Yeah the sounds suck, but you're playing wasn't that bad. Definitely okay for one month of playing time.
I'm completely self-taught on everything I do. I grew up listening to and playing along with punk rock and rockabilly stuff. While I don't have much in the chops department, I did develop a skill for learning by ear, playing in time, and being able to emulate what I'm hearing on the record. I'd come home from school every day and bash my sister's drums along to Ramones records. They're not the fastest band ever, but their stuff is reasonably fast for a beginner. I didn't have an electric guitar at first, so I learned how to downstrum an acoustic so fast it sounded like an electric. Lol. To this day I can play 8ths on the hats and downstrum a guitar pretty fast. Those 2 skills, if you can even call them that, aren't necessary for everyone, but they're pretty vital in the kind of music I play. But that's all I got. I can play simple stuff really fast. One of these days I may take lessons and actually learn the theory behind what I'm doing, but probably not. It would probably screw me all up. But if you want to get really good, combine some actual lessons from a pro with your ear training and you'll get good fast.
Right on, man. I was born with rhythm in my blood. I remember walking home from Jr. High, timing the passing of the sidewalk slabs, and chewing my gum in the off-beat. Heck, I remember before that, singing in Primary School when I was 5, and adding eighth notes while singing - and wondering why everyone else wasn't doing the same thing. Got my first kit when I was 14 because my parents (totally non-musical family) were sick of me banging on everything else. So, yeah... I've never had a lesson, either. Just kind of always had the 4-count going on subliminally.
As far as guitar and bass goes, I'll probably end up taking lessons from people here and there, and right now, I'm sucking up all the good advice I can find. It's good to know self-taught people are out there, too.
Also, might I add... Your ability to
record and
mix your stuff is just as amazing as your ability to create and play it. You've got much more than just the ability to play fast 8th notes. Kudos, bro.
I've been playing for 40 years and 'I'm still learning to play the damn guitar!!'
Sounds pretty good. Timing is good. There's only 7 major chords. You have three of them down and the hardest ones. 4 more to go!!
Dave
Thanks, Dave, and yeah-right, uh-huh.. You're "still learning" eh'? I'd be interested to hear your stuff... Probably would blow me away. Enough of the modesty already...
As far as the chords played on this song, they were of the power-chord persuasion, so ... yeah.. Those are a bit easier. On the acoustic, I currently know and can play A,C,D,E,F,G majors, as well as A,D and E minors. I learned A7 and D7 yesterday. That B chord is a flippin' menace, though! I can't even hit it, let along change quickly to it. I'll eventually get it.
Thanks for listening!
OK First:
The fart...way too wet...add more gas.
Two thing to work on with the guitar:
a] Tone ...brighten it up...which will require a little more care in execution...cuz the missed notes and assorted boinks will not be hidden in the mud.
b] fast chord changes. the 'and -of-four' beat is missing when you change chords...you have to get from on to the other faster. Spend a few days doing nothing but hitting all the 8th strums, and getting to the next chord on the 'one'. The holes hurt groove*.
BTW...Gerg's last offering....I was wicked impressed that he didn't leave any holes in the guitar chop I could hear. If you wanted a performance to study, that would be it...tone and acuracy and speed.
Strum on!
* That's one of the most significant, yet under-appreciated skills of a deft guitarist: holding for full-duration, and making the chord-changes likkedy, hitting all the notes. And if you don't work on hitting every beat, and always use that 8th duration to laze into the next chord, it becomes a hard-to-break habit. And that applies to the simplest of 3-chord bar-form rock and roll. Those spaces on '& of 4' hardly exist at all in any pro recording...cuz the producers flog the guitar players into workin' on it.....almost universally...with studio newbs.
More gas, lets flap - noted.
Thanks tons for your advice, Jeff. I always read your comments quite thoroughly and have learned a lot of technique from your posts on others' threads.
a. You're right on. The tone sucks, and I kind of like it muddy because it covers up my mistakes. There are 4 tracks of guitar, and that makes it sound okay. Gotta work on those changes and string misses before I brighten anything up, or it'll sound like utter crap.
b. Again - right spot-on. Going from F to C just about kills me. C to G is okay, and C to F is okay, too... But that "& of 4" (F back to C) nails me about 80% of the time. I
WILL get it eventually, though. Great idea on playing along with Greg L's latest tune. It'll take me about 3 weeks to get so I can play the correct strings at all. Heh... Maybe I'll work towards covering it.
Many multiplicities of thanks for your comment, Jeff.
No idea...