp or if you're using it wrong.
If you want a sorta good Thrash sound throw your treble up to around 3 o clock middle to about 12-1 o clock and bass to 11-12 o clock. That'll give you a good early death/thrash sound. Ultimately though those amps are pretty bad so you will eventually need to move on.
What do you want to do on the guitar? Is your end goal to play in a band or? Cos those amps are practice amps nothing more :3 they give you a rough idea of what'd happen on a real amp but they're just there so you have some noise while you're playing.
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@corpuscle
wowee thanks for all the info!
I'll start practicing those songs now.
Do you recommend any particular model/brand pick or just any 2mm pick?
Btw, I got a when i bought my squier it came with a little amp like this one. When I turn on distortion is really weird especially if I play more than one note at a time (chord) and also there would also be a buzzing sound. Is this normal for cheap amps like mine? Or maybe i put a setting wrong?
I use Dunlop Gator Grip 2mm, but it's a matter of personal preference. Picks are super cheap, so I'd recommend just telling the guy at the music store you're trying to figure out a brand and you want to try a couple heavy picks... they might even let you try them out at the store instead of making you buy them.
As for the amp... I got the exact same one with my first guitar (might have been an older model), and it really blows. Everything's gonna sound like shit on that, even the clean tones. As Elsid said, it's quite literally only there so that you can hear yourself.
That said, pretty much any cheap (think <$500) amp is going to be utter shit on overdrive (which, by the way, isn't the same as distortion, but that's not too important), if you want to play metal. If you stick with guitar long enough that you decide to spring for a slightly better amp (think like $100 range, my 15-watt Marshall was around there when I bought it), I'd recommend also picking up a distortion pedal, which can be around $40 for a cheaper one.
Nearly all solid-state amps do a really poor job getting any sort of distortion sound you'd want for metal, you really either need a nice tube amp (which is very pricey) or a pedal. Either way, though, I wouldn't worry too much about tone. Just focus on playing the notes as cleanly as possible until you're willing to drop $100-$200 to get a semi-acceptable tone... it's never gonna sound the way you want until you've been playing for five years and have dropped $1000+ on your kit anyway.
I've also heard rumors about those entry-level strats having really bad pickup shielding and just poor wiring overall, so that could be contributing as well. Again, not really something to worry about, though; you're going to need to buy a new guitar if you end up getting serious about it anyway, especially if you want to play metal (single coil bridge pickup? nowai).
On August 25 2012 08:47 Elsid wrote:
If you're in to early death metal some of the songs like Deaths "Evil Dead" is easy enough.
That song is fast as shit, I couldn't play it for like a year and a half o_O
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On August 25 2012 09:28 corpuscle wrote:Show nested quote +@corpuscle
wowee thanks for all the info!
I'll start practicing those songs now.
Do you recommend any particular model/brand pick or just any 2mm pick?
Btw, I got a when i bought my squier it came with a little amp like this one. When I turn on distortion is really weird especially if I play more than one note at a time (chord) and also there would also be a buzzing sound. Is this normal for cheap amps like mine? Or maybe i put a setting wrong? I use Dunlop Gator Grip 2mm, but it's a matter of personal preference. Picks are super cheap, so I'd recommend just telling the guy at the music store you're trying to figure out a brand and you want to try a couple heavy picks... they might even let you try them out at the store instead of making you buy them. As for the amp... I got the exact same one with my first guitar (might have been an older model), and it really blows. Everything's gonna sound like shit on that, even the clean tones. As Elsid said, it's quite literally only there so that you can hear yourself. That said, pretty much any cheap (think <$500) amp is going to be utter shit on overdrive (which, by the way, isn't the same as distortion, but that's not too important), if you want to play metal. If you stick with guitar long enough that you decide to spring for a slightly better amp (think like $100 range, my 15-watt Marshall was around there when I bought it), I'd recommend also picking up a distortion pedal, which can be around $40 for a cheaper one. Nearly all solid-state amps do a really poor job getting any sort of distortion sound you'd want for metal, you really either need a nice tube amp (which is very pricey) or a pedal. Either way, though, I wouldn't worry too much about tone. Just focus on playing the notes as cleanly as possible until you're willing to drop $100-$200 to get a semi-acceptable tone... it's never gonna sound the way you want until you've been playing for five years and have dropped $1000+ on your kit anyway. I've also heard rumors about those entry-level strats having really bad pickup shielding and just poor wiring overall, so that could be contributing as well. Again, not really something to worry about, though; you're going to need to buy a new guitar if you end up getting serious about it anyway, especially if you want to play metal (single coil bridge pickup? nowai). Show nested quote +On August 25 2012 08:47 Elsid wrote:
If you're in to early death metal some of the songs like Deaths "Evil Dead" is easy enough. That song is fast as shit, I couldn't play it for like a year and a half o_O
Well as far as metal goes it's sorta simple : o maybe a little fast alright but the chord progressions are really easy and it's an easy structure.I'd say "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is a good place to start to begin to learn metal songs, although i did find some of your suggestions perhaps tricky for someone just learning. I dunno I sorta had to figure out all my metal play myself cos I was too lazy to use tabs (couldn't read them for fuck) and the teacher i was going to was more interested in teaching me blues and traditional irish music and stuff (he didn't really have the right hand technique down for metal). Not that this was bad for me cos it taught me to use my ear a lot and gave me a lot of ideas for writing my own stuff ^^
Oh also forgot to mention superbarnie, about pics. Pick whatever you're comfortable with, a friend of mine (in a heavy/thrash metal band) still uses dunlop .72s which are really really floppy for me. Personally I prefer to play with jazz 3's cos they're very accurate and really really aggressive.
Amp wise when you're looking to upgrade the peavey valveking is worth having a look-at (the combos are quite good) I use one (can't afford/fit a stack I'm afraid) and if you're willing to do a bit of work or get a few pedals they can sound absolutely fantastic. They sound great with a good visual EQ, this is all sorta down the line for you though if you're just starting out ^^
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another question, should I keep my left thumb on the back of the neck of the guitar out not?
Btw, what are pedals for?
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On August 25 2012 12:58 superbarnie wrote:
another question, should I keep my left thumb on the back of the neck of the guitar out not?
Btw, what are pedals for?
The left thumb thing is debatable amongst guitarists. Personally I think you should always try to have your thumb around the middle of the back of the neck. Of course there are times when it'll rise a little bit (rising pentatonics on the 12th springs to mind, a lot of peoples thumb comes over or gets higher then). The general idea is that your hand has most of it's stretch with the thumb at the middle of the neck, whereas it can be harder to maneuver if your thumb is higher.
That however is not to say that a guitarist who has his thumb higher or above the neck is bad, there's plenty of fantastic guitarists who have their thumb over. I however have seen friends struggle to play certain note groupings and stuff with high thumbs (although that could have also just been a lack of practice of the groupings). So in general if you want cleaner technique try to keep it around the middle of the neck at all times. Be aware however that sometimes it will rise and not all of these cases are bad.
On to pedals, pedals are for changing your sound essentially. People buy distortion pedals, eq pedals, delay pedals, wah pedals, flange pedals etc. Personally I don't really use any, I want to get an EQ at some point because they really do great things if you know what you want your sound to be. If you're playing gigs owning a distortion pedal is handy as you won't always be playing on your own amp, and the distortion pedal helps if you know generally what it sounds like and how to get the sounds you want out of it. I wouldn't fret(savage pun) about pedals too much for now, a lot of less experienced guitarists just buy pedals because there's this whole idea that they'll bring you to the next level. It is pretty false, pedals are completely non-essential for practice and unless you're playing gigs or playing with a band often/recording they often aren't worth the money they cost.
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On August 25 2012 22:07 Elsid wrote:
On to pedals, pedals are for changing your sound essentially. People buy distortion pedals, eq pedals, delay pedals, wah pedals, flange pedals etc. Personally I don't really use any, I want to get an EQ at some point because they really do great things if you know what you want your sound to be. If you're playing gigs owning a distortion pedal is handy as you won't always be playing on your own amp, and the distortion pedal helps if you know generally what it sounds like and how to get the sounds you want out of it. I wouldn't fret(savage pun) about pedals too much for now, a lot of less experienced guitarists just buy pedals because there's this whole idea that they'll bring you to the next level. It is pretty false, pedals are completely non-essential for practice and unless you're playing gigs or playing with a band often/recording they often aren't worth the money they cost.
I'd argue that they're useful for people who have a bad amp and don't want to drop the money to get a better one. I haven't even heard a sub-$200 amp that has anything close to an acceptable distortion, you can get a much better tone by just spending $50 on a pedal and $100 on the amp. I do agree they're their not essential, but if you're playing to have fun, it's definitely more fun to sound good. 
They're also quieter if you're trying to keep your volume down and still get acceptable distortion.
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On August 26 2012 00:21 corpuscle wrote:Show nested quote +On August 25 2012 22:07 Elsid wrote:
On to pedals, pedals are for changing your sound essentially. People buy distortion pedals, eq pedals, delay pedals, wah pedals, flange pedals etc. Personally I don't really use any, I want to get an EQ at some point because they really do great things if you know what you want your sound to be. If you're playing gigs owning a distortion pedal is handy as you won't always be playing on your own amp, and the distortion pedal helps if you know generally what it sounds like and how to get the sounds you want out of it. I wouldn't fret(savage pun) about pedals too much for now, a lot of less experienced guitarists just buy pedals because there's this whole idea that they'll bring you to the next level. It is pretty false, pedals are completely non-essential for practice and unless you're playing gigs or playing with a band often/recording they often aren't worth the money they cost. I'd argue that they're useful for people who have a bad amp and don't want to drop the money to get a better one. I haven't even heard a sub-$200 amp that has anything close to an acceptable distortion, you can get a much better tone by just spending $50 on a pedal and $100 on the amp. I do agree they're their not essential, but if you're playing to have fun, it's definitely more fun to sound good. They're also quieter if you're trying to keep your volume down and still get acceptable distortion.
Well it is handy do have a pedal that you know the sound of. Spose a good distortion pedal doesn't hurt, but i'd still go for a better amp first.
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so basically since my amp sucks so much I should buy a pedal for distortion?
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On August 26 2012 06:57 superbarnie wrote:
so basically since my amp sucks so much I should buy a pedal for distortion?
I'd say fuck that and get a better amp myself, but it is up to yourself ^^
How long have you been playing?
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On August 26 2012 06:57 superbarnie wrote:
so basically since my amp sucks so much I should buy a pedal for distortion?
Not with your amp... as they say, you can't polish a turd. What a pedal does is modify the signal coming into the amp (you connect it to your guitar, and then the pedal to the amp), but if your amp is too shitty to make any sort of nice sound, it's just a waste.
I'd say wait until you upgrade your amp to something that's $150-200, and then consider a pedal if you still don't like the tone you're getting from the standard OD.
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what's the best way to go about bending two strings (ex. the 2nd and 3rd string) at the same time?
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On August 31 2012 06:35 blabber wrote:
what's the best way to go about bending two strings (ex. the 2nd and 3rd string) at the same time?
Probably with your third finger barring both of them. If you don't wanna bend them at the same fret, use your third and pinky, or whatever works for you.
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On August 31 2012 06:43 RezJ wrote:Show nested quote +On August 31 2012 06:35 blabber wrote:
what's the best way to go about bending two strings (ex. the 2nd and 3rd string) at the same time? Probably with your third finger barring both of them. If you don't wanna bend them at the same fret, use your third and pinky, or whatever works for you.
I find that it helps for the bigger bends if you use both your second and third fingers, assuming you have it free. As with single-string bends, it helps for overall control if you can use more than one finger, and double-string bends take twice as much finger strength.
edit: to clarify, I don't mean using one finger on each string, I mean barring both at the same time
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On August 31 2012 06:35 blabber wrote:
what's the best way to go about bending two strings (ex. the 2nd and 3rd string) at the same time?
The best way to bed two strings is to put one finger on each string, and then bend them both. If you try barring it requires more force to grip the strings to make sure the higher-pitched string doesn't slip out.
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On August 31 2012 09:12 Cycle wrote:Show nested quote +On August 31 2012 06:35 blabber wrote:
what's the best way to go about bending two strings (ex. the 2nd and 3rd string) at the same time? The best way to bed two strings is to put one finger on each string, and then bend them both. If you try barring it requires more force to grip the strings to make sure the higher-pitched string doesn't slip out.
This works, but you'll run into problems trying to play certain licks... I'd recommend just practicing doing it by barring.
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I was wondering what tips do you have for developing and maintaining calluses on the fingers. I currently work in an environment where washing hands is a daily and frequent must.
I fear the soap they use will destroy any calluses that i try to develop. I would like to continue to play my guitar but my fingers prove to be too soft and thus i cant hold the strings down despite using all my strength. Also as mentioned previously my nails are to elongated which deters me to play my guitar even more so
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EPT
