I'll disagree, insofar as those things give exercise and context of the basics. I will be *better* at the stuff I am interested, if I also do these
Thinking about picking up a guitar
I'll disagree, insofar as those things give exercise and context of the basics. I will be *better* at the stuff I am interested, if I also do these
I'll disagree, insofar as those things give exercise and context of the basics. I will be *better* at the stuff I am interested, if I also do these
aye.
learning scales is useful in rock, as many of them are used in songs. Phrygian, blues scale, etc. Given that it's just a pattern to play on the strings, it ain't like he'd be strainin his brain to learn it.
One of the cool things I eventually learned is how to figure out what notes (and thus what chord) is in a chord progression. Which in turn meant I could figure out what notes go together for a song, which in turn meant it was easier to figure out how songs are played.
For the longest time, the only "scale" I knew was chromatic.
Then again, I probably wasn't really playing anything that resembled "music" all those years. (Back in the day, I use to play a lot of stuff that would probably be called "death metal" these days, before the term "death metal" was used).
Yah. Back in my younger days, I had choral training. In undergrad, I did some musical theater. Not at all a fully music-oriented education, but enough exposure that I've some of the theory internalized, and can express that with voice. I'd like to turn that same understanding to the instrument - but that means knowing on a very intuitive level how to make the instrument do what I want. Fingering notes has to become almost as automatic as singing a note. Just plain practice in what string makes what sound is the basis of that. IN theory, building chords is not much different from building harmony with voices.
For update: Not a good week for practice. I was at a live action game on the weekend, and had to work late last night, so I have missed several days
On the flip side, my wife's going to visit a friend this weekend, giving me some time alone on my hands, some of which I intend to turn into practice.
Okay, next question: amplifiers.
I have a mother-in-law that is keen on getting holiday presents, but who isn't rich, and isn't technically minded. While I could read up on a lot ot tech specs, and make informed choices, my M-I-L won't be able to do that.
There are several sources online where one can find used gear, which is probably good bang-for-the-buck for a beginner.
Are there some basic guidelines can I give that might lead her to success? Like, "Go to the site, find a used Fender amplifier of 15 - 40 amps". I am looking for improvement over a tiny sub-$30 new practice amp, which won't take much.
Thoughts?
I have a mother-in-law that is keen on getting holiday presents, but who isn't rich, and isn't technically minded. While I could read up on a lot ot tech specs, and make informed choices, my M-I-L won't be able to do that.
There are several sources online where one can find used gear, which is probably good bang-for-the-buck for a beginner.
Are there some basic guidelines can I give that might lead her to success? Like, "Go to the site, find a used Fender amplifier of 15 - 40 amps". I am looking for improvement over a tiny sub-$30 new practice amp, which won't take much.
Thoughts?
Not something that can be really described in words. It's more important to hear what an actual amp sounds like, than any particular brand names or technical specs.
If there's a music store nearby (whether used or new), I usually tried out several different amps to get an idea what sounds like what.
If there's a music store nearby (whether used or new), I usually tried out several different amps to get an idea what sounds like what.
That's be what I'd do if I were buying it myself - I'd take my guitar down, plug it in, and see.
That, however, won't work for my Mother in Law. She doesn't play guitar
I frequent 2 guitar sites- Guitar Player.com and Ultimate Guitar.com- and know of many more, like The Gear page, etc. Questions like that get answered all the time.
The usual litany involves questions about:
Budget
Musical style
New/used
Location (affects availability)
Combo amp or head plus cab
Effects modeling or none
Tube or solid state
(There are no wrong answers, just preferences.)
My personal preference is to have a tube amp that delivers a good clean tone that I can mess up with separate pedals, and I wanted the simplicity of a combo. I didn't want anything beefier than 50 watts. When I went shopping for my own with that in mind, my brand finalists were Fender, Peavey, and Vox. (Since then, I would also add Carvin and Mesa/Boogie to the list of amps like that.)
Beyond those, there are PLENTY of boutique amp makers who deliver that, but then you're talking silly money.
Of that list of 5 makers, the Peavey was my least favorite, and it was a pure toss up between the Fender and Vox. I bought the Fender. Tonally, the Carvins are a lot like Fenders, but are only available new via direct sale from Carvin. You can't try them in store unless you live in San Diego.
Mesa/Boogie is the priciest of the my list, but with good reason. Where the cleanest tube amps of the first 4 are great for blues, country, jazz, and classic rock, they're not as good at delving into harder genres. (Those brands do offer amps for those genres as well, but they're not the same ones as I'm describing.) OTOH, the cleanest Mesa/Boogies are capable of delivering not only great cleans, but also great distorted tones for hard Rick and some forms of metal.
But all that is me...
How would you answer those questions?
That's be what I'd do if I were buying it myself - I'd take my guitar down, plug it in, and see.
That, however, won't work for my Mother in Law. She doesn't play guitar
I think I see the problem. Maybe we can Deflect her to something useful.
As a general rule, never buy a present in the Hobby Topic for somebody else. Odds are good they have it, or have a better one, or they have intention to buy a better one. Money, or something else goes better (kind of like your Mom buying you a Player's Handbook because you like D&D. Guess which edition you're getting, not the one you wanted...)
Now maybe instead of an Amp, which is a more serious piece of equipment (and pricier). How about a guitar strap? they're at least $20, come in many styles. Or Guitar Picks. Or the Guitar Pick maker from ThinkGeek.com?
Another possible candidate (though they run pricey) is an FX pedal. They're kind of neat, and optional. You aren't in trouble if you don't use it, but you can play with it if you like it.
Excellent suggestion.
Similar Threads
