Jump to content

so, I'm a n00b at guitar....


wwwjd

Recommended Posts

  • Members

I recently bought a cheap acoustic guitar, and only know 2 chords at this time, but I am a keyboard guy, and considering getting an analog MicroKorg, but wonder if they will sound better if I record them in analog or digital?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I seriously DID buy a new acoustic guitar, with a neat electric pickup in it. wanted someting to play that required no power but myself, and a Piano didn't seem very portable. And much smaller toy piano things that required no power were aimed at babies and not musical. So.... guitar I went. $200 for some offbrand Epiphone or something, with instructional DVD, a little Amp, a tuner, and crappy zip case. A buddy sent me fingering for a C? chord and I learned it. Then I moved or removed one finger and made up some dissonant chord from there. And that is all I know right now. It's like a real analog synth and goes out of tune all the time. hahahahaha

 

I have ZERO intention of getting good, just wanted something unplugged to doodle with and SLOWLY learn over the years. But I like it, and even plugging it in and running effects on it is super cool. There are plenty of tutorials for free online to learn to play and I already own a fingering chart. Plus I have that DVD that I should watch some day.

 

... maybe I WILL buy a Microkorg just for fun too....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

^ If my progress on guitar is any guide, "slowly learn" pretty much nails it. For one thing your fingers will turn into hamburger if you play too much at once :) I've made steady progress but it's taken a while. Sometimes it seems I'm not getting better, but looking back a few months it's obvious that I am. I mostly learned from youtube vids myself. Marty Schwarz (sp?) and Justin Sandercoe are two of my favorites, they have a ton of songs to learn and some good exercises.

 

For recording I've been using my little zoom H2 (bought for recording shows and band practices). It has condenser mics and acts as an interface, I record guitar right into my DAW. I generally like miked acoustics much better than direct, though of course it depends on mics and pickup quality....and the guitar itself.

 

I'm so glad I got an acoustic, I understand what you mean about not having to plug in. Got a wall-hanger for it so it's so quick to grab it and lounge on the sofa practicing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Hey wwwjd, if you have any intention of making any progress at all, I would HIGHLY recommend going and getting a good setup on that guitar if you haven't already. You can usually find a good reputable place who will do it for not too much $$ (here in St. Louis, I have a couple of highly respected places that will do a basic setup for around $40). The comment above about your fingers turning to hamburger is true, even on a good guitar.

 

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking, I am just learning or noodling around, so I am just going to spend the bare minimum for now--and they end up with a guitar with awful action, that is hard to play even for a veteran--I learned that one the hard way, starting out on a no name pawn shop piece of junk that, looking back, was utterly unplayable. A good setup, with a nice low action, will do wonders for making learning easier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I bought it at guitar center and they offer some kind of "setup" for like $40, but I talked to a guy there that really seemed to know his stuff.... he did a basic setup/checkup on it for me free - check the wood, the alignment, the strings, the tune, and played it a bunch - before I left. AND my guitarist bass playing friend went with me and approved of it... he AND the center guy (whom I respect) both seemed impressed with the feel of it for being a bottom feeder price. I bought the one with the better style wood, not the cheap wood (whatever it was, I did some research and got the best of the cheapest junk)

 

Thanks for all the input.

 

My stupid iPad is what inspired me to buy a guitar. The free guitar app is so fun and easy to play I thought, why not get a real one? I can see how set chord patterns are easier to write songs with: you only get six notes to play each pass, not 88 ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

a guitar is EXACTLY like a piano minus a couple hundred strings, but you touch the strings directly instead of remotely hammer on them. Also guitar looks more phallic thus making women swoon rather than yawn like if you were sitting at a typewriter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

a guitar is EXACTLY like a piano minus a couple hundred strings, but you touch the strings directly instead of remotely hammer on them. Also guitar looks more phallic thus making women swoon rather than yawn like if you were sitting at a typewriter.

 

 

exactly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Don't make the mistake of stopping playing when your fingers turn to "hamburger." This is a good thing. If you can play through the pain for a couple of weeks, you'll get nice, tough calluses. Then, you won't have to worry about hamburger fingers any more after that.

 

 

and those nice tough calluses not only protect your fingers from pain, they make your playing sound better because they're more effective at pushing down the string and almost necessary to do things like hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

... but you touch the strings directly instead of remotely hammer on them...

 

 

This is the great strength of guitar. If you're noodling, spend lots of time on learning to use your right hand to get different sounds. That's where the magic is. And don't be afraid of pulling on the neck with your left hand to get vibrato. You can also get a nice wah/vibrato sound by placing and removing your forearm on the guitar's face between the saddle and tail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

dang! all this great info but I only know two chords! well..... one and a half actually
:)

 

tune the sucker to a chord (DGDGBD is good) and use a slide (knife handle or dowel or whatever). Then you'll know twelve chords.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...