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Started guitar lessons!

senninsennin Posts: 2,146
edited January 2007 in Musicians and Gearheads
I had my first lesson last week. It went ok....I think I was a bit nervous. :p

Cool, guy, a blues guitarist....a damn good one too.

He has me working on chord progressions, and switching between chords quicker. I've been working on getting the chords clean to this point....now it's time to pick up the pace.

I'm feeling a bit sloppy, but it's paying off with crisper transitions.

Still having trouble switching to C and Dmin....any tips? Going from G to C seems to cause me the most trouble for some reason. Same goes for C to Bmin.....

Tomorrow is my next lesson!
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • NovawindNovawind Posts: 836
    I can only do Bmin if I'm playing bar chords, then slide down.
    If idle hands are the devil's workshop, he must not be very productive.

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  • jeddethjeddeth Posts: 93
    the only advice there really is... just keep practicing! It will all get much easier the more you do it. Look how far you've already come
    Things change. They wont change unless you make them. The best way to change something you don't like, is to change yourself. So if you feel like you have a piece of duct tape on your mouth and you can't escape, take it off, speak up, speak your mind, shout it out, let 'em hear ya! -EV
  • satansbedbugssatansbedbugs Posts: 2,412
    jeddeth wrote:
    the only advice there really is... just keep practicing! It will all get much easier the more you do it. Look how far you've already come


    agreeed
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  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    THose transitions are a bit trickier for you cos you hacve to pick up all your finger sthen lay them down again. Make sure you position your index finger first, then the rest will follow.
    Changes where a finger either does not move, or just slides along a fret are always easier.
    Can't stress enough how important it is to get a good metronome and use it.
    As John Petrucci says, Practise does not make perfect, Perfect practise MAkes perfect !!
    A metronome will co-ordinate your left and right hands.
    Sounds like you have been practising a lot anyway which is great.
    The other thing Petrucci says, is that you can't cram technique, it has to develop wiht time, adn I find that is so true.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    My second lesson went very good!

    We covered alot of stuff! He showed me a couple of nice "tricks" to help me transition to difficult chords. Although a few of the chords are kicking my ass! :p

    How do you finger a Bflat? He showed me using 4 fingers. I think I'm more comfortable using just 2. Index finger on the A and ring finger barring the others. What do you think?


    Even played through my first acoustic solo! ....from About a Girl.


    Now I have ALOT of stuff to practice....and I'm starting to feel some pressure! I guess that's the point of taking lessons though.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Nice!!!

    You all will be rocking out the Guitar Center again in no time!!

    I always found that if you're making a lot of transitions, like C to Dm, (and maybe soon, you'll be doing Cmb5#7th chords, too! :D) that if you have a progression, think about economy of motion.
    If you have 4 chords to play, where is the ring finger in each chord, pinky etc. If you work out the finger position, then you may have a string that you keep one finger on, or move over one fret, like C to Dm.
    If you're playing a C chord, you basically move the index and middle finger over one fret, then you just have to deal with getting your ring finger over to the B string. Less to think about!

    I would learn to play the B flat the way YOU'RE doing it, AND the 4 finger way. When you start doing a lot of chord changes, it's nice to have all 4 fingers on the frets in that position, because if you're going from B flat major to minor, or 7th, or a suspended chord, you're fingers a ready to go. There isn't really much you'll do with your free fingers if you're fretting the 3 strings with your ring finger.

    Remember, too! A very important thing!

    Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn technically had bad form! Haha, so all rules are out the window sometimes. :cool:
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    Nice!!!

    You all will be rocking out the Guitar Center again in no time!!

    I always found that if you're making a lot of transitions, like C to Dm, (and maybe soon, you'll be doing Cmb5#7th chords, too! :D) that if you have a progression, think about economy of motion.
    If you have 4 chords to play, where is the ring finger in each chord, pinky etc. If you work out the finger position, then you may have a string that you keep one finger on, or move over one fret, like C to Dm.
    If you're playing a C chord, you basically move the index and middle finger over one fret, then you just have to deal with getting your ring finger over to the B string. Less to think about!

    I would learn to play the B flat the way YOU'RE doing it, AND the 4 finger way. When you start doing a lot of chord changes, it's nice to have all 4 fingers on the frets in that position, because if you're going from B flat major to minor, or 7th, or a suspended chord, you're fingers a ready to go. There isn't really much you'll do with your free fingers if you're fretting the 3 strings with your ring finger.

    Remember, too! A very important thing!

    Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn technically had bad form! Haha, so all rules are out the window sometimes. :cool:

    yeah yeah yeah.....

    :D

    Makes total sense now! There's an A and C in About a girl using ring/middle/pinky....so it would make great sense in using the same for the Bflat. I just have to commit that to my lefts muscle memory.....because apparently it's having a little trouble remembering. :p

    Thanks Bob!
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    sennin wrote:
    yeah yeah yeah.....

    :D

    Makes total sense now! There's an A and C in About a girl using ring/middle/pinky....so it would make great sense in using the same for the Bflat. I just have to commit that to my lefts muscle memory.....because apparently it's having a little trouble remembering. :p

    Thanks Bob!


    haha,, well, cheers!

    I can remember ALL of that stuff!

    But I can't find my car keys 46 time per day and I put on about 3 miles a day in my house, going back downstairs wondering what I went up for! :D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    haha,, well, cheers!

    I can remember ALL of that stuff!

    But I can't find my car keys 46 time per day and I put on about 3 miles a day in my house, going back downstairs wondering what I went up for! :D


    LOL! Well, there's only so much storage in one's brain....if it's filled with guitar knowledge there's no file space for the keys!

    :p
  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    C# to F# is killing me!!!!! I must have played this chage 250,000,000,000,000 times today. Still not soundsing any better or getting any faster!

    As long as I play songs that require 3+ seconds between chord chages I'm fine!


    :p
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    sennin wrote:
    LOL! Well, there's only so much storage in one's brain....if it's filled with guitar knowledge there's no file space for the keys!

    :p

    Thank you for acknowledging this. This is why I want PJ to publish their music. Cos I have a lifetime worth of memories, and a professional career full as well, and last time I talked about this "RAM" problem, I was accused of being a functional retard.
    Learn one song, forget another.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    sennin wrote:
    C# to F# is killing me!!!!! I must have played this chage 250,000,000,000,000 times today. Still not soundsing any better or getting any faster!

    As long as I play songs that require 3+ seconds between chord chages I'm fine!


    :p

    F and B are the hard ones to learn, cos you really gotta bar them, try cehating a littel by playing power chords until your fingers get stronger.
    Remember, you can't cram it, it takes time.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • satansbedbugssatansbedbugs Posts: 2,412
    better man= D, to A, to G...thaTS IT
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  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    I think I'm getting worse!

    :p
  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    ok, it's harder going from G to C#....then toF#....the C# to F# is moderately hard. G to C# is a tough one for me! I can play a C# fine.....it's just getting my fingers in position....it takes like 3 seconds! lol.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    sennin wrote:
    ok, it's harder going from G to C#....then toF#....the C# to F# is moderately hard. G to C# is a tough one for me! I can play a C# fine.....it's just getting my fingers in position....it takes like 3 seconds! lol.

    Big Willie Sennin,,, The King of the slow slow blues!

    Actually if you try practicing the G to Db first, that should get your fingers in shape for the G to C#. :)
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    Big Willie Sennin,,, The King of the slow slow blues!

    Actually if you try practicing the G to Db first, that should get your fingers in shape for the G to C#. :)

    ok.....give me about 12 years and I'll get back to you. :p

    Thanks Bob!
  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    must practice tonight!
  • Drew263Drew263 Posts: 602
    sennin wrote:
    must practice tonight!

    sennin congrats on taking lesssons. I started last march and it's been great..frustrating at times but I practice/play everyday now and to think about where I was just back in August is hilarious.

    you'll improve the more you play and it becomes addicting. I have a friend that is learning just by practicing songs. he's been going since August and at this point is where I was at about my first month. Way behind. He's memorizing songs and I'm learning about functional harmony with diminished 7th chords etc etc. :eek: It's a blast.

    keep it up!
  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    My play feels sloppier than before.....regression before progression?.....maybe I should concentrate harder.

    *shrug*
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    sennin wrote:
    My play feels sloppier than before.....regression before progression?.....maybe I should concentrate harder.

    *shrug*


    Sometimes it seems like it's sloppier, but it could be because you're getting better and it seems too easy!

    There is regression though. Sometimes you play and try to learn something and get frustrated, then the next day,,,,,,,, there it is!!

    You ought to have a metronome, too. GREAT for timing and focus!

    Try doing that C# to Db transition. It should be getting easier for you by now, too! :D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    I'll have to put some bugs in people's ears that I need a metronome for Christmas. :p

    ...

    I don't have another lesson until after the new year! I better keep focused.
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    sennin wrote:
    I'll have to put some bugs in people's ears that I need a metronome for Christmas. :p

    ...

    I don't have another lesson until after the new year! I better keep focused.

    I have a Wittner metronome that is about the size of a credit card, adn I have never changed the battery despite a thousand hours of use. You can set the rhythm pattern, triplets, 8ths etc etc, then set the tempo, and I strongly recommend one
    Music is not a competetion.
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    sennin wrote:
    I'll have to put some bugs in people's ears that I need a metronome for Christmas. :p

    ...

    I don't have another lesson until after the new year! I better keep focused.

    You could probably find a free app for your computer that would act as a metronome. I have one for my mac, called Aquanome. Take a peak and see whats out there.
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    Sometimes it seems like it's sloppier, but it could be because you're getting better and it seems too easy!

    There is regression though. Sometimes you play and try to learn something and get frustrated, then the next day,,,,,,,, there it is!!

    You ought to have a metronome, too. GREAT for timing and focus!

    Try doing that C# to Db transition. It should be getting easier for you by now, too! :D


    Is it just that i am stupid, or is C# not Db ?? Enharmonic , in fact ?? I'm thinking G# to Db, as in Teen Spirit might be what you mean.
    Regression happens when you get tired , but while you sleep, your cerebellum processes your efforts and you are often better the next day, so don't sweat it.
    You can't really cram technique, it takes time !!
    Music is not a competetion.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    lucylespian wrote:
    Is it just that i am stupid, or is C# not Db ?? !


    ;)

    I was figuring someday, Sennin would be learning something and suddenly realize at 3:00 am waking up out of a sound sleep:

    Hey!!! C# IS a Db!!! That rat bastaaaad Who's_pearljam? :D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    Oh no you ditint!

    :p
  • PJammer4lifePJammer4life Posts: 2,645
    My best advice is the simplest..leave your guitar out all the time..strum it when you are watching tv, bored, grab it like a nervous habit..that way you don't only get the feel when you sit down to practice but have it with you all the time...

    songs to start

    Jeremy intro riff
    Sometimes intro
    Courduroy intro

    The hardest part is getting the switches down, then you have to work on your strumming, but it will come together..and thee is no better feeling..
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  • MichaelMcKevinMichaelMcKevin Posts: 1,161
    PJammer4life wrote:
    My best advice is the simplest..leave your guitar out all the time..strum it when you are watching tv, bored, grab it like a nervous habit..that way you don't only get the feel when you sit down to practice but have it with you all the time...

    True story. I walk around the house with it. It's easier than putting it down and picking it up 5 seconds later. :D
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  • senninsennin Posts: 2,146
    There's always a guitar at the ready. My acoustic is almost always with me.
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