(Dream Theater, Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory . . . . . The most beautiful work of art I have ever discovered)
I don't understand
Greetings and salutations and stuff . . . Everything I know (or think I know) about playing guitar I have developed on my own, like a guy stranded on a desert island with only a guitar. And what I have learned is that I have no idea what I am really doing. I recently acquired a poster containing over 100 chords, however, it's only made matters worse. I have no idea what a chord really is. I have discovered what appears to be power chords in what a friend tells me is something called "drop d". I have no idea what any of this really means. I don't even know where I need to start. Any help that could be offered would be deeply appreciated. Is there any difference between a bar chord and a power chord? What is a chord? What am I doing? Please help me . . . . .
(Dream Theater, Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory . . . . . The most beautiful work of art I have ever discovered)
(Dream Theater, Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory . . . . . The most beautiful work of art I have ever discovered)
# 1
Well you're into dream Theater, thats a good start :)
Chord: A group of notes sounded together in harmony. It's as simple as that. Every chord relates to a scale in some way. Learning how to construct scales is important. I wont write a huge post explaining it, as Guitartricks has whole sections on the various scales and sound clips for them. Have a look round....I would advise you start with the basic major scales: Begin with E and work you way up the Fretboard. Once you can play one major scale on the guitar you can play any other by thinking in frets. After the major scales, go for the Minors (harmonic to start with - its easier.) The pentatonic is also a good scale to learn as its very widely used. Once you know the sound of it you will definitely regognise it in the music you listen to....I know Petrucci uses it.
Be warned, there are many different ways to play the same scale! Steve Vai advises you learn five ways of playing every scale you know up and down the fretboard. This takes time and practice.
Once you know how to constuct your scales, chords will make more sense to you. Simple chords work in triads. For example the first (or 'tonic') triad of E major is E G-sharp B. Thats a major triad. To get E minor's triad, flatten the third (ie: G sharp becomes G.) You can later make diminished chords, augmented chords and add extra notes to them....the possibilites are endless.
Once you learn the notes and shapes of chords start creating patterns with them and see what you like. If you want a starting point, pick a song you like and locate a 'tab' for it on the web, or perhaps even just a simple list of the chords it uses. I started with Oasis' Don't look back in anger on my very first guitar lesson:
C, G, a minor, E, F, G, C for the main verse. Thats using the 'open' chords as theyre at the bottom of the fretboard using some of the open strings.....nice way to break into the world of guitar playing.
After chords you can learn how to solo your scales on top of them.
If you find youself getting hopelessly stuck and frustrated dont pannic....it happens to all of us, even the most experienced professionals. You might consider getting yourself a music teacher so all this stuff can be explained properly and at a pace that lets you take it in, because lets face it, its a hell of a lot to learn.
Good luck, Chacron.
Chord: A group of notes sounded together in harmony. It's as simple as that. Every chord relates to a scale in some way. Learning how to construct scales is important. I wont write a huge post explaining it, as Guitartricks has whole sections on the various scales and sound clips for them. Have a look round....I would advise you start with the basic major scales: Begin with E and work you way up the Fretboard. Once you can play one major scale on the guitar you can play any other by thinking in frets. After the major scales, go for the Minors (harmonic to start with - its easier.) The pentatonic is also a good scale to learn as its very widely used. Once you know the sound of it you will definitely regognise it in the music you listen to....I know Petrucci uses it.
Be warned, there are many different ways to play the same scale! Steve Vai advises you learn five ways of playing every scale you know up and down the fretboard. This takes time and practice.
Once you know how to constuct your scales, chords will make more sense to you. Simple chords work in triads. For example the first (or 'tonic') triad of E major is E G-sharp B. Thats a major triad. To get E minor's triad, flatten the third (ie: G sharp becomes G.) You can later make diminished chords, augmented chords and add extra notes to them....the possibilites are endless.
Once you learn the notes and shapes of chords start creating patterns with them and see what you like. If you want a starting point, pick a song you like and locate a 'tab' for it on the web, or perhaps even just a simple list of the chords it uses. I started with Oasis' Don't look back in anger on my very first guitar lesson:
C, G, a minor, E, F, G, C for the main verse. Thats using the 'open' chords as theyre at the bottom of the fretboard using some of the open strings.....nice way to break into the world of guitar playing.
After chords you can learn how to solo your scales on top of them.
If you find youself getting hopelessly stuck and frustrated dont pannic....it happens to all of us, even the most experienced professionals. You might consider getting yourself a music teacher so all this stuff can be explained properly and at a pace that lets you take it in, because lets face it, its a hell of a lot to learn.
Good luck, Chacron.
'There's no such thing as bad weather, there's only the wrong clothes...'
# 2
Thanks Chacron, there's a good deal of your post that makes sense to me . . . but I'm still lost on the letters ( C G E,etc) what do they mean?? Are they a part of theory, and is that something I should look into?
# 3
Each note is assigned a letter as a name so people can discuss/write music. The letters corespond to the white keys of a piano. The notes of the black keys are named as sharp (#) or flat (b) relative to the nearest 'white key' note.
The letters go alphabetically with the notes in ascending order. That is, B is a full tone higher than the nearest A. C is higher than the nearest B. There is no letter higher than G, so the next full tone up from G is called A. The 'black key' note between A and B can be called either A# or Bb. The step from A to A# is called a semitone.
The range of notes from A to the next A, in either direction, is called an octave. This is because there are eight 'white key' notes from A to A. ('Eight' in latin = oct). Including the sharps and flats brings the total number of notes in an octave to 12. An octave is any range of notes that starts, and ends at the same letter. Like from C up to the next higher C, or down to the next lower C.
There's more, much more. Enough to fill many thick books. Keep at it. Have fun with it. Its a really good feeling when you hear a piece of music and recognise some of the theory that makes it work.
The letters go alphabetically with the notes in ascending order. That is, B is a full tone higher than the nearest A. C is higher than the nearest B. There is no letter higher than G, so the next full tone up from G is called A. The 'black key' note between A and B can be called either A# or Bb. The step from A to A# is called a semitone.
The range of notes from A to the next A, in either direction, is called an octave. This is because there are eight 'white key' notes from A to A. ('Eight' in latin = oct). Including the sharps and flats brings the total number of notes in an octave to 12. An octave is any range of notes that starts, and ends at the same letter. Like from C up to the next higher C, or down to the next lower C.
There's more, much more. Enough to fill many thick books. Keep at it. Have fun with it. Its a really good feeling when you hear a piece of music and recognise some of the theory that makes it work.
# 4
Excellent advice,all.
To add i wish we'd had things like this
http://www.guitarnoise.com/beginner/20000822.html
when i started.
To add i wish we'd had things like this
http://www.guitarnoise.com/beginner/20000822.html
when i started.
Accuracy,you say? hmm interesting concept..
# 5
Hey Woody:
The easiest way to remember what the strings are lettered is to use a mnemonic (device to remember something). A good one is: "Eat A Damn Good Big Elephant." (i.e., the first letters in the sentence correspond to the guitar strings).
Looking down on the top of your guitar, the fat string on the top is E. The subsequent one is A, followed by D, G, B, (high) e.
Personally I like a backwards one: "Easter Bunnies Get Drunk At Easter."
There's a site that a guy put together at: http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~desmith/guitar/
and he explains EVERYTHING (almost) that you'd need to know about playing guitar. He's into acoustic, but a lot of his info carries over to electric. I HIGHLY recommend you check it out. I was playing the same songs I learned from someone in high school for like 20 years, but got serious about playing a couple of years ago. I now play both acoustic and electric and it is the passion of my life. I got a lot out of his site. It's been a while since he updated it, but the info is still valid. One thing you should know, tho: he's taken down the song tabs he had because of legal trouble. If you want to check out tabs, go to OLGA.
Keep on rockin,
Metalhed
The easiest way to remember what the strings are lettered is to use a mnemonic (device to remember something). A good one is: "Eat A Damn Good Big Elephant." (i.e., the first letters in the sentence correspond to the guitar strings).
Looking down on the top of your guitar, the fat string on the top is E. The subsequent one is A, followed by D, G, B, (high) e.
Personally I like a backwards one: "Easter Bunnies Get Drunk At Easter."
There's a site that a guy put together at: http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~desmith/guitar/
and he explains EVERYTHING (almost) that you'd need to know about playing guitar. He's into acoustic, but a lot of his info carries over to electric. I HIGHLY recommend you check it out. I was playing the same songs I learned from someone in high school for like 20 years, but got serious about playing a couple of years ago. I now play both acoustic and electric and it is the passion of my life. I got a lot out of his site. It's been a while since he updated it, but the info is still valid. One thing you should know, tho: he's taken down the song tabs he had because of legal trouble. If you want to check out tabs, go to OLGA.
Keep on rockin,
Metalhed
# 6