Members sratiug Posted June 22, 2004 Members Posted June 22, 2004 I began playin guitar 4 or 5 years ago. I learned through using the internet, I would find tabs of songs i knew and tried to play them (just basic chords first). I then progressed to harder stuff and lead guitar. Though nearly all my learning has been through playin tabs off other peoples songs I have picked up bits and pieces of theory, techniques, effects etc along the way (through sites on net mostly). Anyway I seem to have hit a dead end. I am at a level where I can play the tabs-songs for most average bands pretty quickly. I can learn the harder stuff like hendrix, led zep etc over time and play it decently. As for theory, I know all the main keys and their chords and for scales the major and minor penatonics and the blues scale. Thats about it. I can guess chords and some lead or bits for songs I hear but not many, I suppose my ears are not to good for that, I usually need to find a tab if I want to learn a tune. I have tried to write songs and apart from a few I find it hard to create a melody (as for making songs im not too intreseted in lyrics more the guitar work (nice chord pattern and lead) which seems to make it tougher to me???) I also often find it hard to make a chorus for a verse or vise versa. I've never had a lesson or really played with anyone. I feel i'm not progressing and don't really know how to. I'm dont want lessons. I suppose I want to get to the level were I could just pick up the guitar and play some spontaneaus 3 minute tune were I'm able to play many chords, scales etc all over the guitar and stay in key/tune and know what sound will be produced before I hit the notes etc. I'd also like to be able to make melodies better/easier and know what chords/notes will produce any sound in my head without taking hours to work out. And also what notes/scales i can play over certain chords to produce different sounds and how do you change scales mid-song etc How can I improve, should I get more into theory or be practising scales etc???????? Does anyone have any advice or can recommend any books or something? Well if you read all that cheers if you can help me out even betterThanks!!
Members skatom Posted June 22, 2004 Members Posted June 22, 2004 Why don't you want lessons? It's very hard to establish what you need to learn next without someone continually observing your playing and progress. It seems to me that a teacher is exactly what you need. Other than that, I would suggest reading up on major scale theory, and how chords are constructed from the major scale. It's a great way to approach songwriting, and there are plenty of threads here about it. Good luck, Tom
Members Deek Posted June 22, 2004 Members Posted June 22, 2004 I'd have to agree with skatom on this one. Lessons are the way to go.
Members slindsey Posted June 22, 2004 Members Posted June 22, 2004 The others are right.....lessons would be a good option for you. But, search around and find a good teacher that has ....and here's the key....good STUDENTS! You are not a beginner by any means, so you will need a skilled teacher, one who can help you with your weak spots. And speaking of weak areas....you say that your playing by ear isn't that great----well you can work on that without a teacher. Find some fairly easy sounding songs----some of Led Zep's stuff, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, etc. When you can pick up those fairly easy....move to something more challenging. Another option would be to find some "method" books. There are some good ones out there...but again, do research before you buy. You would be considered "advanced" by most method book standards. And finally....join a band. Nothing will improve your playing more than playing with other musicians.
Members Jesse Jordache Posted June 22, 2004 Members Posted June 22, 2004 There's a program on the internet - I can't remember its name but I think I found it on nonags.com. It's a relative pitch ear trainer. It starts off easy - they'll play a root and a major third, and you're supposed to know what they're playing. You can skip those lessons. Gradually it gets harder and harder. It goes from broken chords to blocked chords, then it'll play a scale to establish a key, and play to notes from within that scale and you have to figure out the interval. It goes from there all the way to modes. If you can master that, then a little reading on theory will go along way - what modes go with what key signatures, the scales that popular songs are using (I found the box set of led zep sheet music really useful for that - everything that Page does has a name, and you can pick up musical patterns that you can use yourself and in your own way). Anyway, that's one approach. But the ear trainer is really good. As far as going all over the fretboard and knowing what you're going to get before your fingers hit the strings, the Fretboard Logic series is great for that - that's the one with the CAGED system. J PS, if all else fails and you want to improvise, just do pentatonic runs. Back in the day I had so many non musicians thinking I was a good guitarist just because I could improvise pentatonic solos and bend strings I'm kidding, I know you're way beyond that point.
Members Singingax Posted June 22, 2004 Members Posted June 22, 2004 http://www.nashvillenumbersystem.com/ http://www.essentialguitar.com/ http://www.good-ear.com/servlet/EarTrainer http://www.greschak.com/notation/oz/ozpitch.htm
Members sratiug Posted June 23, 2004 Author Members Posted June 23, 2004 Thanks for the replies guys, it seems I'd be best getting tuition but I'm not really too keen on that just now. I think I'll get a book on the basic theory- major scales, how chords are formed etc...that seems a good place to start. And perhaps order the CAGED book, it has got good reviews. I might try and get some books with examples to improve speed and strecthing etc as well. The ear training site is quite good, cheers for that. Originally posted by Jesse Jordache PS, if all else fails and you want to improvise, just do pentatonic runs. Back in the day I had so many non musicians thinking I was a good guitarist just because I could improvise pentatonic solos and bend strings I'm kidding, I know you're way beyond that point. Haha tell me about it that's all I do......well I did work for Noel Gallacher!!!
Members Terje Posted June 24, 2004 Members Posted June 24, 2004 Like everyone else has already said, here we have it... Originally posted by sratiug I've never had a lesson or really played with anyone. I feel i'm not progressing and don't really know how to. I'm dont want lessons. OK, so you don't want lessons... why? But nevermind really, you need to get out and play with other people. That's how you really progress. Maybe later you'll understand that there's nothing wrong in taking lessons, that it's a short-cut to knowledge that would otherwise take you years to find for yourself.
Members sratiug Posted June 25, 2004 Author Members Posted June 25, 2004 Ok it seems everyone thinks lessons would be best. I think I will look into getting some, I suppose it can't hurt to try. Just wondering though do many twenty year olds or older get guitar teachers coming to their house to give lessons isn't that mostly for younger people?
Members Auggie Doggie Posted June 25, 2004 Members Posted June 25, 2004 Originally posted by sratiug Just wondering though do many twenty year olds or older get guitar teachers coming to their house to give lessons isn't that mostly for younger people? When I was teaching guitar, my students' ages were pretty well-distributed....there were little kids....teenagers...folks in their 20's....30's...40's...50's...and 60's. You're never too old to learn.
Poparad Posted June 25, 2004 Posted June 25, 2004 Originally posted by sratiug Ok it seems everyone thinks lessons would be best. I think I will look into getting some, I suppose it can't hurt to try.Just wondering though do many twenty year olds or older get guitar teachers coming to their house to give lessons isn't that mostly for younger people? Well, usually it's more you go to someplace where the teacher is. It's really quite a challenge for a teacher for them to drive around between every student when most guys have 20+ students. They usually have a house/music store/other building they teach at and have the students show up there. But as for age, people of all ages take lessons. A friend of mine who is 21 gives drum lessons mostly to middle school/high school students, but his favorite student is a 35 year old guy who just started drums so he could play along with Mariah Carey songs. The guy had a lot of work to do, but since he was doing it all out of his own desire, my friend could always count on him to show up to his lessons prepared and having worked on whatever he had to work on. As a teacher myself, I love it when I have a student is there just because *they* want to learn; it makes things so much easier. I'm sick of getting younger kids with little interest who are just there because their parents force them to be.
Members Jesse Jordache Posted June 27, 2004 Members Posted June 27, 2004 Personally I relate - I'd love to take lessons but I don't have the time or money (full time school, two jobs). Instead I'm lucky enough to know one or two really good guitarists, and when I hit a brick wall I go to them, show them what I'm doing and ask for their feedback. I come up with training exercises myself, based around things in songs (sometimes one's I've written myself) that I have a hard time with - I isolate the difficulty and work on that. And I play constantly. Basic three chord progressions to see how fast I can go. Stretching exercises. Running up and down the fretboard at random and see if I hit anythign interesting. Playing completely random chord shapes to see what they'll sound like. Basically, the more you play the guitar, the more it becomes just an extension of your brain and your muscles. They say that Jimi Hendrix slept with his guitar, and while that's probably apocryphal, there's no subsitute for just constant, CONSTANT playing. So yeah, take lessons if you can, but I understand not being able to.
Members jodine Posted June 27, 2004 Members Posted June 27, 2004 Songwriters often complain about having music sitting in their head that never sees the light of day because of the difficulties we all have in identifying, arranging and then extracting this psychic sonic furniture. If we were to take a basic three chord progression featuring C, F, and G, we would eventually be able to play these chords long enough to "hear" them move through our imagination, even after we had stopped playing them. We could close our eyes and literally feel the impact that each chord has on the way the progression is propelled forward harmonically. If we were to look at the role or function, that each chord plays in this, we would agree that the C chord defines the sound of the song as being in a single key; the key of C. Along the way the C chord also relieves feelings of tension that are created by the other chords in the progression. In a standard progression, the F is a chord that we often move back and forth to, from the comfort of our C chord. It will create some interest, which will help keep our listener engaged, but it does not create the real significant tension that indicates to our listener that we are building up to the end of a section. The G creates a lot of tension in the key of C and therefore is used to: end sections, move into new sections, or move towards the last and resolving harmony, which would usually be a C chord. If you can get to the point where you can "picture" these chord movements and their functions, in your imagination, you can start to shift them around like "sonic furniture" in a room. This will allow you to write songs without the use of an instrument, and perhaps the restrictions or distractions that having to play and compose simultaneously can present. This skill can be expanded to include minor, diminished and augmented chords, extended harmony, and even chords imported from beyond the key. You may even be able to "hear" modulations, into and out of key, that you will be able to identify, properly name, and then "project" into a progression without ever leaving the comfort of your own psychic domain. This can also allow you the freedom to create music beyond your own ability to play. By documenting the chords from their imagined impression, you can leave the challenge of performing the piece up to the musicians who will be playing the piece in the studio and on stage. It may also create a challenge that will inspire you to work on your musicianship to endeavour to attain this ability. Imagine saying, "I've been practicing really hard and I can almost play the song I wrote last week". Arranging the psychic sonic furniture is a fundamental way of connecting the music that you dream up in your wildest imagination, with your knowledge of chords (and the theory behind the movement of harmony), and making the most of the role they both play in the music you call your own. Guitarz Forever
Members Little Dreamer Posted June 27, 2004 Members Posted June 27, 2004 There's a pretty cool ear training thing here: http://www.earmaster.com/ You can download it free for 21 days I think. For theory, there's some good stuff here: http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/ For books, I really liked Bruce Arnold's stuff, Theory Workbook for Guitar volumes I and II, along with his Chord Workbook. The theory books have a lot of exercises that are only really of use if you want to learn to read sheet music, but the explanations of everything at the beginning of the books is worth it all by itself. There are just a ton of great resources out there - books, CD-ROMS, DVD's, stuff on the net, etc. If you don't want to take lessons, check out some instructional books with CD's demonstrating the examples. Troy Stetina's Speed Mechanics is really good if you want to improve your overall technique (and especially if you want to shred, but also if you don't). As far as improvisation, get a drum machine that plays bass lines and practice jammin' with pentatonic minor or modes or whatever. Anyhoo, my 2 cents worth.
Members FBA Posted June 23, 2006 Members Posted June 23, 2006 There is a really cool new fretboard trainer for the PC and Windows Mobile devices called Guitar Fretboard Addict. It has graphical and flash card game modes for learning the fretboard. It is very cheap $10 and you get both Windows and mobile versions when you purchase through their website. Check out http://www.guitaraddict.net
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.