Make sure you've got your angle of attack locked in at this stage or you'll be doing it all over again. If you've got the patience to do that as well you'll make a ton of progress on speed and accuracy. As you get more confident don't forget to practice skipping strings. That's something you can sort out at this time. You are probably better just increasing the metronome by 1 per day and focusing on all that kind of stuff. May not sound a lot at the start but in 2 months that extra 1 will hurt!
***The Official Guitar Thread***
- Thread starter Nitefly
- Start date
Soldato
Tempting just to play your collection! I only have two guitars and it’s still a chore!Want to come restring all mine? I’ll buy you a beer
Combination of things money being one of them but I also quite like the dull sound of older strings for some stuff.
Man of Honour
That's the beauty of guitar synthesis, I only change a string when one breaks and I have exactly the same tones every gig.
I remember an interview with Eddie Van Halen in the 70s and he only changed a string when one broke, he pointed at his guitar to a couple of strings and said "These have been on for about two years".
Soldato
- Joined
- 14 Mar 2011
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- 5,421
I think the main reason I change them is that they don't feel good to play... the affect on the tone itself (especially if it's going through effects) isn't such a big deal - there's something to be said for the responsiveness of a new set though; the brightness and attack you get is a bit better
Which is why I wanted to try a few other strings out... Slinky's are apparently quite bad for dulling quickly - not a problem if you're a professional artist with guitar tech's re-stringing for you between every show, but at home it's a bit annoying... Have heard that the slightly more expensive Paradigm strings from EB last a bit better so will see!
Associate
I am making sure to slow things down a fair bit. Luckily I'm not starting from scratch, so although it feels strange I get on ok. Finding the time is the hardest thing at the moment and I usually play with headphones to avoid annoying anyone, but need to mix and match to have both the amp and metronome together.
For faster lines, I'm holding the pick between thumb and side of index finger and coming in at probably nearly a 45 degree angle. I think the biggest step is learning that you're not putting a lot of movement to deliberately "pick" the string, but the back and forth movement of your wrist and to a lesser extent arm when you're changing strings is doing the picking for you. If that makes any sense?
I do find with the new grip though pinch harmonics are difficult as I have less thumb to play with.
Associate
Ha not to worry. It's super weird changing pick grip, but getting used to it slowly. Hammering the metronome practice, but keep getting sidetracked by other genres. Been listening to a lot of Mateus Asato this last year and I am blown away by this dude. He has such a mastery of so many styles and he keeps things interesting.
Little clip below of him jamming over a track:
Anyone else a fan?
Soldato
Help, I'm turning into Hillbilly! My fingerstyle wanderings led me into deepest, darkest Christian bluegrass territory, which is not a bolshy atheist's normal hunting ground. But music's music, right? Anyway, I give to you... The Petersens, and although the guy on the left here isn't one of the family (nowhere near pretty enough for a start) I'm currently loving and failing to mimmick his guitar part.
However if you do nothing else, fast forward to about 1:40 and wait for something to happen that makes me grin no matter how many times I play it back. I know getting old does strange things to you, but I always swore I'd never get drawn into Country & Western like my obsessive father. Maybe there's a genetic weakness?
However if you do nothing else, fast forward to about 1:40 and wait for something to happen that makes me grin no matter how many times I play it back. I know getting old does strange things to you, but I always swore I'd never get drawn into Country & Western like my obsessive father. Maybe there's a genetic weakness?
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Man of Honour
The Dobro slide?
Soldato
How can you put a question mark in that?
Of course! And the bass, piling in under it. Lights my candle anyway (might be because I have headphones on, the recording setup's not ideal).I've said before that I need a Dobro/resonator just to mangle Knopfler's Romeo & Juliet, so maybe I'm just looking for reasons to add one to my fantasy shopping list. Right, back to trying to work out what the front guitarist's doing. Never ceases to amaze me how something that appears rather simply can become complicated when you add the subtleties of damping and disguised fingerings (ooer Mrs) into the mix. And of course my lack of aptitude for the instrument.
I was born to play the kazoo badly, not the guitar well.
Deleted member 651465
D
Deleted member 651465
Dying to play the guitar.
I sold my 5150 a few weeks ago, so I haz no tube amp at the moment (although I do have a deposit down on a Marshall Plexi).
Being on holiday and watching reviews of guitars and pedals has got me itching to play
I sold my 5150 a few weeks ago, so I haz no tube amp at the moment (although I do have a deposit down on a Marshall Plexi).
Being on holiday and watching reviews of guitars and pedals has got me itching to play
Man of Honour
How can you put a question mark in that?
because 1min 40sec was the three part harmony
I used to play Romeo & Juliet on stage with a Dobro synth sound, sounded authentic.
It's also in a different tuning with a capo on the 3rd fret I think.
Soldato
It's open G tuning at the third fret, apparently, which is as good an excuse as any for not getting round to learning it.
In my parallel fantasy life I'd have a resonator permanently tuned to open G just for the one tune.
Man of Honour
It's open G tuning at the third fret, apparently, which is as good an excuse as any for not getting round to learning it.
That's the beauty of my Roland GR55, I just press a button.
In the first set alone I would need about 6 different guitars.
Soldato
Ok, so now you made me go look at GR55 demos on YouTube. I was doing fine right up to the point where a bloke made his guitar sound like a grand piano and then an organ. Now I have to add one of these to my fantasy shopping list, even though I'm trying really hard to resist anything which requires more than Mars Bars to power it.
Man of Honour
One of the best videos is a bloke playing along to parts of about 30 songs. Funnily enough on stage I only emulate guitar sounds.
Look for Roland GR55 Plays Pop on You Tube
Soldato
- Joined
- 28 Nov 2005
- Posts
- 12,977
Anyone got the new Fender "standard US" as in the Professional... Is it worth the extra money.
... I want to get into my guitar again, been playing on and off for years however not touched it for maybe 2 year now and still got my dusty 2008 Mexican Tele, however it is that feeling of getting a US fender that I have always had but never acted on it... think now is the time
... I want to get into my guitar again, been playing on and off for years however not touched it for maybe 2 year now and still got my dusty 2008 Mexican Tele, however it is that feeling of getting a US fender that I have always had but never acted on it... think now is the time
Soldato
- Joined
- 14 Mar 2011
- Posts
- 5,421
I've got a 2017 American Professional, Antique Olive, Maple neck and black-guard... love it and feel like it was worth it (but then again anyone who bought one would say that!)
Soldato
Acoustic strings have always bothered me. How do you know there isn't a type out there that would really work well with your guitar... make it sound that little bit better? I mean, you can't try them all, and how different can they really be? Just stick a set on that don't turn your fingers to mush and get on with it is probably the best bet.
However after finally managing to get 'dahn sarf' to collect my old Takamine, today I discovered one thing for certain... me and my guitar do not like Ernie Ball's 'Earthwood Medium-Light (12-54) Phosphor Bronze' strings AT ALL! Brash, jangly, loud, and about as subtle as a poke in the eye with the end of a top E string.
Ok, I've been using silk & steel D'Addarios on my Faith for 14 months, so anything's going to sound bright and jangly after that (especially as I haven't changed the strings for 14 months!) But goodness gracious, I was shocked at how horrible the Takamine sounded with the Earthwoods compared to the tired old strings it had on it. I gave it a day but have now put on the strings that were on the Faith when I bought it... 'coated 12-53' according to the bumph. And they sound a lot better. They feel a bit more like what I had in mind too... something firmer than the silk&steels I like for fingerstyle, which means I have a guitar at home closer to those I might meet out in the wild. Gives me and my sissy fingertips chance to keep in touch with 'normal' guitars.
This has been an entirely pointless public service announcement. For my next trick I will start threads about my preferences in shoes and mouthwash.
However after finally managing to get 'dahn sarf' to collect my old Takamine, today I discovered one thing for certain... me and my guitar do not like Ernie Ball's 'Earthwood Medium-Light (12-54) Phosphor Bronze' strings AT ALL! Brash, jangly, loud, and about as subtle as a poke in the eye with the end of a top E string.
Ok, I've been using silk & steel D'Addarios on my Faith for 14 months, so anything's going to sound bright and jangly after that (especially as I haven't changed the strings for 14 months!) But goodness gracious, I was shocked at how horrible the Takamine sounded with the Earthwoods compared to the tired old strings it had on it. I gave it a day but have now put on the strings that were on the Faith when I bought it... 'coated 12-53' according to the bumph. And they sound a lot better. They feel a bit more like what I had in mind too... something firmer than the silk&steels I like for fingerstyle, which means I have a guitar at home closer to those I might meet out in the wild. Gives me and my sissy fingertips chance to keep in touch with 'normal' guitars.
This has been an entirely pointless public service announcement. For my next trick I will start threads about my preferences in shoes and mouthwash.
Soldato
I've found with acoustics, comparing mine to friend's, that having heavier gauge strings makes a huge amount of difference. Lighter gauges just don't sound anywhere near as nice. I always preferred light gauge strings on my guitars, but if I were to replace them now, I think I'd go heavier.