I suck at guitar

Its all in the fingers, or is it?

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

User avatar
sizzlingbadger
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 8241
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:12 am
Location: Wire Wrapper
Has liked: 1202 times
Been liked: 1398 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by sizzlingbadger »

Molly, I certainly appreciated your post and it did help me. I was just pointing out that its hard as a beginner sometimes. I know your snippet was out of context on a forum to some degree and it would have made much more sense if explained in person. Don't stop trying to help :winky:
Tube amp and guitar tones straight from 1958… amazing how believable the sounds were back then, even without the modellers...

User avatar
calling card
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 4279
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:56 am
Location: Hoodoo dump, BOP
Has liked: 855 times
Been liked: 274 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by calling card »

Anyone notice the theme of learning and then to unlearn.
2024; I have explored the extent of the perimeter dome, there is no escape. I am become Morpheus

User avatar
sizzlingbadger
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 8241
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:12 am
Location: Wire Wrapper
Has liked: 1202 times
Been liked: 1398 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by sizzlingbadger »

One of the big issues I face is knowing what to learn as it seems there is a lot I probably don't need to know just to play rock/blues style music. I do want to understand some theory though as I'm sure it will help and be useful in the future.
Tube amp and guitar tones straight from 1958… amazing how believable the sounds were back then, even without the modellers...

User avatar
Danger Mouse
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 11459
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 3:32 pm
Location: Jafa Land
Has liked: 351 times
Been liked: 661 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by Danger Mouse »

sirvill wrote:Or someone like Guthrie Govan who probably can play it all but then people say he has no feeling!
Being able to play with feeling seems to be entirely separate from understanding theory or mastering technique. Both of those help expand your range, but soulless playing is more an inherent character trait of the musician.
The older I get, the more disappointed in myself I become.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40890
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7692 times
Been liked: 4159 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by jeremyb »

sizzlingbadger wrote:One of the big issues I face is knowing what to learn as it seems there is a lot I probably don't need to know just to play rock/blues style music. I do want to understand some theory though as I'm sure it will help and be useful in the future.
Now that I'm in a band and writing music I wish I knew some more theory, however theres always the accidents / fooling about which lead to cool melodies etc, often if it sounds good theres a technical reason why, but I don't need to know why it sounds good because it just sounds good (if that makes sense??)...
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
WellyBlues
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 3867
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 8:01 pm
Location: Welly
Has liked: 519 times
Been liked: 352 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by WellyBlues »

jeremyb wrote:
sizzlingbadger wrote:One of the big issues I face is knowing what to learn as it seems there is a lot I probably don't need to know just to play rock/blues style music. I do want to understand some theory though as I'm sure it will help and be useful in the future.
Now that I'm in a band and writing music I wish I knew some more theory, however theres always the accidents / fooling about which lead to cool melodies etc, often if it sounds good theres a technical reason why, but I don't need to know why it sounds good because it just sounds good (if that makes sense??)...
I guess the argument then would be that if you knew the theory as well then you could repeat the recipe to find other melodies that sound good.
Slowy wrote: Ultimately though, guitars are like women. On paper there's not much difference but only a few can make you happy.
Ray Wylie Hubbard wrote: And the days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations Well, I have really good days

User avatar
sidewinder
Squier
Posts: 346
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2014 12:36 pm
Location: Wellington
Has liked: 67 times
Been liked: 22 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by sidewinder »

jeremyb wrote:
sizzlingbadger wrote:One of the big issues I face is knowing what to learn as it seems there is a lot I probably don't need to know just to play rock/blues style music. I do want to understand some theory though as I'm sure it will help and be useful in the future.
Now that I'm in a band and writing music I wish I knew some more theory, however theres always the accidents / fooling about which lead to cool melodies etc, often if it sounds good theres a technical reason why, but I don't need to know why it sounds good because it just sounds good (if that makes sense??)...
This is where I've found theory useful (not that I know much at all!), but when I find a cool accident, if I learnt the theory behind it I can reuse it again somewhere else along the line and get more mileage out of it so to speak

User avatar
shafter
Ashton
Ashton
Posts: 245
Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:33 pm
Has liked: 1 time
Been liked: 7 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by shafter »

I learnt guitar theory not in full but enough to really help me.. I dont have a full understanding of music theory (that blows my mind)
I got sick of not understanding what I was playing.. so with modes, triads and chord scales etc.. I can at least find my way around the fretboard
its really helped with my improv as well so i'm not box boy anymore...
Stress... when you wake up screaming and realise you haven't been asleep yet!!

User avatar
MattH
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1043
Joined: Sun May 13, 2012 5:17 pm
Has liked: 133 times
Been liked: 78 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by MattH »

sirvill wrote: Being able to play with feeling seems to be entirely separate from understanding theory or mastering technique. Both of those help expand your range, but soulless playing is more an inherent character trait of the musician.
I think you can learn it to an extent. Like those quarter bends from the minor to the major, or a good vibrato.

Also, I'm the first to admit that some players who do do that don't resonate with me. Satch does all of that, but I just don't believe it a lot if the time. Steve Cropper, on the other hand, is one of my all time faves for feel, but actuàlly plays pretty straight. It was the sparseness and strength of his melodies that got me.
All the gear... absolutely no idea...

User avatar
Danger Mouse
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 11459
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 3:32 pm
Location: Jafa Land
Has liked: 351 times
Been liked: 661 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by Danger Mouse »

MattH wrote:
Danger Mouse wrote: Being able to play with feeling seems to be entirely separate from understanding theory or mastering technique. Both of those help expand your range, but soulless playing is more an inherent character trait of the musician.
I think you can learn it to an extent. Like those quarter bends from the minor to the major, or a good vibrato.

Also, I'm the first to admit that some players who do do that don't resonate with me. Satch does all of that, but I just don't believe it a lot if the time. Steve Cropper, on the other hand, is one of my all time faves for feel, but actuàlly plays pretty straight. It was the sparseness and strength of his melodies that got me.
I agree, but like you say, only to an extent and they are minor techniques to master in the grand scheme of playing.

I went back to a guitar teacher about 7 years ago and did some work on my understanding of theory, I did develop my ability to play more melodically as a result, because I could then understand how to link chords and notes together in a way that made sense, but I'm still limited by what ever it is that gives us that melodic sensibility.

My brother and I are examples of this, both of us experienced guitar players. Timing is my thing, which works really well in the context of the music I play, with lots of complex rhythms. However my brother can pick up any kind of musical instrument, like some kids toy keyboard, and just create some really melodic little piece of music that I simply can't do.

When we were in a band together he really struggled at times to play the riffs I was coming up with, but he also wrote some really cool riffs that had a real flow to them. He's melodic, I'm rhythmical, I can develop my melodic ability, he can work on his timing, but we both have a natural ability that lends our playing to a particular strength. Hence why I don't really see Guthrie Govan being accused of being devoid of feeling just because he's not practiced that aspect of his playing.
The older I get, the more disappointed in myself I become.

User avatar
Molly
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 24937
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:17 pm
Has liked: 2482 times
Been liked: 2794 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by Molly »

Kiwiaxe wrote:... But playing the G shape means you will probably end up - unintentionally - landing on what is usually your safe G notes of G B D and F# when those aren't going to sound the best (representing the 1 3 4 and 6 notes in D mixolydian).
This is exactly what happens to be honest.

User avatar
Zaulkin
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 5426
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:01 pm
Has liked: 738 times
Been liked: 511 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by Zaulkin »

Guthrie Govan is on another level. I dont think the bb king/David gilmour type soloing interests him so he writes more technical stuff.

User avatar
mttn3
PRS
PRS
Posts: 940
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:14 pm
Location: Christchurch
Has liked: 143 times
Been liked: 45 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by mttn3 »

jeremyb wrote:My advice is just turn on more delay pedals and use an ebow :mrgreen:
Umm do you mean an elbow like a 90° jack for extra tone or like... what? This is the most mysterious and possibly also the best piece of advice since the first lesson I learnt about playing guitar, which was to set the strap length so the guitar is either above your dick or below your dick, never covering your dick.

edit: omg I just read it right now: an ebow, not elbow. Well that explains why I was confused about that bit of advice. :oops:

User avatar
calling card
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 4279
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:56 am
Location: Hoodoo dump, BOP
Has liked: 855 times
Been liked: 274 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by calling card »

Rhythm will be your greater asset rather than bogging down in theory.
2024; I have explored the extent of the perimeter dome, there is no escape. I am become Morpheus

User avatar
mttn3
PRS
PRS
Posts: 940
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:14 pm
Location: Christchurch
Has liked: 143 times
Been liked: 45 times

Re: I suck at guitar

Post by mttn3 »

Churs, I'll work on that. And blues.

Post Reply