Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Guitar Playing Tip #1: Getting Started

Along with posting music on this blog, I'll also be posting guitar/programming tips for anyone who's interested :)


So I guess I'll start with the basics of getting started for anyone who wants to play guitar or is new and wants to take it more seriously. When I first started playing, it sort of came naturally, but at the same time if I hadn't pushed myself to keep it coming that way, I would probably still be playing Mary Had A Little Lamb. Self-confidence is a big part of getting started, along with motivation and some desire to learn. For most people, it'll be tricky at first. It won't just come to you unfortunately, and there are some times where you feel like there are things you can't accomplish. What I would do to sort of "ignore" that is set smaller goals for myself. I'd learn new songs, I'd practice new things, I would always keep trying things that I didn't exactly get at first. A lot of teachers will go by the whole "learn this scale, this note, this chord, and this technique" thing, which works for some people, but I'm glad my teacher allowed me to progress at my own speed. I started the way I wanted to: learning songs. It was a lot more fun being able to come home from a lesson and play Black Sabbath songs than coming home and practicing scales that I didn't know what to do with. What I'm saying is: have fun. If you really love guitar, you'll learn all of the technique and music theory down the road. I didn't know the names of the half the strings until I was playing for about 2 years, and in that time I had been in 2 bands, played over 50 shows, and started my job as a professional guitarist.


So I pretty much could've just written "have fun and don't give up" now that I think about it.


Oops :D

2 comments:

  1. These are great tips, you are an AMAZING guitar player:)

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  2. I don't think you're an AMAZING guitar player yet, I respect your dubstep and love for techno however those boring runs and sweeping and tapping and dive bar wanking you keep doing are way over the top. Incorporating speed over melody to fit on Kicking Daisies pop-mainstream (target age group here) I find it very unsoulful :((

    You are just 14 years old I get that or maybe 16 now when viewing this but it's the same speed runs I am sorry I watched you battle with Dylan Brenner, then little by little you gained fame and during the solo it's the same old pentatonic excuse of "hey chill man I'm just 14 or 15 or whatever"

    Zinnycat what I am saying is constructive I don't expect you to shift from Testament guitarist to Jazz in a blink of an eye but try to find bluesy stuff once in awhile... less tremolo picking and predictable patterns and more soul

    Other than that your drummer is divine often times I hear a 2 groove 'Virgil Donati' vibe from her.

    I wouldn't want you to grow old shredding (or maybe others too) you have already matured from the 'it's cute stage' now you're into that 'wait what he'll do next' stage.

    Good luck with kicking daisies and I hope you find this very constructive, we can review your youTube videos (the most recent ones) and you will agree that I'm right on what I'm saying =)) \m/

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