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Glass Bowtie
Kirkinen Risk Control
Caldari State
74
   |
Posted - 2017.02.23 11:46:00 -
[1] - Quote
Alright.
First off you need new strings. There is a range of gauges, and that part really doesn't matter, but I'd stick with a gauge close to the middle of the spectrum. The folks at the music store can help you with that.
While you are at the music store pick up a tuner. You should be able to find one for $20 or so. Tell them you have an acoustic guitar so you don't end up buying a tuner you need to plug the guitar into.
You're probably gonna want new strings at least every 6 months or so if you end up playing a lot. You don't HAVE to change your strings unless they break I suppose, but trust me, new strings sound and feel SO MUCH better. Even if you put new strings on it and don't play at all, 6 months down the road new strings sound and feel way better.
I'd recommend getting a music store to restring your guitar if you've never done it before. If you absolutely have to I guess you could use YouTube, but I'd recommend getting someone knowledgeable to do it for you first go round. You will need the tuner, as new strings tighten back up and go out of tune quick, like over a few minutes when the strings are totally brand new. They're worked out good after about a day or so, but you still want to tune your guitar at least once a day (before you sit down to play).
Anyway, starting off, the single most important thing is muscle memory. Muscle memory muscle memory muscle memory. It doesn't matter how fat or thin or long or short your fingers are. As long as you have some feeling in your hands you should be good. Practice practice practice practice practice practice practice. That's what it's all about. Practice practice practice practice. Muscle memory muscle memory muscle memory muscle memory.
To begin, find out how to read tablature (tabs). It's super easy, will only take a second. You don't need to read it as you play, it's just so you know what frets to hit. Next, Google guitar finger exercises, as well as chords. And that's it. Play that stuff day in day out, whenever you get a chance, even if it's for 2 minutes. Practice practice practice. Gotta build that muscle memory muscle memory muscle memory.
Maybe find a super easy song that you enjoy playing to mess around with and break up the monotony, and by all means, between finger exercises goof around and just do your own thing.
If you practice 20 minutes a day you will see a noticeable difference within a month, easy. And don't feel obligated to learn an actual song. The more you practice, the more you will be able to do, and there is more than enough fun/cool sh*t to do on a guitar. You don't NEED to play someone else's stuff.
I'm about to go into work, but I can answer any questions you have after said work.
Practice.
Muscle Memory.
That's all that matters. Even better-
One Universe.
One War.
Muscle Memory514. |
Glass Bowtie
Kirkinen Risk Control
Caldari State
74
|
Posted - 2017.02.23 11:58:00 -
[2] - Quote
How to read guitar tabs-
https://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-108-TABandBoxes.php
I'll find some exercises after work. The first batch Google brought up were meh. |
Glass Bowtie
Kirkinen Risk Control
Caldari State
77
|
Posted - 2017.02.24 11:47:00 -
[3] - Quote
A good example of a finger exercise-
But first a quick rundown on tabs just in case-
Let's say you pluck the E string (thickest string, the string on top when in playing position) with no fingers on the fret board (guitar neck). That would be the 0 (zero) fret. The first fret closest to the guitar headstock is the 1 fret, next one is 2 fret, so on. The music paper that tabs (or actual sheet music) would be written on would look something like this-
G|------------------
D|------------------
A|------------------
E|------------------
To make things easy and quick, the above is for a bass guitar. Regular guitar would be the same thing, except with a B string, then another E string above the G. Standard tuning is EADGBE. Thickest string on the bottom, thinnest on top.
Finger Torture Test #1 (explained after)-
G|--------------------------------------------------------------------
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------
E|--(I)4--(M)5--(I)4--(R)6--(I)4--(P)7--(I)4--(R)6--
Very basic exercise. Takes place on a single string. Whether to use your Index, Middle, Ring, or Pinky finger is represented by (I), (M), (R), and (P). So for this exercise you are hitting the 4th fret (tab) with your Index finger, the 5th fret with your middle finger, 6th fret with your ring finger, and the 7th fret with your pinky finger.
This is a very simple exercise to work out all your fingers and build dexterity and that all important muscle memory. Play it over and over and over. Play it fast. Play it slow. Play it starting slow then speed up as you play. Play it starting fast then slow down as you play. Try it on the A string, or the G string (hehe). Try it on all strings. Try it starting from the 12th fret. Try it starting from the 15th fret.
This is the core of any stringed instrument.
Let me know if you understand this. I'm much better at explaining things visually. If you do inderstand, I have a f*ck ton of these finger exercises. |
Glass Bowtie
Kirkinen Risk Control
Caldari State
77
|
Posted - 2017.02.25 03:04:00 -
[4] - Quote
Finger Torture Test #2-
G|----------(P)7--(R)6--(M)5--(I)4-----------------------------------------
A|-------(R)6----------------------------(M)5-----------------------------------
D|----(M)5-------------------------------------(R)6-----------------------------
E|--(I)4----------------------------------------------(P)7--(R)6--(M)5--(I)4
A bit more involved. Again, play it fast, slow, start from anywhere and everywhere on the fret board, not just the 4th fret. And remember, I'm using a bass setup just for ease of typing and reading. Guitar tabs are the same thing, just-
E|------
B|------
G|------
D|------
A|------
E|------
2 extra high strings, but the same stuff. Also remember these are finger exercises, and they aren't necessarily suppose to sound musically pleasing. Just for building dexterity and muscle memory. I can give you some scales to goof around with if you'd like also.
Edit- had to squish it down a bit to make it fit. |
Glass Bowtie
Kirkinen Risk Control
Caldari State
79
|
Posted - 2017.02.25 14:44:00 -
[5] - Quote
PARKOUR PRACTIONER wrote:Bowtie i understand the notes I just haven't gotten to the 'actively setting fingers on fire' (playing it) stage.
It takes time. Hell, even when I was playing every day there were plenty of times where I actually had to use my right hand (pickin/pluckin) to manually place the fingers of my left hand on the proper frets when learning something new. But it all comes to you with time.
Starting out it'll feel way more comfortable to lean on your index and middle finger for all the freting. A bad habit indeed. That's where the finger exercises come in. They get your ring and pinky finger going. It's less about pure strength and more about getting your hand and fingers to move in ways you don't really move them otherwise. Also, try to use the tips of your fingers as opposed to the sides of the tips of your fingers to press on the strings. I always had problems with that (developed a bad habit and never worked enough to overcome it), though playing mostly bass I was usually able to get away with it.
There is also the issue of chords, which I can't really help with. I was never any good at strumming any stringed instrument. The finger exercises can kinda help with fret placement, but you may wanna look into chord exercises.
But yeah, just keep at it. Even if you don't use any of this stuff here and just goof around on your own, simply playing around with it will get you better. |
Glass Bowtie
Kirkinen Risk Control
Caldari State
79
|
Posted - 2017.02.25 14:57:00 -
[6] - Quote
Here are a couple scales, major and minor. A pretty sizable majority of all music is based in these 2 scales.
Major Scale-
We will start from the 4th fret of the E string again, which would make this a G Sharp Major scale (I think, sitting in the parking lot of Best Buy, I'll double check when I get home)-
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D|---------------------------------------------------(I)3---(R)5---(P)6--
A|----------------------(I)3---(M)4---(P)6------------------------------
E|--(M)4---(P)6-----------------------------------------------------------
Minor Scale-
Starting from 4th fret, G Sharp Minor Scale
G|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D|-----------------------------------------------------------(I)4---(R)6-----
A|------------------------------(I)4---(M)5---(P)7-----------------------
E|--(I)4---(M)5---(P)7---------------------------------------------------
I'll double check all this when I get home. |
Glass Bowtie
Kirkinen Risk Control
Caldari State
95
|
Posted - 2017.03.04 21:29:00 -
[7] - Quote
How goes it ParkourP? Starting to get a better feel for the guitar? |
Glass Bowtie
Kirkinen Risk Control
Caldari State
96
|
Posted - 2017.03.04 23:27:00 -
[8] - Quote
There's a hand warm up exercise; clench your hand into a fist, squeezing fairly hard, but only for a second, then open your hand and stretch your fingers out as much as you can, but only for a second, then back to the fist etc etc.
You don't need to go super fast, maybe 2 squeezes/opens per second. And don't wear yourself out doing it, but you do wanna feel a bit of a burn in your hand. Do that for a few minutes before you play, give yourself 5 or 10 minutes to rest your hand before you start playing. Loosens your hands up, helps a lot. |
Glass Bowtie
Kirkinen Risk Control
Caldari State
96
|
Posted - 2017.03.04 23:30:00 -
[9] - Quote
And calluses will become a thing if you keep at it. They kinda suck, but worth it. Your fingers will get used to it over time though. |
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