Little shining talent in guitar wants some advice

[Tonimata]

Right, here I go. I'm 16 and approximately a half years old, I study a varied array of subjects for my AS levels, and I have always had a massive hard on for Rock and Roll, all of it's predecessive genres, and all of it's successive genres. In a society where pop, pop rock, techno, house music and all other psychodelical musical styles hold absolute control and power over MTV and maninly any other music distribution media, I think rock and roll stand out for it's independence and of course it's fidelity to its origins, which in a way are redefined with every new sub genre. So about eight months ago, I purchased Rock Band (and proudly did a review about it and posted it somewhere in the escapist), and as much as I tried to drum (I have always played piano and thus I thought I'd have a good sense of rythm) or sing, it turned out that the "instrument" I could best play was, of course, the guitar. And so, after a while of completely burning the mast with the friction of sliding up and down hammer-on sequences, many of my family members and peers thought I was actually pretty good, and that I should take on real guitar playing. Of course, it sounded rather good, thinking I would be able to play killer solos in front of an audience was honey to my ears. So, two weeks ago, I got myself into guitar lessons, and just one week ago, I got myself a proper guitar (Squire Strato) and have been practicing several hours a day. At the end of my first week, I can produly say I have mastered all the major and minor chords, can progress through them swiftly, can play small melodies (I learnt how to play the intro to Enter Sandman on the second day), have already taken part in a gig (my friend's birthday, interpreting hard rock version of happy birthday), can do hammer ons, pull offs, slides, string whammies, etc..
So, after a rather productive week, I have to say I'm proud of myself, but I'd also like to know anything I should know, and of course, get advice from the most experienced players, specially when it comes to forming a group, and what sort of skills should I wait to having until then
Thank you

 

[bmf185]

-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.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

-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.

What he said. Most of all PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. Heh. I started out with a squier strat too. If you're in the UK I recommend starting grade 1 RGT.

 

[Necrophagist]

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.

 

[Turtleboy1017]

What everyone else says, practice makes perfect! Oh and also, not accusing you of being so but you sound a tad cocky in your text . A squire strat, isn't bad, but if you really do want to get into guitar, you have to think about what you want to play. If you want to go with blues, jazz, that stuff, go with something like a Lonestar Strat, or a PRS (Paul Reed Smith). If you want to play metal and hard rock, go for an Ibanez or ESP. ESP sells LTD's, which is a cheaper brand of their standard guitars that's best for people with a budget. Also, challenge songs that may seem a bit more difficult, lot's of people quit because they keep playing intros and chorus only and never try something new. A few suggestions would be Hotel California, Killer Queen, etc etc.

Keep on practicing, for no amount of talent or money will ever get you the skill that practicing can.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

What everyone else says, practice makes perfect! Oh and also, not accusing you of being so but you sound a tad cocky in your text . A squire strat, isn't bad, but if you really do want to get into guitar, you have to think about what you want to play. If you want to go with blues, jazz, that stuff, go with something like a Lonestar Strat, or a PRS (Paul Reed Smith). If you want to play metal and hard rock, go for an Ibanez or ESP. ESP sells LTD's, which is a cheaper brand of their standard guitars that's best for people with a budget. Also, challenge songs that may seem a bit more difficult, lot's of people quit because they keep playing intros and chorus only and never try something new. A few suggestions would be Hotel California, Killer Queen, etc etc.

Keep on practicing, for no amount of talent or money will ever get you the skill that practicing can.

Get a new expensive guitar later! however right you are there, when you start out it doesn't make much difference.

 

[TheGreenManalishi]

Forget theory. Scales and soul are all you need to be great. Scales come easy, soul you have to earn.

 

[Lukeje]

Learn counterpoint.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Forget theory. Scales and soul are all you need to be great. Scales come easy, soul you have to earn.

I disagree. Don't forget theory. Makes your solos a million times better. And everything else you do. Its like being fluent in a language.

 

[Horticulture]

Forget theory. Scales and soul are all you need to be great. Scales come easy, soul you have to earn.

That's like telling an aspiring poet to forget grammar.

Another vote for diligence in learning your scales. Take time to learn all the modes of every key, and practice playing them cleanly (with a metronome as was suggested) in different positions. As you master new chords, look for different ways of playing them (different fingerings, different positions), and play with inversions (a chord with a bass note other than the tonic).

When you practice, listen closely to yourself, specifically to your intonation and articulation. Consider how small changes in pick attack or finger usage change your tone. Listen for the interplay between scales and chords, and notice how the choice of notes placed on or off the beat affects the feel of a passage. See when certain intervals 'work' and when they don't. Record yourself if possible, and listen for what you like and dislike about your playing. Think about other musicians you like, and what it is about their playing that appeals to you. Steal these ideas liberally.

Don't hesitate to play with others-it's the best way to learn. Play with everyone who's willing. Be patient with your bandmates- egos can make or break a group a hundred times faster than good or bad playing. A good drummer is worth his weight in gold. And listen to your bassist once in awhile, if only to make sure he's still there.

Most importantly, don't forget to have fun. Best of luck.

 

[zen5887]

-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.

Oh goodness yes.

Theory is important, no matter what anyone else says, it is. Without it you might be decent, thats fair enough but if you get a hold of it early on then you will find communication with other musicians (not just guitarists) so much easier. Not to mention you will get better at improvisation and composition.

I would also like to add a few things.

Don't get ahead of yourself. You can play a bit of Enter Sandman your first few days of playing. Thats pretty cool but it doesn't mean you are amazing, you are just starting out and you have a lot to learn. I had this problem and payed for it when I went to uni.

Expand your musical mind. When I read what you said about pop and techno and MTV I cringed at the thought of another rock-head guitarist in the world. That stuff isn't all bad (sure there is some shocking stuff in the world of pop) so don't automaticly count that stuff out. Just because a song uses electronic instruments doesn't mean it was made by a bunch of talentless losers. Chances are (as in.. Almost certainly) someone played all those parts in with a keyboard then programmed the sounds themselves. I'm not saying you should like every musical genre there is, just appreciate talent and there is a lot of talent out there (Just because a guitarist doesn't go "BLAM! Solo bi-atch" doesn't mean he isn't any good).

To recap

- 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!

 

[djninjah]

Previous posters have covered the importance of learning music theory, scales, and such. (I agree.) But I want to add this:

A great way to keep the learning process FUN is to learn and play tablature (AKA tabs). Search the web for tabs of your favorite songs (there are a ton of websites for this), learn them, and play them whenever you get bored.

Doing this will make you better at the physical aspects of playing guitar without even having to think about it. Your grip will get stronger, your fingertips will become tougher, your fingers will move faster, etc. It's practicing without feeling like you're practicing.

Good luck; a Squier Strat was my first guitar too.

 

[omicronpercei]

These guys are all right. One thing I found actually helped with a lot of timing and rhythm issues was actually learning to play a lot of Tool songs. The timing they use is so different that it breaks you from getting complacent with your playing. It breaks repetition and keeps you interested. It's hard to describe so I hope I'm getting the point across.

 

[Raven's Nest]

Just a counter-point to all the theory lovers here. It doesn't mean everything to learn it all before you start playing. Some of the best guitarists I have met never had a single guitar lesson but they managed to figure out most of the theory by themselves. Honestly one of them can do every technical trick in the shredder's arsenal and hit the notes accurately. I didn't believe he was that good without knowing what he was doing. I set him up with a metronome and by God he was good.

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

 

[insectoid]

I'm not going to re-iterate all the (excellent) points made already, but I will add: don't speed ahead - otherwise you'll hit a road block and lose (possibly all) motivation. Learn a concept, and learn it well.

 

[willard3]

Just a counter-point to all the theory lovers here. It doesn't mean everything to learn it all before you start playing. Some of the best guitarists I have met never had a single guitar lesson but they managed to figure out most of the theory by themselves. Honestly one of them can do every technical trick in the shredder's arsenal and hit the notes accurately. I didn't believe he was that good without knowing what he was doing. I set him up with a metronome and by God he was good.

Yes, well not everyone is self-taught or can be self-taught...takes a lot of discipline and a certain amount of inborn talent. Lessons are great in that they can take the tiny amounts of inborn talent you have (your mileage may vary) and enlarge it into skill. (One of the things I learned in college is that being good on an instrument is not necessarily a talent...it's a skill. "Oh you're so talented!" "No, I'm skilled, and you can be just as skilled as me if you practice.")

Anyway, to the OP, you're at least being somewhat serious about it and not just playing to impress the ladies or your buddies, so you have more respect in my book. (normally i hate guitarists...)

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.

I'm a pianist myself, so I dunno how crucial learning more advanced theory is for a guitarist (especially if you plan on being a lead), but definitely learn the circle of fifths, some chord progressions, and definitely try some ear training (learn to recognize chord types by their sound, etc.). Music theory in college was boring, but after taking music history it became really cool. Honestly, they should teach history before theory, so then you at least have a background in stuff before you dig deep and analyze it. (I really really wish I had had music history before analyzing Schoenberg in theory...ugh)

Oh and also, learn to use paragraph breaks.

 

[TheGreenManalishi]

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.

 

[Lukeje]

Robert Johnson is one of the greatest guitarists the world will ever see, could he play Through the Fire and Flames? Probably not.

Of course he could; he sold his soul to the Devil in order to be able to play guitar.

 

[Ryuzix]

Yeah, its been said:
Use a metronome.
Fuck tabs, only idiots use tabs exclusively.
Scales.
Oh yeah, don't be a lead only guy, learn to play rhythm.
Don't be a speed whore.
Don't rush either (going from an easy song to a really hard one.)
I find that playing Sweet child of mine off by heart when watching tv really helps with mind/hand coordination (forgot what the word for mind/hand coordination is.)
Also practice your picking technique and learn all the notes on the fretboard.

 

[GyroCaptain]

I find that playing Sweet child of mine off by heart when watching tv really helps with mind/hand coordination (forgot what the word for mind/hand coordination is.)
Also practice your picking technique and learn all the notes on the fretboard.

Oh yes, Sweet Child O' Mine is my practice rigor at the moment for finger agility.

I'm in much the same situation as the OP, only I've now had me guitar for about 8 months. In that time, I went berserk on the techie side of it, so in addition to learning chords, scales etc., I swapped pickups, routed for an extra one, changed wiring, painted it, added a trem tailpiece (homemade, haha) and generally have gone a little bananas. In addition, it's also a little better quality than the entry Squier strats, it's an Epiphone G-400 (likes me some Gibson crunch).