guitar learning problems

StarScream

iv been playin guitar nearly 8 months now and i think iv finally mastered barchords, my problem is im not sure what my next challenge is. iv tried lookin at a couple of solo tabs for various bands and i cant make head nor tail of them
did any of u guys have a similar problem? is there some technique i should learn at this point b4 i tackle solo's?....

the bands im into are nirvana, GnR, mettallica and pearl jam
thanks

DMX

hi dare, im only playin guitar with over a year and my first solo i learnt was that in Knockin on heavens door by G&R go for it man!
also if you learn some scales e.g pentatonic major and minor they'l come in handy

regards and keep playing


>ANT< aka DMX

Epitaph

Try the chord structure from Radiohead's Just - all the chords in the intro are played with a B shape (sp). Good practice for funny chords.

And I can't play barre chords to save my life could get my guitar's action reduced, but I honestly don't think I've got the index finger for it. Get by OK by wrapping my thumb over the top of the fret-board :eek:

Giblet

Get your changes down, try and do them as smoothly as possible, try and be able to play and chord you know instantly from any position.

Washout

Originally posted by Epitaph

And I can't play barre chords to save my life could get my guitar's action reduced, but I honestly don't think I've got the index finger for it. Get by OK by wrapping my thumb over the top of the fret-board :eek:

I used to think the same Epitaph but its surprising what perciverance can do...It is taking me an age to learn barre chords but it is well worth it oh yes it is.

Try Learning Hotel California Opening Chords

[X224432] to [244322] to [A] to [E] to [G] to [D] to [Em] and back to [244322]

I think thats it....Thats how im strengthining my index finger and it is paying off big time for me anyways i know it aint the same for everyone

DamienH

i've been playing for about 09 months and a good solo to learn is whole lotta love by led zepplin

Jaicster

Theres a couple of things you can learn to help you with speed changes etc...
look up

Slides/hammer on/ pull offs
Scales (modes... these help you "predict" solos)
(makes em easier to learn off and helps u "wing" it)
Legato playing (fast playing coz theres no picking)
Alternate picking (up down up down with the pick )
Sweep pinging (down down down up up up and so on)

All of these help speed

However not all solo require all of these tech's
so just learn the solo bar by bar play it slowly at first so you know where your fingers are supossed to go.
Then put it all together and Play it Standing up and not looking at the fretboard to see where your fingers should go because you should know by now.

Anyway keep practicing
Good luck

Sterile Fish

smells like teen spirit solo, its easy to learn adn boost confidence cos of it, thne about a girl solo, does the same thing, then try sumthin more advanced like the inbloom solo, jst my advice from a fellow nirvana fan power tab is good for learning solos too

StarScream

thanks for the replies
i definatly wanna learn those scales are there any websites where they are done particularly well?
iv made a start on the knockin on heavens door solo's but the second one makes absolutely no sense to me yet, i obviously need a lot more practice

Sterile Fish

http://www.mxtabs.net/scales.php?PHPSESSID=427f5151bad02d557e131462d33c5728


there is a good sight for loads of scales, also, another tip for learning solos

when you look at the tab, dont jst look at the next note, look at the next 6 or 7, and figure out where the best place to posistion your hand is

StarScream

thanks fish they look really useful
ill start practicing them now
hopefully ill be slash in no time

ACE OwNz J0oO!!

Ive been learning guitar for three years now and its getting hard to tell if im good.I can play 99% of the solo in "enter sandman" which is my most recent "project" i can play most of the stairway to heaven aswell but its hard to know if your any good. if i can play these and a couple of others almost flawlessly am i good??? ps.im not being smug or overconfident cheers

parasite

it kinda seems to me everyone dives straight in pomp rock **** solos
why ?>
who said they were any good
you should be looking for your own *feel*, i guess
it's late i dunno

anyway see attached prog with scales in all keys/tunings etc = handy

Creamy Sonic

I give lessons to beginners in Fairview if anyone wants help starting out.

peter
petersl@eircom.net
www.mp3.com/creamysonic
085 737 2333

ferdi

if your in a band, you have got to play sk8er boi by avril lavigne, its so dirt simple and it is impossible not to laugh when that crappy little lead guitar starts about 10seconds in.

and the lyrics will just crack you up:D "he was aboy, she was a girl, can i make it any more obvious...."priceless.

Giblet

You know you're good when you can do anything just by hearing it.

kanurocks

get your speed up and solo's wont be a problem.work out some finger excersize's and learn your scales .youll soon see all solo's revolve around the same basic scales.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by ACE OwNz J0oO!!
Ive been learning guitar for three years now and its getting hard to tell if im good.I can play 99% of the solo in "enter sandman" which is my most recent "project" i can play most of the stairway to heaven aswell but its hard to know if your any good. if i can play these and a couple of others almost flawlessly am i good??? ps.im not being smug or overconfident cheers

Record yourself playing then listen to it back, as a mate to listen to it. YOu'll soon realise how good or bad you really are.

Don1

Those Nirvana solos are good to start with.

Metalica and G'n'R riffs are good for improving technical ability. Pantera riffs (even if you don't like em) will further improve on this and give you way more speed and endurance.

After that get learnin some of Slashes easier solos then the sky's the limit.


P.S. This is obvioulsly over a long period of time.

fitz

Man, slow down! You've been playing eight months...you shouldn't even be thinking about barred chords or scales.
Practice all the standard chords you know, in different time signatures and strum patterns.
Walk before you can run.
I was playing two years before I started into solos...get the basics rock solid first...
Challenge yourself with timing and playing along to songs. There's no fast route to being a great guitarist.
I've been playing for over 15 years. There's loads of time, and you wanna be as good as you can be. The more you work on the basics by playing along with songs the more you'll develop your ear, which as any session player will tell you is crucial...
That's my tupence worth anway...

RicardoSmith

Actually I thin youk should learn what you like. Even if thats learning solos first. Its more fun than other stuff and it all leads you to making your fingers stronger and more flexible, which will help with the chords anyway. But everyone does it differently.

fitz

Yes, playing lead will help speed (not necessarily help your finger strength or flexibility), but if your timing isn't right playing chords, it's gonna be even worse when it comes to lead parts. And that's why there are so many **** guitarists out there. Rushing to the 'fun' stuff before they're ready, bad habits develop and hey presto: another person who thinks they're a ****-hot guitarist when in fact, they can't play in time, or with other people, or god forbid to a click track in a studio...
Yes, it should be fun...but who wants to be a **** guitarist? Slow and steady, you'll get to the interesting stuff in time. Never underestimate the importance of learning how to strum properly, cause most people just take it for granted and end up making everything they play sound the same...

NeMiSiS

Gotta agree with Fitz,some people can jump in at the deep end and maybe surrive. But rythm is EVERYTHING abso****ingoloutly. Like theres guitar players out there..who sound decent..suddenly you put them in a band and the results are ****ing shocking.

A great way to learn is souround yourself with other musicans,regardless of what they play,you can learn something new from any musician,how to write songs, how to structure songs,a better way to do the lick your fumbling through ,how to get better tone from your gear,loads of stuff !

Rock on..

Tom

RicardoSmith

Not everyone picks up a quitar wants or needs to be Steve Vai. Not every aspires to play in a band or in a recording studio either.

I've seen many people put off playing because all their teacher had them playing was nursery ryhmes and stuff they'd never heard of. Sucks the fun out of it real fast. Put me off a few instruments when I was a kid too.

First thing I learnt was the riff from "smoke on the water", and a few other riffs that I knew. Simple stuff but it keep me interested while I built up to playing full chords and getting strength in to the hand and fingers.

The only way to practise playing with a band is to ...practise playing with a band. Dunno about you guys but when I was learning I didn't have a band handy at home to practise with. So thats not very useful help to someone learning is it?

More useful is learning to play along with the stereo. Record yourself and listen to it back. Its like hearing your voice on the radio. Doesn't sound like yourself but you sure can hear the mistakes. Very painful but very useful.



"...not necessarily help your finger strength or flexibility..." -

..guess that would depend on the solos you learn ; )

fitz

Any instrument you learn, you have to sacrifice the "fun" initially, if you want to be any good. What you choose to do when you're good is up to yourself...true, some people just wanna be able to play, don't wanna be in a band or record or anything like that.
I'm not one of them, I've played in bands, I've played lead guitar for different people, including one of the biggest names coming out of Ireland atm, I'm recording at the moment, but I can understand people like that...some people are more private about playing than others.

However, I still don't agree with you. Yes, guitar teachers who insist on uninteresting crap are very frustrating. A good teacher will find songs that you like that are written with the basic chords, or an be adapted to be played with basic chords, hence maintaining your interest.

As for the solos and flexibility, I've never heard a solo that would improve my flexibility or strength more than playing add9 chords or some other big stretches. Solos tend to improve your speed. They're not the kinda solo's that are any good anyway, anyone can learn how to play a fast, scale based solo. They tend to be boring.

I've played with some of the best musicians I've ever seen in this country, and I guarantee you, they didn't get there by learning Smoke on the Water after 2 weeks playing...

All I'm saying is, concentrate on your rythmn and strum patterns. That's far more of a challenge than any crappy solo you can practise to death and learn.

If I come accross opinionated....well, I am.
I've earned it at this stage...

Slaanesh

Don't keep us wondering, what was the band you played for ?

I've been playing guitar for 6 years now. I love it. When I'm in the mood I pick up the acoustic and get all mellow playing whatever comes into my head. Or I can get the Kramer and lash out a few heavier tunes. My musical interests vary across the board.

I am open minded about what I play, I hate to see a band that only wants to play a certain type of music. I find the best musicians are the ones that explore all routes. I made up a version of Dave Brubecks - Take 5 on the acoustic guitar, it sounds fairly funky.

When you can start doing stuff like this, you know your getting somewhere.

I would never call myself an amazing guitarist but I'm not that bad

It's great to be able to go into the pub with a couple of lads, a few guitars and let the songs flow.

I remember playing a 30 minute medley of songs with a friend of mine, it was brilliant, whichever chord the song finished on we thought of another that would start off with that chord, and then jamming blues solos out aswell. Great stuff.

Can't remember what point I was making but you can figure it out for yourself

Slaanesh.

fitz

I've played lead for Damien Rice, Paul o'Reilly and others. I played with the MaryJanes last year...but that's not what I was talking about...

Relax, you can't hurry being good...

That's my point. Plenty of time. Just practise practise practise.

Slaanesh

Ah good ould Damien, one of my favourite artists. Did you play in one of his first vicar street gigs ? Might remember you if you did

Slaan.

Giblet

Ah you see the trick is, you have to want to play it most of all, whether you use teachers or not.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by fitz
.......As for the solos and flexibility, I've never heard a solo that would improve my flexibility or strength more than playing add9 chords or some other big stretches. Solos tend to improve your speed. They're not the kinda solo's that are any good anyway, anyone can learn how to play a fast, scale based solo. They tend to be boring

Well thats so narrow minded, theres no point in replying to that.

Originally posted by fitz
I come accross opinionated....well, I am...........I've earned it at this stage...

Yes you do.

Obviously you're a god of the guitar. The problem with all gods is that they think they are Bono.

Personally I think theres merit in everything from a one note solo Neil Young solo to a Joe Satriani shred or Jimmy Page sawing at his quitar with a bow. But I'm a mere mortal...

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Giblet
Ah you see the trick is, you have to want to play it most of all, whether you use teachers or not.

Exactly.

The whole suffer for my music is very old. Why don't you cut off an ear or something.

fitz

Yes. I am a guitar God. You shall all bow before me and worship.
WTF?

Get a grip man...I'm not saying anything of the sort. All I'm saying is if you love playing, it shouldn't matter how long it takes to get good. Cause no matter what your playing, you're gonna love it anyway.

I have noticed something about musicians. The really good ones don't feel they need to prove their talent. They're secure in it and it's a waste of their time. People who talk like they've got something to prove are either assholes or no good...

As for fast, scale based solos being boring, I'm not being closed minded, I'm just expressing a personal preference. They have their place, and some of them are great. But if they're used all the time, they get tiresome, plus they tend not to be all that original. In my opinion.

Ricardo, yes I come accross opinionated. Spot the opinion in opinionated. You don't have to agree with me. You obviously don't. Do I care? Not in the slightest. I've expressed my views and backed them up. If you wanna make more snide remarks, go ahead. They're not convincing me your opinion is any more valid than I already think it is...

Slaanesh, yes, that was me.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by fitz
......I have noticed something about musicians. The really good ones don't feel they need to prove their talent. They're secure in it and it's a waste of their time. People who talk like they've got something to prove are either assholes or no good....

Snide remarks? Please. Anything I said was pretty much to the point. (Unless you're actually a drummer). You're saying good guitarist's shup the F up. But then you rattle on..... I don't know you from adam but your obviously good at giving advice but cr*p at actually taking it. maybe your a sound bloke and a decent musician I dunno. All I'm saying is that you come across exactly as the thing you say you hate. You obviously realise that and could care less. But therefore all your doing is contradicting yourself. So I can't see your point at all.

You have one opinion I have another. I don't have a problem with that. In fact any opinion that is different to mine I like, as its different and interesting. However just I don't like something doesn't mean I have to call it cr*p either. You might call that opinionated. I just call it ignorance.

"scale based solos being boring" Actually I like them. I like classical quitar, violin, Bach, and anything based on them. I like Richie Blackmore, Randy Roads, even as far as Steve Vai. I like lots other stuff too. Lots of excellent quitar solos are based on scales. Probably the majority of them. I read about Jimmy Page working out scales for his solos as they used many varied tunings and changes of key in Led Zepplin. For me the thought and the theory doesn't make the music of less value.

I think the heart not the head makes a better judge of music. If theres somebody somewhere that likes it then it has some value, if not for me then at least for the other person. Thats enough for me. Even if it is something as lowley as "Smoke on the Water" or Nirvana, Green Day or Christopher Cross. Who gives a f... Theres enough musical snobs in the world.

fitz

...yeah, whatever you say...
I couldn't be arsed, you've missed my point entirely.

Gordon

Hey fitz, are you a mate of Ciarán Cahills?

fitz

.. I know a few Ciarán's. Give me context, not second names...

Gordon

Ah, Windmill/Big Bear.

fitz

...but I could be wrong. I'm hungover...

It wasn't me!

Of course rhythm work is the most important of all, but do you not think that maybe younger guitarists (Like myself) especially will get tired of it if that's all they're doing. I love playing and learning new things but I love being able to play along to a few solo's on my CD player as well. It makes it that much more interesting to think that maybe someday they'll be inspiring me to inspire other people. I know it takes time and I'm willing to give it but if I find a worthwhile shortcut I'll take it.

mr user

im only playin 8mths and i can play pantera gnrs and hendrix.its all in getting the agility into ur hand .and practising ur chops .pentatonic is the most used scale so practice it till u can play it in 4-5 seconds flat .i can. can u?

juno75

i hate the destinction between lead and rythem.
any player worth thier salt should combine the two without havin to think about it.
there is no shortcut what ever you wanna do
get the hours in.

Like Miles Davis said
'Man I dont practice, I play'

Giblet

Originally posted by mr user
im only playin 8mths and i can play pantera gnrs and hendrix.its all in getting the agility into ur hand .and practising ur chops .pentatonic is the most used scale so practice it till u can play it in 4-5 seconds flat .i can. can u?

Heh try about 1 second THEN you'll be up to speed.

popinfresh

An easy solo i thought was in The Zephr song by the chilly peppers. (was one of the first things i learned on the guitar)

feylya

Originally posted by mr user
im only playin 8mths and i can play pantera gnrs and hendrix.its all in getting the agility into ur hand .and practising ur chops .pentatonic is the most used scale so practice it till u can play it in 4-5 seconds flat .i can. can u?

Can you play it sweep picking, alternate picking, up picking, down picking, on one string from the lowest to the highest notes, on two non adjancent strings? in 4-5 seconds? Now that would be impressive. Just ask Joe Satriani.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by feylya
Can you play it sweep picking, alternate picking, up picking, down picking, on one string from the lowest to the highest notes, on two non adjancent strings? in 4-5 seconds? Now that would be impressive. Just ask Joe Satriani.

Do you think Eric Clapton could do this?

NeMiSiS

Pissing contest !!

Tom

feylya

Yeah, he probably could.

And this ain't a pissing contest. I can't do it.

Sterile Fish

standard scales are easy and 4-5 seconds isnt at all impressive for them,

i can do the sweep picking and alternate picking of them in less than that

but also scales arent a very good representation of ability, they are incredibly easy to learn.whenever i started learning scales i played through them in probably about 8-9 seconds and then built up speed form there, id say i could easily do it in under 3 seconds now, but to me a more impressive sign of ability is being able to improvise riffs and solos and be able to improvise them to a key live on stage. i know two ppl who can do this, and when they go on stage they usually have a 10/15 min jamming session and they agree to a key before they start, they then improvise nostop riffs and lead to that key, and it sounds great

if you can do that, and have the confidence to do it on stage.... then ur a talented guitarist, then you will realise how pathetic boasting about scales is

Gordon

If you can play exactly what you are hearing in your head or feeling in your heart - you have mastered the guitar.

Giblet

Any one who can improv without sounding out of time or sh|t is doing well.

juno75

also scales arent a very good representation of ability, they are incredibly easy to learn.

I never heard such utter piff......

what scales exactly have you been learning?

Like everything in this world musical experssion is a construct of the heart and the mind.

you cant have one and not the other and be successfull.
If you lean twoards scales scales and more scales and dont concentrate on expression you become a surgen .Yngwee type (yawn)

But it goes th other way you become a messy bum with out the
skill to back up the balls.

my 2c




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