I suck at guitar
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- sizzlingbadger
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Re: I suck at guitar
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
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Re: I suck at guitar
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
- sizzlingbadger
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Re: I suck at guitar
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.
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Re: I suck at guitar
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.sirvill wrote:Or someone like Guthrie Govan who probably can play it all but then people say he has no feeling!
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- jeremyb
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Re: I suck at guitar
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??)...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.
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Re: I suck at guitar
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.jeremyb wrote: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??)...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.
Slowy wrote: Ultimately though, guitars are like women. On paper there's not much difference but only a few can make you happy.
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- sidewinder
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Re: I suck at guitar
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 speakjeremyb wrote: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??)...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.
Re: I suck at guitar
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...
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!!
- MattH
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Re: I suck at guitar
I think you can learn it to an extent. Like those quarter bends from the minor to the major, or a good vibrato.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.
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.
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Re: I suck at guitar
I agree, but like you say, only to an extent and they are minor techniques to master in the grand scheme of playing.MattH wrote:I think you can learn it to an extent. Like those quarter bends from the minor to the major, or a good vibrato.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.
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 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.
- Molly
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Re: I suck at guitar
This is exactly what happens to be honest.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).
- mttn3
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Re: I suck at guitar
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.jeremyb wrote:My advice is just turn on more delay pedals and use an ebow
edit: omg I just read it right now: an ebow, not elbow. Well that explains why I was confused about that bit of advice.
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Re: I suck at guitar
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