The Guitarist/Bassist Thread

[h2orowe]

This is for those of us on OP9 who play guitar/bass. Discuss stuff here, how you learn, how long you've been playing, samples of your playing, your favorite guitarists, and etc.

I've been playing for 2 years, I'm self taught, unfortunately, and I learned from tabs. I hate using tabs -___-; but it's all I've got. Recently, I bought a book, and I plan on learning notes from that.

[Niff]

Starting to learn bass next week, with a real life instructor. I hate tabs as well, I tried to use them when learning keyboard, but it was hopeless.

My favourite bassists are John Myung (Dream Theater), Flea (RHCP) and Shavo Odadjan (System of a Down).. the reasons why I wanted to learn, basically.

Do you have somebody you practice with, h2? Or is it truly a solo effort? I have one friend learning at the exact same time as me (hell, we split the lesson fee).. so I'm wondering if you'd be better or the same if you practice with a friend?

[h2orowe]

I learn by myself, unfortunately >_<;

[Seth619]

About a year. Started with an fender accoustic I bought at guitar center back in California. Then bought an electric in at a Yamaha shop in Shibuya. Some japanese imatation of an Ibanez. Self taught, been learning notes by a book; but got really boring. So; I just play songs I like with tabs. I really should get back to learning the scales/notes...
Favorite guitarist? Randy Rhodes.

[Seth619]

One question to throw out? Anyone own/play an Stratocaster or Telecaster?

[psychicstooge]

One question to throw out? Anyone own/play an Stratocaster or Telecaster?

Just a cheap Strat copy. Was my first guitar, about 10-11 years ago. I still have it, but I don't use it very often, because I got some better stuff (well, at least a little better). I like Strats and Teles, but the real deals are way out of my price range. They've each got very unique sounds that will limit what styles you can convincingly play, but you can tweak them quite nicely and they're quite versatile.

I've played guitar since I got my first one mentioned above, and I've played bass for not quite half that. I've never had any lessons, and I couldn't play along to sheet music if you gave me any (at least not right away; I CAN read sheet music, but I would have to sit and figure out where the corresponding notes were on the fretboard). Tabs are okay, but I generally just learn by ear. I know what sounds good to me, and that's all I really care about. I'm certainly not going to condemn anyone for wanting to learn theory or take lessons; some people need teaching in order to advance to where they want to be. I just personally feel constrained by theory (which I did study briefly, as I was at one point planning on going to school for music), and for me it takes away the joy of experimentation and discovery.

[Fuiru]

I own a Squire Tele Standard, planning on getting one? The first thing you'll probably notice when playing is the neck, significantly thicker than Ibanez's, not sure about the copies though. The sound is great on Tele's, nice and clear with a real bite at the bridge.

As said before I have a squire tele standard, my amp is a Behringer GMX 210 and I have a second hand Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Pedal ($80 USD, I love eBay)

I've been on and off the guitar for about 5 or so years, decided to learn seriously a year ago. I learn off tabs as I can't afford an tuition. Been getting fumbling around with scales and now I try to improvise whenever I can. I can understand what psychicstooge says about experimentation and discovery. Once I learn a tab I eventually get bored with it and play around with it so it sounds the way I like it. If you constrain yourself in the mindset that, that song should be played that way and ONLY that way, then imo you prevent yourself from becoming a better guitarist.

[Vic_Rattlehead]

I've been playing guitar (seriously) for around 6 years. I'm self taught and I'm not really THAT good. I can do flashy stuff, but I just like to play about making new tunes etc.

Here's what I use:

ESP - MII
http://www.audio-electric-shop.de/shop/catalog/images/ESP-MII.jpg

Ibanez Rg1550 prestige
http://www.bonnersmusic.co.uk/acatalog/RG1550.jpg

Fender Mex Strat.
http://www.musicianshop.com/Fender_Guitars/fender_50s_stratocaster_red.jpg
And that's what they all go in! :D
http://www.kellyindustries.com/guitars/images/line_6_spider_ii_210.jpg


At the moment, as I have so much work to do, im after an acoustic to play some flamenco and classical styles of guitar, just to you know, widen my skills etc.

Also I'm in 3 bands, if I find some mp3s I'll be sure to post em up!

[ShadowDeth]

Been playing guitar for about 9 years now? I own a jackson kelly, and a bunch of throw-away guitars. Fender, Peavy blah blah. One acoustic ovation rip off, one cheapo classical guitar and I have pretty low tech effects/amps.

Favorite guitarists would have to probably be:

Michael Romeo
Jesper Stromblad
Van Halen
George Lynch
Nuno Bettencourt
Ron Thal
Chris Impellitteri
Luca Turilli
Yngwie Malmsteen

As for samples, I have tons sure but nothing I'm proud of at my current age. My technique has been slipping for the past few years, because I started working on actually writing songs and more recently i've lost even more because I spend most of my time with music theory instead of running up and down the fretboard.

Here's one though. Probably a year old and I was basically writing it as I was going, so it slips up in places.

http://www.tindeck.com/audio/my?loc=1xf9q-SD%20-%20untitled%20thing.mp3

[Vic_Rattlehead]

http://www.tindeck.com/audio/my?loc=1xf9q-SD%20-%20untitled%20thing.mp3
That's pretty cool! :clap:

It reminds me of a mixture between Helloween, Iron Maiden and Megadeth forced together!

[c-rex]

I have a Miller acoustic. I was taught how to play by my dad, so I'm an expert in his traditional Irish songs. I can also jam out a mean American Pie. In terms of none loser music I'm currently working on getting down an acoustical version of "Baby Got Back" and "Ain't Talking About Love".

[ShadowDeth]

That's pretty cool! :clap:

It reminds me of a mixture between Helloween, Iron Maiden and Megadeth forced together!

That's all I used to listen to :watson:

Thanks though. The maiden part really comes from in flames, because I never really got into them asides from the big singles.

Here's another one for you buddy, because it sounds like you're a closet power metal fan :P (Pull the bass back before listening, I must have recorded it under shitty speakers so I had no idea it's so ridiculous)

http://www.tindeck.com/audio/my?loc=1odza-ShadowDeth%20-%20Epic%20Power%20Fantasy.mp3

and if you want a real megadeth rip off I have another:

http://www.tindeck.com/audio/my?loc=4sl2p-ShadowDeth%20-%20ChaosRiffSuck.mp3

h2orowe - Get something uploaded. It's bad manners to ask for samples when you're not sharing :hat:

[h2orowe]

I would >_<; but I have nothing impressive recorded.

[ShadowDeth]

So what? I don't either but i'm uploading shit. If you want to get better, get something recorded and we can point out what you could work on more or give you general pointers.

[mugen]

after some great advice from people here at op9 I decided to buy a guitar. i bought it about 2 months ago, it's a richwood les paul copy+ roland micro cube amp.
I need a tip on how to play some chords without muting strings, it just seems impossible to me. I have small hands but that's no excuse.

[ShadowDeth]

You just have to develop hand strength - it doesn't matter how small your hands are. When you start out you don't have any finger flexibility, but I assume your problem is that your fingers lay flat across the strings. You have to arc them like you're making a "claw", not a fist.

Do you mean bar chords, open chords, power chords?

[h2orowe]

I'll try and record something tommorow, I have some stuff, but most of it's just chords+me singing.

[Vic_Rattlehead]

after some great advice from people here at op9 I decided to buy a guitar. i bought it about 2 months ago, it's a richwood les paul copy+ roland micro cube amp.
I need a tip on how to play some chords without muting strings, it just seems impossible to me. I have small hands but that's no excuse.

Simply what ShadowDeth said, also you could try this exercise I do everyday:
(granted, I assume you can read tab?)

e--------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-
b------------------------------------1-2-3-4---------
g---------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------
d-------------------1-2-3-4--------------------------
a----------1-2-3-4----------------------------------
e-1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------
...i..m..r..p
Do this, ascending and descending, then perhaps 2-3-4-5 etc.

Also, what I mean by i.m.r.p is (index, middle, ring and pinky..as in the fingers), when you do this scale, be sure that you are using each finger and maintaining the same pace. What this will do; is help your rhythm of moving your fingers (which will develop your movement from chord to chord), increase your flexibility, pickspeed (depending on the speed you do this scale, if you alternate pick or not), and of course 'harden' the tips of your fingers, so you can tackle chords with ease, and without any buzzing.

I normally do this at least 10 mins a day, not timed, but around the time it takes a bath to run in the morning. Or when you're waiting for you food to be cooked.

As for the chords themselves and how to approach them. I think its best to start on these three chords; A,D and C. (in that order too), and gently strum each chord, even if the sound fails, just be persistent and eventually you should be able to get the chord to 'ring' correctly. But I think doing the abovescale on a daily basis would be a great idea to build you finger strength and other possibly abilities rather than just strumming 3 chords all day for 2-3 months until you are able to 'ring' the notes out. So really in conclusion, do both. Maybe 10 mins on the scale and the rest of your free time, trying to nail the chords; A D and C. :watson:

EDIT- here's the tab for the three Chords:

A:______D:____C

e-0------2-----0---
b-2------3-----1---
g-2------2-----0---
d-2------0-----2---
a-0------------3---
e------------------

[mugen]

thanks a bunch, i will try it

[Vic_Rattlehead]

thanks a bunch, i will try it

Graag gedaan ;)

If you have any more problems or general queries on guitars, just post em up and I'm sure I could help you as best as I can! :clap:

[Vic_Rattlehead]

I'm learning how to play the guitar. It is my first day and self-teaching myself with a chord book. Is there an easier way?

Firstly, that's really awesome of your dad to buy you an electric guitar if you show signs of skills on your acoustic. That right there, is a perfect reason to start the instrument, think of it as motivation for you to get an electric guitar! Many other beginning guitarists never had this support, heck when I started, my parents were pretty much me against guitar because I made alot of noise, and I started to save my dinner money up for my first guitar! (when I was 14):D

Well the obvious easier ways are getting tuition, but in regard to self-teaching. I think, literally the best way to aproach the guitar from day one, is to (dare I say it), just fucking around with it. Just creating a simple cognitive-style discovery of the guitar, the high notes, the noise it makes, what bending it does, ANYTHING like that.

As I said to Mügen, play around with that tab, and look up the 3 chords I displayed in your chordbook.

As it's your first day, you probably cannot read tab, so heres a quick intro to the 'tab' system:

e---(highest note) ie. thin strings
b-
g-
d-
a-
e---(lowest note) ie. fat strings

e-----------5(5th fret)
b---------4--(4th fret)
g-------3----(3rd fret)
d-----2------(2nd fret) and so on
a---1--------(1st fret), place index finger on the fret, (just before, metalbit)
e-0 ---------(open string)- so you dont have to use your left hand, just 'pluck' the string with your right hand/ (if your're using a left handed guitar, do the opposite with your hands)

EDIT - hmm, lefthanded eh? So...are you using a right handed guitar at the moment? if so, its perfectly your choice on what to do, ie learn to play a right handed guitar being left handed. Or save up for a leftie (but they're quite expensive and hard to find!)

[Vic_Rattlehead]

Questions:

When I am holding the guitar, are the strings supposed to be going from thinest to thickest from up to bottom?


The top (ie by your chest) should have the thickest strings. The bottom, is your leg area, should have the thin strings.


The frets, what do you mean by fifth-first frets? I know what the frets are, but I don't know which are which.
well the fret is just the 'fret' thats been placed onto the guitar neck. The metal bit. so the 5th fret would be the 5th fret in, (ie just by the dot on the neck),

So if I said, 6th string 5th fret. That is fattest string, then 5th fret in.


Where are my fingers supposed to be? I get confused since there are 6 strings and only 4 fingers that I can use.

Oups! I think I may have not explained well enough. The tab system is like so:

e---------------------
b---------------------
g---------------------
d---------------------
a-----------0--3--5---
e-0--3--5-------------

To read it, you go from left to right.----->>>etc
So on this tab here/\. You only have to use one finger for the 3 and 5 etc.

If you were approched with a tab with this:
e-0------2-----0---
b-2------3-----1---
g-2------2-----0---
d-2------0-----2---
a-0------------3---
e------------------

ie the vertical line shows multiple notes, (the numbers) that implies you will have to use multiple fingers and multiple strings. (ie a chord).

Read it like how you'd read sheet music, start from let to right.
http://www.cgsmusic.net/Classical%20Guitar%20Sheet%20Music%20Dictionary/Musical%20Scales_files/image022.jpg
So this image shows both sheet music and tab. (don't worry about sheetmusic just yet), you see if you go from let to right, they're singular notes used.

Now if you looked at another image:
http://www.8notes.com/school/riffs/piano/outkast_roses.gif
You see that multiple notes are used at once. (ie look vertically). They're known as chords.


What exactly are the tabs?
Tab is basically a very basic music reading system, which has been adapted to guitar and bass. Good for beginners.

[Loc]

I played guitar for hmm...about 4/5 years, had a Tom Delonge Strat, was nice.

Got my bass in November and I definitely prefer it, our band has been offered to play a few gigs already too but...well we're having problems with drummers. It's kind of like Spinal Tap, we've had about 4 drummers already and one disappeared for a few months, think he's back in the band now. Anyway...

Got an...Ashdown MAG300 amp and Musicman Stingray bass *loves the case*

Favourite guitarist and bassist this hour are Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin).

[ShadowDeth]

You can use your thumb to fret bass notes anyways :P

So you have five.

[ellie]

I've had a guitar for years and years, but never really played with it much; I was in the high school band most of my musical time was devoted to playing the clarinet. I'm a sophomore in college now, and no longer play the clarinet. I was able to pick out some easy tunes and could sometimes figure out easy songs by looking at tabs, but about 6 weeks ago I decided that I really wanted to learn to play, and so I started taking lessons. I got a private guitar tutor, he comes to see me once a week for a half hour, and I feel like I've already learned sooo much! I can't wait until I get good. I've been playing along with "Mary Jane's Last Dance" by Tom Petty for the last 2 weeks, because that's the only song my teacher has taught me so far. He says he'll teach me some new songs next week.

Also--I just have a cheap acoustic guitar. There's not even a label on it to say what brand it is, so that tells you something about the cheapness of it.

[TLab3000]

Guitar and Bass was my life. Had to quit both 3 years ago, due to illness. Had a major breakdown back then :(
Started with Flamenco and classical training.

One question to throw out? Anyone own/play an Stratocaster or Telecaster?

I still have a Thinline Tele I've built myself. It's sound is really weird, but I wanted it that way. 1m pots make the guitar scream, only the body material makes the sound (almost) tolerable. I could change the pots and make it sound normal, even good, but I wanted it to sound like the guitar of a guy whose name I've forgotten, and his guitar's sound is horrible. Worked for him, didn't work for me, still was fun.
Apart from that: swamp ash body, maple neck, maple fingerboard, golden Schaller bridge and tuners, pickups... damn, can't remember, lipsticks of course, but what brand?

I kept most of my guitars and stuff, so I have now:

- a Music Man Silhouette Special Limited Edition
- a lousy, ugly Washburn KC (44V?) that i absolutely love, because she tought me how to play
- an Epiphone Flying V (got it for about 50 bucks, good as new, changed the PUs, but can't get rid of the feedback, which is sad, because the sound is much better than one would expect from an Epiphone)
- the Thinline Tele mentioned above
- an Eko Jazz guitar (no model name, there were only a few of them, Bigsby, beautiful maple top, must have been expensive back then, found it in a dumpster! Worked on it for a month, needed and got some original spare parts, it's a quite good instrument now)
- a Seagull S6CW with an LR Baggs Duet System
- an inexpensive Antonio Ruben classical guitar
- an Amalio Burguet 3 AM Spruce Top
- a Martin Backpacker (handy when travelling through Ireland)
- Fender Mexico Jazz Bass
- a no-name SG style Bass (old, cheap, lousy)
- some amps (Mesa, Pignose, Laney)
- ...and therefore no room in my flat for myself

I've sold my Takamine Santa Fe Limited Edition (oh how stupid I was) and my Aria (stupid again, was my first electric guitar) as well as some of my acoustic guitars.

Yes, I've worked at a guitar store for some years.

Done showing-off. Uhm. Sorry.

[h2orowe]

Is there requirements for working at a guitar store? >_>; I'd love that job.

[TLab3000]

Is there requirements for working at a guitar store? >_>; I'd love that job.

In the US? No idea, probably not, I suppose. Apart from being able to play guitar, knowing the equipment and being a gifted salesperson, I guess.

Here in Germany? It's not really required, but certainly useful: 3 years apprentice at minimum wage, in my case about 500USD per month for about 40-45 hours of work per week. If you don't go to University, it's a common thing to do something like that, here.
It was cool, because I could get musical instruments pretty cheap, learned how to fix almost any string instrument to a certain degree, and a lot of stuff that comes in handy even in everyday life.
I got tickets for gigs for free, met lots of cool musicians, got small jobs easily (mostly PA/mixing stuff). And maybe best of it all, in the breaks, I tought the guys from the drum, brass, bass and synth sections how to play guitar, and they tought me their instruments in return. Yay for free music lessons.
This job usually doesn't pay much, even after 3 years of training, but it's got its advantages and so I think it's worth doing it for a while, some years, maybe. I did, and then I approached a completely different career, because the times and payment sucked too much to stay there forever.

Go for it, if you want to. (I hope the salary at wherever you are is better than here.)

[h2orowe]

I bet the salary won't be anything :P and I'm not that good at guitar, yet, XD I can't afford lessons, so I'm self taught (2 years). I'm 15, though, so I'll have to wait a year or so, til I'm 16, then maybe, I might have to wait for 18, cuz it might be one of the jobs where you have to be 18.