How to Play Guitar, by David Fair

Pirateking · #1 09-23-2003

This is a famous article by David Fair, the original guitarist of Half Japanese, a kind of primitive rock band from the mid-70's to the present. They were the subject of the documentary "The Band that Could be King." Please respond.

How to play Guitar
by David Fair [of Half Japanese]

I taught myself to play guitar. It's incredibly easy when you understand the science of it. The skinny strings play the high sounds, and the fat strings play the low sounds. If you put your finger on the string farther out by the tuning end it makes a lower sound. If you want to play fast, move your hand fast and if you want to play slower move your hand slower. That's all there is to it. You can learn the names of notes and how to make chords that other people use, but that's pretty limiting. Even if you took a few years and learned all the chords you'd still have a limited number of options. If you ignore the chords your options are infinite and you can master guitar playing in one day.
Traditionally, guitars have a fat string on the top and they get skinnier and skinnier as they go down. But the thing to remember is it's your guitar and you can put whatever you want on it. I like to put six different sized strings on it because that gives the most variety, but my brother used to put all of the same thickness on so he wouldn't have so much to worry about. What ever string he hit had to be the right one because they were all the same.
Tuning the guitar is kind of a ridiculous notion. If you have to wind the tuning pegs to just a certain place, that implies that every other place would be wrong. But that's absurd. How could it be wrong? It's your guitar and you're the one playing it. It's completely up to you to decide how it should sound. In fact I don't tune by the sound at all. I wind the strings until they're all about the same tightness. I highly recommend electric guitars for a couple of reasons. First of all they don't depend on body resonating for the sound so it doesn't matter if you paint them. As also, if you put all the knobs on your amplifier on 10 you can get a much higher reaction to effort ratio with an electric guitar than you can with an acoustic. Just a tiny tap on the strings can rattle your windows, and when you slam the strings, with your amp on 10, you can strip the paint off the walls.
The first guitar I bought was a Silvertone. Later I bought a Fender Telecaster, but it really doesn't matter what kind you buy as long as the tuning pegs are on the end of the neck where they belong. A few years back someone came out with a guitar that tunes at the other end. I've never tried one. I guess they sound alright but they look ridiculous and I imagine you'd feel pretty foolish holding one. That would affect your playing. The idea isn't to feel foolish. The idea is to put a pick in one hand and a guitar in the other and with a tiny movement rule the world.

Bill Assumpcao · #2 09-23-2003

Some great concepts. I love the idea of using 6 identical strings. And then tuning them all with the same amount of tension. I'll have to try that.
However, I don't agree with "The idea is to put a pick in one hand". What about a pick in both hands or no pick at all?

Pirateking · #3 09-23-2003

Well, that's just silly.

AlChuck · #4 09-23-2003

Reminds me of that old Monty Python Sketch, where Michael Palin taught how to play the flute:

Monty Python's Flying Circus
Series 3, Episode 28: How to Rid the World of All Known Diseases

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cast:

ALAN
John Cleese
NOEL
Graham Chapman
JACKIE
Eric Idle

The sketch:

(Cut to a sign saying 'How to do it'. Music. Pull out to reveal a 'Blue Peter' type set. Sitting casually on the edge of a dais an three presenters in sweaters - Noel, Jackie and Alan - plus a large bloodhound.)

Alan: Hello.

Noel: Hello.

Alan: Well, last week we showed you how to become a gynaecologist. And this week on 'How to do it' we're going to show you how to play the flute, how to split an atom, how to construct a box girder bridge, how to irrigate the Sahara Desert and make vast new areas of land cultivatable, but first, here's Jackie to tell you all how to rid the world of all known diseases.

Jackie: Hello, Alan.

Alan: Hello, Jackie.

Jackie: Well, first of all become a doctor and discover a marvellous cure for something, and then, when the medical profession really starts to take notice of you, you can jolly well tell them what to do and make sure they get everything right so there'll never be any diseases ever again.

Alan: Thanks, Jackie. Great idea. How to play the flute. (picking up a flute) Well here we are. You blow there and you move your fingers up and down here.

Noel: Great, great, Alan. Well, next week we'll be showing you how black and white people can live together in peace and harmony, and Alan will be over in Moscow showing us how to reconcile the Russians and the Chinese. So, until next week, cheerio.

Alan: Bye.

Jackie: Bye.

(Children's music.)

Armistice · #5 09-23-2003

Interesting that someone with such an open mind about tuning, chords and where you put the strings feels so strongly about having the tuning pegs on the "end of the neck where they belong"...

I've never heard of this band... can't say I'm surprised.

free_d20 · #6 09-23-2003

i think if you put 6 low E strings tuned in E, all youll get is a whole lot of tension, a snapped guitar, a frown in your face and a tear in your squinted eyes.

p.s. tell that dude to put some bass strings to his telecaster, he'll love it. ;-)

Alanfc · #7 09-24-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by free_d20

p.s. tell that dude to put some bass strings to his telecaster, he'll love it. ;-)

hey- what did you say???

seriously, if I want to do this on another guitar will it work? I mean with lighter bass strings?. (And re-set my intonation) Mainly for the wound E-A-D on electric?

seriously, I'm not kidding... can I really do this ??

Aaron Cheney · #8 09-24-2003

What a bunch of crap.

Everybody wants to be a cool, hip, rule-breaker. So what.

Innovation is more often a consequence of wisdom than of ignorance.

Hey, I just made that up.

Aaron
www.voodoovibe.com

free_d20 · #9 09-24-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Alanfc
hey- what did you say???

seriously, if I want to do this on another guitar will it work? I mean with lighter bass strings?. (And re-set my intonation) Mainly for the wound E-A-D on electric?

seriously, I'm not kidding... can I really do this ??

well, i guess my sarcasm wasnt well laid out, anyway i have no idea if you can do that... but i wouldnt recommend it, seriously.

nah, i retract my comment, try it and tell us how it goes ;-)
(i make some $$$ on repairing broken instruments :-P )

Alanfc · #10 09-24-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by free_d20
well, i guess my sarcasm wasnt well laid out, anyway i have no idea if you can do that... but i wouldnt recommend it, seriously.

nah, i retract my comment, try it and tell us how it goes ;-)
(i make some $$$ on repairing broken instruments :-P )

OK I'm bummed seriously (hanging head). Thanks for setting me straight

I'll be changing to .013's then

Aaron Cheney · #11 09-24-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Alanfc

I'll be changing to .013's then

Holy crap.

Aaron
www.voodoovibe.com

Track Rat · #12 09-24-2003

.13's?!?!?!? That would be like a cheese knife on my poor fingers.
But I can go meedly meedly meedly meedly all over the neck.

Alanfc · #13 09-24-2003

Since I'm no Shredder, but rather a yank/choke & pounder, I think it'll fine. Plus the only bending I usually need to do is 2 half steps worth anyway.

In general will a heavier gauge have an adverse effect on the neck over time? (I am clueless on guitar tech)

thanks

WOW 200 Posts ! Is there a prize for that?

AcidRain · #14 09-24-2003

you want a cookie?

Kelly5150 · #15 09-24-2003

What about all 6 strings, 17 guage strings, tuned regular...

That might be interesting...

Or no strings at all.... Air guitar...

philboyd studge · #16 09-24-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by free_d20
i think if you put 6 low E strings tuned in E, all youll get is a whole lot of tension, a snapped guitar, a frown in your face and a tear in your squinted eyes.

p.s. tell that dude to put some bass strings to his telecaster, he'll love it. ;-)

A guy I knew that lived in Long Beach, Ca. did that. He did a solo mostly (John Charles Stewart) and when he did he used a tele with the low E and A as bass strings, played tamborine with his feet that hung off the mic stand shaft and a harmonica. Got some pretty good bluse riffs going.

FattMusiek · #17 09-24-2003

"...you can master guitar playing in one day."

Yep, that's about right.

David Lo Pan · #18 09-24-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by FattMusiek
"...you can master guitar playing in one day."

Yep, that's about right.

Worked for the guy in the white stripes...now he's number 17 on rolling stones 'best guitarists of all time' list.

applesmasher · #19 09-24-2003

cool it only takes one day?! im gonna go teach myself now! Alright rok on!

WoolyLoach · #20 09-25-2003

It only takes one day to master? OMG.. what have I been doing the past 20 years, then? I want all that time back!

rofl!

mojovoodoo · #21 09-25-2003

don't even get me started about that rolling stone list of top 100 guitarists!!!!that thing pissed me off for days, and now, look what you done did! you reminded me about that shit magazine. i dunno why i even picked it up, i knew it would piss me off!!!and yeah i want my 25 years back, i want one day man!!!

Dakota · #22 09-26-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Alanfc
hey- what did you say???

seriously, if I want to do this on another guitar will it work? I mean with lighter bass strings?. (And re-set my intonation) Mainly for the wound E-A-D on electric?

seriously, I'm not kidding... can I really do this ??

Chet Atkins used a bass string on a Gretch for the low E string, so yes, it can be done.

If you did this, the only things you would really have to worry about are:
1. too much tensioin. (I have no idea if bass strings have more or less tension)
2. Intonation
3. Buzzing or action problems (Is Bass action similar to guitar?)

Does anyone have a formula for calculating string tension for different guages, scale length, and the note tune to? This would be really handy to be able to calculate tension changes for non standard tunings and strings.

Bill Assumpcao · #23 09-26-2003

If neck tension is an issue, why not just treat it like a 12 string?
Tune the guitar a couple of half-steps low. Then generously apply some capo?
Ain't I just full of great ideas that ain't worth a s@*t?