Get a Hohner Special 20 in the key of C. Special 20s have a plastic comb that's easy on the lips for extended play/practice. They are also exceptionally easy to do bends with, which makes them great for getting over one of the toughest hurdles you'll have learning to play it.
They're not the cheapest harmonica you can buy but if you go cheap it'll sound like crap and make learning tougher. Plus harmonicas are generally inexpensive, even good ones.
Fingers so uncoordinated. I'm practicing scales up and down the neck, and I run into this weird issue where as I walk up the neck, I start missing strings with my right hand, where I was hitting the right strings fine before on previous frets. Which makes no sense, because my right hand is just doing the same exact thing as before, it's my left hand that's doing all the moving. :?
You may be changing the angle of the guitar as you move up the fretboard. Take a look at where your neck is when you're playing something on the say the 3rd fret, now move up to the 13th fret naturally. Is the neck higher? I bet it might be.
That may also have something to do with the right hand getting out of position and you missing the strings. It's one of those things that will come with practice though. Keep at it.
I was very tempted to pick up a Helix too but apparently it has issues with the Firehawk
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MetalbourneInside a cluster b personalityRegistered Userregular
Man I love how people think that any kind of artistic talent is fucking witchcraft.
I'm sitting here playing Mountain Song by Jane's Addiction and just fucking rocking out. Notes are flying at me but I don't give a shit I'm just smashing them all while head banging to this fucking awesome song. Roommate walking past is like, "I don't understand how you can process all that information at once, like, how can anybody do that?"
You fool, the difficulty is at 32% you haven't seen my final form!
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MetalbourneInside a cluster b personalityRegistered Userregular
Man I love how people think that any kind of artistic talent is fucking witchcraft.
I'm sitting here playing Mountain Song by Jane's Addiction and just fucking rocking out. Notes are flying at me but I don't give a shit I'm just smashing them all while head banging to this fucking awesome song. Roommate walking past is like, "I don't understand how you can process all that information at once, like, how can anybody do that?"
You fool, the difficulty is at 32% you haven't seen my final form!
I really wish I could play better because as soon as he says that I'm just memorizing tricks instead of actually learning to play the guitar I want to start playing the intro to smoke on the water and then just turn it into a bunch of really nasty ear bleeding pinch harmonics and then be like, "ok yeah you're right" and then just keep playing to interrupt him when he tries to say I told you so
It is definitely a unique talent to be able to process information that quickly
Once you play long enough though it just becomes muscle memory
But man I'd really like to get credit for my hard work and dedication instead of being accused of being a fucking savant. It's not a fucking compliment
Also I need a strap for my acoustic. I can never sit an play it comfortably in my computer chair and also holding the neck up with my left hand the whole time.
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MetalbourneInside a cluster b personalityRegistered Userregular
Ok I feel like a huge goober
I have been like, way over thinking how strumming works.
I was watching rocksmith videos and came across a rocksmith promotional video with this kid taking the "sixty day challenge" and I noticed how he would really dig at the strings at first and even a a couple weeks into practicing he was super stiff at picking.
I'm like, "oh hey, that looks exactly like I play" and then I thought about how "good" players play with the natural looking strumming. You know, like they lol like they're actually having fun.
So I'm like, "fuck it, I'm gonna play fun" I load up Blitzkrieg Bop, turn the difficulty down to zero and I'm just like, ok just fucking strum like you're good, just be sure to time my strumming to hit the notes
It turns out I didn't even have to try to hit the notes. Like, my sense of rhythm was really well trained but I just wasnt letting it do it's thing. But like a few minutes of playing like a little kid was all I needed. Hitting the wrong notes? Fuck it, I'm strumming. At first it was really taxing to strum to the music and find the proper notes at the same time but it became easier by the end of the first song and after a few more it became so easy I wasn't even thinking about it. So in summary I learned
1. Playing the guitar is a lot of fun
2. While my technical ability to play the guitar is still the same, what comes out of the guitar sounds a lot more "musical" rather than individual notes and chords strung together to accomplish progress on the song
3. Blitzkrieg bop is an incredibly easy song to learn but that doesn't mean the song has little to teach
Hey so Im feeling a bit depressed. Ive been working on this album that I want to finish by the fall. Ive called myself a song writer for many years but Ive never really produced anything. My main goal right now is pretty much just to finish a thing. In the past month my progress has been completely stopped by worries that nothing I have to say really matters or not being a good enough player to communicate my ideas. I still have a bunch of songs that need work but I just can't. I know we have a few songwriters here. Does anyone have any advice for me? I'd really appreciate it.
nightmarenny on
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MetalbourneInside a cluster b personalityRegistered Userregular
Hey so Im feeling a bit depressed. Ive been working on this album that I want to finish by the fall. Ive called myself a song writer for many years but Ive never really produced anything. My main goal right now is pretty much just to finish a thing. In the past month my progress has been completely stopped by worries that nothing I have to say really matters or not being a good enough player to communicate my ideas. I still have a bunch of songs that need work but I just can't. I know we have a few songwriters here. Does anyone have any advice for me? I'd really appreciate it.
:bro:
The best advice I can give is to write even if you hate it when you're finished. Once you have a rough draft, record what you wrote and find someone whose opinion you can trust. Show them what you recorded and get their opinion on it. Immediate family is not a good idea, because even if you get positive feedback you will not let yourself believe it is completely honest.
Don't take that feedback personally. Figure out what is worth implementing and what isn't, and don't be afraid to go back and rewrite what didn't work. Maybe you need to add a section or maybe you've got too much. The point is you don't give up on changing anything once you've written it, tell yourself it sucks, throw up your hands and write it off forever.
More than anything, try and have fun doing it. Because if you're not enjoying it, why are you writing? Do something else and come back when you feel the need to create.
nothing I have to say really matters or not being a good enough player to communicate my ideas.
Punk might be the genre for you
That's around where Im aiming actually. Closer to the refused than the ramones though.
But not really because music genres are kind of bullshit.
nightmarenny on
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MetalbourneInside a cluster b personalityRegistered Userregular
finally did it.
I was playing rocksmith, hit a note and thought to myself, "so you just put your thumb like this..."
SKREEEEEEEEEE
Welp. Just figured out how to be 100% more annoying with this guitar
And now I'm back to looking at a bunch of gear I don't need. That pedal does sound like it can do some cool things.
I picked up a Polara reverb as well, and at that point I was like "dude you need to learn how to play better before buying anything else."
I had put the guitar down for a bit due to work stress, but have picked it back up and am having fun again. Ramones songs are good for that. I'm also having fun trying to puzzle out some Cocteau Twins stuff.
Glad you were able to pick it back up. I still like to warm up with some Ramones or Misfits to get things going. Gets the blood flowing and is more enjoyable than running scales immediately.
I was going to pick up one of the Carvin's V3s since they're going out of business but they were all sold out so I guess I'm not going to spend $600 on an amp I don't really need.
Going with the index finger to barre the fret. The high e string is probably the most likely place for it to go wrong. I didn't even consider the using the thumb thing.
I can't imagine switching to it on any kind of rhythm. I feel like it takes a few seconds to even set up.
Going with the index finger to barre the fret. The high e string is probably the most likely place for it to go wrong. I didn't even consider the using the thumb thing.
I can't imagine switching to it on any kind of rhythm. I feel like it takes a few seconds to even set up.
I don’t use the thumb trick except on weird bass note chords.
Just keep at it, eventually you don’t even think about barre chords being any kind of issue.
...until you try to play them on an acoustic with really high action and you have very skinny fingers and you end up wrapping your index finger in adhesive bandages because you have to get this part recorded soon or the album will never get done.
Spend a couple hours playing everything in E and A rooted barre chords
You will hate it all day, but it will help
Being able to play literally every major and minor chord there is is so very important, and so few guitarists bother getting past the key of G with open chords
Does any one here have experience/knowledge in repairs? We went to an estate sale this weekend (my wife's grandparents, long story but her dad made people buy things they wanted to remember them by, ugh). My son came home with an old mandolin. Pic:
Online tells me it's a bowl back - but other than the maker on the tailpiece there are no clues who made the instrument itself (tailpiece says E.D.Son 1907).
First of, it obviously needs strings which I'll find a local shop to do for us. Second, it has a little rust on the metal tailpiece any ideas on how to try to polish a little of that off? Third, any ideas what we could use to clean the wood without damaging anything?
Finally, one of the seams has an issue - it's slightly come apart. You can't see it with the naked eye, but if you shine a light from behind and look in it, you can see a hairline of light. Should we try to wipe woodglue in the seem and then wipe it clean or is something that small not a concern?
Looks like the fretboard could use some love too.
Honestly, if you're going to have someone restring it, might as well find a good luthier in the area and have them fix up the whole thing for you.
For the metal, probably any metal polish would work. Go with something kind of weak unless you know what kind of metal it is and can buy something specific.
The last part, the coming apart. Yeah, that's the part that makes me strongly suggest having a luthier take care of it. Yes, wood glue will hold it together. However, you need to be pretty careful doing this kind of thing. You'll need to put the glue in there and then use a clamp (with very soft cloth on both sides of the clamp) to hold the pieces together until the glue dries. Again, something like this: http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Glues_and_Adhesives/StewMac_Bind_ALL_Guitar_Binding_Glue.html
However you decide to proceed though, good luck. That will be beautiful once restored.
Also sorry to hear about the loss and the estate sale thing. My grandmother did that for both her first husband and her father. Made her own sons buy things they wanted in order to remember their father. I'm not a fan of that woman.
Thanks for the tips - I'll discuss with the wife how much we want to put into the instrument. It's always a tough call when you don't really know the value of something like this.
Posts
@cooljammer00
Get a Hohner Special 20 in the key of C. Special 20s have a plastic comb that's easy on the lips for extended play/practice. They are also exceptionally easy to do bends with, which makes them great for getting over one of the toughest hurdles you'll have learning to play it.
They're not the cheapest harmonica you can buy but if you go cheap it'll sound like crap and make learning tougher. Plus harmonicas are generally inexpensive, even good ones.
PSN : Bolthorn
PSN : Bolthorn
sweet
I'm sitting here playing Mountain Song by Jane's Addiction and just fucking rocking out. Notes are flying at me but I don't give a shit I'm just smashing them all while head banging to this fucking awesome song. Roommate walking past is like, "I don't understand how you can process all that information at once, like, how can anybody do that?"
You fool, the difficulty is at 32%
you haven't seen my final form!
I really wish I could play better because as soon as he says that I'm just memorizing tricks instead of actually learning to play the guitar I want to start playing the intro to smoke on the water and then just turn it into a bunch of really nasty ear bleeding pinch harmonics and then be like, "ok yeah you're right" and then just keep playing to interrupt him when he tries to say I told you so
Once you play long enough though it just becomes muscle memory
But man I'd really like to get credit for my hard work and dedication instead of being accused of being a fucking savant. It's not a fucking compliment
PSN : Bolthorn
Also I need a strap for my acoustic. I can never sit an play it comfortably in my computer chair and also holding the neck up with my left hand the whole time.
I have been like, way over thinking how strumming works.
I was watching rocksmith videos and came across a rocksmith promotional video with this kid taking the "sixty day challenge" and I noticed how he would really dig at the strings at first and even a a couple weeks into practicing he was super stiff at picking.
I'm like, "oh hey, that looks exactly like I play" and then I thought about how "good" players play with the natural looking strumming. You know, like they lol like they're actually having fun.
So I'm like, "fuck it, I'm gonna play fun" I load up Blitzkrieg Bop, turn the difficulty down to zero and I'm just like, ok just fucking strum like you're good, just be sure to time my strumming to hit the notes
It turns out I didn't even have to try to hit the notes. Like, my sense of rhythm was really well trained but I just wasnt letting it do it's thing. But like a few minutes of playing like a little kid was all I needed. Hitting the wrong notes? Fuck it, I'm strumming. At first it was really taxing to strum to the music and find the proper notes at the same time but it became easier by the end of the first song and after a few more it became so easy I wasn't even thinking about it. So in summary I learned
1. Playing the guitar is a lot of fun
2. While my technical ability to play the guitar is still the same, what comes out of the guitar sounds a lot more "musical" rather than individual notes and chords strung together to accomplish progress on the song
3. Blitzkrieg bop is an incredibly easy song to learn but that doesn't mean the song has little to teach
Punk might be the genre for you
:bro:
The best advice I can give is to write even if you hate it when you're finished. Once you have a rough draft, record what you wrote and find someone whose opinion you can trust. Show them what you recorded and get their opinion on it. Immediate family is not a good idea, because even if you get positive feedback you will not let yourself believe it is completely honest.
Don't take that feedback personally. Figure out what is worth implementing and what isn't, and don't be afraid to go back and rewrite what didn't work. Maybe you need to add a section or maybe you've got too much. The point is you don't give up on changing anything once you've written it, tell yourself it sucks, throw up your hands and write it off forever.
More than anything, try and have fun doing it. Because if you're not enjoying it, why are you writing? Do something else and come back when you feel the need to create.
That's around where Im aiming actually. Closer to the refused than the ramones though.
But not really because music genres are kind of bullshit.
I was playing rocksmith, hit a note and thought to myself, "so you just put your thumb like this..."
SKREEEEEEEEEE
Welp. Just figured out how to be 100% more annoying with this guitar
Battle.net: IronSquirrel#1462
It's missing a string and the trem arm, but man do I LOVE it.
PSN : Bolthorn
I picked up a Polara reverb as well, and at that point I was like "dude you need to learn how to play better before buying anything else."
I had put the guitar down for a bit due to work stress, but have picked it back up and am having fun again. Ramones songs are good for that.
I was going to pick up one of the Carvin's V3s since they're going out of business but they were all sold out so I guess I'm not going to spend $600 on an amp I don't really need.
PSN : Bolthorn
But hey, my F chord is getting way better.
Nintendo ID: Pastalonius
Smite\LoL:Gremlidin \ WoW & Overwatch & Hots: Gremlidin#1734
3ds: 3282-2248-0453
If you started learning a couple of weeks ago and are already making progress on the F chord, I'd say you're doing great.
How are you learning to play F chord out of curiosity? Index finger to barre the fret or thumbing the top string and index finger on E and B?
I can't imagine switching to it on any kind of rhythm. I feel like it takes a few seconds to even set up.
Nintendo ID: Pastalonius
Smite\LoL:Gremlidin \ WoW & Overwatch & Hots: Gremlidin#1734
3ds: 3282-2248-0453
I don’t use the thumb trick except on weird bass note chords.
Just keep at it, eventually you don’t even think about barre chords being any kind of issue.
The album got done and arrived Tuesday.
PSN : Bolthorn
Plus I'm getting arthritis now.
Bad habits and such
E: Not to say it isn't worth learning that way, also. It has it's uses.
You will hate it all day, but it will help
Being able to play literally every major and minor chord there is is so very important, and so few guitarists bother getting past the key of G with open chords
Online tells me it's a bowl back - but other than the maker on the tailpiece there are no clues who made the instrument itself (tailpiece says E.D.Son 1907).
First of, it obviously needs strings which I'll find a local shop to do for us. Second, it has a little rust on the metal tailpiece any ideas on how to try to polish a little of that off? Third, any ideas what we could use to clean the wood without damaging anything?
Finally, one of the seams has an issue - it's slightly come apart. You can't see it with the naked eye, but if you shine a light from behind and look in it, you can see a hairline of light. Should we try to wipe woodglue in the seem and then wipe it clean or is something that small not a concern?
Honestly, if you're going to have someone restring it, might as well find a good luthier in the area and have them fix up the whole thing for you.
If you are dead set on doing it yourself you may want to remove that tailpiece to clean it as you're going to need to treat the wood underneath. You may also want to use a chemical on the metal that may damage the wood, or a chemical on the wood that may damage the metal. Not likely, but possible.
For the body: http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Cleaners_and_Lubricants/Preservation_Polish.html or something like it.
For the fretboard: http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Cleaners_and_Lubricants/ColorTone_Lemon_Oil.html or something like it.
For the metal, probably any metal polish would work. Go with something kind of weak unless you know what kind of metal it is and can buy something specific.
The last part, the coming apart. Yeah, that's the part that makes me strongly suggest having a luthier take care of it. Yes, wood glue will hold it together. However, you need to be pretty careful doing this kind of thing. You'll need to put the glue in there and then use a clamp (with very soft cloth on both sides of the clamp) to hold the pieces together until the glue dries. Again, something like this: http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Glues_and_Adhesives/StewMac_Bind_ALL_Guitar_Binding_Glue.html
However you decide to proceed though, good luck. That will be beautiful once restored.
Also sorry to hear about the loss and the estate sale thing. My grandmother did that for both her first husband and her father. Made her own sons buy things they wanted in order to remember their father. I'm not a fan of that woman.
PSN : Bolthorn