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Rockin' Like a Cow on Acid

By Dr Thrustgood (Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 06:00:46 PM EST) fun loving cowwqas. (all tags)

Geeeeetar!

Poll: Guitar; do you play?

So, getting pissed off listening to rock and not being able to play it, I'm now attempting to pick up the guitar. Failed the first time a few years ago. Now, however, I have a decent axe and my God does it make a difference to your motivation.

In other news: Why didn't anyone warn me that attempting to type at speed after an hour's practise just won't happen? Fun.

So, how long is it until I can play like Hendrix?

< Jamie 'must back squirrel-eating' | BBC White season: 'Rivers of Blood' >

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Votes: 20
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Rockin' Like a Cow on Acid | 21 comments (21 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

Guitar by crispyduck (2.00 / 0) #1 Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 06:08:42 PM EST

Sort of. I have one - I pick it up sometimes and make noises with it. It probably doesn't count as playing though.

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linux virtual private servers

If you want to play like Hendrix.. by motty (4.00 / 1) #2 Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 06:45:09 PM EST

.. don't try to play like Hendrix.

You know what I mean.

So what guitar did you get?

I amd itn ecaptiaghle of drinking sthis d dar - Dr T

Yeah, know what you mean by Dr Thrustgood (4.00 / 1) #3 Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 06:55:34 PM EST

Right now am concentrating on the complex things like, oh, remembering what note is on what fret and attempting to change from, say, A to E in less than ten seconds.

I went to my local second-hand moosic shop and picked up a 1998 "Made in Mexico" Strat. Same one this fella has from the look of things.

Pretty happy with it, having a neck bridge thingy that actually feels good to play works wonders.

[ Parent ]

: The Super Happy Motivated Rock Band plays a MIM by cam (2.00 / 0) #4 Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 07:56:12 PM EST

Made in Mexico guitars that rock.
cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]
: I don't care what they say about them... by motty (2.00 / 0) #5 Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 08:21:06 PM EST

Strats are lovely. Enjoy...

I amd itn ecaptiaghle of drinking sthis d dar - Dr T
[ Parent ]

Does a week on bass count? by creo (2.00 / 0) #6 Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 08:42:38 PM EST

In that case yes, otherwise no.

"I shall do what I believe to be right and honourable" - Guderian

Don't fret over the single notes by BadDoggie (2.00 / 0) #7 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 03:22:18 AM EST

I kill me, I really do.

Seriously, learn some chords first. Get a feel for where the notes are in relation to each other. There are a lot of chord books out there and some of the good ones have 30 different variations plus every possible way to play each one of them.

There are at three major variations of the basic fucking G-major, and having learned the second and third ways made playing a lot easier since getting to a barre-7 o99Aoo B from a 32oo33 G is a lot harder than getting there from a barre-7 o556oo G. Plus, with working out the chords, you'll hear how a lot of the solo stuff and arpeggios (anything from The Wall comes to mind) you're interested in is little more than playing chords one string at a time.

Once you're comfortable with chords, start practicing your scales. Scales suck but you need 'em for any instrument. Except the didgeridoo.

Bookmark chordfind.com.

Yup by gazbo (2.00 / 0) #9 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 05:35:58 AM EST

Up to a certain level (i.e. a level above me) guitar is more about shapes than notes. I guess coming from a piano background that is weird - it's certainly weird going the other way, where I have to think of a chord, then think of the notes in that chord, then find them one after the other on the keyboard...

"Engarde!" cried the larvae, huskily. - Scrymarch

[ Parent ]

: Heh by Dr Thrustgood (2.00 / 0) #13 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:31:16 AM EST

To be honest, I think it's weirder just not knowing what note is on each string, and really having to think about which way to play each chord. My piano background has a lot of theory to it as well, but applying it to the guitar...
Fun thing that ties in with what you say, though, is that you can really tell when a song's been written on a guitar rather than a piano: the chord progressions people use etc are completely different!

[ Parent ]

Oooh, good advice, thanks by Dr Thrustgood (2.00 / 0) #12 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:28:59 AM EST

Barre chords still scare me though. Have only just got over the trauma of playing a very basic F major chord.

Still, practise makes perfect if no-one else's listening...

Anyways, hadn't thought of approaching chords in this way - thanks!

[ Parent ]

F Chord by TPD (2.00 / 0) #16 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:40:54 AM EST

Is a bit of a hard chord to start with, playing a barre chord over the first fret is harder than moving it up the neck a little.

Practice the same shape few frets up.

Rock Hard Abs are just a sw-sw-swivel away!
[ Parent ]

: IAWTP! by Ranieri (2.00 / 0) #17 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 10:22:40 AM EST

This is a golden tip, I wish someone had told me when i started out instead of fiding out on my own years down the road...
Also, realise that you can play any major chord as a shifted F (and any minor chodr as a shifted Em/Fm, ie. by letting go of your middle finger). Guitars are amazingly versatile instruments.

[ Parent ]

Used to be able to play a few chords by nebbish (2.00 / 0) #8 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 05:22:18 AM EST

I'm more of a Technics decks and drum machine sort of bloke though.

--------
It's political correctness gone mad!

Guitar like Hendrix? by Breaker (2.00 / 0) #10 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 05:47:18 AM EST

You need the BreakerMatic^[tm] Guitar Legends Course!

Included in every pack there's everything you need to become a guitar legend:

a book of chords printed out from the internet
a few scrappy transcriptions of famous guitar solos
some vague meanderings about "feel"
a bottle of rough whisky
a few grams of smack and syringes
a bottle of Vomit-lite for choking on

Order now and get a free syphilis ridden groupie!

What amp have you got? Any effects?

Find a couple of songs that you like and learn the chords. Leave off soloing for a couple of months until you get strength in your fingers.

Your left wrist is going to ache like a bastard for months until you get the flexibility to twist it back on itself. Note that in order to play proper rock, the guitar must be low slung, which makes it harder to play.

You're going to alternate between "I'm making no progress on this fucking thing" and "woo, I played that right all the way through". If you get cheesed off, stop playing for a week and start again.

Oh and also plspstmp3kthx!

Hey hey! by Dr Thrustgood (2.00 / 0) #15 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:34:51 AM EST

I like what you say and wish to subscribe to this course :-)

I currently have a crappy practise amp with a button that allegedly provides overdrive; I've yet to believe it.

HOWEVER, once I get my fat lazy arse out of bed, I'm going to go to the moosic shop across the road and buy a hand-built valve-driven Fender replica and damn the neighbours!

So, is doing practise sitting down just a total wusses way out?

[ Parent ]

WTF by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #18 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 11:41:35 AM EST

self-employed bastards.

Are you working from bed?

[ Parent ]

Does that make me a bad person? by Dr Thrustgood (2.00 / 0) #19 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 11:50:22 AM EST

Although, I must confess, I have now gone out and bought this huge bastard amp that's too big for my flat.

Rocking!

[ Parent ]

: Not as such. by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #20 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 11:59:28 AM EST

It makes me semi jealous, and semi aware of the fact that I'd feel utterly useless and grotty if I did the same thing. Bloody work ethic.
Mind you, my colleague would feel bad if she were to sit here all afternoon surfing the web like I am. It is Friday, after all.

[ Parent ]

Sitting down by Breaker (2.00 / 0) #21 Mon Mar 27, 2006 at 04:34:36 AM EST

Can make it easier to practise. But then, when you're rocking the fuck out, you really need to be standing.

[ Parent ]

TPDs top tip by TPD (2.00 / 0) #11 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 06:13:34 AM EST

download the tabs you want (even ones you don't think you'll be able to play for months or years) now, before all the tab sites get shut down.

As others have said in terms of the guitar you tend to start out far more with positions, shapes, and chords than individual notes.

Also get position 1 of the pentatonic scale memorised into your fingers ASAP!

Rock Hard Abs are just a sw-sw-swivel away!

: Ah, I likes my tabs by Dr Thrustgood (2.00 / 0) #14 Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:32:46 AM EST

Where'd you recommend for them? I seem to recall olga not being as crap as it currently is, and googling for stuff is hurting my head.
Think that I'm definately going to start out on this chords lark then go down to individual notes: ta!

[ Parent ]

Rockin' Like a Cow on Acid | 21 comments (21 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

-	Yes	55%
-	No	20%
-	Maybe	15%
-	Obligatory Moo	10%


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