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and so it Begins - proper technique/breaking bad habits


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Posted

This thread is to show beginning mistakes, there was one on the guitar forum, i think it belongs here as well.

 

some things that were listed on the guitar forum were ;

 

don't look at your right hand,

do not keep your head down, as it will stress your neck and back.

push down with your fingertips, straight down. you will mute strings on accident if done improperly.

practice with a metronome if you're having trouble with rhythm.

play the string right next to the Fret, not in the middle of the 2 frets, as it can cause strings to go sharp.

 

 

i really can't remember any others off the top of me head. but i think this should be here. if not, the mods can delete it, or ask me to. :)

 

Fred

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Posted

keep your fingertips close to the strings.
whipe your strings/guitar after every use so that the fretboard doesn't become yucky. (it's easier to clean before it turns to gunky crap)
when restringing the guitar, give the tuning pegs extra slack up top( make sure it's wound around more then once. or your strings might snap! i now string it around 3 or 4 times instead of 1 or 2. )

keep 'em comin. :)

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Posted
Originally posted by PhunkyPhred

keep your fingertips close to the strings.

whipe your strings/guitar after every use so that the fretboard doesn't become yucky. (it's easier to clean before it turns to gunky crap)

when restringing the guitar, give the tuning pegs extra slack up top( make sure it's wound around more then once. or your strings might snap! i now string it around 3 or 4 times instead of 1 or 2. )


keep 'em comin.
:)



Good point... I always wash my hands prior to playing. Even if I put my guitar down for a second, I will wash my hands. Your strings last much longer!

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Posted

when i was playing 13 hours a day. i'd realize the strings would cut deep into my fingers, (i still haven't bled.. but my fingertips were ripped to shreds for quite a while... i kept playing though. ) , anyhow.. i noticed the strings collect dead skin, which can lead to your fretboard getting nasty. so even if ya did wash your hands.... gotta watch out for that dead skin. :( .

also... don't play for long periods of time, i did. i was stupid and way to obsessed. i think someone mentioned that you should take a 20 minute break at least if you're playing for 4-5 hours. gotta make sure your wrist is not in a bad position, you can get tendonitis from holding it in a bad way too long, or carpal tunnel syndrome.

that'd be bad, :( .

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Posted

Originally posted by stratcat

use the pinky..

 

 

word! thats the best advice.

took me three years to figure that out.

hell i took almost a year to use my ring finger

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Posted

keep yor wrist as straight as possible and don't wear your guitar so damn low. basically, if it hurts somewhere other than your fingertips, take a break. if it keeps hurting, check your technique with someone who knows.

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Posted

oh yeah, don't become a gear and/or HCGF addict. just say no, kids. that should be our next new forum, the 12 step program and withdrawl support group.

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Posted

do not limit yourself to one kind of music or playing feeling or something else : you really start to understand it only when you can look at it-playing an instrument I mean- from different point of view. Experimenting with musical ideas will also help you build a correct technique : as long as I was only playing twelve bar blues I didn't use my pinky at all.Experimenting with different progressions and scales showed me I NEEDED it in some situations. Having learned to use it , it turned out to be very useful even in the old , familiar blues situation.See my point?

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Posted
Originally posted by PhunkyPhred

keep your fingertips close to the strings.

whipe your strings/guitar after every use so that the fretboard doesn't become yucky. (it's easier to clean before it turns to gunky crap)

when restringing the guitar, give the tuning pegs extra slack up top( make sure it's wound around more then once. or your strings might snap! i now string it around 3 or 4 times instead of 1 or 2. )


keep 'em comin.
:)



I heard that if you wrap your string 'round the post more than 1 or 2 times, it will not stay in tune as well. Myth?

Thanks for this thread guys, I've only been playing guitar for 9 months or so (bass for over 3 years though), and you guys have helped a lot.

But now, finally there's a forum not just for gear!
I can finally get better at playing instead of just lusting after new gear.

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Posted

Learn to read music. Too many people rely solely on tab. Tab has its uses, such as determining the best position to play a musical passage.

The majority of available sheet music and method books are written in standard notation only.

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Posted

Thanks for the great tips!
I was wondering if anyone had advice on how to practice keeping your fingertips (mainly the pinky) close to the fretboard when playing. It seems every time I fret with another finger, especially the ring finger my pinky has a tendency to lift up way off the fretboard.

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Posted
Originally posted by krisp2150

Thanks for the great tips!

I was wondering if anyone had advice on how to practice keeping your fingertips (mainly the pinky) close to the fretboard when playing. It seems every time I fret with another finger, especially the ring finger my pinky has a tendency to lift up way off the fretboard.



Most likely your pinky is flying out because your hand is supporting as well as playing the guitar. This restricts how you can play, and forces your fingers and hands to do things besides playing. One good rule of thumb ;) is that the guitar shouldn't move when you take your hands off of it. This is another good reason to practice standing up, with a strap. I keep a strap even when I'm sitting, and don't allow the guitar to rest on my legs. Your hands and fingers should have completely free movement.

Try playing with your thumb sticking straight out, not touching the neck at all. Get used to the sensation fo just 'dancing' along the frets, not pressing them. Most likely your pinky is flying out because your hand is supporting as well as playing the guitar. This restricts how you can play, and forces your fingers and hands to do things besides playing.

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Posted

Do a 10-15 minute warm-up before playing. PLAY SLOW! That is the point. Lighting fast licks when played at once can cause serious joint problems when you grow old.

Here are some of my warm-up routines (some of which by John Petrucci)

E---------------10-----------------10--------------------5----
B-----------8------------------7---------------------7---------
G------7------------------8---------------------8--------------
D--5-----------------5--------------------10-------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------

E----------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------10-----------------10--------------------5----
G-----------8------------------7---------------------7---------
D------7------------------8---------------------8--------------
A--5-----------------5--------------------10-------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------

E---------------------------15----------------------------------
B--------------------14-----------14--------------------------
G--------------12-----------------------12--------------------
D--------14-----------------------------------14--------------
A--12------------------------------------------------15-------
E---------------------------------------------------------------

and do the same pattern, starting on the 13th fret, then next on the 14th fret, then the 15th fret.

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Posted

lets see if any one can pin point my problem, has to so with the pick.. I been playing for 8 years and now i have huge think calluses right on the first joint of all on my finger on my right hand. and my index finger , figer nail is soo thin now from playing, so times that can get jsut plain painful when the finger nail gets soo thin, is this a result of bad tech. or does that happen to a lot of people

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Posted
Originally posted by PSA

oh yeah, don't become a gear and/or HCGF addict. just say no, kids. that should be our next new forum, the 12 step program and withdrawl support group.



Dude...there should be an entrance test before anyone is allowed to subscribe to these forums. And a disclaimer stating that they may become addicting. I haven't been around here long, but I'm already getting sucked in...sometimes spending more time reading about guitars and gear than actually using mine....
:(

There should be a forum on how to leave the forums...

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Posted

It seems every time I fret with another finger, especially the ring finger my pinky has a tendency to lift up way off the fretboard.

 

 

The 'ole 1234 exercise is good for this. Also called the spider. Play 1234 on every string but leave a finger on a string at all times! The only time a finger should leave the string is when it is moving down (or up) to fret a new note. example:

1--------

 

1--2----

 

1--2--3---

 

1--2---3---4

 

next

 

---2--3--4

1----------

 

then

 

-------3--4

1--2-------

 

then

 

-----------4

1--2--3----

 

finaly

 

------------

1--2--3--4

 

Each time through allways leave your finger on the last note it played until it is needed to play the new note.

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Posted

Originally posted by talljohn

3 essential pieces of gear IMHO:

1. a good tuner

2. a metronome or drum machine

3. a looper

 

 

Just thought I'd mention that the best tuner is your ear. Music is a hearing art, so learning how to tune your guitar by ear is a good way to begin your hearing skills.

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Posted

Don't be afraid to step outside of your normal personality when playing guitar. Once you get comfortable enough with moving around the fretboard, bending, scales, etc. take it to the next level by loosening up your grip and letting it flow. For example, I'm a white, 19 yr old guy but when I'm playing some blues licks, I convince myself that I'm a 50 yr old black man in the Frech Quarter. Really put feeling into everything. It's easy to hear!

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