Tips for an old guy trying to learn guitar

[estricklin]

Funny you mention the Mackie, I had been looking at one for our church but ultimately I decided to go with the Yamaha. We also just purchased the bose tower speaker and... Wow. It's just unreal. We got the largest model because we are in a large auditorium but we can't hardly give it any volume or it is too much. I may sometimes get to practice a little early just to crack it a bit before anyone else arrives...

I need to practice more. Aside from playing acoustic each week I hardly pick up the guitar. Looks like I'll have the house to myself here this morning so maybe I'll see how much I can make the P90s howl.

Funny you mention the Yamaha, I was going to get something like a 16 channel Yamaha, I LOVE their mixers, but looking at the smaller mixers I didn't see the same value. I like that they have compressors built into the FX, and let's face it pretty much everything they make is awesome. I did look at the Behrys but I wanted something that was going to last. I'm ok with some of their products but you do get what you pay for. Our church has a Behry and it already has a dead channel, could be from abuse though I dunno. I just needed a smaller mixer anyway.

Sounds like awesome gear gents. Wish I could sing well enough to have my own gig. I play piano estricklin and gig on it to. Glad you are at it. You could find my board for cheap now and i have seen pros use it. Its a yamaha s80 or is it s08. Wish i would have gotten something more fun, but if you want something that sounds and feels very real and is durable for gigs, this is kind of what you have to get. Makes a couple thousand different sounds. It was 1500 or 1600 new and the step up was close to 3k I think, but was similar. You could pick one up for like 400 I think. Note....its big and heavy.

Oh that's cool you play piano, I used to have a Yamaha synth but it was bought in the mid 90s for about $500, and as you can imagine was pretty bad outdated by the time I sold it around 2005. I need something that is going to be pretty portable, and I really don't need a lot of bells and whistles. Singing just takes practice like everything else.

Here is an actual guitar tip that should relate to the thread. I've had a lot of these notebooks over the years, basically I jot down whatever I need to. I always draw a circle of 5ths and some basic chord/key charts to reference whenever I need it. Sometimes I chart out songs, write set lists, lists of songs to learn or practice, scales, chord types, lyrics and literally just anything I need. I carry the notebook I need that day in my guitar case. I don't write everything out so that I can play looking at it really, but glancing at the songs' chord progression or intro can help. I wish I would have started doing this, or doing it better back at the start. I used to write out all the lyrics and chords for every song I wanted to learn but that turned out to be a waste. Oh and always have an ink pen in your guitar case to go with the notebook.

 

[applescrap]

Check this out. Fixed this head stock 3x now. Originally got knocked over and broke. Fixed it and it broke 2x more. Wood glue and clamped. This time spread glue with cotton swab. It has held everytime but rebroke when knocked over. Charvel acoustic electric. Meh. I traded a signed (fake?) Jackson Charvel electric for it. I couldn't handle the floyd rose bridge. Its a floating bridge with allen wrench adjustment. Was listening to my jazz teacher at the time. Wish i has that guitar, really.

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[Homercidal]

All my electrics have a floating trem system. My mains both have FR trems. My original was a Sears Cort Effector and I had to set the bridge due to the plate underneath bending. Cheap ass construction.

I have been wanting a fixed bridge for a while. Can't stand the look of the SG, but I'm down for a Les Paul. only problem is I need to play more to earn it. My 3 electrics are all valuable to me. One is the Cort Effector, the first guitar I bought. The second is a Kramer Focus 1000, basically set up like EVH guitar with 1 knob and 1 humbucker in bridge (Before I frankensteined a neck pickup and tone pot, etc....). The 3rd is an Ibanez my friend gave me.

Also, I have started taking lessons again. I'm wanting to learn basic theory that I should have learned when I was younger, but never did. Playing was more fun than learning.

Also want to improve picking techniques and learn to improvise better. (Basic theory + Practice).

My instructor went on vacation right after my first lesson but gave me the Lydian mode to look at and some links to some backing tracks to play it in a few different keys. So far the little bit of playing I've been doing has been fun.

 

[applescrap]

Lydian was one of my favorite modes when I was studying music. What tracks go with it? I am curious if he taught you in the key of C saying it goes from F to f or if he taught you that it was an augmented fourth of any scale. Both are right. I used to love to jam on it over a major 7th vamp.

 

[Homercidal]

Lydian was one of my favorite modes when I was studying music. What tracks go with it? I am curious if he taught you in the key of C saying it goes from F to f or if he taught you that it was an augmented fourth of any scale. Both are right. I used to love to jam on it over a major 7th vamp.

So far I haven't had much chance to learn. I had one lesson as an introduction session and we discussed a bit about the modes. The take-home was Lydian to practice, but I haven't had a lesson that focused on it specifically.

If I had to choose a way of learning it I think I'd choose augmented 4th since I think it's better for use in other keys. It's a concept that moves with you.

It would be helpful to have actually learned all of the notes on the fretboard, but honestly I only know a few my heart. I hope that's part of the lessons too. Spending time learning scales and learning notes. I should have done the studying when I was young and taking lessons. I had a really good hard rock teacher that tried teaching modes and all of that. I still have his notes in a box in my attic.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Ughhh I need to play more. I've only done a little here and there, but no practice at all, and haven't learned anything in probably a year.

On the bright side, I had an Epiphone Special II, Slash edition. I picked it up almost 3 years ago for $185, and sold it last week for $160 plus a 4 pack of one day old Off Color brewery beers. To get 3 years out of that thing and only lose $25? Oh I'm a happy man.

 

[applescrap]

@homercidal
So cool you are diving in. Sounds like you found a great teacher. I am jealous of your beginnings. Man, wish I would have found an awesome rock teacher like my friends. I got all caught in theory and practice and realized one day, I dont know how to play the guitar. If your first teacher taught you to rock, that's cool.

I am impressed and surprised that you lean towards the idea of sharp 4. This caused arguments for me when I was younger. Now I just accept that classical trained musicians learn to root off the 4 of a scale and call that lydian. If it works then it works, but I always felt they were cheated the simple truth of the scales theory and how it can instantly apply to any key. This hippy kid in my improve class in Boulder at naropa, woodshedded on the lydian, and in improve class he was showed a picture of the stars and went off on that mode. Man, i was blown away by that scale. Sorry, I am deep in the woods now.

Learning the fret board is an awesome goal and like you I wish I would have worked harder on that goal. You could start by writing that scale, augmenting the 4th in every key using estricklins circle of fifths. Then play it singing each note.

 

[applescrap]

Funny you mention the Yamaha, I was going to get something like a 16 channel Yamaha, I LOVE their mixers, but looking at the smaller mixers I didn't see the same value. I like that they have compressors built into the FX, and let's face it pretty much everything they make is awesome. I did look at the Behrys but I wanted something that was going to last. I'm ok with some of their products but you do get what you pay for. Our church has a Behry and it already has a dead channel, could be from abuse though I dunno. I just needed a smaller mixer anyway.




Oh that's cool you play piano, I used to have a Yamaha synth but it was bought in the mid 90s for about $500, and as you can imagine was pretty bad outdated by the time I sold it around 2005. I need something that is going to be pretty portable, and I really don't need a lot of bells and whistles. Singing just takes practice like everything else.

Here is an actual guitar tip that should relate to the thread. I've had a lot of these notebooks over the years, basically I jot down whatever I need to. I always draw a circle of 5ths and some basic chord/key charts to reference whenever I need it. Sometimes I chart out songs, write set lists, lists of songs to learn or practice, scales, chord types, lyrics and literally just anything I need. I carry the notebook I need that day in my guitar case. I don't write everything out so that I can play looking at it really, but glancing at the songs' chord progression or intro can help. I wish I would have started doing this, or doing it better back at the start. I used to write out all the lyrics and chords for every song I wanted to learn but that turned out to be a waste. Oh and always have an ink pen in your guitar case to go with the notebook.

This is solid. Thanks

 

[Kee]

It would be helpful to have actually learned all of the notes on the fretboard, but honestly I only know a few my heart. I hope that's part of the lessons too.

My goal is to spend at least a few minutes a day on learning the notes. The good news is that once you know the notes on the E string and A string, it's easy to quickly determine which note you are fretting on any string:

https://www.justinguitar.com/en/IM-116-NotesOnNeck.php

 

[estricklin]

Check this out. Fixed this head stock 3x now. Originally got knocked over and broke. Fixed it and it broke 2x more. Wood glue and clamped. This time spread glue with cotton swab. It has held everytime but rebroke when knocked over. Charvel acoustic electric. Meh. I traded a signed (fake?) Jackson Charvel electric for it. I couldn't handle the floyd rose bridge. Its a floating bridge with allen wrench adjustment. Was listening to my jazz teacher at the time. Wish i has that guitar, really.

Glad to see your keeping the old girl going. My Gibson had a crack in the headstock before I bought it, it was repaired by a professional and I'd post a pic of it but it's extremely hard to see the crack. The sad truth is our instruments take lots of wear and damage when we actually play them.

My goal is to spend at least a few minutes a day on learning the notes. The good news is that once you know the notes on the E string and A string, it's easy to quickly determine which note you are fretting on any string:

https://www.justinguitar.com/en/IM-116-NotesOnNeck.php

This will come with time, not sure it's something I would strictly practice, or not spend more than a few minutes at a time on. The fact that you care to learn it, is a pretty good sign.

 

[estricklin]

A photo from my last gig, and one my piano while tuning it.

 

[applescrap]

Cool pic estricklin. What songs are you doing? Also love the snark usage for tuning.

Here you go guys I did a few keys for you

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[Kee]

This will come with time, not sure it's something I would strictly practice, or not spend more than a few minutes at a time on. The fact that you care to learn it, is a pretty good sign.

I agree it's not the first priority, and in the natural process of learning, (barre chords, etc.) a lot of this falls into place. And theory means nothing if your fingers are moving like they should.

But I have the free time and it's not really a chore. If I'm sitting in my living room the guitar is always within reach.

 

[estricklin]

I was given a Roland keyboard, it feels as if it has actual hammers in it? I'll take a pic of it if I think about it.

Hope everyone has been playing and having fun doing it. I've been trying to learn a lot of sing-a-long type songs for gigs this year.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Thanks for reviving this! I've been unable to practice much, but have played at church just about every other weekend. I took over as "church band leader" so I've been more involved and it's been fun - it makes me a better musician.

I got a Gretsch Jim Dandy for Christmas and have since played ONLY the Jim Dandy. I have a Seymor Duncan Woody pickup which I fit for the Jim Dandy (took some minor sanding modifications to get it to fit the 3/4 size guitar) and it sounds great through our band's Bose system. This is a wonderful guitar for the money; it plays incredibly easy and has a fantastic sound. The size allows me to play it somewhat percussive so I am able to introduce a few more rhythmic sounds as I play.

Happy playing, all!

 

[applescrap]

Ohh man harbortown that sounds like a sweet axe. Love the work on the pick up. Leading the church band is huge man.

I learned the intros to back in black and master of puppets recently. Haha, fun. Been totally jamming lately to youtube dorian tracks. Cant believe it took me this long to find them. Seems like good way to practice lead with ease. Was embarrassed that above scales were wrong and rewrote them, haha. Just figured out i wrote lydian mode. Here are the majors hope they are right . This thread is awesome. Earl klugh won a grammy, pretty cool. Got some old vinyl of his.