Learning guitar?

[photon]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

My advice is tune your guitar everytime before you play. It makes a world of difference in how you sound.

Would that also help with training your ear? I guess people probably start out with a tuning app before they try to tune it manually?

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

You could look for a used guitar on Kijiji or other used places but you don't know what it has gone though. Fender Squier is a good beginner guitar, it is what I have. They are a great bang for your buck and if you are a righty you are looking at the $200 range. As for where to get you can't go wrong with Long and McQuade, they are fantastic helping you out with any questions and have been around for years.


https://www.long-mcquade.com/

My wife rented 3 guitars (for her and the offspring) today for a grand total of $28/month. Thanks for the link above - they will hopefully be able to do The Sentinel for me by the end of the covid.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by photon

Would that also help with training your ear? I guess people probably start out with a tuning app before they try to tune it manually?

Oh geez I can’t tune by ear at all.

I just keep a snark on my head stock of my electric. http://www.snarktuners.com/


And my acoustic has a built in tuner. I’m always adjusting.

[troutman]

I think you would need to have perfect pitch to tune by ear.

[missdpuck]

Or relative pitch if you have a starting note.


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[dissentowner]

I use the GuitarTuna app to tune mine.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Icon

I was || close to getting into learning how to play guitar... then a new video game came out and I forgot about it, repeat for about 2yrs.

I feel like it's something I might still pick up at some point though.



Any suggestions on where to get a first guitar, how much to spend, what other things to buy day1, etc? I feel like if I took the plunge I'd really get into it.

Borrow an underutilized guitar collecting dust somewhere in exchange for new strings and tuning? I have my own guitars, but I'm surprised how often I can borrow guitars for extended periods of time when I travel.

I am not really that good, but just strumming some random chords at times is kinda fun.

Funny that someone mentioned come as you are by Nirvana. That was one of the first songs I was taught by my teacher. The guy who taught me would pull out a few tabs with specific tabs, quickly play the songs and ask which ones I enjoyed and wanted to learn on.

[photon]

Originally Posted by missdpuck

Or relative pitch if you have a starting note.

Yeah for sure, I can't tune the first string without hearing it but the relative tuning seems like something everyone learns eventually no?

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

You could look for a used guitar on Kijiji or other used places but you don't know what it has gone though. Fender Squier is a good beginner guitar, it is what I have. They are a great bang for your buck and if you are a righty you are looking at the $200 range. As for where to get you can't go wrong with Long and McQuade, they are fantastic helping you out with any questions and have been around for years.


https://www.long-mcquade.com/

I second this. Squier and Epiphone are both really solid for entry level guitars, they are the budget Fender or Gibson lines and will have all the classic guitar models available at an entry level price.

I will add...get what you think looks cool. Maybe try something that looks like what your favourite guitarists play. Have a look in the store, try a bunch and get the one that pulls at your heart strings (within your budget). You'll know it when you see it. If you love it you'll want to constantly pick it up and play. Get a stand and keep it easily accessible to you every day, don't keep it stored away in a case. Be warned, if you stick with guitar playing you will have a life long addiction to wanting newer and more expensive guitars.

I bought my first Fender Stratocaster a few weeks ago. Can't put it down.

[missdpuck]

Originally Posted by photon

Yeah for sure, I can't tune the first string without hearing it but the relative tuning seems like something everyone learns eventually no?

Yeah I think so.

Relative pitch is so interesting to me. If you ask me to sing certain notes I can do it. C#4, Bb5, F#5, G5. But ask me to sing C# to E to G in any octave . Blah. For some reason I have a horrible time relating those tones even though I know exactly what the intervals are. I had 2 arias like that and they drove me nuts. Fie on you , Mr Verdi.

Yet other intervals are a piece of cake. Some are just incredibly weak. Any one else have that sort of issue?

I’m working on it using some ear training apps and it’s getting better.

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[photon]

Yeah I remember similar things when I played saxophone in jazz band, some songs in certain keys just seemed to fit better and I had no problem learning the song and some I struggled with.

I was lazy practicing scales though so that's probably why.

I guess the plus side is with an instrument vs singing is as long as I use the right fingering I'm going to get the right note, just frustrating when one song takes 5 times longer to practice because my brain keeps running away from it.

[missdpuck]

Yeah I honestly think I have a mental block against certain notes. And then my voice can go really low so singing male vocal parts ( as far as rock and jazz go) can be a piece of cake. I love singing Pearl Jam and Sevendust. I can belt, but then in bel canto (classical) style can do coloratura, just not super high. I’m not going to do Queen of the Night anytime soon. I can do a D6 in jazz and rock, but it’s hit and miss in classical. My bel canto teacher likes to stop me at A5, saying I don’t need to go higher which is crap. Plenty of higher mezzo roles. My jazz teacher says she’s full of crap lol.

Don’t know if you guys have NATS up there, but I often think organizations like that make it worse, and are more about ensuring jobs for teachers than anything else. My bel canto teacher wouldn’t dare let me venture into Sfogato territory, as that would mean she was wrong about my fach. I have never met someone so ridiculously stubborn and it could be the end of our relationship. But she is the local VP of National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS ) and I don’t know if that should mean anything actually in terms of getting a classical gig or something.

In any case, back to guitar. I’m still working on my callouses. I bought a used Yamaha APX 600- it’s an electric/acoustic. It was 200 bucks. I really like the action.

I also have a Fender bass and a Charvel Charvette guitar. Anyone have one of those? Basically a piece of plywood but it’s awesome!

So cool that you play jazz, Photon!


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[robbie111]

I've been teaching guitar full time for 25 years in Calgary and area and have lots of resources I can email if anyone is interested. Just started teaching over Skype and Google Duo yesterday and am adding Zoom today. It's lots of fun and really easy to learn now. I teach Rock, Jazz, Flamenco, Country, Fingerstyle, Classical, Metal and Pop styles. If you want to better yourself as a player give me a shout.

[photon]

Used to play jazz anyway

My mom has been learning ukulele and I was thinking of going together with family to get her a nice one for her birthday.

I've seen videos of these guys' guitars on youtube lots and I found out they made a ukulele, is this actually worthwhile, or is it just an expensive gimmick?

https://www.lavamusic.com/en/lava_u

[-TC-]

Learn on an acoustic
Take it to a luthier to set up for you
Learn all the major and minor chords
Practice on songs you like
Play everyday

I put on concert videos of artists I like and I play along with them, it's fun to be in Sheryl Crow's band sometimes

[sketchyt]

Originally Posted by rbochan

Oh, and never ever ever ever ever ever play Stairway in a music store.

Ok, well... anyways, here's Wonderwall then.

[troutman]

Smoke On The Water

[missdpuck]

The guy at our Guitar Center (ours is actually a good one) is always playing A7X stuff.

He also plays some jammin flamenco!


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[troutman]

Brian May teaches you how to play the Bohemian Rhapsody solo while in self-isolation


https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bri...self-isolation

[PsYcNeT]

Just wanted to say I've been on Jammr a lot lately to get my fill. If you have a DI/USB Audio Interface, more people are always welcome if you want to get your groove on with randoms.