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 Thebooedocksaint
Dead Dictator
Registered: 05/11/09
Posts: 5,730
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 Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. 
#320017 - 11/22/09 04:03 PM (15 years, 1 month ago) |
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I think this could be helpful for anyone that is just looking for advice;
In this thread lets give out a tip about guitar playing/maintenance/composing/anything that could be helpful. You can give a little or a lot whatever. let's start off slow at first and just cover a few pretty important tips each.
Here are a few from me.
1. Use a shop rag and rubbing alcohol to clean your strings. This will get most grime off of your strings, and also helps make it sterile. If you think about all the sweat/dead skin that most likely gets on there you really will understand how dirty they get.
2. Don't overload all at once, learning guitar is just like normal education. Your brain can store information better if you give it a break. Every 30 minutes to an hour get away; watch Television, do some homework, drive around, workout, smoke a joint, whatever. Just get a fifteen to thirty minute break and you will dedicate more of what you go over to memory, and will do it more efficiently. Guitar players in college? You can use this technique in conjunction with homework and have a better use of your time. Out of shape? Go out and take a jog.
3. Keep motivated. Don't let yourself go "oh ill just do it tomorrow." Learning an instrument is a rather difficult task, and it is about self motivation. If you let you talk yourself out of it once, you will do it again. (Emergency situations are of course an exception, I suppose the correct thing to say is prioritize really.)
4. Set Goals. (I know I am doing all the cheesy ones, I just think if we get these out of the way first it will keep later information more unique to the person with the advice.) If you set goals for yourself it helps keep you motivated. Say you will work on some song on X day, or you will do more work learning a new scale, etc...
Don't know if this will catch on but I just know that if I had some of this info when I first got my guitar I wouldn't of spent those 3 months going without learning anything other than the intro to crazy train. Honestly for anyone just starting I think that advice like this can't be stressed enough.
OH and also
5. LEARN TABS. Tablature is there for a reason, all instruments that have tablature has it because it can say things normal sheet music cant. Learn sheet music too though, at least enough to transfer sheet music into tabs if you have to. This is more of a for your personal ease.
And just for reference I would say I am a dabbler with guitar. I have been "playing" for awhile and realistically am probably at least decent, but nowhere near good enough for my personal standards.
(I think there should be a separate forum for people to talk about playing more than just songs and such, but I understand there would be like a whole 1 post every week so I am not suggesting that yet. We just don't have the numbers.)
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"Je pense, donc je suis (I am thinking, therefore I am)." -Rene Descartes
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THEBats
The Bridge Master
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 8,488
Last seen: 11 years, 6 months
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I can recommend this exercise to warm up and build pinky strength.
One finger per fret. Hold first finger down.
l:l 5-8-6-8-7-8-6-8 l:l
l:l = Repeat.
Try to do this clean and on all strings. Gradually increase speed but only when you can still play it cleanly and evenly.
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kickin-two-hundo said:
you know what i did in english class? I came to class stoned out of my mind every day, i chugged vodka in the back of class, i put dead fish in the ceiling tiles. i put a gallon of old milk and orange juice in the file cabinet before winter vacation. i brought snakes in a tied up sweater and let them loose during class. i didnt go to school to learn, i went because i had to. i didnt care, and i didn't fucking listen to that stupid bitch. and i still don't fucking care. i tore the pages out of her books and burned them, and threw away all the books in the class, two books per day. 
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 FarBeyondDriven
Truthfully, I'm a bullshitter
Registered: 04/22/08
Posts: 13,834
Loc: Greenbow, Alabama
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: THEBats]
#320036 - 11/22/09 04:31 PM (15 years, 1 month ago) |
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^^^^^^^
start on first fret and go as far as you can without messing up. (1234 on all six strings, then move to 2nd fret) every time you mess up, start over. i did that for years. still do to warm up. helps stretch out your fingers too. a lot of people dont know you cant actually hurt your hand pretty bad if you dont warm up and just start rippin.
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THEBats
The Bridge Master
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 8,488
Last seen: 11 years, 6 months
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This particular major scale form has helped immensely with finger stretching as well as economy picking. Start on first fret (F Major).
l------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------l
l------------------------------------------------3--5--6--5--3--------------------------------------------------l
l------------------------------------2--3--5----------------------5--3--2--------------------------------------l
l------------------------2--3--5----------------------------------------------5--3--2--------------------------l
l------------1--3--5----------------------------------------------------------------------5--3--1--------------l
l-1--3--5---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5--3--1--l
Start out first using alternate picking then attempt the picking pattern Down, Up, Down, Down, Up, Down, Down, Up, ect.
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kickin-two-hundo said:
you know what i did in english class? I came to class stoned out of my mind every day, i chugged vodka in the back of class, i put dead fish in the ceiling tiles. i put a gallon of old milk and orange juice in the file cabinet before winter vacation. i brought snakes in a tied up sweater and let them loose during class. i didnt go to school to learn, i went because i had to. i didnt care, and i didn't fucking listen to that stupid bitch. and i still don't fucking care. i tore the pages out of her books and burned them, and threw away all the books in the class, two books per day.
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FarBeyondDriven
Truthfully, I'm a bullshitter
Registered: 04/22/08
Posts: 13,834
Loc: Greenbow, Alabama
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: THEBats]
#320063 - 11/22/09 05:02 PM (15 years, 1 month ago) |
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cant believe you typed all that out haha.
it is a good exercise though. scales are where it's at. then after a while you put them together and it's like  and then you're totally like  this shit is  son
just me? 
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THEBats
The Bridge Master
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 8,488
Last seen: 11 years, 6 months
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nah. Most of the time, after I get exercises, warm ups and shit out of the way I'll just mess around. Best way to learn a scale for improv.
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kickin-two-hundo said:
you know what i did in english class? I came to class stoned out of my mind every day, i chugged vodka in the back of class, i put dead fish in the ceiling tiles. i put a gallon of old milk and orange juice in the file cabinet before winter vacation. i brought snakes in a tied up sweater and let them loose during class. i didnt go to school to learn, i went because i had to. i didnt care, and i didn't fucking listen to that stupid bitch. and i still don't fucking care. i tore the pages out of her books and burned them, and threw away all the books in the class, two books per day.
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Thebooedocksaint
Dead Dictator
Registered: 05/11/09
Posts: 5,730
Loc: Wild & Free
Last seen: 7 days, 47 minutes
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: THEBats]
#320194 - 11/22/09 08:57 PM (15 years, 1 month ago) |
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Oh I get what you meant about tabs. I was meaning learn how to read tabs haha. I said it wrong.
Now I get why you said to not trust tabs. The way I said it was easy to misinterpret.
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"Je pense, donc je suis (I am thinking, therefore I am)." -Rene Descartes
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Triptonic
Registered: 06/13/08
Posts: 15,581
Loc: 
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Step One: learn blues scale.
Step Two: Perfect blues scale.
Step Three: You Are Now Badass.
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FarBeyondDriven
Truthfully, I'm a bullshitter
Registered: 04/22/08
Posts: 13,834
Loc: Greenbow, Alabama
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: Triptonic]
#320636 - 11/23/09 06:30 PM (15 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
Triptonic said:
Step One: learn blues scale.
Step Two: Perfect blues scale.
Step Three: You Are Now Badass.
knowing how to play scales really good doesnt necessarily make you a badass on geetar
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Triptonic
Registered: 06/13/08
Posts: 15,581
Loc:
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lol its called sarcasm...........But seriously you have to learn scales and perfect them. And know how to put them together.
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GetTheFuckOut
Long Gone.
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 8,388
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: Triptonic]
#320740 - 11/23/09 08:43 PM (15 years, 1 month ago) |
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theory is not a set of rules to play by
just explains why/how things sound the way they do in relation to each other
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Let the faggots have it all. Keep the shit.
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THEBats
The Bridge Master
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 8,488
Last seen: 11 years, 6 months
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: GetTheFuckOut]
#320745 - 11/23/09 08:45 PM (15 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
hemostats said:
theory is not a set of rules to play by
just explains why/how things sound the way they do in relation to each other
^^^^^^^^-this.
Ultimately you must let your ear be the final judge.
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kickin-two-hundo said:
you know what i did in english class? I came to class stoned out of my mind every day, i chugged vodka in the back of class, i put dead fish in the ceiling tiles. i put a gallon of old milk and orange juice in the file cabinet before winter vacation. i brought snakes in a tied up sweater and let them loose during class. i didnt go to school to learn, i went because i had to. i didnt care, and i didn't fucking listen to that stupid bitch. and i still don't fucking care. i tore the pages out of her books and burned them, and threw away all the books in the class, two books per day.
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DudeTron
Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 407
Last seen: 10 years, 11 months
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: THEBats]
#320926 - 11/24/09 07:30 AM (15 years, 1 month ago) |
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Yeah, it's like music theory only gets you so far... In the end if you can even wrap your mind around it all while still producing sweet tunes you should be a composer or something...
A little bit goes a long way.
Personally I learned how to play the cello professionally for like 13 years but I still look at a guitar and make visual patterns on the fretboard when I jam
 
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FarBeyondDriven
Truthfully, I'm a bullshitter
Registered: 04/22/08
Posts: 13,834
Loc: Greenbow, Alabama
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: GetTheFuckOut]
#321122 - 11/24/09 03:37 PM (15 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
hemostats said:
theory is not a set of rules to play by
just explains why/how things sound the way they do in relation to each other
well put
im not saying dont learn scales and practice them trip. but there's a lot more to it than that. but definetly, if you're starting off, it would be a good starting point.
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DudeTron
Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 407
Last seen: 10 years, 11 months
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Rereading this thread a little more clearheaded I'd have to agree that scales or any regimented/disciplined activity is a good thing. Goals are key.
If I had a tip to add it would be try to perform... Set something up where you must present something.. It adds way more focus and drive to a piece. Even if it's just a promise to play a couple Christmas Carrels this year at the get together. Anyone who's been in a band will tell you they learn things 3 times faster in the band setting than just trying to learn stuff at home in their free time.
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BenRay
Registered: 02/01/09
Posts: 22
Loc: Florida
Last seen: 14 years, 10 months
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I have been playing guitar for forty five years, and if I were to give some tips it would be this. Learn every note on every fret! The left hand is just as important as the right! Learn all of the scales, and practice at least four hours a day! When you put the guitar down, listen to music. 
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FarBeyondDriven
Truthfully, I'm a bullshitter
Registered: 04/22/08
Posts: 13,834
Loc: Greenbow, Alabama
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: BenRay]
#321795 - 11/26/09 08:13 AM (15 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
BenRay said:
I have been playing guitar for forty five years, and if I were to give some tips it would be this. Learn every note on every fret! The left hand is just as important as the right! Learn all of the scales, and practice at least four hours a day! When you put the guitar down, listen to music.
^^^^^^
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elcharrosays
Registered: 04/24/08
Posts: 2,757
Last seen: 14 years, 4 months
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so gais.. can we expound on this any further?
like perhaps some recommended songs to learn?
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THEBats
The Bridge Master
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 8,488
Last seen: 11 years, 6 months
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: elcharrosays]
#331762 - 12/15/09 01:17 PM (15 years, 17 days ago) |
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Well that depends a lot on what you're into. I would recommend though setting goals that aren't too far out of your reach so that you can actually reach them. Early on when you try playing something difficult right away it seems impossible and you may get frustrated and stop playing. Learn things that are challenging but that you are capable at being able to play at first. Then you can move up from there.
Also there's too elements of your playing that are more important than all the rest.
1: Timing
2: Accuracy
The rest are all secondary.
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kickin-two-hundo said:
you know what i did in english class? I came to class stoned out of my mind every day, i chugged vodka in the back of class, i put dead fish in the ceiling tiles. i put a gallon of old milk and orange juice in the file cabinet before winter vacation. i brought snakes in a tied up sweater and let them loose during class. i didnt go to school to learn, i went because i had to. i didnt care, and i didn't fucking listen to that stupid bitch. and i still don't fucking care. i tore the pages out of her books and burned them, and threw away all the books in the class, two books per day.
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elcharrosays
Registered: 04/24/08
Posts: 2,757
Last seen: 14 years, 4 months
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Re: Fellow Player Tips: Guitar. [Re: THEBats]
#331785 - 12/15/09 01:45 PM (15 years, 17 days ago) |
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I'm into everything that sounds good. I'm no music snob claiming that some genres are inferior to any other. With the exception of punk. I have no interest in learning "punk" music.
I feel that timing and accuracy are key to making music sound right after you've already learned the material but it doesn't really help your muscle memory when it comes to getting a riff down. I mean I get that you can play some tablature and it sounds completely different unless you've got the rhythm down but I've noticed over the years that when a guitarist plays something not for an audience but for himself it's usually at a much faster speed because they're just playing it for themselves and more focused on just getting through it than getting the timing perfect.
any particular songs that you especially enjoyed playing when you were learning? I've been at it for about 3 months now and I've mainly just been learning blues scales and Zelda music plus a few of my favorite tunes from famous artists. I've barely studied any music theory for guitar but have a cursory understanding of it after years of piano lessons and I've only learned like 5 chords because so far it's been much more enjoyable to actually move around and play with the fretboard.
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