Homestar Runner Wiki Forum

So last weekend I stole my mom's acoustic guitar. Okay, that's not quite accurate. She told me she wasn't using it (she bought it last year from a friend of hers who bought it a year before that and barely played it -- it's a nice guitar, and totally mint) and that I could borrow it more or less indefinitely.

This isn't really the first time I've picked up a guitar. About a year ago my (now-ex) girlfriend borrowed her mom's guitar and I learned a few chords, but that guitar was old and janky and (I think) too small for my beefy man-hands, and shortly thereafter we broke up (after 5 years; long story), so Tuesday night when I picked up my mom's I'm basically a greenhorn.

Since then I've played for just a couple of hours (busy busy), and I've made it through, oh, the first six pages of one of the books that came with the guitar. The first three notes were pretty easy, but I almost killed myself trying to graduate to two strings (gah six notes omgwtfbbq!). But I survived. My fingers (well, two of them, at least) hurt like hell, which I think means I'm doing it right.

My goal in the short term is to be able to clumsily play a couple Bright Eyes or They Might Be Giants tunes. My goal in the long term is to be Bright Eyes or They Might Be Giants. Okay, really long term.

So, what advice do you guys have for me? I want to do this right, meaning I want to actually learn how to sight-read music (I played piano for a couple years when I was a kid, and did okay), and not cut any corners. I can't really afford lessons (and don't have any guitarist or -ista friends in the area), so I'm pretty committed to teaching myself (with you guys' help, that is ).

(OMGWTFTOTPD! )

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I have trouble playing chords because I can't really get my fingers streched out. My nerves in my hands are kinda shot because of all the years I was playing football. My fingers are pretty much stuck together, not able to get some serious chords a going. That, and I think that I might have to start playing lefty, which might be hard since my guitars strung up for a righty.

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IJ, I find your learning methods quite interesting: you are so dedicated to your current task (whatever it is at the time), and for this, I applaud you. You are a relentless perfectionist, and this is what makes you successful.

I personally stray away from guitar books, but I never learned music from books well. If you find it is helping you, by all means, do it.

My pieces of advice are:

Make music fun. If music isn't fun, it is not worth doing.

Always end each practice session with something that you play well.

Concentrate on what you are doing better, instead of what you are not good at yet. Your muscles will naturally learn the control, you don't need to force them.

Play your instrument while you watch TV (and other stuff). If it become an unconscious action, it will become part of you. You will be addicted.

Well,. that's it. Sorry if I sound preachy.

--Z

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http://www.soundclick.com/lumberjackvegetable

1. I've never asked, what type of music are you into IJ? The more you know about the style you like the easier it is to teach you relivant(sp?) chords.

2. MXtabs.net is your friend, they even make teaching tabs for people who'd rather teach themselves like you.

3. I disagree with LJ, first you fall in love with the instrument and then you go and play it while watching TV, if you do that right from the start you'll get distracted and all the 'ol 6-string will be good for is dust collecting.

4. Another friday brings another bunch of stuff, woohoo. Ask me stuff and I shall try my best to answer.

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RIP Nathan "Buz" Buzdor

I have found that being distracted sometimes helps, especially when you are learning something new.

Fingerpicking is a lot of repetition, which spells B-O-R-I-N-G. Pinky hits 6 string. Pinky hits 6 string. Pinky hits 6 string. Pinky hits 6 string. Pinky hits 6 string...

Until your muscles find the way on their own, it takes time to do the same thing over and over. It can get frustrating to put the necessary time in. Playing your guitar very very slowly and gradually getting to a "normal" pace helps; it is more important to play correctly and slowly than to rock out right away.

Hmmm..
So, Coolguy, you diagree with me? My honor is soiled! I challenge you to a duel! Bring your string box to the coner of Market and 5th Streets, and we will see who gets distracted! I will thrash your axe-wielding into the gutter! I will win back my honor!

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http://www.soundclick.com/lumberjackvegetable

Thanks for all the advice, guys. And thanks for the compliments, LJV, though I'm not sure they're entirely deserved.

But I don't mind any preaching, LJV. I'm open to any and all suggestions. And I'll take your advice.

In answer to your first question, Coolguy, my interests vary. As I alluded to earlier, They Might Be Giants and Bright Eyes are among my favorites. But when it comes to guitar music, I guess my interest lie everywhere between standard rock and "alternative". Three-chord pop-punk, The Beatles, The White Stripes, Green Day, Nirvana, REM, Weezer, The Starting Line, Saves the Day, Eisley, Blues Traveler, Coheed and Cambria.. that's what comes to mind, anyway.

Thanks for the pointer to Mxtabs.net. I've been looking for a good site for tabs.

If you're curious about my progress, I've been pressing on. I bought a tuner the other day, which made a world of difference. Ugh. I'd been tuning it to itself, as per the instructions in the book, but the tuner works so much better. I almost signed up for lessons while I was at the music store, but then I remembered that I just bought a car. I learned my first chord (C on three strings) the other day, and was absolutely astonished when I was able to play the first verse of Ode to Joy (or at least the book's version thereof) with relative coherence. I'm working on my next two chords, and all in all it's starting to actually sound like music.

My biggest challenge is pacing. I'm torn between surging ahead and practicing the stuff I've already learned but am not yet very good at. I've sort of come to a compromise whereby I continue to advance while constantly going back and refining what I've learned previously. That sounds lofty, I think, but in actuality I'm still only on page 15 of the book.

Anyhow, thanks again for the tips, and I eaglerly await more.

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Gimme a call when you get up to barr chords, I can direct you to playing When I come Around


It's by Green Day by then way

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RIP Nathan "Buz" Buzdor

A fight eh LJV? <puts on fighting cockatoo voice> I don't think joo want to do that papi, I'm a baaaaaad man.

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RIP Nathan "Buz" Buzdor

I've been playing for aboot 10 years, not counting a chunk of time when I wasn't playing hardly at all. I just mostly play what tabletures I can find. Stuff like Stairway to Heaven up until the lead, or Classical Gas up until that one part. I mostly do rhythm, though.

After a month and a half of playing guitar for real, I've fianally lost all feeling in my fingertips.

Gawd, that must be some kind of record, here's "no callous boy" who felt pain every time me played his guitar for a month and a half

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RIP Nathan "Buz" Buzdor

Bit off topic, but, you know...

My cousin's a huge Coheed and Cambria freak. I really don't get it. And does that guy in that one video really do the singing?

Coheed and Cambria is fantastic. And yes, that's the actual lead singer. Here's a photo of the band for reference.

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Yup, I thought they're lead singer was a lady too. He's the one on the far right.

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You thought he was a lady? That is one scary lady.

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It's because his voice is so high, you would think that too. He's like that guy from The Darkness, but with an even higher voice. I thought he was a girl until I saw him as well.

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I wonder what makes that possible, I used to do the best impression of strong sad and then in therr months my voice got deeper and it crackles every time I even try it. How come these guys get it?

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RIP Nathan "Buz" Buzdor

Haha, no, I heard the song on the radio when I thought it was a lady. It was the video that made me realize

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Lots of training, and a few good kicks to the crotch. There's no other way. I mean to get that high, there needs to be some form of violence involved.

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I've only been playing guitar for maybe a month, and already my teacher says that I am far better than most of his other beginning students. Wow, I feel great. I love being musical.

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Sorry off topic: Hey jumble caper, have you checked you PMs lately? Or are you jut not making banners anymore ?

I recently learned some RATM from the computer, slides arn't that hard but tuneing your guitar to drop D is...kinda. My advice is to use your ear other than a tuner.

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RIP Nathan "Buz" Buzdor

RATM songs are easily the hardest to play, do to the intricacy of Tom Morrello's guitar lines and the fact that he uses....odd methods to get certain sounds from his wailing axe.

When it comes to guitar, I can just play folk-rock and some Beatles and Byrds songs, but on bass guitar I can pretty much do anything.

Oh, I'm so excited that I have to post. I love playing Rage Against the Machine songs. Usually the main riffs can be easily played enough.
Bombtrack,
Killing in the Name,
Township Rebellion,
Freedom,
Guerrilla Radio,
Born of a Broken Man,
and New Millenium Homes!

What I'm really excited about though is having just learned the intro riff from the song "Mayonaise" by The Smashing Pumpkins.

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"Sorry, musta got a toenail caught in my throat!"

why do guys always think playin the guitar is cool?

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Sittin' in the basement, here on a tricycle...

THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR
WATCH IT ON NICK@NITE!!!!

Well, I think it's cool because it's pretty cool to be able to play your own music. I dunno, it just is. And it takes alot of skill to play guitar, so people who are good at it are looked up to.

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Representin' since '98.

I think playing guitar isn't "cool" per se, but a nice way to relax and express yourself. That said, guys who can play a flaming guitar with their teeth are pretty awesome.

I've been playing guitar for a bit over six years. I only play acoustic. I do have an electric guitar, but it's a hunk of crap.

I prefer the fingerpicking-style tunes to strumming.

Playing guitar being cool I think comes mostly from the fact that most popular music is played on guitar (rock bands etc.) Plus the fact that you don't play guitar in an orchestra or symphony or whatever, so there's none of the connotations of the instrument being formal.

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"They've taken Mr Rimmer! Sir, they've taken Mr Rimmer!"
"Quick, let's get outta here before they bring him back!"

Like that band "Skyhooks" from the 70s. You listen to them and you could think that the lead singer's a woman, but it's actually Graeme "Shirley" Strachan.

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"They've taken Mr Rimmer! Sir, they've taken Mr Rimmer!"
"Quick, let's get outta here before they bring him back!"

Gah, after "Evil Empire" RATM went south. De la Rocha's vocals went from awsome to out of place regge. The self titled monk burning album is my favorite still

Speaking of dudes in bands that have high voices, how about Brad from sublime? He can hit really really high notes

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RIP Nathan "Buz" Buzdor

Huh, that's weird. I still think that "The Battle of Los Angeles" is their best album. But hey, to each his own.

I recently learned how to play some Bob Dylan songs a couple of days ago, though only a few.

Bullcrap, if you say that "Take the power back" isn't the best song ever (especially in a bassist eyes like yourself) then you've got another thing coming

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RIP Nathan "Buz" Buzdor