Need guidance
Hi, i just bought a guitar and am just starting out...I know all the major chords, and the minor chords, but I am not sure what is going on. I have an electric tuner, and I think I tuned it right, but whenever I try to play a song, like Jewel (Am, D, G), it just doesn't sound anything like it. any suggestions???
# 1
Hmm - could be all kinds of things. Let's see.
1) are you reading the chord diagrams correctly? I would've thought you'd know if your not.
2) are you trying to play along to the CD? In which case the song could be in a differnt key to the music you have.
3)Chords won't give you the tune of the song. My music theory isn't great so I couldn't tell you why certain chord sound 'right' with a particular piece of melody, so if you just play a string of chords, It won't bear a great resemblance to the tune, but you should be able to sing the song over the chord you are playing
Can I suggest a site like http://www.tabtalk.com which has loads of music ( mainly chords and lyrics) to lots of popular bands. See if you can get the hang of some of those.
Hope this helps.
John E
1) are you reading the chord diagrams correctly? I would've thought you'd know if your not.
2) are you trying to play along to the CD? In which case the song could be in a differnt key to the music you have.
3)Chords won't give you the tune of the song. My music theory isn't great so I couldn't tell you why certain chord sound 'right' with a particular piece of melody, so if you just play a string of chords, It won't bear a great resemblance to the tune, but you should be able to sing the song over the chord you are playing
Can I suggest a site like http://www.tabtalk.com which has loads of music ( mainly chords and lyrics) to lots of popular bands. See if you can get the hang of some of those.
Hope this helps.
John E
# 2
Thank you for your help! I'm really kind of new to this and am teaching myself. I wish I could just skip the learning part and go straight to playing! I guess also I need to know how to strum the song. Could be anything! OR perhaps I just need to practice. Thanks again!
# 3
Another thing to remember is that tabs aren't always "correct." Remember, they are usually sent in by people like us who think they have figured out the song. I have downloaded many a tab only to get out the guitar and find out that they are wrong. Sometimes, though, it sounds horrible at first, but if you keep working with it, with different strum patterns or maybe slightly alternating the tabs, you can get it right. I like OLGA for tabs: http://www.olga.net. And you can search their old archive for complete lyrics. Good luck. Oh, and another thing, if you can't sing like the artist in question, it is sometimes very difficult to make the song sound right.
DC
DC
"It's all right son . . . we told you what to dream"
# 4
big string =E
next ...A
D
G
B
E
a lot of times the tablatures are wrong and minor
chords are mistaken for majors. you can play 'partial'
chords , leaving out a note or two, and explore the sounds
that you are looking for.as far as the strummin, its practice
practice practice :)down down up down ...down up down down
up up down down la di da... oh and...i saw jewell once on austin city limits and noticed that she uses a capo...a lot !
[Edited by river on 07-19-2002 at 04:24 AM]
next ...A
D
G
B
E
a lot of times the tablatures are wrong and minor
chords are mistaken for majors. you can play 'partial'
chords , leaving out a note or two, and explore the sounds
that you are looking for.as far as the strummin, its practice
practice practice :)down down up down ...down up down down
up up down down la di da... oh and...i saw jewell once on austin city limits and noticed that she uses a capo...a lot !
[Edited by river on 07-19-2002 at 04:24 AM]
# 5
Hey Amanda.
Teaching yourself is great fun! I started playing by going round to a mates house who was a few years older than I. He showed me a handful of chords and about one decent strumming pattern. Goes like this:
Beat 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Down - down up - up down up.
Good luck if you can make sense of that! It's easier when there is someone in person to show it to you!
After years of playing I guess it's just natural to decide when to strum down and when up.
To start with though, try and learn one thing at a time. Eg - find lots of songs with the same chords in that you know, and practice changing from one chord to another. Once you can do that smoothly, it is easier to practise strumming because you don't have to break the rhythm to struggle with the next chord.
Don't try to learn too many chords at once either. Be content that to begin with, when you see a G7sus2add#9 or what ever, (don't know if that actually exsists), you are just going to play a G major!! It won't sound perfect, but it sound better to play the wrong chord cleanly and smoothly than make a hash of fingering some crazy chord you'll never see again in your life!
Well. Just enjoy it.
G'luck
JE
Teaching yourself is great fun! I started playing by going round to a mates house who was a few years older than I. He showed me a handful of chords and about one decent strumming pattern. Goes like this:
Beat 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Down - down up - up down up.
Good luck if you can make sense of that! It's easier when there is someone in person to show it to you!
After years of playing I guess it's just natural to decide when to strum down and when up.
To start with though, try and learn one thing at a time. Eg - find lots of songs with the same chords in that you know, and practice changing from one chord to another. Once you can do that smoothly, it is easier to practise strumming because you don't have to break the rhythm to struggle with the next chord.
Don't try to learn too many chords at once either. Be content that to begin with, when you see a G7sus2add#9 or what ever, (don't know if that actually exsists), you are just going to play a G major!! It won't sound perfect, but it sound better to play the wrong chord cleanly and smoothly than make a hash of fingering some crazy chord you'll never see again in your life!
Well. Just enjoy it.
G'luck
JE
# 6
Thank ya, thank ya! Very good tips. I suppose I should probably try and meet some people in my area that play guitar...but I wouldn't know how! I'm just wondering how I would do that. All my friends are into that clubbing disco stuff that I just cannot get into.
Well I'm taking this online guitar lesson thing that is teaching me scales (to build up finger agility and flexibility, and strumming patterns as well as major and minor chords. And I'm practicing switching chords. I actually learned a song - Northern Star by hole. Am, C, Em. Very easy! Her chords are always easy, anyway.
Thanks again for tips!
Well I'm taking this online guitar lesson thing that is teaching me scales (to build up finger agility and flexibility, and strumming patterns as well as major and minor chords. And I'm practicing switching chords. I actually learned a song - Northern Star by hole. Am, C, Em. Very easy! Her chords are always easy, anyway.
Thanks again for tips!
# 7
Yeah, I learned a Hole song once just by watching the video on MTV. That was way back in 1994. Point is, watch closely when you see other musicians playing on TV or at the local venue, whatever. Some chords are easy to identify and you can learn a lot.
DC
DC
"It's all right son . . . we told you what to dream"
# 8
Eat
A
Darn
Good
Breakfast
Early
thats how i remember my strings.
A
Darn
Good
Breakfast
Early
thats how i remember my strings.
Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess was why several of us died of tuberculosis.
# 9
My rhyme;
Evil
Bunnies
Go
Down
And
Eat
Thats from highest to lowest mind you.
Evil
Bunnies
Go
Down
And
Eat
Thats from highest to lowest mind you.
And God said, 'Let there be rock!'
-And it was good
-And it was good
# 10