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  #1  
Old 06-21-2017, 05:56 AM
Troyboi Troyboi is offline
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Default My guitar sounds different to some on youtube

Hello

I've had my Greg Bennet D7 acoustic for about two weeks now and have been practicing everyday building up some nice callouses and have also managed to get ok at 4-5chords and changing between them etc.
I've also started looking at some Youtube clips to try and learn some songs. However I've noticed that with some of these clips my guitar doesn't sound like theirs.
I'm using a capo when they do and I've checked that my guitar is in tune. Some chords sound the same but then others sound different. I don't know if it's out of key or something else perhaps.

Also what are the Greg Bennet D7 guitars like? Are they a good guitar or a cheaply?
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  #2  
Old 06-21-2017, 09:10 AM
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What do you mean "doesn't sound the same"? You know that there are other guitar tunings other than standard (EBGDAE) right?
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Old 06-21-2017, 09:15 AM
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Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
What do you mean "doesn't sound the same"? You know that there are other guitar tunings other than standard (EBGDAE) right?
I think you mean EADGBE, which is the conventional way round.
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Old 06-21-2017, 09:19 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Troyboi View Post
Hello

I've had my Greg Bennet D7 acoustic for about two weeks now and have been practicing everyday building up some nice callouses and have also managed to get ok at 4-5chords and changing between them etc.
I've also started looking at some Youtube clips to try and learn some songs. However I've noticed that with some of these clips my guitar doesn't sound like theirs.
I'm using a capo when they do and I've checked that my guitar is in tune. Some chords sound the same but then others sound different. I don't know if it's out of key or something else perhaps.

Also what are the Greg Bennet D7 guitars like? Are they a good guitar or a cheaply?
I'm sure the guitar is fine, but how did you check your tuning? If you used a tuner, it's sometimes easy to set the calibration wrong. You need to make sure (if there is a calibration option) that it says "A=440" somewhere, and you haven't selected some kind of "b" setting by mistake.
If you're OK with that, than it's possible the youtube player is tuned down a half-step - this is a common practice now, and the player won't always tell you.
Check your strings match the notes you hear here:
https://www.fender.com/online-guitar...guitar-tuning/
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Old 06-21-2017, 09:23 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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When you are using a capo try tuning your guitar after you have put the capo on.

Another thought is that maybe when you are fretting the chords you might be "killing" one of more strings (deadening them with the underside or side of your finger) or maybe mistakenly fretting another string ?

Hope that helps,
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  #6  
Old 06-21-2017, 02:16 PM
Troyboi Troyboi is offline
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I'm using standard tuning and I use a tuning app on my iPhone. I've actually used a couple of them to cross check.
It's even some songs without a capo the chords just don't sou d quite right. Maybe I am muting strings etc slightly. Some chords I'll play and say yeah that's spot on. Then others I just think what's going on here. I find it's often when I just start trying to do the strumming pattern.
I'm a huge Tim McGraw fan so have been trying to learn some of his songs.
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Old 06-21-2017, 02:25 PM
Wyllys Wyllys is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Troyboi View Post
Hello

I've had my Greg Bennet D7 acoustic for about two weeks now and have been practicing everyday building up some nice callouses and have also managed to get ok at 4-5chords and changing between them etc.
I've also started looking at some Youtube clips to try and learn some songs. However I've noticed that with some of these clips my guitar doesn't sound like theirs.
I'm using a capo when they do and I've checked that my guitar is in tune. Some chords sound the same but then others sound different. I don't know if it's out of key or something else perhaps.

Also what are the Greg Bennet D7 guitars like? Are they a good guitar or a cheaply?
And you've been playing how long? It takes time, you know, and as the saying goes, the first 20 years are the hard part.
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Old 06-21-2017, 08:48 PM
Troyboi Troyboi is offline
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Originally Posted by Wyllys View Post
And you've been playing how long? It takes time, you know, and as the saying goes, the first 20 years are the hard part.
20 years? I'll be in a retirement home by then..lol.
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Old 06-22-2017, 09:33 AM
JonPR JonPR is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Troyboi View Post
I'm using standard tuning and I use a tuning app on my iPhone. I've actually used a couple of them to cross check.
It's even some songs without a capo the chords just don't sou d quite right. Maybe I am muting strings etc slightly. Some chords I'll play and say yeah that's spot on. Then others I just think what's going on here. I find it's often when I just start trying to do the strumming pattern.
Sounds like a technique issue then. Or maybe whoever is demo-ing the song is not explaining things too well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Troyboi View Post
I'm a huge Tim McGraw fan so have been trying to learn some of his songs.
If you can give specific examples where you can't get your chords to sound right, we might be able to give more detailed advice.
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Old 06-23-2017, 08:43 PM
Troyboi Troyboi is offline
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I think I've solved the problem. I brought a pick from the music store the other day, mainly because I just went there to have a look at the guitars and felt obliged to at least buy something..lol.

I've been using that pick and switched back to the pick I got with my guitar when I brought it second hand, and it sounds much better now. The pick I brought was softer and more flexible where as the pick I got with my guitar is harder. It sounds much better with the harder pick.
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  #11  
Old 06-24-2017, 09:34 AM
JonPR JonPR is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Troyboi View Post
I think I've solved the problem. I brought a pick from the music store the other day, mainly because I just went there to have a look at the guitars and felt obliged to at least buy something..lol.

I've been using that pick and switched back to the pick I got with my guitar when I brought it second hand, and it sounds much better now. The pick I brought was softer and more flexible where as the pick I got with my guitar is harder. It sounds much better with the harder pick.
Ah-ha! Sometimes solutions are as simple as that!

I always recommend flexible picks for strumming. It's much harder to control stiff picks with the requisite subtlety - although I find the reverse applies for lead playing.
I'd suggest buying a selection of varying thicknesses and materials - everyone has their own favourites (which they will happily recommend here ), but you have to find what's comfortable for you.
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Old 06-26-2017, 01:46 AM
Ze. Ze. is offline
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I often think that my guitar just doesn't seem just right compared with what i'm listening to on youtube but i thought maybe that could be due to the two guitars not being tuned to each other ...could that be right ? ( food for thought )
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Old 06-26-2017, 10:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Troyboi View Post
…Also what are the Greg Bennet D7 guitars like? Are they a good guitar or a cheaply?
Hi Troy

Student models comparable to entry level Alvarez, Ibanez, Samick, etc.

They can be setup to play fine.



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  #14  
Old 06-26-2017, 10:53 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ze. View Post
I often think that my guitar just doesn't seem just right compared with what i'm listening to on youtube but i thought maybe that could be due to the two guitars not being tuned to each other ...could that be right ? ( food for thought )
Quite possible.
Some prefer tunings where A is not 440Hz. Also I don't always use electronic tuner or pitchfork for tuning: I just check that the guitar is in tune with itself.

Picks:
I prefer the sound of rigid picks. They just aren't as forgiving when getting started. It wasn't just once or twice I ended up fishing a pick out of the guitar body

Fingerings:
My ring fingers are a little strange, and it is almost impossible for me to avoid muting a string or two in some very common chord fingerings. So, I try to figure out alternatives if those notes sound really important.
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  #15  
Old 06-27-2017, 04:39 AM
JonPR JonPR is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ze. View Post
I often think that my guitar just doesn't seem just right compared with what i'm listening to on youtube but i thought maybe that could be due to the two guitars not being tuned to each other ...could that be right ? ( food for thought )
Absolutely. If you can see what shape the person is playing, and it sounds different when you play the same shape ... that's a pretty definite sign that the tuning is different. (Allowing for differences in tone or timbre of course.)
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