Hints and tips for guitar beginner

[jkartik]

Damn!! thats some wonderful guitar playing there dutchad!

i've been wanting to post a video of my guitar playing (or learning for that matter ) for quite sometime but was too shy and afraid lol...but what the heck...i'll dig up one soon and post it asap..

 

[jkartik]

ok....so i tried my hands at Stairway to heaven. its come out OK i guess...
its been only 6 months since i started learning the guitar...so cut me some slack. :P

Part 1 is the verse etc..

Part 2 is the solo.

i dont have an electric guitar....so somehow managed the solo on acoustic.

cheers

JK

 

[Dutch]

Great mate! Solo needs a bit of fluency but that wil come. The first part is excellent!

 

[jkartik]

thanx a lot !

yeah..agree about the solo.... but the acoustic strings are pretty hard
with a high action....so picking fast is a bit of a problem.

 

[Dutch]

thanx a lot !

yeah..agree about the solo.... but the acoustic strings are pretty hard
with a high action....so picking fast is a bit of a problem.

Remember the old saying which I firmly believe in: an impression of speed is not given by how quick you can play the notes, but by how accurately you play them! That is, it will sound faster at a lesser speed at the moment that the timing is perfect and the note execution perfect!

 

[jkartik]

dutchad.....can ya play any django songs ??

 

[Dutch]

dutchad.....can ya play any django songs ??

I will see if I can post a video of me doing the very same!

 

[jkartik]

heres Babe I'm gonna leave you Intro by Led Zeppelin.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

thanx a lot !

yeah..agree about the solo.... but the acoustic strings are pretty hard
with a high action....so picking fast is a bit of a problem.

Nice! You've been playing for a similar amount of time as me - how long have you been fingerpicking? I haven't even got started with that yet...

Edit: I'm no expert of course, but wouldn't it sound better playing right over the soundhole?

 

[pcfan123]

That sounds awesome Karthik, really damn good for a starter. Might want to consider nylon strings if you are really into finger picking though

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Nice! You've been playing for a similar amount of time as me - how long have you been fingerpicking? I haven't even got started with that yet...

Edit: I'm no expert of course, but wouldn't it sound better playing right over the soundhole?

About that last post, it sounded as though I'm a bit of a know-all, which of course I'm not - that wasn't my intention at all.

 

[Dutch]

About that last post, it sounded as though I'm a bit of a know-all, which of course I'm not - that wasn't my intention at all.

Its a fair point though....with a bit of experimenting you can get some different quality of sounds form your guitar...closer to the bridge more metally, twangy closer to the neck more round and warm.

One of the most important things about the sound of a guitar is the back of the guitar believe it or not.

If it is tight against your body it will sound muffled.

If it is connected at two points, your thigh and say your ribs, the sound has a place to go to and the whole of the body can carry the sound.

It can then travel through your body and you your self become part of the acoustic medium!

The face of the guitar and the sound hole should be faced slightly up.

For two reasons: the sound can travel more freely and secondly you have more of an overview of what you are doing without having to creep your head forward.......thus compromising your body position, thus compromising the sound.....

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Its a fair point though....with a bit of experimenting you can get some different quality of sounds form your guitar...closer to the bridge more metally, twangy closer to the neck more round and warm.

One of the most important things about the sound of a guitar is the back of the guitar believe it or not.

If it is tight against your body it will sound muffled.

If it is connected at two points, your thigh and say your ribs, the sound has a place to go to and the whole of the body can carry the sound.

It can then travel through your body and you your self become part of the acoustic medium!

The face of the guitar and the sound hole should be faced slightly up.

For two reasons: the sound can travel more freely and secondly you have more of an overview of what you are doing without having to creep your head forward.......thus compromising your body position, thus compromising the sound.....

That's a very interesting post. I've always found it more comfortable to have the guitar facing slightly up, as opposed to completely horizontal.

 

[Dutch]

That's a very interesting post. I've always found it more comfortable to have the guitar facing slightly up, as opposed to completely horizontal.

I think Jkartiks video shows it quite well: you need to imagine a triangle of space at the back of the guitar: one point touching your body near you nipple as it were and the guitar resting on your thighs, guitar slightly facing up and there is a space between your body and the guitar for the back of the guitar to work freely.

It is the same effect if you take a piece of iron in your hand and hit it with a piece of metal it will sound dull and muffled. Hang it on a piece of string and hit....voila...it chimes!

 

[jkartik]

Nice! You've been playing for a similar amount of time as me - how long have you been fingerpicking? I haven't even got started with that yet...

Edit: I'm no expert of course, but wouldn't it sound better playing right over the soundhole?

dont exactly remember, but i started it pretty soon...
the main advantage for me is i dont have a tutor. now, am not really sure if thats a good thing but am a pretty fast learner (not boasting)..and classes once a week is just a waste of time. besides, theres so much resource over the internet that if you have an ear for music....you can survive !

jkartik added 2 Minutes and 25 Seconds later...

That sounds awesome Karthik, really damn good for a starter. Might want to consider nylon strings if you are really into finger picking though

thanks.

btw, i just heard the classical gas song you mentioned and WOW!! its so tasty and boy o boy am i tempted to learn it. but its way out of my league