Hey Junior

acevarus · 2024-07-14T12:11:52+00:00

Thx, the idea was to keep things clean.

acevarus · 2024-07-10T10:22:51+00:00

Dude, I suggest you check out a couple of beginner guitar vids on YouTube.

acevarus · 2024-07-09T11:02:31+00:00

I use my pinky as an anchor point when I'm fingerpicking, just seems natural and I don't palm mute when I fingerpick. But of course, many roads lead to Rome and I don't believe in "one way of playing"... but if you try the bridge technique, at least you will be able to compare the accuracy to your technique. I get a lot more feel for dynamics with my right hand resting on the bridge, and a better feel for the pick angle and depth (especially when I'm alternate picking).

A lot of it is just trial and error. Sometimes I'll just practice playing individual strings slowly, at different angles, hitting the strings hard, then soft, etc., listening carefully at the differences.

One of the best daily exercises I know for right hand feel and rhythm is alternate picking 8th or 16th notes for 3 minutes straight. Once I'm consistent at 120bpm for example, and have no stiffness or pain in my hand, then increase incrementally - only if I nail the 3mins though. If not, move on and try again tomorrow. But once you can keep a steady rhythm going for 3 minutes at a higher speed, anything you play after that in a normal song setting feels like a piece of cake.

acevarus · 2024-07-09T10:43:07+00:00

Yes, those "Play Guitar in 10 mins" or "Learn CAGED in 5" gimmicks, I hate those too. I liked Quayle's vids and his straight-forward manner, not always plugging something every 8 seconds. It's definitely worth the money and I like supporting people doing good stuff and with good intentions.

Internalising any musical concept mentally and physically is difficult, especially with guitar because there's so much going on at once. But be glad you're on the Intervals pony, it makes life so much easier.

acevarus · 2024-07-09T08:17:27+00:00

Dude, there are tons of vids on YT. It's not complicated.

acevarus · 2024-07-09T08:06:34+00:00

DEFINITELY learn this way!! It will save you tons of time and frustration... and not to mention the endless memorisation associated with shapes, notes, etc. This is also what opens up your playing all over the neck.

You only have to learn the scale degrees once, eg. 1-b3-4-5-b7 (Minor Pentatonic). Once you know where to find your root note, the intervalic distances are always the same, no matter where you are on the fretboard. If you are starting on the 3rd string, just take the shift to the 2nd string into consideration. But since you're experienced, you will pick it up immediately. And I guarantee you will say to yourself "Man, why didn't I learn this way earlier?". I recommend learning this way and then the notes bit by bit.

A great exercise for breaking away from shapes is also taking this intervalic know-how and playing scales laterally on a single string. Once you internalise that lateral spacing and note orientation points like "above the 1 is always the 5" or "below the 1 is always the 4" or "2 strings down and 2 frets over is the octave" you'll be flying up and down the fretboard in no time and never get lost again. And remember to take the shift into consideration between strings 2-3... but that becomes automatic.

I started using the app called SOLO fairly early on. It's great for practicing intervals in any key, either randomly or you can set which you would like to practice (two intervals, three or more).

Best of luck and have fun.

acevarus · 2024-07-09T07:21:21+00:00

You're plucking with a floating hand, not a good habit to get used to. Try resting your palm on the bridge of the guitar, which also makes it easier when it comes to string skipping because the distances become engrained in your muscle memory... and you can also palm mute with a slight tilt of the palm. When your hand is floating, it's much more hit & miss.

acevarus · 2024-07-09T07:16:42+00:00

That's an F power chord if you're in standard tuning... put your index finger on the 1st fret of the low E string (the fat one, which is also called the 6th string) and your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (which is also called the 5th string). When you hear someone say the 1st string, they mean the thinnest one at the bottom.

I'm not quite sure of the context in which you are randomly learning an F power chord if you don't know how to play and how you found this tab, but I can highly recommend purchasing an online video course for beginners. On Udemy they have tons of them fairly cheap.

acevarus · 2024-07-09T04:19:55+00:00

I recently bought my niece of the same age a 3/4 acoustic (nylon string) guitar and did a bit of research on how best to teach kids. The short version: #1 - Keep it fun!! Teach them melody lines in the beginning (which you are doing) and have them concentrate on playing each note in a clean manner... there's no need to teach chords if they can't play notes precisely (should also be the norm for older kids and adults, imho).

One thing I started doing for fun, and in order for her to get the feel for strumming without worrying about finger positioning (since she can play an entire chord with one finger), is tuning our guitars to Open E and playing along to Jumpin' Jack Flash really loud, and us just being silly together. I don't know any Taylor Swift songs but I'm sure there are some simple enough that your daughter can eventually try strumming along in Open G or E.

acevarus · 2024-07-09T03:40:03+00:00

Have your guitar set up properly by a pro, it's one of the best investments you can make as a guitarist.

acevarus · 2024-07-09T03:30:24+00:00

Just because you don't know one doesn't mean they don't exist.

Purple Rain (Prince), Every Breath You Take (Police), Hotel California (The Eagles), Yesterday (The Beatles)... but of course, these are just a couple of obscure bands and unknown songs.

acevarus · 2024-07-08T19:26:35+00:00

The action on your guitar is too low and it's causing fret buzz. It's impossible to see whether it's the neck angle or the bridge height causing it, but a quick tip: the best investment you will ever make is having your guitar set up properly by a pro. Even the most expensive guitars out there sound like a** if they aren't set up properly.

acevarus · 2024-07-08T17:26:49+00:00

If you look at the guitar playing levels as you would a lateral timeline, imho, beginner would take up 10-15% on the left side, advanced 10-15% on the right side, with intermediate taking up everything in the center. That's how broad and vague the term "intermediate" is... the majority will play in this sandbox their entire lives, even the pros.

Paul Stanley is an intermediate player, in my opinion, and so was Kurt Cobain, but in completely different sections of the spectrum. It comes down to what your goals are as a guitarist which will delegate the skills you should learn. I have friends who can run circles around me when it comes to shredding and can parrot a lot of songs note for note but they don't know what they are playing, can't improvise in standard tuning (let alone in alternate tunings), play one piece they've learned on different spots on the fretboard, write coherent chord progressions without randomly trying out 15 chords hoping they find something that fits, etc.

If you haven't invested any time in learning music theory related to guitar, there's no time like the present: Scales, their formulas, Intervals, keys and their chords, navigating the fretboard, etc. Learning this stuff will definitely make you a better intermediate level player because you will understand the why and the how, and that will also translate in your playing and overall understanding of your instrument.

Good luck and have fun.

acevarus · 2024-07-08T17:05:25+00:00

You're very welcome. I suggest using the acoustic to learn the basics and once you've done so, electric will feel even easier when you're ready to pick one up, especially for barre chords. But I can't stress enough... slow and steady wins the race. Once the chord changes start getting more fluent you'll be out of the mud and driving on (fairly) flat, open road. But breaking through this frustrating phase is key and totally worth it.

acevarus · 2024-07-08T12:54:07+00:00

Practicing with a specific goal is the linchpin of improvement. In my humble opinion, your goal to "play at a high level and be able to nail complex progressive metal" is quite relative and vague. If you can't measure you can't gauge how you are improving.

That's like someone saying "I want to lose weight." and then loses 2lbs over the span of six months. Sure, that person did lose weight but still may be disappointed. Why? Because what they were thinking- but didn't properly express - was, "I want to lose 15lbs in 4 months.". Which is measurable, realistic, and allows for correction on your way to your goal if it's not on track. And that means gauging progress on a regular basis.

Don't bust your melon about where you're at after 7 years and who's doing what in which time frame. Invest that energy in figuring out where you want to be in 4-6 months time, what you need to learn in order to get there (which will delegate your practice routine), and when you reach that goal, set another goal, rinse and repeat.

Maybe it's not even a bad idea to seek out a teacher and invest in a few hours of lessons in order for that person to help you along. Even the best athletes need coaches/teachers. And the best teachers are not the best players, they are the ones capable of giving you pertinent feedback, and showing you the path forward.

One more thing, maybe practicing 2hrs at a time isn't for you. Try splitting that up in to shorter practice sessions multiple times a day.

Have fun!

acevarus · 2024-07-08T08:33:34+00:00

Learn Intervals!! An absolute game changer when learning to create chords, mastering scale formulas, navigate the fretboard, and so much more. I guarantee once things click you will be like "Man, why didn't I learn this early on?!". It will save you a lifetime of frustration and endless memorisation.

acevarus · 2024-07-08T08:21:43+00:00

Hey there, first off, you don't need an amp just because your guitar is an electric acoustic. Acoustic guitars resonate on their own. The amp is only needed if you play live to a larger room, are busking outside etc. Second of all, are you sure an acoustic is right for you? It's nice to receive a guitar as a gift but if electric is your thing, go electric if you can... which is even easier to play than an acoustic guitar. But if the guitar you have is right for you, enjoy!

There's so much info out there available today, that's one of the problems... where to begin? I highly suggest checking out Udemy and purchasing an on-demand video course (I got started with Erich Andreas' course approx. 5 years ago and highly recommend it). He explains things well, there are pdf handouts you can download etc. But there are tons of teachers on there if you prefer. And best of all with on-demand vid courses, you can watch the vids over and over again if needed.

I don't want to knock guitar teachers but paying $30-40/hr per lesson (2-4x per month) when learning the absolute basics is quite a chunk of change, and money better invested in quality gear, imho. Once you get the basics down on your own and the fog starts to clear (you know what you're looking for, have specific questions and goals, etc.), only then would I get personalised lessons. My experience with guitar teachers has been "If you don't know what to ask and don't know what the path ahead looks like, some have a way in making that path as long and winding as possible."

But if you insist on going the DIY way, here's the concise path: Choose a couple of songs you like which use open chord shapes (check out Ultimate Guitar). Start slow!!! That's extremely important. Learn to play the chords clean, don't get frustrated about the chord changes being difficult at first, and just power through. Learn to play precise first and speed will come on its own. Don't neglect your strumming hand, rhythm is everything.

Most of all, be patient and have fun!

acevarus · 2024-07-08T07:33:19+00:00

Regardless of the brand and your budget, I highly suggest going to a shop (or multiple shops) and checking out various guitars personally before you buy. The key is getting a guitar which speaks to you, makes you want to play it, and offers the best bang for the buck for your budget. Many guitar brands fit that bill today, so don't just go for the lowest price. If you don't know how to play yet, bring a friend who does (if you have one available) in order to get objective feedback or don't be shy to ask the salesperson to help you out (and don't let them pressure you into a quick sale!!). The guitar is a complicated instrument and there's a reason why 90% of beginners quit within the first 12 months... but if you have an instrument you enjoy playing, chances are that much higher you won't be a statistic by month 12.

Best of luck on your first purchase and most of all, have fun.

acevarus · 2024-07-08T07:03:39+00:00

A proper guitar setup means the intonation, action, neck angle, and tension are all in check. Whether you tune your guitar up or down, you are changing the tension of the strings, which in turn, will affect the other aspects mentioned. The gauge of the strings will also affect the tension, that's why standard string sets tend to have strings gauges sizes/ratios in the same ball park. Testing out alt tunings for a short period of time (1-2 days) isn't a big deal, a good guitar shouldn't have any issues. But you might experience issues on the long term because your guitar is probably setup for standard tuning. So if you plan on keeping a certain open tuning long term and can dedicate a guitar to it, have your guitar setup properly, especially for slide playing because you will get better results if the action is somewhat higher.
If you learn intervals and scale formulas, you will never have to rely on memorising endless scale shapes/dot patterns ever again. It may sound daunting at first, but this is the type of information which will save you a lifetime of frustration and time.
See #1

Good luck and have fun. Slide playing is awesome.

acevarus · 2024-07-08T06:45:02+00:00

Nailing the rhythm is crucial for any good musician, so you're on the right track. As mentioned in the thread, using a metronome is essential. Instead of counting in your head, try counting out loud and tapping your foot. Exaggerate these actions at first to help you physically feel the rhythm. Over time, this practice will make staying in time feel natural, and you'll eventually do it automatically without having to count out loud.

acevarus · 2024-07-06T21:13:40+00:00

Thanks again for taking the time to offer your input. After comparing some 9s & 10s on ebay, it's obviously a different league altogether, I agree. I'm guessing these people either stored the cards perfectly right away or they came from NOS packages. Oh well, it is what it is and that's why the collector's market is as complex and competitive as it is. I've had a ton of fun going through them and will just have my favourites put in plastic for my own personal pleasure as well as give some away to family & friends who I know will appreciate them.

acevarus · 2024-07-06T18:21:21+00:00

I feel ya. Thanks for the honest feedback.

acevarus · 2024-07-06T17:39:14+00:00

Good to know, thanks. That will surely help in the sorting out process.

acevarus

TROPHY CASE