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She's got the beat: Blindness doesn't stop teen's band ... - Abilene Reporter-News

... month and was able to perform with the band despite being blind and needing special help to learn ... piano and plays guitar, drums and harmonica. “Kim (Mariah’s mother) and I feel there is not an instrument she cannot play,” said Hanford ...

A day in the life of a Minuteman Tech student - Abington Mariner

... a gold chain with her Hebrew name, “Aliyah,” and below that hangs a guitar pick, just in case. “If you find someone with a guitar in the cafeteria, or anywhere, you can take it off and play ... something you really want to learn about ...

TabToolKit iPhone App Review - The Gadgeteer

That’s right, you can listen to the tab files (specifically Guitar Pro and Power Tab files) in real time through your device. As the song plays, a fretboard shows fingerings. Want to learn to play the song on your piano instead of stringed ...

Voting Question: how long would it take me to learn guitar?

i want to play guitar. I am in a SCAPA program and i take muscianship theory so i know my chords, grand staff, triads, scales, and now we are composing the treble clef parts of two part inventions. Im learning by myself, and using musictheory.net guitar trainer since i cant afford a tutor, Im playing it for church so ear playing is m ybest bet. I already play a treble clef wind instrument. I generally catch on fast. How long do you think it would take for me to learn Guitar well enough to play songs during praise and worshipi aslo know the notes of all the strings each octave all sharps and flats and naturals...so far lol more

Resolved Question: How hard will it be for a trombone player like me to learn other brass instruments?

I've been playing trombone for a few years (since 5th i'm in 9th now) and would like to play the tuba and trumpet as well. my friend plays tuba and at his house i tried it and it didn't seem to hard. i was able to play a B flat scale no problem and my articulations were pretty clean after a little while. i'm not looking to be a crazy player, i just want to get pretty good and be able to do jazz improvisations and stuff like that. another reason i want to play tuba is because my school band's tuba player is a senior and next year we will be tuba-less. how long to you think it will take me to get good at the tuba and trumpet? music theory and reading is not an issue for me since i play piano and guitar, and i'm pretty deep into jazz theory. i guess i want to get deeper into the trumpet than tuba, because in order to improvise on it i'll have to learn all sorts of different modes. i tend to pick things up quickly, and i can't image that buzzing into a trumpet and tuba mouthpiece can be that much different than a trombone mouthpiece. so how long do you think it will take me? more

Resolved Question: need to get better at guitar...?

I can play acoustic and i hope to get to electric soon. i have no history of playing any scales or simply put...never learned the basics... T_T anyway, i can play songs from coldplay and greenday as long as its acoustic... i like Coheed and Cambria and FFDP and hope to be good enough to play some songs. So basically i want to learn what i skipped on...everything and i was hoping on getting answers about tips on how i can approach this and maybe some websites that can help me that is FREE.I'M DESPERATE AND EVERYTHING SEEMS SO HARD!!!! more

Resolved Question: Help with learning how to play rock guitar.?

I know this probably has been asked many times before but I am just wondering. I recently got a slash les paul epiphone for my birthday and I am into rock music (aerosmith motley crue gun n roses etc) and i want to learn how to play these types of songs (and eventually make my own) but it seems all i can do is find tabs for songs which i can beraly understand. I have also heard that i should learn scales and etc but the problem is i have no idea what scales are and where i can learn them from? and if theres anything else i can do to help me learn to play songs (I have a marshall mg30fx) more

Voting Question: I have some questions about the guitar for an intermediate player?

I am an intermediate guitar player, I play in my schools jazz band and can sight read most of the stuff we play after I learn the chords for the songs we play, when I solo, throw in licks and stuff like that I don't play the scales your supposed to play with the chords I play what feels right, In rock I am pretty accomplished though I'm not sure what the whole thing behind it is, I've never really learned a lot of songs in it the songs I do know are -Crazy Train Ozzy Osbourne -Enter Sandman Metalica -JEssies Girl rick springfield -Summer of 69 bryan adams -Hero Nickleback -you shook me all night long ACDC and I know more intros to songs than I can count not to brag either but I'm a great imrpovist MY question is how do I advance my playing, I know like one scale by heart a bunch of chords well enough that I might have to check my fingerings every once in a great while, but how do I advance my playing I'm not sure in whichc direction to go! I want to get to the level wehre I know enoguh that I can compose my own songs but I want to take the right journey, so what should I do to make my playing better, learning songs isn't my main goal, but it wouldn't be bad, so what should I do to imrpove my playing? Not looking for the typical PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE stuff, I want to know what I should study more

Resolved Question: how to improv with scales?

i know the importance of scales with music. i don't get how guitarist use them to get the sound they want. do i have to know what every sound/note is on the guitar? i can't see how it all works. do i have to learn all the scales? can i play around with them? these may be dumb ace questions, but i'm stuck in this situation. more

Resolved Question: learning guitar: stuck (guitar players input wanted)?

this is a question for guitar players. ( i define "guitar player" as good enough to play in a serious band). so i really want to get better at guitar, and music in general, but i just dont know what my next step is. i can play all sorts of chords and scales fluently, but i dont know what im doing. i have no idea of how to put them together to make a jam. any suggestions on what i should practice and/or learn next? what were the steps you took to get where you are today (in terms of skill) more

Resolved Question: learning guitar: stuck?

Resolved Question: Help with learning the guitar?

Well I have been playing the guitar for about a year now, and the only thing i have really go to grasps with, (i'm self taught) is how to play about 8 chords. The chords I know, I learned to play songs because I just wanted to get stuck in. Does anyone have any information for me, to help me know what i need to learn? Should I learn power chords, scales, how to read tabs better, strumming, timing. I'm really stuck on what to learn.Oh and lester G, My friend is self taught and he cna literally play "eruption" and "through the fire and the flames" without even looking, and I did start off with lessons, and my teacher even recommended self teaching. more

Resolved Question: how do you improve on guitar? i feel like im getting nowhere..?

I have been playing guitar for 6 years now and to be honest, i have only seen small signs of improvement. most of my family are great guitar players and had no problem learning it but for some reason im falling back despite the endless hours of practicing i have been doing for weeks on end.. i feel like i have reached my limit and will never get any further but i have a strong passion for this and i want to get better. id like to know how did most guitarists improve? the things i have been practicing are mostly scales. but even after all the practicing i have done i have seen no improvement with them either. is there something im doing wrong? is there something that im lacking at? these answers i do not know. so im asking any skilled guitarist out there, please give me some advice because this is really getting to me. thanks more

Voting Question: How to progress further on guitar creatively?

Ive been playing for a while now, and I believe I've built up enough technicality to play guitar, I know some basic theory, scales, etc, I have the finger strength/speed, etc etc, but what im aiming for as a guitar player is to be more emotional than that, I want it to be about expression. Unfortunately what happens when I reach for my guitar is I feel as though im stuck in a box where I'm just using the same bar chords again and again, using the same patterns, for example usually the first thing I'll try and do is arpeggiate up and down a minor chord, change it to a c shape with my pinky then move to the major above it and just end up repeating it, that's just an example of something i'll resort to doing when I feel as though im not creative enough, like Im losing all of my innovativeness :( ? The thing is I've noticed that every now and then ill realise something sounds good, e.g. a certain chord pattern or a way of bending a string, or just a way of linking chords together, anything really, and ill then start to use that in my playing, but it just feels as though I'm realising these techniques really slowly, I want to speed it up? this is basically what im asking? do I need to learn more songs to find these techniques, or do I need to build up my own style? or maybe I'm just losing my creativity? I hope im making sense here. Sorry for making this so long lol Thanks more

Resolved Question: How should a guitarist of 3 years go about learning some music theory for the first time?

I've been playing guitar for about 3 years and i recently decided i want to start learning music theory to get a lot better. Ive been entirely self taught these past couple years and have really never done anything with theory. I want to know where i should start. What should i do, how should i go about learning theory. I consider myself a pretty decent player, i just think i need to know some applications/scales/etc more

Resolved Question: what is a I IV V chord progression?

I prefer drums and I'm WAY better at that, but writing songs requires some melodic knowledge so I started learning guitar from books and the internet, so I know basically how to play chords and how scales/modes work. What I don't understand though is that keep coming across the phrase "I, IV, V chord progression." I thought I knew how chords worked alright and how to put them together pretty well, but then where do roman numerals come into it all? I wanted to compose some progressive sounding songs and the internet told me progressive rock doesn't often use the "common I, IV, V progression." If its so common I'm probably using it by mistake, and I don't even know what it is! Please help more

Resolved Question: Is there something wrong with my violin?

I recently decided I would like to learn to play the violin. Luckily, my grandma had one in her house that nobody ever used, so she is letting me borrow it so I can see what I can do with it. I have not invested in any official lessons yet because right now I just want to mess around with it. Everything I have learned so far I have learned from the internet. My problem is, I don't know how old this violin is, when or by whom it was last used, and I have no idea if anything is wrong with it. It's an Antonius Stradivarius 1721 replica. My grandma says she had it restrung and the bow hair replaced about two or three years ago. I've tuned it to the best of my ability with a guitar tuner, so I'm fairly certain it's in tune. Also, I found a small rock-hard cake of rosin in the case (about the size of three or four quarters stacked on top of each other), so I scratched the top of it up with a screwdriver head and applied the rosin to the bow for about 5 minutes. The case looks like it's a hundred years old, and my grandma has a thing for antiques, so this thing may be really old. It's fairly dusty. When I draw the bow across the strings, it makes sound, and I can play the G major scale intelligibly, but something about the tone isn't right. It's scratchy and airy where I expected it to be clear and warm. I hold the bow like I learned from the internet, which feels awkward but I guess I'll eventually get used to it. I draw the bow perpendicularly to the strings. I've tried using all, 3/4, and half of the bow hair, and I find that using less hair makes the sound a little better, but still not what I want. I've tried bowing at all different speeds, but that does little to help. I learned not to apply much pressure and to just let the bow glide across the strings. So what could be the reason for this tone? Do I need to change the strings? Maybe just clean them? Do I need to apply more rosin to the bow? Is my rosin too old? Do I need to have the bow rehaired? Is it just my lack of skill? Does every violinist start out like this? more

Resolved Question: How do i learn playing the guitar?

I got my guitar almost a year back. I just took a few lessons, but then i stopped. Now i want to start playing the guitar again. Could any one help me with sites through which i could learn the guitar.. It would be very helpful if anyone could provide me with something I basically don't know much...means how to go about... I started my lessons with C Scale..please help me as to what to start with Thanking everyone in Advance more

Voting Question: guitar training help?

I need a solid daily guitar exercise schedule to follow I have read that Eric Clapton had a daily routine where he'd practice 17 exercises. I'm looking to do something like this. My problem is I get carried away looking for the best ways to do learn and improve on things because I'm unsure about it. I'm 18, I have really good hand eye coordination, I've been playing for just over 2 months, I have all major chords down, learned some random sus and w.e chords, I'm familiar with scales (unsure how they truly work), I'm struggling with my right hand, trying to pick up crazy speed, but want to have better accuracy (with both hands really), etc etc etc.. I've been practicing for like 3-8 hours a day (sometimes more..most was 13 lol). Ever since I started I've loved playing and want to get really goooooooood. more

Resolved Question: I need a solid daily guitar exercise schedule to follow?

I have read that Eric Clapton had a daily routine where he'd practice 17 exercises. I'm looking to do something like this. My problem is I get carried away looking for the best ways to do learn and improve on things because I'm unsure about it. I'm 18, I have really good hand eye coordination, I've been playing for just over 2 months, I have all major chords down, learned some random sus and w.e chords, I'm familiar with scales (unsure how they truly work), I'm struggling with my right hand, trying to pick up crazy speed, but want to have better accuracy (with both hands really), etc etc etc.. I've been practicing for like 3-8 hours a day (sometimes more..most was 13 lol). Ever since I started I've loved playing and want to get really goooooooood. more

Resolved Question: Jazz Guitar Help!!!!?

I had an interesting day as a musician and I have some questions. I have been playing guitar for six years and I play in a rock program whre you form bands and play live shows as well as have lessons. Last month I joined jazz band at school and today I played at this jazz festival with a bunch of other schools. I noticed I got really nervous on stage in front of a judge and didnt follow the music that well. At the time of my solo, I was so scared that i just played random notes of the mixolydian and the minor pentatonic. We were playing a standard 1-4-5 blues to solo over by the way. Anyways it sounded really not professional and I know I havent been playing jazz for a long time but i need to get there. This is my first year of high school and i was playibg next to juniors that were swinging the groove and playing jazzy solos with jazzy scales. I am so used to being considered a good rock player, but now i feel i am in another league with better players. So my question is what shbould i do to improve. Should I learn songs out of the Real Book. How can I practice improv, also how do i improve my rhythm playing. I have a big passion for guitar and I want to get better. Thanks more

Resolved Question: Is it possible for a person with small hands to play the guitar?

I'm taking a guitar class in school (I'm a sophomore), and in first few days, we're learning how to play a scale. However, I'm having trouble spreading out my fingers to reach the notes, and I can't use my other fingers very well, only my index finger. Is guitar the right instrument for me? :/ I really want to learn. more

Resolved Question: I want to learn improvisation of guitar solos. I play rhythm, what should I learn next?

I've been playing guitar for almost 4 years. I play pretty good rhythm and I have basic knowledge of scales and keys (what chords should be used in a song) and playing lead (but I only know how to learn and memorize lead guitar solos of songs). I also know how to apply some lead guitar playing techniques, such as fingering pull off, hammer on, vibrato, bend, et. al. But I want to learn guitar solo improvisation, what should I study next? What are the first easy scales I should memorize? What music genres should I learn first?Sorry for the typo, there should be a comma after the word 'fingering'.I can't afford to take lessons from a guitar teacher (though I know it is indeed the best way to learn) due to lack of money, so I will just teach myself. more

Resolved Question: Guitar question. Need a expert?

Okay..... I play electric guitar. I want to learn scales. I have one issue. Before I learn scales I want to know how they work. In a "key" of a scale for for examlpe a chromatic scale (I've just heard that word before).. What does is mean ...... Ya know a key. Is it all the e's on the fretboard or what. I don't understand. Please help more

Resolved Question: What would you tell a beginning guitar player to learn, advice?

So a guy who is setting up a new server for work caught me looking at guitars online and told me he just got one a couple months ago. It got me wondering, since I am self taught, I had to piece things together throughout the years. It's been about 15 or 16 years now and I completely forgot how hard it is to start learning guitar, just hearing a simple word like hammer-on, or pull off, or harmonic was completely foreign back then, but is as simple as 1-2-3 to me nowadays. I wanted to give him a couple tips for learning, so I told him about chromatic exercises and how to search for stuff on youtube. What I wanted to know was, how did everyone here first start learning, or what did you learn? Did you start off trying to play rhythm or lead? Did you take lessons or self teach yourself? Stuff like that. Also, what are a couple basic things I can tell this guy? Like, what key should he start with? I started with the key of C. Do you think that's a good key to start in? He said he'll start taking lessons, but I figured I would tell him to also get a beginner DVD and chord/scale book, as well as asking other guitarists for tips. Do you guys have any good beginner DVD's and books for him to get?Damn, sounds like I need a tutor as well... lol.Nowhere in the same sentence or paragraph did I mention scales or keys with hammer-ons/pull offs. This question isn't to try to teach myself guitar, its to give advice to someone else just starting out a couple of things to start learning to get his feet wet, so I was making a reference to how hard it is to learn simple things in the beginning, things that are second nature to me, like hammer-ons and pull-offs. I have no clue how you got that confused with keys which I mentioned 3 or 4 paragraphs later. Try reading the question/questions again. more

Voting Question: Guitar soloing and Improvising?

Hello my name is Ryan huebner I am an aspiring guitarist. I am very influenced by bands like nirvana, led Zeppelin, pearl jam, foo fighters, the who and more. Kurt cobain is my favorite singer songwriter and guitarist. One day I want to be like him along with others like him. So I have two questions. My first question is where the he'll do I start? I know a full pentatonic scale but how do I use it? how do I transpose keys? How do I break out of 1 box position how can I train my ears to know wat notes i should play? What music theory should I learn to know what power chords sound good together? And what scale to use to solo over that?........and lastly. What separates guitarists like Jimmy page and Clapton and Hendrix from everybody else? more

Voting Question: Tips for getting better at guitar(self teaching)?

OK, here's the story: I started playing guitar about 8 months ago, and I'm completely self-taught. I can't take lessons because I live in a small town and nobody teaches around here. My dad told me a few days ago that if I get really good at guitar, he'd think about buying me a $200 effects pedal. As of right now, I can play about 10-20 chords, power chords, and barre chords. I also know a lot of music theory because I'm in my middle school band. I know how to play major pentatonic scales. That's about it. The only song I can play, though, is That's What You Get by Paramore. I'm wanting to learn how to do these things: play more chords learn by ear write better riffs/chord progressions learn more scales build up hand speed learn and write songs better/faster arpeggios alternate tunings how to play in different styles If you have any websites/books/dvds/tips for me, please tell me more

Resolved Question: Learning Guitar 100% alone,?

I've been messing around with a guitar for something like 8 months now and finally decided I wanted to learn how to play it for reals. I haven't learned shit. I can play the C minor scale, whoopee. The problem now is, I can't hang out with my friends who play instruments anymore unless they come to my house and I live 45 mins away. I can't find ANYTHING helpful on the internet that doesn't cost money ( broke too ). Anyway, enough about that. On to the questions. Should I feel bad that I can't come up with anything that sounds good on a well tuned guitar? This is what I seriously don't understand. I use chords and keep in mind the steps and other crap, but nothing sounds even minutely good at all. This has been driving me insane. Sometimes simply plucking a string becomes difficult and I don't get this. I can't describe anything I have come up with since the guitar was tuned to drop C as anything but utter failure. I can do squealies but can't find anything to put them in. I'd like to just forget about all this and find a new starting point if anyone has any ideas. If I have to just sit and play it till I figure it out i will most definitely continue giving that a shot, but I'd love to have something to go off of.. more

Resolved Question: How do I learn guitar?

I've already tried once to learn guitar, I got nowhere. People were always telling me to play scales over and over and I did this for 2 hours every day for 3 weeks and I got no better. So where do I start? I go to yahoo answers because I a guitar teacher is out of the question since there are none in my area. And a lot of you are going to ask what kind of music I want to play. I want to play things like Bullet for my Valentine and Avenged Sevenfold. The guitars I have to work with is a B.C. Rich and some kinda stratocaster that my friend jacked with and ruined to where I can't play the top three frets on the highest string, both of them have bad strings I'm pretty sure because I haven't touched them in a couple of months. Thank you for the answers, if you have any questions, pm me ^_^ more

Resolved Question: Anyone know any good music website for guitars?

I've been playing for 4 years so i really need to learn more about theory. I don't need to learn the basic chords because I already know them and I don't want to learn chords like C aug sus4 because I don't want to learn chords which i dont understand and therefore don't have any control of in my playing. I just need a good website that teaches me the basics of theory. Like I know my major scale in the key of G/Em A/Fm# I've mastered those and I'll be mastering some more soon but I need to know whether I can play in the key of E minor in terms of G major whether i can play some notes from the B major since Eminor and B major are in the key of E minor. Do you see how lost I am?This is just a taste of I play. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzf7krrilw0 more

Resolved Question: what do you think of this paragraph?

I am writing a Paragraph about my music history, and I need some help I am open to any suggestion in grammar , structure ,punctuation , omission or any sentences I can add to improve my paragraph this is the Paragraph (I am grateful for the chance of letting me express my huge passion for music. When I was young my family noticed my potential, so they signed me in a music institute to study Al-ood (oriental instrument) but I have always felt that something is missing. At the age of 13,I started to listen to other kinds of music like rock ,jazz ,blues ... etc .besides my local music, so that was a turning point in my life, because my perspective of music has changed and I found my real potential. I started to think how to make music my future career .in addition to that. I became eager to learn guitar. In 2006 I started to save money from my small website designing company, and I bought my first guitar (Ibanez SA 120).I worked hard just to find the right step in the way ,I searched for a teacher but I couldn’t find a proper one because they are very few in number. Finally, I was lucky and I found a very good teacher , I learned almost all theory of the guitar , scales, modes, chords , rhythm, techniques , arpeggios ,licks , Intervals , Note Recognition …, my teacher had a very interesting way of teaching , we chose a song , play it , then made our own Solo on it ,and that played a big rule in sharpening my creativity , trusting my feelings and being more confidant in making my own solo. During that time , I tried to Discover all genres , the beauty of some of them was just overwhelmed, and I found the secret of good progress in learning guitar is depending on my self and self taught. in addition, I bought DVDs for learning. I decided to move it to the next level , I send a Demo to the Tech Music Institute in UK, they asked for: 4 style songs (Rock ,Jazz ,Blues ,Punk) and one cover song, so I created and composed the 4 styles they asked for, and I got the approval for 1 year Master performance ,unfortunately I couldn’t afford it because of my financial status ,although my father is a heavy driver in UAE and supports me financially, still the money was just enough for the airplane ticket. I performed 3 concerts with my friends , and I am preparing for a new one in my college and it will be in April. Finally , I just want to tell you that I know I have the talent ,the potential, the skills and I need this chance and I promise you to improve my talent because this is my only chance to make music my future profession not only an hobby. Regards. ) more

Resolved Question: Learning guitar the right way?

Hey. Recently I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. But I just don't want to mindlessly follow tabs, not knowing what I'm actually doing. If I want to do it right and learn some basic theory, know what I'm actually playing and such what would be a suggested order to learn things? Notes-->Scales-->Chords? Many thanks. more

Voting Question: Songs to teach young girls on guitar?

Im teaching guitar to two 12 year old girls. they aren't really giving me that many good ideas of songs to teach them, and all they want to learn is how to play different songs right now. I taught them a lot of chords and some scales already. I taught them Party in the USA, mario bros theme songs, love story, smoke on the water and a couple others but i need some more ideas. more

Resolved Question: How to improve my guitar playing?

I really want to improve as a guitar player and go to berklee college of music. Right now I am starting to learn jazz and some standards with the chord melody and I am attempting to read the music. My teacher also has me transpose standards in other keys to help my music reading skills and my overall theory. I also am working on some original songs but I am not sure how to go about all of this and set priorities of what i need to do first. WHat do i need to learn. I am a freshman in high school but i need to get going now. I have played guitar for 6 years but i need to take it way more seriously than i did before. Also I know my major scale modes and the minor scale but I dont know the harmonic minor or melodic minor scale modes. I know some basic chord construction. Name at least 3 things that i must work on and do EVERYDAY to improve more

Resolved Question: What do I need to work on as a guitar player?

Resolved Question: Do you think its worth it for me to get guitar lessons?

i have been playing for about a year and im self taught. i always wanted lessons but i could never afford them. I consider my self above average (just my opinion) but i want to get better. I can play a lot of songs like stairway to heaven and you shook me all night long and can play them close to perfect. I don't really think i need to learn how to play (just my opinion) i just want to learn pentatonic scales, how to play in key, and the technical and knowledgeable side of guitar. i have the money but only enough for 4 30 minute lessons. i talked to my friend that has been taking lessons for a year and he said its not worth it. heres a song i made. its really easy so i guess it doesn't really show anything http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaiGoAsZhE0 more

Resolved Question: do you think its worth it for me to get guitar lessons?

i have been playing for about a year and im self taught. i always wanted lessons but i could never afford them. I consider my self above average (just my opinion) but i want to get better. I can play a lot of songs like stairway to heaven and you shook me all night long and can play them close to perfect. I don't really think i need to learn how to play (just my opinion) i just want to learn pentatonic scales, how to play in key, and the technical and knowledgeable side of guitar. i have the money but only enough for 4 30 minute lessons. i talked to my friend that has been taking lessons for a year and he said its not worth it. hears 2 songs that i made. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tRuVrlLNSA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaiGoAsZhE0&feature=channelalso do you think i should get a metronome? more

Voting Question: Learning scales and other things on guitar.?

Hey, this question might be a little weird but bear with me. Ok, ive been palying guitar for 8 years now. Thats right, 8 years. My problem? I dont know any scales or how to read music or anything. Im not sure if its because i find all the different scales and everything intimidating, or if i was just too lazy to learn. But im at a point in my playing where, my technique is extremely good, i can play almost anything perfectly with an hour or two of practice, but playing songs that i like isnt satisfying me anymore. I want to write my own music, and when i try to write my own riffs, they come out sounding really plain, boring, bland, generic. Im not sure if im being too hard on myself or if they really are just BORING riffs. I spend hours a day trying to think of something cool and original, but i just cant think of anything. Its really frustrating, especially since ive been playing a long amount of time for someone my age (17). Do you think this lack of creativity might be because i dont know any scales or hardly ANY theory? Its really getting me frustrated and i feel like its too late to learn, or it will take wayyyy to long. Thanks for your answers.I can tell the difference between major and minor, and i know where all of the notes are on the guitar, but i just dont know how to put them together into a scale. more

Resolved Question: i need help with blues guitar style playing?

im trying to learn blues guitar after 4 years of just playing metal music off tabs. slayer, metalica.etc now im really into blues and want to start to improvise. but i know nothing... zip nothing. the scales are extremly hard to read like off the internet there all like bunched up and i dont know which ones to play in order. and there stuff that blues musicians do to spice up there music. (dont remember the names) which i dont know. and when people say emphasis and flattened i have no idea what that means. plz give me the terms and sayings and shit. and maybe xsplian the scales and stuff and how to read them.. and also do i have to memerize ALL the scales and stuff cause there really hard too.also when i try to improv. i cant get past just play like 7 fret bottom string bend then 5 fret same string.. it sems that all i do then just add some stupid notes in the some dumb order. how does scales help you with improv i jus dont get it even when i play within the notes it stil sounds like shit plz help more

Resolved Question: Use of guitar scales?

I learned the guitar scales, the major and minor, i'm currently practicing the fingering technique to memorize the positioning of the notes. I wanna improve my lead guitar ability. Now, i've asked a few guitarists, and they say thhat if youlearn the scales, you can play lead immediately. This has left me blunt and just staring at the fret board! :)) I've practiced the major key of G, how do i use it? if i want to play a key of A or B do i just move the finger positioning 2 frets or 4 frets? And another thing, for example, if the song's chords are E, C#m, A, when applying lead, do i use the E major scale, the C#m scale and A major scale? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! more

Resolved Question: How to improve on guitar? Im stuck, i love playing, but i havent progressed at all?

i "started" playing guitar 4 years ago and have taken a few months of lessons over the 4 years. it may have been my lack of effort, but the lessons didnt go so well. i tried 3 different teachers and they mostly just taught me tabs and specific songs. i wasnt getting where i wanted to be and felt more comfortable just learning on my own, so i stopped the lessons. (about 6 months ago) now all i do is replay songs over and over (i tend to do that) and learn a few tabs when i hear good songs. i wish i could create my own music, but it never sounds good when i try. i have learned the basic scales (pentatonic, c scale or whatever) and i use them, but i struggle to come up with a solid melody. thats the main thing i need to focus on: creating a melody. i really want to play melodic fingerpicked songs that are my own, and not just copy other people. no matter how hard i try, the music doesnt come. also, the only answer ive gotten so far is to learn more scales, but thats not very helpful to me. if i knew 100 scales i still wouldnt be able to come up with a good song. more

Resolved Question: Ok So... Chord Theory?

Okay, so I'm an amateur Bassist, and I've been playing for about a year. Now, I'm fine with Change-ups, and walks, and all that Jazz, But I've always been a big Metal Head, and since listening to Anesthesia and Orion by Cliff Burton, I've found that Arpeggiated Chords sound fucking amazing on a decent bass guitar. The issue? Besides forming Basic Triads along the 1st 3rd and 5th notes of any given scale, and of course, power chords, which everyone knows aren't actually chords, I have no clue how to make chords, nor do I have any Idea of how to set up epic chord progressions. I've been learning different Modes, but even so, Progressions escape me, because I guess I just don't know what I should be arpeggiating in that manner, or what a suspended or diminished or augmented chord is. I look at stuff I find and just go "Okay, what is that, and what does that have to do with playing notes?" Anyway I'm looking for good sites that can teach me what I want to know, preferably without a load of useless BS in between, that's to the point, and one that doesn't make me pay for instruction. Also, if possible, something without sheet music, or a site where it's optional would be nice. Is there anything out there, or am I just SOL. P.S. I do have Two six strings, and if necessary, I can learn theory via those, if necessary. I'd just prefer to learn on bass, as it's my instrument of choice. Anyway, any help/links would be awesome. more

Resolved Question: Books to continue learning guitar?

I have been playing for six years. I had a teacher for 2 years and a break for two years and then him again for 2 years and now I am going to stop. I need guitar books or websites that can help me keep progressing at the rate that he had me going. I know all my modes- ionion, dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aolian, and locrain. I know the majer 7, miner 7, dominant 7, and diminished arpeggios and when they r used. I know the diminished theory and what chords can be replaced with these. I know a little about the nine chords theory. (Don't know when they r used) I know a little about he seven chords theory. (don't know when they r used) I know my harmonic minor and how to use it. I know all five shapes of the pentatonic scale. I know all my keys. I know suspended chords. My level of soloing is pretty good. that comes the easiest for me in music. I only play by ear so I am a little better than those who don't. Thats about it. I want to learn more. I want to get way better. I want a book or website that teaches you some theory and gives you and exercise with that theory in it, such as a created solo, or song or any good exercise. I also want to learn more soling techniques like i am from my teacher. I want to learn everything there is to learn. What are some good books regardless of price. I don't mind if they are college textbooks that are used for people studying music theory. Btw. i want to learn to play every kind of style of music. more

Resolved Question: Les Paul vs Strat. How come they never told me?

I've played Strat and super Strat style guitars (25.5 neck, XJ frets) for 20 years. I recently bought a Les Paul copy (24.75 scale neck Jumbo/Medium frets) and I am floored. Further research shows me thatthis is a standard... you either have a Les Paul neck (Les Paul copies, SG copies, Explorer copies) or a strat neck (everything else) and your playing style will gravitate naturally toward one or the other. Starting as a metal player (and since branching to everything else) I've always been recommended strat-style guitars (THIS is for metal). With the advent of the internet, I am realizing how totally untrue this paradigm is... people play what they like, regardless of musical style. The more I play this guitar, the more I realize I've been playing the wrong guitars for 20 years! To this day, I have to tell people I am a blues or jazz guitarist to have them recommend a 24.75-necked guitar. I and many others have no trouble shredding or jamming on the J/M frets. So you don't get the full 24 frets. You can bend that last full step, if you absolutely need to. So WHY does this dichotomy still exist? And even further, why does no one tell you that this prejudice exists? Since the electric guitar comes in only two basic setups, how come no one ever explains this? If I were trying to help a novice (as anyone would want to) this is the first part of guitar selection I explain. It makes people's who learning process easier. Since developing your personal preferences is always a 'find what you like and stick with it' kind of thing, how come no one ever brings this aspect of guitar selection up? I feel like I just reached the 24th rank of Freemasonry or something by learning this very basic aspect of guitar construction after 20 years of living with the instrument.Thanks Sal. I always appreciate your input. I don't know if you can really count the PRS guitars. It's like the Schecters where they put a 25.5 on a Les Paul body (sacrilege! I know!) And a LOT of it is perception... you know, the old "neck thrus have better sustain! thing that has yet to be proven. I see punk guys play semi-hollows, so I try not to get stuck in the fiddy-duddy stuff. But the fact that nobody ever even mentioned this to me (sure I noticed there were different necks, but I never thought it was such a standardized thing!) just blows me away. more

Resolved Question: What should I do now? (Experienced guitar players only)?

I have been playing guitar for about 3 years and I know the basics. Alternate picking, major scales, minor pentatonic scales, ect. But I cannot really put all I that I have learned together and play something cool you know what I mean? I play rock only and I want to learn how to do great solos like slash or tom morello. Im not saying I want to be as good as them cause that impossible, I just want to know how to shred on guitar and play something that will impress other people. Please tell me what I have to do EXACTLY so that I can play like those guys on youtube who give lessons. Also how did you get good? Whenever I learn a tab and i play it it sounds crappy. And dont tell me to practise and practise cause I practise an hour a day.Hardrock: I dont want to give away my future for guitar. I've seen good players who can shred who dont spend their entire day practising. ITs not that im not willing too, its that I have other activitys too more

Resolved Question: Should I learn classical guitar?

I first picked up guitar about nine years ago. But even though I've been at it for years, I've been stuck at a beginner's level. I can read chord charts and tablature. I know commonly used chords/fingerings. I can figure out the chords to a lot of songs by ear if I sat down with a recording, pausing for each chord as I look for its match on the fretboard. But all I can do so far is just simple chord strumming. I don't know how to read music and I haven't really even gotten the names of the notes on the fretboard memorized (except for the fifth and sixth strings, because that's usually where the bass notes of chords are located, right?) I play songs mostly from the alternative rock genre (partly because I like the genre, and partly because there are a lot of songs from the genre that are easy enough for me to play). And sometimes, I like to try writing my own songs. Which is why I would like to learn how to play lead and improvise - so I could embellish my own songs and come up with more interesting sounds. I think I could use some music theory too. Without music theory or even knowing the notes on the fretboard, one could still come up with musical ideas, but to me, doing it that way feels like groping around in the dark. Also, I was thinking that if I knew some music theory, it would be a lot easier for me to figure out how to play other people's songs by ear. Of course, I could just look for tablature and play by numbers, but I want to understand what I'm doing... not just mindlessly hit these notes without knowing what they are and why..... So recently, I decided to sign up for lessons with a teacher. (I think one of the reasons my progress has been so slow is that I have been playing and learning mostly by myself. I was thinking I could learn more, faster, with the guidance of someone who knows what he's doing.) When we first met, my teacher asked me what exactly I wanted him to teach me. But I wasn't really sure how to put it in words. There are so many things I want to learn, and I probably don't even know what some of them techniques are called. :) He also mentioned that he didn't want to teach me by reading off sheet music, because, he said, it just might make me dizzy. Part of me agrees with my teacher. The thought of learning to read music, how it relates to the guitar, and playing the music as I read it just scares me. It seems so complicated. Also, if he does teach me to read music, he's going to be giving me classical lessons. Now, I LOVE listening to classical music. It's beautiful! It's just that I never really imagined myself playing it, because, well, it looks so difficult! :) However, there's also a part of me that thinks maybe it would be good for me. It'll motivate me to learn the notes on the fretboard, I'll learn proper fingering positions... and I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that I'll need to know how to read music if I want to learn some music theory - is that right? So now, I'm not so sure what I should do. Should I go ahead and learn classical guitar? Or should I just ask my teacher to teach me rock/blues songs and scales and solos, etc, by "shape" instead? Because I really want to understand what I'm doing... and I'm up for learning new and challenging things. But then again, I'm not sure if my brain can handle it (I'm already 27 years old)... or if it would really help me with my goals (songwriting, improvisation). I mean, it's probably not very realistic of me to aim for really becoming a classical guitarist, when I'm starting out this late in life. But I'm willing to learn what it has to offer, so hopefully I could apply it to other genres and perhaps even my own music. Yet, I'm also afraid that like my teacher said, it would just make me dizzy.. What do you think? :) By the way, I already decided to give the classical lessons a try. Last week was our first classical lesson. We haven't gotten to the part with note reading yet - just p-i-m-a exercises and tablature. It takes me forever to get it right there and then, on-the-spot, and we haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet! hahaha! :) Not to mention that these hourly lessons don't come very cheap. :) (we went over a Study in E Minor, "Andantino in C" and "Romanza") So now, I'm wondering if I could ask my teacher if he could give me the classical lessons more as homework/supplementary material, and just use more of our session time on rock/blues techniques..? I don't know. Would that be a better idea? Thanks... :)haha, yeah Matt B... I tend to write too long... haha... :) I'll try to write shorter next time. :)) Thanks. more

Resolved Question: How much theory is needed to become a good guitarist?

Ive been playing for about 3 months now and have learned a few (considered difficult) songs, the 5 positions of the major scale (and can improvise slowly with it), 1 position of pent minor, and can do bends/hammers, etc. I have been practicing religiously like 2-3 hours a day since I started playing, but now I want to move onto more scales and learning more complex chords like sus and 9 and whatever, but do I need to spend ages learning theory before I can move on? I don't get lessons and I am not taking music at school, and I feel as though I can never be a guitarist without being a theory freak, and its just too complicated for me too understand, I mean I understand triads, flats/sharps, 7's, and the other basics, but trying to understand more is to me like trying to grasp rocket science I thought it was just a case of I learn which chords go well with which scales then just practice and memorize from there, it appears guitar is much more complicated than that, can someone please tell me the basics what I need to understand? I mean Cobain didn't know crap about theory, right, but somehow his music sounded great? Thanks more

Resolved Question: I need help with guitar solos?

I've been playing guitar for a little over 4 months now. Since I started on an acoustic guitar, I'm good with the chords and somewhat rhythm. But I need to know more about how to play solos. The only things I know that are close to playing a solo is the basic pentatonic scales and the blues scale. So if you know, can you please tell me what scales I need to learn (in order) so I can become a better lead guitar player. If it helps, I want to play 70's 80's and 90's rock metal and hair bands (like Whitesnake, AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Van Halen) more

Resolved Question: survey for guitarists?

i donno i'm bord 1. How Long Have you been Playing? 2. How old were you when you started playing? 3. self tought or lessons? 4. are you in a band... if yes is it just fun w/ friends or do you do gigs at bars or other places 5. what guitars do you have, whats your favorite one 6. what was the first song you learned, beginning to end 7. working on any songs right now? 8. Do you know the entire harmonic minor scale 9. Favorite Guitarist? 10. Do you lose your picks all the time 11. Do you prefer standing up or sitting down 12. If You could afford any guitar you wanted... 13. can you sweep pick 14. how many hours a day do you play 15. i cant think of any other questions skip some if you want whateverCool Joe: it seems to me you dont know what the entire harmonic minor scale means: if you count all the octaves/positions and then being able to transition into any key it's not as simple as you think, it could take alot of practice to memorize the whole thing... but youve only been playing for 6 months so what should i expect i mainly asked because its such a cool scale more

Resolved Question: How can I improve my guitar skills?

I have no money for lessons or buying anything at all. I have a basic acoustic and a basic electric. Been playing for about 7 months now, and I recently started to learn slower and slower, I'm losing interest because I seem like I hit a huge barrier, I really want to improve beyond it. I can play some stuff, 2 songs I made up, and songs such as Behind Blue Eyes, Wonderwall, Otherside, Seven Nation Army, Supermassive Black Hole, and most of the little easy to play classics, that everyone knows, and other songs partially, like the intro to Welcome Home, or Enter Sandman, etc. I am also currently working on learning the pentatonic scale for a few solos. Which I suck horribly at. So if anyone can help me out please, what can I do to improve my guitar skills? I really want to make people go "wow!" instead of "oh that's an awesome song!" if you know what I mean. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. By the way, which guitar should I focus on, electric or acoustic? more

Resolved Question: Why is it so hard to learn new riffs on the guitar?

I am not that bad I can play the chords and bar chords without a problem and i can play songs with power chords like prayer of the refugee ,blood to bleed and Savior by rise against but when it comes to fast paced riffs with allot of hammer on's pull offs and bends i suck... (not that badly) all my friends say that I am really good so i guess That i am okish. Its just some times when i am trying to learn new songs with fast riffs i struggle and i get angry and feel like i am hopeless. i have been trying to play back in black's riff part but i don't play it very quickly and i don't know how its supposed to sound so I generally screw it up. So the actual question is how can i be better at playing riffs and solo's I have been doing picking exercises but they don't really help. And i know the minor pentatonic scale... any tips? because i practice like allot every day because i love playing guitar and i really want to be one of the best one day... in the far future (i am just 15) o yeah and i have only been playing for about a year... o yeah and totally unrelated is stairway to heaven finger picked or do u play it with a pick? Thanks for the input(if i get any) more

Resolved Question: How do you switch chords in the middle of a solo?

Hey..... I am learning electric guitar soloing, and want to know how most guitar players handle switching chords in the middle of the solo. Say that I have a chord progression like D--C--G--D (as GnR uses in Sweet Child). Say that I'm messing around in the D major pentatonic for the first bar, and all of a sudden its time to switch to the C. How do guitarists handle this? Do they switch to the C major pentatonic, or should I have been using the regular major scale all along? If so, should I switch to the part of the C major scale around the part of the fret board where I have been playing, or switch to the root iteration (which, for C major, starts at fret 8 on the lowest string)? Let me know if you know of any websites which could help me with improvisation during soloing. Also, I have mapped out the notes in each scale, so I know all about the fifth, seventh, and all that fun stuff...are there methods which use particular notes for certain moods or whatever? I'm sorry if Im not being clear....its hard to explain what Im trying to get at. Gradinafricathanks....that helps.... on a less related topic, what would yall day the best guitar is? Im most interested in playing a combination between slash, stevie ray vaughan, and eric johnson. right now I have a low-end Epiphone.... Vaughan and Johnson used Strats, right? but slash uses a les paul standard i think.... anyway, let me know. more

Resolved Question: Help with guitar sweep picking?

ive been playing guitar for 2-4 years and im not a bad musician. ive learn chords, power chords, scales, hammer-ons, pull offs, tapping, harmonics, pinch harmonics. i can those no problem. so i wanted to learn how to sweep pick. ive learned a few scales or exercises and im almost to the point where u can hear each individual note but im still having a little trouble. ive been practicing for around 3 months. ive heard i could put a cloth on the neck to mute the strings when i pull off, practice A LOT each day, practice scales, synchronize my hands together, and start slow. i know it takes patience, practice and perseverance. it hasnt been too hard for me. is there anything else to what i could do to improve my sweep picking? more

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