How to play the guitar

Dear Mick,

Leave it in tune always. That way the instrument will settle and be far more stable. At the start, as it settles down, it can be useful to tune it even if that is all you do. Strings are unstable initially [they stretch], and the front will also continue to settle for a while.

My newly made string bass was exactly like that but much less stable for perhaps eighteen months. What strings do you have? Steel temds to a high degree of stability, Nylon less so, and gut is a bloody nightmare. Naturally, being a perverse old devil, I used gut strings on the bass, which would raise an eyebrow or two, but they were so nice as a sonority I stuck to them for all their problems! I was never criticised for my old fashioned choice once I started to play...

Have fun, Fred

quote:

Only here could you find some Wanker (joe 90) who would knock a young kid who has worked his arse off,i hate you all,including the arrogant self important pompous wanker who moderates.

Fuck off and die.
Steph.

Dang! Didn't see that coming!

Sorry Steph to have upset you - that kid really is awesome, better than I'll ever be I'm sure.

Perhaps my reply would have been better prefaced in the light of the shredder's usefulness to the beginner like Mick. I don't think that kind of flash is of much use to the beginner - more intimidation.

But hey, as far as the shredder's playing goes - I still stand by my comments on mimicry and musicianship.

If you're truly unable to agree to disagree...

quote:

Originally posted by KRO:
Only here could you find some Wanker (joe 90) who would knock a young kid who has worked his arse off,i hate you all,including the arrogant self important pompous wanker who moderates.

Fuck off and die.
Steph.

A strong contender for Post of the Year, surely....?

quote:

A strong contender for Post of the Year, surely....?

Almost, but not quite.

THIS is the Post of the Year:

quote:

Only here could you find some Wanker (joe 90) who would knock a young kid who has worked his arse off,i hate you all,including the arrogant self important pompous wanker who moderates.

Fuck off and die.
Steph. >:{

I also heartily disagree the Adam is a pompous wanker.

Sarcastic wanker, maybe...

Sounds like a nice guitar Mick.

I've had lessons on and off, and unless you are one of a handful of naturally talented, self taught musicians; a tutor and the discipline of practise is the only way forward for us mere mortals.

Enjoy.

John.

quote:

Fuck off and die.

I didn't know you can say that in here uncensored!

All these years, I feel cheated.

Dear Kuma,

I don't think you can really. I am sure it will be noticed by the powers that be, who will then take whatever steps they deem necessary.

I recently did something similar, quite inadvertently, and the machinery picked it up, so I was saved the embarrassment of it going public. It was a spelling mistake - more of a typo; yes I do do them thinking of you post yesterday - which I could not see. Adam repaired the post and it soon appeared without the unintended rudery!

So don't feel cheated! Fredrik

Fredrik-
I had forgotten you are a bass player!
Another reason to like you.
I'm a jazz, rock etc. player from way back, started on piano as a child and then bass violin by age 12. That stuck as my main instrument for the last ... oh my ... 33 years!
I play mostly electric now but I have nice upright electric at 3/4 scale that is a joy to play and listen to.
OK, "chops" -- loosely defined -- describes the relative proficiency on an instrument, especially in the jazz community. Derived from horn player's "lip" and endurance on their instrument. Chops can be used to describe mouth, lip(s), etc. in the more general population.
Funny thing, I was taking to a fellow bass player tonight about grilling a steak and he said he didn't have enough "grilling chops" to properly cook the cut of meat I was preparing (fillet mignon).
And Mick, if this is your first instrument, you are in for a treat. At some point, when you develop your musical ear for the guitar, listening to music will change -- most likely taking on a deeper and more profound meaning for you.
WAY better than a box upgrade.
David

Really Fredrik?

When I swear, it's not a typo.

I mean it.

Mick,

I appologise for intruding.

Should have said "relative TECHNICAL proficiency" meaning technique only, not considering the feel and emotion a well-rounded player puts into their music. Ability to play all the notes in a tough passage, or the stamina to play for long periods for example.
David

David

quote:

At some point, when you develop your musical ear for the guitar, listening to music will change -- most likely taking on a deeper and more profound meaning for you.

Hmmm...interesting view....are you saying that mucicians ger more from listening to music than non-musicians?

If so, do you mean that you can appreciate the technical qualities of the playing or that you get more more from it emotionally?

I can support the former view but in no way can I say that - as a non musician - that you can get more emotional enjoyment just because you can play an instrument. In fact, there is an argument to be made that non-musicians solely perceive the emotion and are unemcumbered by listening to the "technicalities" of the technique.

Interesting dialogue.

Cheers

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by KRO:
Only here could you find some Wanker (joe 90) who would knock a young kid who has worked his arse off,i hate you all,including the arrogant self important pompous wanker who moderates.

Fuck off and die.
Steph.

Hee hee!!! FOTFLMAO!!!!!!

Oh man, I needed a laugh! Adam, please don't delete this priceless post!

By the way, I quickly scanned the thread and didn't see which particular wunderkind was being disdained?

EW

Wake up wake up, EW! Did you not see the video of the bedroom-bound boy axeman in Beano's link?

So Kuma, who have you always wanted to say "Fuck off and die" to? C'mon, own up, the whole world wants to know!

Cheers,

Jon ;-)

quote:

Originally posted by JonR:
Wake up wake up, EW! Did you not see the video of the bedroom-bound boy axeman in Beano's link?

Oh dear. That's cheesy with extra cheese on.

Think I'd better fuck off and die too!

EW

It may not be what we might choose to listen to, but this kid has worked very hard to get to this stage and if nothing else, it sets him up with a technique and dexterity that will allow him to develop further. Shouldn't knock it. If he's got to that stage in, say, 3 years, then it looks like he should go far, and good luck to him. It takes hard work and enthusiasm and this kid has bucketloads of both. He's just a kid for Chissakes!
Some of you lot can be needlessly cruel sometimes and I don't understand why.

I hope you're not indicting all of us with that last statement, Rasher - I thought his playing was very impressive!

Cheers,

Jon

No Jon. Thanks for pointing it out - I've edited it.

Thanks.

Too late for me now otherwise I would have edited my post too.

So you're 57 eh, Mick?!
That means you are exactly the same age as Gene Simmons. You two should get together!

quote:

Hmmm...interesting view....are you saying that mucicians ger more from listening to music than non-musicians?

If so, do you mean that you can appreciate the technical qualities of the playing or that you get more more from it emotionally?

Jim-
I firmly believe that music is fundamentally a form of communication. The more one knows about the "language" the more one can derive from it.
"Language" poorly describes the communication from music but I have no other word for it.
The more I grow as a musician the more I enjoy music. I understand better the forms, the tools used by composers and performers, etc. It's not so much the technical side though clearly that is understood better at least on the instruments I can play to some degree.
It's a bit like enjoying wine or whiskey. You can taste something and really like it. If you understand more about what goes into making it and factors that affect it you'll increase your appreciation.
As for musicians enjoying music more than non-musicians, I can’t answer that categorically. My own experience is that musicians are not generally as obsessed with improving HiFi as most of us on this forum. Maybe because full-time musicians generally have to be more frugal with their limited income!
David

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:
He's just a kid for Chissakes!

Indeed he is. Although Menuhin was playing the D minor chaconne at 11!

So it's still cheesy. Sorry. I could play like hell when I was a kid - it's easy when you're 13, it's if you can still do it when you're 30...!

EW

quote:

Originally posted by Earwicker:
Although Menuhin was playing the D minor chaconne at 11!

There you go then - and if he could have done, he would probably have posted a Flash movie of himself playing it in his bedroom, and everyone would go: "What a wanker!".

David

quote:

I firmly believe that music is fundamentally a form of communication.

I agree that music is a form of communication but I guess I'm a different place to you with regard to having to be a musician to enjoy it more (than a non musician). In fact, I would say that in many cases musicians can over analyze and can become fixated on the technique and miss the emotion and the communication that you described. This isn't meant to be a broad brush statement of course.

quote:

My own experience is that musicians are not generally as obsessed with improving HiFi as most of us on this forum.

Maybe that's where I differ from many on here then as I am in no way fixated on upgrading my Hi-Fi and although I enjoy the richness of sound and the added insight into the music that a well setup system can bring. I can get off on the emotion and "message" in the music whether I listen on my iPod, car stereo, laptop/speakers or on one of the systems at home.

Here's another analogy for you....I played sports professionally for 17 years but does that mean that I get more enjoyment from that particulat sport because maybe I appreciate the technical skills, fitness and general awareness of the players more than someone who never played professionally? I may have have more insight than most but I would never claim to get more enjoyment then the fans who watch it.

No right or worng answer here but a good discussion.

Cheers

Jim

PS Where in Ohio are you? I lived in North Olmsted from late '97 to 2000 before moving to the Chicago area.

How to play the guitar - I have one comment and that is simply patience.