Becoming a more complete player?

[satchmo72]

Hey guys, I have been playing a long time but I always play the same things whether it be hair metal tunes or writing and recording my own Satrianish music. I'd like to branch out and learn to fingerpick or play country tunes or play more acoustic stuff.

Is it just about learning different songs though? I actually bought an LP (I'm an Ibanez guy) so I could change up my writing a bit, a different guitar usually sends me in a different direction.

I thought about taking lessons with a talented local blues guy, just something to learn something new. I guess I'm really just talking about chordal stuff. I did the worst thing I could do for myself when I first started. I tried to learn Satriani stuff really early on and did not pay attention to chords and stuff until recently. While I know the open chord stuff and the closed barre chords, i don't know too many others, nothing exotic.

I know I should probably grab a chord book and start learning but learning with no context doesn't always stay in my head very long. I need direction, someone to guide me to make sure I dont wander off, that's my ADD talking

Thoughts on how to proceed?

Jeff

 

[stefvorcide]

Yeah get lessons... it's the best thing I've done

 

[racerevlon]

I recently watched a YouTube interview with Joe Satriani where he talked about his teaching days, and as he became more famous and taught less, he would get the same questions over and over about how to be a better guitarist. He said, rather plainly, that he would ask these seekers of knowledge a few basic questions:

1. Do you know the names of every note on every fret of your guitar? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
2. Do you know the basic chords and notes that make up the triads? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
3. Do you know all your major, minor, seventh chords and their relatives? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
4. Do you know the modes, their names, and how they relate to major and minor chords? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
5. Can you name all the notes in a major/minor scale for any given key? If not, that's probably a good place to start.

I believe what uncle Joe was getting at is too many prospective guitarists lack the basics/foundation. Granted, there have been many "play by ear" greats in history, but are they the exception or the rule?

I've started working on questions 1-5, and won't go any further until I can answer "Yes" to all of them. No more speed practice. No more noodling around. Learn-->practice-->master-->repeat.

Cheers,

 

[Ventura]

Jaaaaayzeeus, you got me on a couple of these for sure...

And that STOP NOODLING rule, how very, very true.

V.

 

[Heritage Softail]

I recently watched a YouTube interview with Joe Satriani where he talked about his teaching days, and as he became more famous and taught less, he would get the same questions over and over about how to be a better guitarist. He said, rather plainly, that he would ask these seekers of knowledge a few basic questions:

1. Do you know the names of every note on every fret of your guitar? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
2. Do you know the basic chords and notes that make up the triads? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
3. Do you know all your major, minor, seventh chords and their relatives? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
4. Do you know the modes, their names, and how they relate to major and minor chords? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
5. Can you name all the notes in a major/minor scale for any given key? If not, that's probably a good place to start.

I believe what uncle Joe was getting at is too many prospective guitarists lack the basics/foundation. Granted, there have been many "play by ear" greats in history, but are they the exception or the rule?

I've started working on questions 1-5, and won't go any further until I can answer "Yes" to all of them. No more speed practice. No more noodling around. Learn-->practice-->master-->repeat.

Cheers,

You must have been talking to my guitar teacher. I came in, he said to play some leads, I did...

We went to the first three items on your list and pretty much have stayed there for 4 months.

He added to know the 3 note per string major scale over the plank. All the basic patterns, and the two string vertical walk up the neck licks.

Learning the basics is helping to unify various little bits and pieces... imagine that!

 

[amiller]

I recently watched a YouTube interview with Joe Satriani where he talked about his teaching days, and as he became more famous and taught less, he would get the same questions over and over about how to be a better guitarist. He said, rather plainly, that he would ask these seekers of knowledge a few basic questions:

1. Do you know the names of every note on every fret of your guitar? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
2. Do you know the basic chords and notes that make up the triads? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
3. Do you know all your major, minor, seventh chords and their relatives? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
4. Do you know the modes, their names, and how they relate to major and minor chords? If not, that's probably a good place to start.
5. Can you name all the notes in a major/minor scale for any given key? If not, that's probably a good place to start.

I believe what uncle Joe was getting at is too many prospective guitarists lack the basics/foundation. Granted, there have been many "play by ear" greats in history, but are they the exception or the rule?

I've started working on questions 1-5, and won't go any further until I can answer "Yes" to all of them. No more speed practice. No more noodling around. Learn-->practice-->master-->repeat.

Cheers,

ABSOLUTELY!!!

 

[racerevlon]

He added to know the 3 note per string major scale over the plank. All the basic patterns, and the two string vertical walk up the neck licks.

Brings to mind one more thing... a friend was stuck playing minor pentatonic leads and was sick of just going vertical. Once upon a time someone suggested to me that you should learn how to play the pentatonics two strings at a time horizontally in a sort-of "stepping down" pattern.

Example on strings 3 and 4, descending:

17-15
17-15

15-12
15-12

12-10
12-10

10-7
10-8

7-5
8-5

5-3
5-3

Cheers,

 

[King Crimson]

And that STOP NOODLING rule, how very, very true.

V.

Noodling is good. Do you kow what the circle of 5ths are?

Do you know the difference between the high E and the low E?

 

[thiswaythatway]

And that STOP NOODLING rule, how very, very true.

V.

Noodling is good. Do you kow what the circle of 5ths are?

Do you know the difference between the high E and the low E?

Can you tab out some Jimmy Page riffs for me?

 

[degenaro]

And that STOP NOODLING rule, how very, very true.

V.

Noodling is good. Do you kow what the circle of 5ths are?

Do you know the difference between the high E and the low E?

What ARE the circle of fifth? Other than a major pentatonic?
Difference between low and high e? I'd say 247.2 Hz, or 2 octaves. That said those 247 Hz is damn near B...so draw your own conclusion there.

 

[TeleBlaster]

What ARE the circle of fifths?

Up or down? This is very important to me when I'm trying to figure out sharps and flats when working with a keyboardist, I don't know how to tell what they mean when they don't specify ascending or descending, and I get a look like I'm supposed to know, when I play the fourth because I went the wrong way.

 

[kasperjensen]

You get sharps going up in 5ths, and flats going up in 4ths.

i.e.

5h up from C = G (1 sharp, F*)

4th up from C = F (1 flat, Bb)

 

[degenaro]

What ARE the circle of fifths?

Up or down? This is very important to me when I'm trying to figure out sharps and flats when working with a keyboardist, I don't know how to tell what they mean when they don't specify ascending or descending, and I get a look like I'm supposed to know, when I play the fourth because I went the wrong way.

Usually...the assumption is up in pitch unless specified. Caveat...jazz bass players like to flip this around. Why I dunno.

 

[kasperjensen]

Quick question...

If I am singing harmonies... Lead singer hits an E. I wanna do a fifth above, but I can't hit the B, so I take it down an octave. Now the interval between the two are a 4th... Even through the B is still a 5th in the chord.
So this means that it's still a 5th right? No matter what octave it's in?

 

[degenaro]

Quick question...

If I am singing harmonies... Lead singer hits an E. I wanna do a fifth above, but I can't hit the B, so I take it down an octave. Now the interval between the two are a 4th... Even through the B is still a 5th in the chord.
So this means that it's still a 5th right? No matter what octave it's in?

Now we're getting into semantics.To me it will be a matter of direction i.e. the 5th above e is b, dropping it it becomes the 4th below to me. For others it will always be a 5th no matter what direction, and for Jazz guys it'll always be a fourth.

 

[kasperjensen]

OK. Thanks.

 

[Unknown Doodl3.2]

Another thing which I think would help a lot is knowing basic theory of progression. Jazz standards are a good way to practice these, and it's a never ending process. Just reading up on basic harmony really sets a good foundation e.i the difference between strong and weak progressions, modulation, tonicisation etcetc...

 

[berklee]

A suggestion I'd make that helped me greatly was to start hanging out at as many open jams as possible. Doing so will also help to force you into musical situations you wouldn't find yourself, and to make you play things you wouldn't have thought to try on your own.

It takes a village to raise a well-rounded guitarist, is what I think I'm saying. lol

 

[MississippiMetal]

A suggestion I'd make that helped me greatly was to start hanging out at as many open jams as possible. Doing so will also help to force you into musical situations you wouldn't find yourself, and to make you play things you wouldn't have thought to try on your own.

It takes a village to raise a well-rounded guitarist, is what I think I'm saying. lol

The one caveat being if that village is retarded, it kinda defeats the purpose. Add-on: hanging out at jams with enough people who are better than you are.
Nothing feels like a bigger waste of time than showing up to jams where no one knows what the progression is, or you ask them the key and they go "The third fret".

 

[Chris6870]

This site is pretty cool. Starts at the beginning and is pretty easy to follow.
http://www.theorylessons.com/index.php