I've taken the plunge and started actually learning chords
I'm working on various punk songs since a lot of the chords are relatively simple
Enjoying the hell out of Red Hot Moon by Rancid currently
I started learning The Girl by City and Colour last week. It's a pretty fun and simple one! I used to hate doing chords on my guitar, but I've started liking them a lot more on my uke.
The version I'm learning is this one, using the tutorial he links to:
I first got a gift of an acoustic guitar from my parents, they had bought it from my dad's boss.
I went to lessons for almost a year but then stopped. Eventually my dad's boss was wanting to play again and asked my dad if I was still using the guitar, I didn't mind selling it back to him and bought a cheapie electric guitar with those funds, that's the one I still have.
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ceresWhen the last moon is cast over the last star of morningAnd the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderatormod
I really want to never have learned that electric bagpipes existed
What? Why? Have you never heard Neutral Milk Hotel?
I saw them live, and their bagpipes led me to do a bit of research. They actually sound really close the real thing, except that you can control the volume, negating the biggest complaint about bagpipes!
Cool!! I'm working on learning a few songs right now on my uke. My main one is trying to figure out Sous le Ciel de Paris by Edith Piaf in this arrangement:
I've gotten to the point where I can play the song through pretty easily but not as smoothly as Ukulelezaza does; it's also a ridiculously long piece of sheet music and it's going to take some time to master.
ceresWhen the last moon is cast over the last star of morningAnd the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderatormod
I am also practicing an Edith Pilaf song on my ukulele! Without lessons!
...I am no good at it.
And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
Do MIDI controllers and sound libraries count as instruments?
I got a Novation 61 key keyboard controller... Half price! It's got knobs and dials!
Also finally am able to use some fancy SampleModeling horns and tuba I got during the summer, so I threw together a theme from Wrath of the Lich King to test them and the keyboard:
ceresWhen the last moon is cast over the last star of morningAnd the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderatormod
It is that one, yes. I've been using ukutabs but I'm up for more complex.
And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
If you're okay with trying to learn something as complex as that, then I'd totally recommend it. I tried learning it when I was trying to train myself to play on my own, and found it kind of tough at first, but he has some other songs that are lower on the difficulty scale that might help you be better at combining chords and solos. If you click the Youtube link he also links to a part of his own website where he explains how to play the song.
I need to practice strumming on my geetars more than I do.
I bet I could get away with just using session mode in rocksmith to give me a backbeat to play along with, but I'm thinking of trying to get some drum loops that I can play along with my acoustic too.
Anyone have any other suggesting to help me learn to strum with rhythm?
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Maybe try playing in group settings if possible, or at least playing along to a video of whatever song you're trying to learn? That should help you keep the beat a bit better.
Playing an instrument is fun but there's definitely parts where you just have to suck it up and get through. Nobody likes playing to a metronome but getting more used to it is going to be very useful later when you don't want to be embarrassed because the guy recording you is having you play to a click track so all the parts line up.
And audio engineers are notoriously awful at making people feel good about failing to accurately play along with a click track.
That is the thing. I never take practice time super serious and end up just noodling for a while most of the time. Playing scales poorly or badly switching chords with just down strums.
I want to actually get better though so I suppose it is time to break this down into smaller steps.
For one I need to stop choking my pick and learn to play to a beat.
It doesn't have to be much. 10 minutes strumming to a metronome and 10 minutes doing scales (in various ways) will be very useful later if you can keep from being too bored. Maybe even just once a week. Then you can just wail to your heart's content.
My guitar student started out rolling his eyes when I gave him another scale box to learn but now that he's internalized them and he can just move wherever he wants on the neck, he admits that he's glad I forced him to do it. It's not an instant gratification thing, and neither is a metronome, but later on when you don't need to think too hard about that stuff anymore and you just do it, you'll be having a lot more fun than when you were just noodling.
It's hard to describe that feeling, but the way I always try to is to say that it has to be in your fingers, not your head.
Five minutes with a metronome just now and I already feel like I'm getting a better sense of timing on my strums just muting the strings and stuff, that's good, feels like progress.
Also decided to just strum a g chord (my current favorite chord) for a bit and actually got some up strums to sound alright, I really do have a terrible habit of choking the hell out of pick and attacking the strings too sharp on the way up.
It's going to take way more practice to get a good sense of timing down well enough to be able to also switch chords while strumming well. But at least now I have an idea how it's done.
Yay! Stick with it, I'm happy it helped. Another thing that helps but may actually be more fun is to get Audacity and set up a click track and record yourself. Then listen to your recording with the click track on and see where you're getting off (I know, phrasing...), so you have a better idea of what you need to work on.
What I do when I'm having trouble with a rhythm is enter the sheet of music into Musescore (a free music composition program). Then I can play it back and see what I need to do. I'm still learning how to use the program so I'm killing two birds with one stone. Eventually I plan on doing my own stuff with it but for now it's pretty useful just as a tool for learning pieces.
That probably doesn't help with guitar though, sorry! (maybe it does? but I don't know)
I did some recording for someone and had to setup my studio stuff again, and it really got me hankering to learning piano like I meant to a while back.
I have a 61-key keyboard and still not much idea where to start. I've seen programs and websites but I'm not sure which really is good? I use the keyboard for composing and have some music theory down alright, but I would like to learn some performance skills so that I could improvise more and help with the creative process. Not sure if that helps or changes anything?
So... now that I know I'm definitely able to get back into music, I need to figure out a replacement keyboard.
It was priced at, I think around $300 when I bought it 6 years ago. Its sounds good enough, but it only has one working speaker and only has 5 full octaves (61 keys)
The one I have only has one working speaker, and it only has 5 full octaves (61 keys). And the middle F natural doesn't work.
Anyone have any suggestions on something with 6-7 octaves, that isn't really overpriced? I've only ever bought this one so I'm not too knowledgeable about all this.
I did some recording for someone and had to setup my studio stuff again, and it really got me hankering to learning piano like I meant to a while back.
I have a 61-key keyboard and still not much idea where to start. I've seen programs and websites but I'm not sure which really is good? I use the keyboard for composing and have some music theory down alright, but I would like to learn some performance skills so that I could improvise more and help with the creative process. Not sure if that helps or changes anything?
Are you saying you want to learn more about playing instruments, or about musical theory so you're better at writing music, or both?
As far as improvisational skills, I'm pretty sure you just develop that naturally by getting good at an instrument.
If you have the money for it you can pay for lessons for various instruments, assuming there's a place reasonably nearby.
I like taking music classes at Fullerton College. Even though they're a community college, their music department is on par with a lot of 4-year colleges programs.
As for musical theory, there are college courses for those as well, but I'm not sure about paid lessons.
There seem to be some sites that offer help with that, but I've never tried one so I can't speak for how useful they are.
I played piano for like 3 or 4 years, tenor sax from fourth grade through 12th, four years of taiko on college, and last year I learned how to DJ poorly!
Accordion isn't as intimidating as it looks! For complex polkas and stuff it can get really crazy but if you just want to play lead over reedy chords (folk stuff mainly) the learning curve is very simple, if you can already do piano.
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I started learning The Girl by City and Colour last week. It's a pretty fun and simple one! I used to hate doing chords on my guitar, but I've started liking them a lot more on my uke.
The version I'm learning is this one, using the tutorial he links to:
It's simple enough that I can play it and sing while only screwing up occasionally!
3DS Friend Code: 0216-0898-6512
Switch Friend Code: SW-7437-1538-7786
I went to lessons for almost a year but then stopped. Eventually my dad's boss was wanting to play again and asked my dad if I was still using the guitar, I didn't mind selling it back to him and bought a cheapie electric guitar with those funds, that's the one I still have.
I definitely have a few Rancid songs on my list.
I really want to never have learned that electric bagpipes existed
I saw Black 47 one time and their bagpipe guy had his pipes hooked up to an air compressor
It was pretty great
If you wanted help getting your hands around a Red Hot Moon all you had to do was ask
What? Why? Have you never heard Neutral Milk Hotel?
I saw them live, and their bagpipes led me to do a bit of research. They actually sound really close the real thing, except that you can control the volume, negating the biggest complaint about bagpipes!
We are setting up some practice space at the offices so I need to buy those drums off my buddy! \m/
No idea what our theme will be this year but last year it was a bunch of latin pop/rock.
Good fuzzy guitar
Check out Holland, 1945 and the untitled instrumental on the album In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
But when I think of fuzzy guitar I tend to imagine weedeater, electric wizard, or sleep. Something sludgy at least.
For the first time in years, I'm actually working on my piano skills again.
Starting to re-learn my favorite piece.
This is gonna take a while.
Cool!! I'm working on learning a few songs right now on my uke. My main one is trying to figure out Sous le Ciel de Paris by Edith Piaf in this arrangement:
I've gotten to the point where I can play the song through pretty easily but not as smoothly as Ukulelezaza does; it's also a ridiculously long piece of sheet music and it's going to take some time to master.
I'm also trying to learn the Gwent theme from The Witcher 3 and the the Final Fantasy VII theme, which are a bunch easier but starting to sound a lot nicer with the new techniques I've been learning!
3DS Friend Code: 0216-0898-6512
Switch Friend Code: SW-7437-1538-7786
...I am no good at it.
I got a Novation 61 key keyboard controller... Half price! It's got knobs and dials!
Also finally am able to use some fancy SampleModeling horns and tuba I got during the summer, so I threw together a theme from Wrath of the Lich King to test them and the keyboard:
Is it La Vie En Rose on the uke? Ukulele Underground has a great tutorial/play-along. It's kinda complex though.
3DS Friend Code: 0216-0898-6512
Switch Friend Code: SW-7437-1538-7786
This would be the play-along here:
If you're okay with trying to learn something as complex as that, then I'd totally recommend it. I tried learning it when I was trying to train myself to play on my own, and found it kind of tough at first, but he has some other songs that are lower on the difficulty scale that might help you be better at combining chords and solos. If you click the Youtube link he also links to a part of his own website where he explains how to play the song.
3DS Friend Code: 0216-0898-6512
Switch Friend Code: SW-7437-1538-7786
I bet I could get away with just using session mode in rocksmith to give me a backbeat to play along with, but I'm thinking of trying to get some drum loops that I can play along with my acoustic too.
Anyone have any other suggesting to help me learn to strum with rhythm?
Another problem I have is making my up strums sound good. They usually sound like butts and it makes alternate picking hard.
Skype
3DS Friend Code: 0216-0898-6512
Switch Friend Code: SW-7437-1538-7786
And audio engineers are notoriously awful at making people feel good about failing to accurately play along with a click track.
I want to actually get better though so I suppose it is time to break this down into smaller steps.
For one I need to stop choking my pick and learn to play to a beat.
My guitar student started out rolling his eyes when I gave him another scale box to learn but now that he's internalized them and he can just move wherever he wants on the neck, he admits that he's glad I forced him to do it. It's not an instant gratification thing, and neither is a metronome, but later on when you don't need to think too hard about that stuff anymore and you just do it, you'll be having a lot more fun than when you were just noodling.
It's hard to describe that feeling, but the way I always try to is to say that it has to be in your fingers, not your head.
Also decided to just strum a g chord (my current favorite chord) for a bit and actually got some up strums to sound alright, I really do have a terrible habit of choking the hell out of pick and attacking the strings too sharp on the way up.
It's going to take way more practice to get a good sense of timing down well enough to be able to also switch chords while strumming well. But at least now I have an idea how it's done.
That probably doesn't help with guitar though, sorry! (maybe it does? but I don't know)
I have a 61-key keyboard and still not much idea where to start. I've seen programs and websites but I'm not sure which really is good? I use the keyboard for composing and have some music theory down alright, but I would like to learn some performance skills so that I could improvise more and help with the creative process. Not sure if that helps or changes anything?
It was priced at, I think around $300 when I bought it 6 years ago. Its sounds good enough, but it only has one working speaker and only has 5 full octaves (61 keys)
The one I have only has one working speaker, and it only has 5 full octaves (61 keys). And the middle F natural doesn't work.
Anyone have any suggestions on something with 6-7 octaves, that isn't really overpriced? I've only ever bought this one so I'm not too knowledgeable about all this.
Are you saying you want to learn more about playing instruments, or about musical theory so you're better at writing music, or both?
As far as improvisational skills, I'm pretty sure you just develop that naturally by getting good at an instrument.
If you have the money for it you can pay for lessons for various instruments, assuming there's a place reasonably nearby.
I like taking music classes at Fullerton College. Even though they're a community college, their music department is on par with a lot of 4-year colleges programs.
As for musical theory, there are college courses for those as well, but I'm not sure about paid lessons.
There seem to be some sites that offer help with that, but I've never tried one so I can't speak for how useful they are.
I played piano for like 3 or 4 years, tenor sax from fourth grade through 12th, four years of taiko on college, and last year I learned how to DJ poorly!
I wanna learn trombone and ukulele.
something something magic of the internet something something Taiwan?
Can't believe I forgot that I want to learn to play the banjo and the accordion.
I want to learn how to play a rocking accordion so bad.