Little shining talent in guitar wants some advice

[zen5887]

The reason I say soul is more important than theory is because while people like Steve Vai, Satriani, those guys from Dragonforce etc. might be technically the best players around, I think music by people like David Gilmour, Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, early Clapton/Cream is much more interesting because of the feeling they can convey through their playing. Robert Johnson is one of the greatest guitarists the world will ever see, could he play Through the Fire and Flames? Probably not.

Just because they play with soul doesn't mean they don't know theory, you CAN do both.

Above all things, LEARN TO READ SHEET MUSIC, NOT JUST FAKEBOOKS AND TABS. Dear GOD, learn to read music. If you ever want to break out into music school or the business, you WILL need it, and it makes you so much more marketable and well-rounded. I'm not bashing fakebooks or tabs...by all means, learn them too, but not to the exclusion of actual sheet music.

Reading music isn't that big for a guitarists. Rarely will you see sheet music for a guitarist that has notation. Most (if not all) the time guitarists read off chord charts. Heck, most of the time I, as a bass player, read off chord charts.

Not thats not to say reading notation isn't important, just not as important (I think, at least, I'll ask some people at uni on Tuesday) as chord charts. I would also like to add tab is quick and easy but you shouldn't rely on it.

 

[curlycrouton]

Learn counterpoint.

Abso-bloody-lutely.

Also, are you really sure you can play hammer-ons and pull-offs well after only one week? I didn't even think that was possible. It took me two bloody months to master it, back in the year 2000.

But now, some advice: I'm pretty sure that most Squire Strats come with 10th strings, no? This means that they're less flexible, and therefore harder to bend, but are less likely to bend out of tune when you're playing. If you want to play solos, I suggest changing your strings to 8th strings, but if you're going for rhythm, stick with the 10th strings.

Finally, learn all the theory. I mean all of it. Do you know all the modes? Do you know what Rondo form is? Well, you should do, so get learning.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Oh, and listen to a variety of music. It helps a lot. I know of too many guys who refuse to touch anything not by Green Day and whatnot and never get anywhere.

 

[GyroCaptain]

Oh, and listen to a variety of music. It helps a lot. I know of too many guys who refuse to touch anything not by Green Day and whatnot and never get anywhere.

Are these gentlemen, in fact, retarded?

Seriously, Green Day tends to have incredibly simple, derivative guitarwork. It's fairly well arranged, but why stop there? Drop back and listen to AC/DC for simple done well, listen to Emerson Lake and Palmer for complex acoustic flavored, listen to Led, the Animals, the Stones, and the Yardbirds for preliminary blues flavored hard rock...

 

[Tonimata]

Best of luck to the OP anyway, as much as I feel smug that your of the guitar hero generation of guitarists.

Well, it had to happen someday. At least it'll mean more people trying to revive a genre which is dying to all of that commercial pop. Although I have to agree, I played some RB yesterday, and I'm telling you, I never felt a) more stupid, b) more soiled in my entire life.

 

[Tonimata]

Oh, and listen to a variety of music. It helps a lot. I know of too many guys who refuse to touch anything not by Green Day and whatnot and never get anywhere.

Are these gentlemen, in fact, retarded?

Seriously, Green Day tends to have incredibly simple, derivative guitarwork. It's fairly well arranged, but why stop there? Drop back and listen to AC/DC for simple done well, listen to Emerson Lake and Palmer for complex acoustic flavored, listen to Led, the Animals, the Stones, and the Yardbirds for preliminary blues flavored hard rock...

I'll gleefully listen to anything that can class itself as rock and roll. And yeah, I like all the mentioned above. WHY WASN'T I BORN IN THE 70s?!

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Oh, and listen to a variety of music. It helps a lot. I know of too many guys who refuse to touch anything not by Green Day and whatnot and never get anywhere.

Are these gentlemen, in fact, retarded?

Seriously, Green Day tends to have incredibly simple, derivative guitarwork. It's fairly well arranged, but why stop there? Drop back and listen to AC/DC for simple done well, listen to Emerson Lake and Palmer for complex acoustic flavored, listen to Led, the Animals, the Stones, and the Yardbirds for preliminary blues flavored hard rock...

I'll gleefully listen to anything that can class itself as rock and roll. And yeah, I like all the mentioned above. WHY WASN'T I BORN IN THE 70s?!

What about stuff that can't be classed as rock and roll?

 

[Tonimata]

- Learn your theory. Scales, chord progressions, aural training, musical notation (chord charts at the very least, try not to depend of tabs) and most importantly, chords. How many ways can you play that Cm7-9?

- Don't get too cocky. No one, and I mean no one, likes a guitarist full of himself. If you are level headed, people will like you, if people like you then you will get work.

- Be diverse. It will help you grow as a musician as well as make you easier to work with.

Good luck on your musical quest!

Thanks on the advice. It's not the fact that I dislike pop, I dislike the fact that rock is being kicked on the face for being too estrident or old age. Most if not all of my peers have an incredibly prejudiced vision of rock and roll, by disliking it and criticising it, and (this being proven) not knowing the first thing about it. E.G., a friend of mine who is a sworn enemy of rock was once caught listening to RHCP and she didn't realize it was rock, and on a separate occasion, caught listening to Nothing Else Matters, (Lucie Silvas version, which I have to admit, was pretty good) and I was darn quick to point out that it was composed by Metallica. Maybe it's just me being unlucky, but I keep running into people that forsake rock and roll with no better reason than because everyone does so. And yes, I'll be sure to learn my stuff. I would also like to ask another quick question. Is there any computer program that can be used to progam metronomes?

 

[Tonimata]

Oh, and listen to a variety of music. It helps a lot. I know of too many guys who refuse to touch anything not by Green Day and whatnot and never get anywhere.

Are these gentlemen, in fact, retarded?

Seriously, Green Day tends to have incredibly simple, derivative guitarwork. It's fairly well arranged, but why stop there? Drop back and listen to AC/DC for simple done well, listen to Emerson Lake and Palmer for complex acoustic flavored, listen to Led, the Animals, the Stones, and the Yardbirds for preliminary blues flavored hard rock...

I'll gleefully listen to anything that can class itself as rock and roll. And yeah, I like all the mentioned above. WHY WASN'T I BORN IN THE 70s?!

What about stuff that can't be classed as rock and roll?

That too, I still hold James Morrison as one of my favourite singers. Oh, and I also like spanish rapper Nach Scratch. His lyrics are made of win.

 

[zen5887]

Oh, and listen to a variety of music. It helps a lot. I know of too many guys who refuse to touch anything not by Green Day and whatnot and never get anywhere.

Are these gentlemen, in fact, retarded?

Seriously, Green Day tends to have incredibly simple, derivative guitarwork. It's fairly well arranged, but why stop there? Drop back and listen to AC/DC for simple done well, listen to Emerson Lake and Palmer for complex acoustic flavored, listen to Led, the Animals, the Stones, and the Yardbirds for preliminary blues flavored hard rock...

Why stop there? Why not listen to some Jazz? Awesome solos that make you think, what about funk? Those chord investions are pretty neat, how about Latin, Reggae, Fusion and Disco? There is so much more music around then rock.

 

[Tonimata]

Oh, and listen to a variety of music. It helps a lot. I know of too many guys who refuse to touch anything not by Green Day and whatnot and never get anywhere.

Good thing I don't like Green day then

 

[Tonimata]

My best advice is to never, NEVER approach the guitar as a tool or something you manipulate. It should be a direct extension of your soul. A lot of guitar players being playing scales for the show factor alone, trying to play arpeggios as fast as possible because, well, it's impressive. Never allow yourself to become disconnected from the beautiful experience of making music.

Yes, the attitude of hard rock is gun. The technicality of metal is impressive. But without soul, it means nothing. I know a lot of talented guitarists who lose their interest in the beauty of the instrument.

Never. I know what an instrument is. My parents thought it would be a good idea of getting rid of my piano. OVER MY DEAD BODY!. And I'm still alive.
And in all honesty, whenever anyone in my course asks me to play Broken Strings (I swear they don't listen to else), I just play the intro riff to Smoke on The Water, in an obvious attempt to being incredibly smug.

 

[zen5887]

I would also like to ask another quick question. Is there any computer program that can be used to progam metronomes?

You could just buy one?

If not then google somthing like "Online Metronome" I'm sure there is one online.

 

[Tonimata]

Oh, and listen to a variety of music. It helps a lot. I know of too many guys who refuse to touch anything not by Green Day and whatnot and never get anywhere.

Are these gentlemen, in fact, retarded?

Seriously, Green Day tends to have incredibly simple, derivative guitarwork. It's fairly well arranged, but why stop there? Drop back and listen to AC/DC for simple done well, listen to Emerson Lake and Palmer for complex acoustic flavored, listen to Led, the Animals, the Stones, and the Yardbirds for preliminary blues flavored hard rock...

Why stop there? Why not listen to some Jazz? Awesome solos that make you think, what about funk? Those chord investions are pretty neat, how about Latin, Reggae, Fusion and Disco? There is so much more music around then rock.

Thing is, to all those genres, I prefer to dance than to listen. It's what they're made for really. Although I'd like to ask a question, is anyone here aware of a genre called Bakala? Because it seems to have been going on for a while in Spain, and let me tell you, the people that claim metal is just pure noise need to turn their heads to this. OH WAIT, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT LIKE THIS!

 

[Tonimata]

Of course, but I'm a bit short on slack right now, and I'd like to save up for an effects pedal, as well as a SWEET Son Of Beast guitar I saw on the shop for only 200 quid.
I'm sure you're all as amazed as I was.

 

[zen5887]

Oh, and listen to a variety of music. It helps a lot. I know of too many guys who refuse to touch anything not by Green Day and whatnot and never get anywhere.

Are these gentlemen, in fact, retarded?

Seriously, Green Day tends to have incredibly simple, derivative guitarwork. It's fairly well arranged, but why stop there? Drop back and listen to AC/DC for simple done well, listen to Emerson Lake and Palmer for complex acoustic flavored, listen to Led, the Animals, the Stones, and the Yardbirds for preliminary blues flavored hard rock...

Why stop there? Why not listen to some Jazz? Awesome solos that make you think, what about funk? Those chord investions are pretty neat, how about Latin, Reggae, Fusion and Disco? There is so much more music around then rock.

Thing is, to all those genres, I prefer to dance than to listen. It's what they're made for really.

But someone has to play it. If you want to be a serious musician then you should learn to play everything. Your heart can still be in rocknroll but at least have the knowledge of other genres.

You never know, you might get asked to play at a school dance with a disco theme, it might play $350 for a three hour set. Damn good money.

 

[kickin wiing]

-Don't get ahead of yourself. Fully explore concepts before moving on.

-Learn your theory. Know what the circle of fifths is? Learn it. Learn common progressions and you'll find that most songs on the radio only have about four chords.

-Learn your scales. Know how many sharps or flats there are in your key.

-Practice every day with a metronome. If one or two notes are off, you are going too fast. Speed means NOTHING if the notes are sloppy.

These would be a good start to distinguishing yourself as a musician rather than some guy who plays guitar. As far as forming a group goes, look for people who are interested in playing the same kind of music at about the same skill level. Oh, and for general rock music, explore the pentatonic scales and the blues scale, as this is what almost all rock is based on. Hope that helps for now.

This is good and all but don't forget the number one rule: have fun and love every second of it. For me the whole music theory and whatnot made playing music feel like work instead of, well, music! But hey, if music theory interests you then by all means go for it! I'm just saying don't forget to have fun.

 

[Tonimata]

Oh, and listen to a variety of music. It helps a lot. I know of too many guys who refuse to touch anything not by Green Day and whatnot and never get anywhere.

Are these gentlemen, in fact, retarded?

Seriously, Green Day tends to have incredibly simple, derivative guitarwork. It's fairly well arranged, but why stop there? Drop back and listen to AC/DC for simple done well, listen to Emerson Lake and Palmer for complex acoustic flavored, listen to Led, the Animals, the Stones, and the Yardbirds for preliminary blues flavored hard rock...

Why stop there? Why not listen to some Jazz? Awesome solos that make you think, what about funk? Those chord investions are pretty neat, how about Latin, Reggae, Fusion and Disco? There is so much more music around then rock.

Thing is, to all those genres, I prefer to dance than to listen. It's what they're made for really.

But someone has to play it. If you want to be a serious musician then you should learn to play everything. Your heart can still be in rocknroll but at least have the knowledge of other genres.

You never know, you might get asked to play at a school dance with a disco theme, it might play $350 for a three hour set. Damn good money.

That, my good sir, is one DAMN convincing argument.
350 bucks...
drooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

 

[GyroCaptain]

*Goes to find tab for "Staying Alive"

 

[zen5887]

That, my good sir, is one DAMN convincing argument.
350 bucks...
drooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

Ohh yeah.

Music pays pretty good, if you're good enough that is. I got paid $60 to play 3 country songs at the urban country music festival last year, then ended up playing on one of the bigger stages (I played brown eyed girl while the drummer was yelling out the chord to me), its not much but 3 songs is only about 15 minutes work. A friend of mine got $700 a night to play piano at a fancy restaurant, he didn't like it that much but its better than stocking shelves!

EDIT: I would also like to add - You might get work if you play rocknroll stuff, I'm sure that is what you would prefer BUT you will get more work if you can play Funk, Jazz, Disco, Pop, Latin ect. I know it might suck (I am in no hurry to play another disco gig) but there is nothing stopping you from playing in a band YOU like as well as a cover/party band. For example you could use the cover band to earn enough money to buy a P.A so you can put on your own gigs with your own songs =)