Guitar Players..?

[CreatureArt]

Hey there everyone.

I've just started playing the guitar and have found that I LOVE it. Even though I've barely started to learn chords I can just sit there and strum the open strings and enjoy the sound. Perhaps that's a bit freakish but I'm enjoying it. .

So I'm wondering: who else on CAA plays the guitar, at whatever ability - and whatever type of guitar?

How did you start to learn/ hints you've picked up you'd like to share/ things you love about the guitar/ performances/ what type of guitar you have/ what instruments you've learned aside from the guitar... anything guitar related, or even just semi-related, I'd love to hear it.

[Raiden no Kishi]

I'm not a guitarist, but I DID sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Ok, I slept on my futon last night, but I do play the electric guitar. Mine's a black B.C. Rich N-J Series Warlock.

For first songs, I'd go with "Bran Stew" and "Hitchin' a Ride" by...Green Day, I think. They're easy. All they are is power chords. Power chords are made by placing your index finger on the note you want to play, and your ring finger one string higher and two frets higher. easy and fun.

I'm currently working on these songs:

Back in Black - AC/DC
Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
Godzilla - Blue Oyster Cult
Combat Chuck - Five Iron Frenzy
Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple

I also play piano, if anyone cares.

Rai

[antefurem]

Ooh. The fun-ness of learning the guitar!

Well, I've been working on doing bar chords. They're a pain for me to do because I have small hands - and I insist that my neck is a bit wide for a guitar. However, I'm going to keep working wtih it... because it's a good guitar (and it was cheap). I'm seeing if I can get nylon strings on it - because I'm a wuss. XD

When I really get the hang of playing acoustic, I'll go back to the steel. It really does sound a lot better...

I love plucking at notes on the gee-tar. They're purty. ^o^

[Zar]

I wish I could play the guitar. Well anyway guys just ROCK on

[Mr. Rogers]

i play the bass guitar. i love playing in my worship things at church. i'll probably mostly use it for stuff like that. bass is fun w0ot

[Hikage_Ninja]

I've been teaching myself the guitar for...well not that long. But anyway, I only have an acoustic...Alvarez...and it has a very pretty sound. Yes. Anyway...I started off learning some very basic chords...such as C, G and D...from there I ended up looking at a lot of tabs...with chords...and learning those...which also forced me to learn a lot of other chords. Then...I moved on to songs with power chords...and bar chords...and such. Yeah.

Anyway, my main instrument is the piano. That is fun too. ^_^

[CreatureArt]

Awesome- you have an Alvarez too, HN. Mine's got a nice sound, too. I'm still progressing with those basic chords. I'm teaching myself with some good input from a friend because the classical guitar teacher at school (it's the closest thing we've got to acoustic lessons) is going over reading music which I've learned from the piano.

That's pretty cool that you guys play the piano, too, Raiden no Kishi and Hikage Ninja. I'm glad I started on that instrument - it's given me a good base for singing and learning the guitar. However... I've got to admit I don't know much because I'm going to have owned my Alvarez for one week tomorrow .

Thanks for the info about the Power chords, Raiden no Kishi. I'll give those a go as well as the major chords.

I agree with you, Antefurem - it's so fun learning the guitar. I have nylon strings on my guitar because of the classical lessons I mentioned. They sound quite good - but I'd rather have steel so that I could get my fingers used to them for when I switch back after these lessons.

You play the bass, Sldr4Christ? Awesome. It's cool that you play worship, too. Have you learned any interesting things about working together with other instruments while you play worship music?

It's awesome to see that there are quite a few guitarists out here. I echo Zar - Rock on, all. Thank you, Zar - I'll keep rocking.

[Hikage_Ninja]

Yay! An Alvarez user too! ^_^ I named mine Thiessen after Matt Thiessen from Relient K. I name all my instruments actually...piano is named McMahon after Andrew McMahon from Something Corporate (He's my hero...)

Yeah...I'm really glad my mom had me start piano when I was 7...it's such a great instrument that is really the basis of learning so many other instruments and learning to sight read and all that.

[CreatureArt]

Hurray for Alvarez! Acutally, I don't know if it's available in NZ but the lady I brought it from was originally given it in America. I prayed about it, though - and I know God provided this guitar, through various signs like, for example, the price it was eventually discounted by was the exact cost to replace the strings (which it badly needed). Praise God.

So I'm still looking for a name for my guitar. Because God gave me the beauty I'm looking for something from the Bible - but not a name like Mathusela or anything. Ezra sounds nice - or even a book, like Revelation. Anyone have any ideas? Chronicles is cool, also - Chronicle and Revelation seem to be the ones I like most so far.

The piano was awesome - it's helped my singing SO much - in the sound, the music theory, sight-singing... as well as helping me out a bunch with scales on the guitar. Our old thing isn't completely in tune - but it really helps tuning up the guitar, too.

God bless, and rock on, all.

[Htom Sirveaux]

I love playing guitar. It's so much fun and it's a wonderful way to give glory to God. My electric is built from scratch by a friend of my dad's. We've given it the name "Frankenstrat". I never even thought of naming my acoustic, but maybe I should.

[chimera189]

i play the bass, ibanez, self taught and bandless

[CreatureArt]

I love the name Frankenstrat, SpoonyBard. It's awesome that you were built a guitar by someone.

I am also bandless, Uri-pea. I'd love to set up and write songs for a Christan Praise and Worship rock band. Or join one if I find a band that needs a singer/keys (it'll be a while before my guitar is up to scratch, lol). I'd love to be able to pick up and play every band instrument to even a basic degree. I'm on my way.

[Hikage_Ninja]

I too would love to be able to pick up and play every band instrument to a basic degree. I also would love to have perfect pitch. O.o

For once I can actually say that I'm NOT bandless! BOOOARGH! Yeah, I play the keyboard in a five player band (or rather 4 right now...we're looking for a new bassist...>_<) called Makeshift Airwaves. ^_^

[Zilch]

I play bass, taught myself with a bit of help from my brother. Currently in a drummerless band, Phoenix Rising.

Right now, I'm working on:

Skillet-Who Is Like Our God, Whirlwind(AWESOME SONG!)
Delirious-My Glorious
Halo- Halo
SMB-Underworld Theme
LOZ-Overworld Theme
East West-She Cries
Project 86-Stien's Them(insane bass opening)

[CreatureArt]

I would love to have perfect pitch too, Hikage_Ninja. Makeshift Airwaves sounds like a cool band - I hope you get a bassist soon. What type of music do you guys play? Do you write your own songs?

I also hope you get a drummer in your band, Ziltch. Phoenix Rising - nice name. So you guys play a lot of game themes? Awesome! Do you have music for them or work it out by ear?

I'm hoping to set up a band some day in the not-too-distant future. First of all, however, I need to find a couple of dedicated musicians who want to put the time in. I did try with some friends.. but it didn't really happen. So I'm just going to look out, improve my skills, and see what God brings along

[Steeltemplar]

I play air guitar and I am totally wicked at it. Seriously, I shred.

<looks around> What?

[CreatureArt]

*ROFL*

I'm still just an apprentice at the air guitar. I am, however, a master at the air drums....

[Steeltemplar]

Great! We can have an air band. Now if only we can get an air bassist.

Do we need air keyboards? I'm not sure if I envisioned myself in a keyboard band...

[Hikage_Ninja]

I would love to have perfect pitch too, Hikage_Ninja. Makeshift Airwaves sounds like a cool band - I hope you get a bassist soon. What type of music do you guys play? Do you write your own songs?

Yeah...as for our bassist I think our rhythm guitarist is going to play bass for a little while until we find a new one... Hm...what kind of stuff do we play...emo/rock/pop-ish stuff? Not really sure how to describe it...but mostly they're sappy hopeless romantic songs that our guitarist/(filler bassist now)/vocalist writes... -.- But they're cute...and he can write one heck of a catchy song.

[Kkun]

Great! We can have an air band. Now if only we can get an air bassist.

Do we need air keyboards? I'm not sure if I envisioned myself in a keyboard band...

You need an air keytar player. You know, the synthesizers that you hold like a guitar. That'd be rad.


ANYWAY. I just started playing the guitar and I love it. I only know four chords so far, but I'm going to start practicing a lot. I'm using a Fender Telecaster with a Peavey amp (not sure what kind of Peavey amp), and I'm also going to start playing with a distortion pedal for fun. ^^;;

[Htom Sirveaux]

[quote="aku_soku_zan"]I'm also going to start playing with a distortion pedal for fun. ^^]

Get a Crybaby wah pedal. Those things are a blast.

[The Shadow]

newzealander ???

sorry havnt read all the posts

ya work on your strumming and get that solid then progress into bar chords this will strengthen your hand
then probably work on picking and then begin on scales, this will quicken
your fingers

thats a good foundation any way

[CreatureArt]

Yep, I'm a New Zealander.

I plead forgiveness for ignorance... but I have heard about bar chords, but are not sure what they are. I'm still in progress getting down what I think are called the open string chords (C, D, Dm, E, Em, F (I find that one really hard), G, A and Am). What is the difference between those and bar chords?

Scales quicken your fingers? Awesome! I'll try and work on those. Thanks heaps for the advice. It's really useful.

[Mithrandir]

OK. If you know how to play "F" you can play most bar chords. Play an F one fret farther down, and you have an F#. Go another fret down, and you have a G.

Likewise, you can play a Bb minor by just barely altering the F chord:

Code: Select all

 F CHORD:

 E A D G B E
 ----------
 * | | | * *
 ----------
 | | | * | |
 ----------
 | * * | | |


Code: Select all

 Bb minor CHORD:

 E A D G B E
 ----------
 * * | | | *
 ----------
 | | | | * |
 ----------
 | | * * | |


From Bb Minor, just shift down a fret to play Bm, another one to play Cm, etc.

Good luck!

[Jman]

I am soooo a Guitarist!
Tehehe!

[CreatureArt]

I can't tell if that was sarcastic or not... but go Jman!

Thank you so much for the chords, Old Philosopher. I'll work on them. My fingers are currently very raw but I'm extremely happy because I was given a chord book for my birthday along with some nice picks so I'm continuing to practice and am slowly improving.

Does anyone have some good strumming patterns for different time signatures?

At the moment I've got... (D=down U=up, this is not at all technical because I'm pretty much self-taught).

DDUUDU
and
DUDUDD

If anyone has any tips on strumming that'd be awesome because you might be able to tell from this post that I am a shocking beginnger, rofl. . Thanks for all your help so far. How is everyone going in regards to their instrument?

[The Shadow]

off topic
where in newzealand do u come from???

[CreatureArt]

Over in that crazy place called Auckland...
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AAAH! You're a kiwi!

How did that slip past my notice?! Ever since I came to the CAA I have been a lone kiwi until I had my sister, Photosoph come along. It's SO AWESOME to know there's another kiwi. I was so shocked (in a good way). WOOOOOO!!

..off topic, yes. I apologise. But I just found out there was another completely unrelated New Zealander on the forums! (after missing the extremely obvious).