Guitar Playing Advice?

Off Topic
21

[quote]Dre Cappa wrote:
I’ve been trying to learn the Five forms of the Pentatonic Scale, but this is kind of difficult at first.
[/quote]

Yeah when you first look at it, it can be a little overwhelming. Stick with it though and over time your fingers will just naturally go to the next note in the scale and it is a really cool feeling. After learning one scale the next ones will become much easier.

Playing guitar is def a really rewarding hobby. Just stick with it like the gym and it will eventually be ingrained in your life and you will not be able to imagine living without playing. Good luck.

22

[quote]swivel wrote:
understand the difference between playing and practicing.

practice with a goal for each session. when you’ve reached that goal take a break.

learn with a metronome. always. if you don’t you will suck no matter how many technical things you can do.

the metronome will not lie to you, but your ears will. and your brain will. when you come across something technically challenging your brain will stretch the time and you’ll think you’ve pulled it off, when in fact you haven’t. and you will never know because you didn’t use the metro.

bad time is the one reason why there’s so many players who can do lots of sophisticated technical stuff, but they aren’t really that good because people don’t want to listen to them. good time is what makes even the simplest chord progressions come to life.

just about anyone can play the chords to “back in black” but very few players can make it rock enough so that people are drawn to listen. to jump in and start swing their head. the difference is good time.

learn with a metronome.[/quote]

This is very good advice.

23

Yeah, the book I have teaches finger placement on the frets for playing scales such as, Form I starts with the 1st finger on the 6th string. I am sure after a while I will be able to visualize the notes on the fretboard, as well as knowing the shapes. I am going to try playing a Pentatonic all the way up the neck, and hopefully that will help, as well as get my fingers used to jumping around the neck.

Learning boxes and shapes are fine, but they are kind of restricting. When I look at solos, they are intimidating at first because they move all over outside of the normal “boxes” I am used to playing.

[quote]MikeyKBiatch wrote:
Dre Cappa wrote:
I’ve been trying to learn the Five forms of the Pentatonic Scale, but this is kind of difficult at first.

Yeah when you first look at it, it can be a little overwhelming. Stick with it though and over time your fingers will just naturally go to the next note in the scale and it is a really cool feeling. After learning one scale the next ones will become much easier.

Playing guitar is def a really rewarding hobby. Just stick with it like the gym and it will eventually be ingrained in your life and you will not be able to imagine living without playing. Good luck.[/quote]

24

Hey man, playing and making music is the greatest thing in the world! Stick with it!

I’ve been playing guitar (as well as some keys, banjo, and bass) for, ummmm, I guess 13 years or so (holy shit, I had no idea it’s been that long!)

Anyway, here are a few gems I’ve learned from teachers/magazines/friends that can have a HUGE impact on your playing (but they require discipline).

  1. Practice with a metronome AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
  2. Record yourself and listen back. You’ll hear mistakes you didn’t know you made.
  3. Play with people better than you.
  4. Instead of learning how to play lots of things shitty, learn to play smaller parts PERFECTLY. Then move on.
  5. Learn actual songs, not just solo licks or progressions.
  6. Learn to sing. It’s great eartraining, regardless of how shitty you may sound.

Progressing in music is no different than in the gym: Set goals, figure out what work it will take to get you there, set up a program, and achieve it. Enjoy!

25

[quote]SinisterMinister wrote:
Hey man, playing and making music is the greatest thing in the world! Stick with it!

I’ve been playing guitar (as well as some keys, banjo, and bass) for, ummmm, I guess 13 years or so (holy shit, I had no idea it’s been that long!)

Anyway, here are a few gems I’ve learned from teachers/magazines/friends that can have a HUGE impact on your playing (but they require discipline).

  1. Practice with a metronome AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
  2. Record yourself and listen back. You’ll hear mistakes you didn’t know you made.
  3. Play with people better than you.
  4. Instead of learning how to play lots of things shitty, learn to play smaller parts PERFECTLY. Then move on.
  5. Learn actual songs, not just solo licks or progressions.
  6. Learn to sing. It’s great eartraining, regardless of how shitty you may sound.

Progressing in music is no different than in the gym: Set goals, figure out what work it will take to get you there, set up a program, and achieve it. Enjoy![/quote]

Well, I was reading through the thread, ready to reply, when I saw this - terrific post. I totally agree with all these tips. If you do these things, not only will you improve, but it will (almost) never seem like a chore to practice. I always wonder about the type A personality musicians who practice for four hours a day running scales and exercises. Seems like torture to me. But learning a song, especially along with another musician, is always a thrill. And I’ve been playing for 25 years.

26

[quote]Dre Cappa wrote:
So I recently took up playing the guitar recently. I took lessons when I was like 13 or so, but I moved away from where I was taking lessons. I also got frustrated and eventually gave it up. My instructor was a good player, but not a good teacher. I learned nothing about music theory or any basic stuff.

Now, about 10 years later, I decided I wanted to get back into playing. One of my friends plays in a band and he has given me some advice so far, but not any real lessons. I’ve also got a couple books on music theory to help with the technical aspects of learning an instrument. [/quote]

dude you have almost the exact same story as me… started playing when i was 12, had a not so sharp teacher… and long story short i quit from frustration and i took up the guitar again almost a decade later.

so i can really relate.

you want to get started on the right path and not develop any bad habits that can a) hold back your progress and b) give you a repetitive stress injury.

there is a free ebook on the net that covers all of that in depth. you can get it at http://www.startrocking.com/

good luck bro

27

I’ve been playing for 16 yrs. and am a professional musician (www.beyondfallen.com / Beyond Fallen | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos ). My advice is to get lessons from a competent teacher who can show you what and HOW to practice so that you maximize your time and effort. I take lessons from Chris Broderick (www.chrisbroderick.net) who is a monster player and musician. He is also an excellent teacher as well. Check him out, you won’t be dissapointed.

28

Some great advice so far. One thing I can add is to get a copy of “Fretboard Logic SE”. It’s a good way (the CAGED system) to get a handle on the unique tuning of the guitar and quickly learn the patterns that repeat up and down the fretboard.

29

I’ve had a break from playaing the guitar over the last year but have got back into it recently. What’s helped me the most is the john petrucci video but for shear enjoyment of playing and learning new songs the best I’ve found is www.nextlevelguitar.com. I was actually sitting here strumming away and surfing when I found your post.

good luck and keep at it

STU

30
31

[quote]Dre Cappa wrote:
Any advice on getting started from guys out there who play?
[/quote]

I just recently started taking lessons for something to do. I’ve been playing for about 15 years but never bothered with lessons because I always felt it too constraining to music creativity. Now, I wish I had taken lessons for many reasons.

Here are what I would have done differently had I known better.

  1. Pay attention to technique–not necessarily what people refer to as “proper” technique but technique that works for me. I never was consistent and that is causing many problems now.

  2. Learn rhythm. I never thought technically about what rhythm actually means. It’s more than just being able to play on beat. It’s about knowing “where the music is going to” before it happens.

  3. Use a metronome every time I practice scales or chord progressions using differing tempos and note signatures. This goes with number 2.

  4. Play frequently with people better than myself. Nothing progresses skills better than practicing with others.

  5. Learn scales by position but also learn how to move into different position by “sweeping”.

  6. Learn chord “shapes” not just open and barre-chords.

  7. Have a better appreciation for jazz and classical music theory.

  8. Video record practice sessions so I can improve technique that may be lagging.

  9. Not focus so much attention on learning 3-chord pop tunes that did nothing for me technically–but chicks dig when you can play and sing which is why I originally picked up a guitar :slight_smile:

Here is a jazz theory site that has been around quite a while if you are interested in that kind of thing:

32

find a good teacher and take lessons. learn how to read music, tableture and basic chord forms.

people usually get frustrated when they just jump in and want to learn how to play the solo on Led Zeppelins stair way to heaven or something.

you can’t just play stuff right off the bat. most musicians started at the basics, learning musical notes and chords, to progress to their skill levels.

start at the bottom and work up to being a good musician. as with anything, you can’t start great, so patience is needed.

33

Keep practicing 1-4 hours a day and you’re golden.

34

Just an update for all those that took time to post and give me advice before. I’ve been at it for about 10-11 month solid with no real layoffs. Even on the days I am extremely busy I still try to sit down for 15 minutes or so and practice scales or an exercise. The days I really get into practicing I find myself playing for 1-2 1/2 hours. I have only recently begun racticing with a metronome, mainly because I didn’t know how to properly practice with one before.

I usually start each practice with picking a scale in a certain key and playing that with a metronome. Then I might move on trying to learn a new lick or riff. Then I work on some rhythm type stuff followed with trying to learn some songs or parts of them. It can still get frustrating though because it seems my playing seems to lack direction.

Right now I want to bring up my rhythm playing (which is terrible) and work on building up my speed. Anyone with any more advice feel free to chime in. Thanks!

35

[quote]SinisterMinister wrote:
Hey man, playing and making music is the greatest thing in the world! Stick with it!

I’ve been playing guitar (as well as some keys, banjo, and bass) for, ummmm, I guess 13 years or so (holy shit, I had no idea it’s been that long!)

Anyway, here are a few gems I’ve learned from teachers/magazines/friends that can have a HUGE impact on your playing (but they require discipline).

  1. Practice with a metronome AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
  2. Record yourself and listen back. You’ll hear mistakes you didn’t know you made.
  3. Play with people better than you.
  4. Instead of learning how to play lots of things shitty, learn to play smaller parts PERFECTLY. Then move on.
  5. Learn actual songs, not just solo licks or progressions.
  6. Learn to sing. It’s great eartraining, regardless of how shitty you may sound.

Progressing in music is no different than in the gym: Set goals, figure out what work it will take to get you there, set up a program, and achieve it. Enjoy![/quote]

Good advice.

I will add. Learn the ‘value’ of specific notes. You will eventually begin to hear a uniqueness for each note and they will have a certain “color” to them. It sounds weird, but it’ll pay off.

Learn the way different keys sound. Remember that they are the same thing just moved up or down.

Learn scale formulas/patterns.

36

Dre my advice (same for any instrument) is to pick some songs you like and learn them, even if they seem like they might be a little too hard for you now. Do this in addition to practicing scales, chords, finger strength, and stretching. Make sure that you keep your elbow separated from your body so that your left wrist is nice and relaxed. That’ll keep you from getting serious problems later.

If you pick songs that have a technical aspect of playing that you aren’t good at, for example a slide, bend, trill, muting, etc., it makes it easier and more fun to learn than if you’re just learning the technique by itself.

Specifically for speed, there are two types of drills that you can play around with. Which you prefer may depend on the kind of music you like. If you want to shred, I highly recommend trying to learn a song like Master of Puppets. It’s fast but the riffs aren’t very difficult once you get decent at speed.

One drill is to alternate rhythms on a single string with each or alternating fingers. Pretend this is a tab:

E: |1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 :expressionless:

Start slow and build up speed. It’s good to alternate off the E so you can practice getting a good note when you’re hitting stuff at a faster tempo. Then you vary what you’re playing in two ways. You can jump strings and practice your finger work that way - for instance a progression like E A E D E G etc. or change the rhythm by adding root notes:

E2: |1 0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 4 0 0 :expressionless:

E3: |1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 :expressionless:

So in E1 you have an 8th note feel to the riff, E2 is a triplet feel or 12/8, and E3 is a 16th note feel. If you are in to metal, you will hear these kinds of progressions all over the place in most thrash bands.

The other method I would suggestion is a bit simpler. Pick any riff you like and start playing it at a slow pace. Gradually accelerate the tempo until you get to a point where it sounds like shit. Focus on making every note clear and crisp as you go faster. Once you break down, restart at the slow speed and build up again. The crisper and more distinct you make the notes, the better you will sound, especially if you ever play distorted.

Gotta build up muscle memory in your fingers and hands just like you do for lifting :slight_smile:

For background, I played jazz trombone for about 10 years, and taught myself bass 4.5 years ago and I play in a metal band now.

37

ive been playing for about 3 years now, and the biggest thing that helped me when i first started playing is i had a problem with chord changes. my guitar teacher told me to just start strumming (with a metronome of course) for a few measures, then pick a random chord to change to. definitely get timing.

i’m in the drum line at my school, and i hate it when people don’t know how to keep time, especially some rhythm guitar players i’ve played with. id play a different lick then them for a few measures, and sure enough they’re a whole measure ahead of me.

38

Good to see you’re still playing. I’ve found that those who stick with it for the 1st year and really practice end up as ‘lifers’. You mention some frustration with ‘direction’ and certain areas, such as rhythm and speed. Here’s a quick suggestion:

If there’s ANY WAY you can get a teacher, do it. A good teacher will be able to listen to you play, hear your frustrations, and allow you to work on several things simultaneously. In fact, you won’t even realize it, but you’ll be simultaneously working on your ear, rhythm, chord vocabulary, song repertoire, ‘speed’, etc. In other words, the teacher can give you DIRECTION. Otherwise, it’s like going to tthe gym every day and just doing whatever lifts you feel like – not very productive.

39

Some of the best advice I ever got was to never play the licks you know when you practice. The only thing that ever does is make you more proficient in playing them, or it makes you able to play them faster.

If you want to get better, try learning a lot of new songs, preferably by ear (this is especially good for beginners) and learn your modes and scales. Good luck.

-dizzle

40

jerk off a lot for speed