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  #31  
Old 09-02-2010, 12:20 PM
daza152 daza152 is offline
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Originally Posted by yucki8aby View Post
Just do it bit by bit and you'll eventually get the hang of things.
Yep, thats what I do practice and memorise a set piece then when I have that move on to the rest or nest section. I'm doing that with 2 songs at present....Hey Hey-Big Bill Bronzy and Is there anybody out there-Pink Floyd.

Keep it up.
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  #32  
Old 09-02-2010, 12:52 PM
euchre euchre is offline
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Hey, don't feel bad. I have a friend that's been playing over 20 years and can't play ONE song. Seriously. He's what I call an inane noodler. He doesn't even do this along with the stereo, just solo. But, most importantly, he enjoys it.

There's a wealth of stuff on youtube and other places on the web, however, what's most important is committing to taking the time to sit down and play.
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  #33  
Old 09-02-2010, 02:21 PM
Backslider Backslider is offline
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I started playing some 35 years ago. What did we have? Guitar books (many of them awful and expensive), stuff to listen to and guitar teachers (most who were outside the budget of a teenager). I learned a little from a few books, but mostly by ear and determination.

What do we have now? Great TAB software (I use Tuxguitar, which is free and can handle Guitar Pro files), Youtube and a squillion other websites to help you to learn. There is no excuse. Just find whatever you want to play and learn it!

A lot of guitarists over the years have said to me "Man, I could never play like that!" My stock answer to them these days is "Thats why you never will". Their attitude is wrong. The guitar is just a box with six strings stretched over it. You are its master, not the other way around.
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  #34  
Old 09-03-2010, 10:36 AM
lw216316 lw216316 is offline
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Hey, Born2be

I'll help you if you want my help.

When young I learned to play basic chords and VERY simple
folk style finger picking.
I could play simple rhythm that way and sing easy songs.

I stayed at that level for over 30 years.
There was not one song I could play as a solo instrumental.

A year or so ago I began to study on my own how to play
solo instrumentals.
Now I can do it for most any song I want -
nothing fancy yet,
just the basic melody while playing the rhythm at the same time
but I'm still improving...

AND
and it is SO SATISFYING to play the guitar like a piano -
as a solo instrument !

I'm not a professional or a guitar teacher -
just a 'play at home' amateur
but I'll share with you how to do it because I've been through
the frustration you are feeling and I'm willing to help.

Here is a sample of my 'simple' progress so far
this is ' You've Got a Friend ' by James Taylor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm5XjYzi5LA

- not fancy - but I'm getting better - and its very enjoyable even
at this 'beginner' level.

- Larry
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  #35  
Old 09-03-2010, 02:20 PM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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Most learn songs starting at the beginning of the piece and working through it in sections. You have a better feel for the music that way. If the song has some difficult spots or you are lagging in areas I would single those out for extra attention of course. Once you have a song playable from start to finish you have plenty of time to polish up the performance with further woodshedding.
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Last edited by Fliss; 09-04-2010 at 12:54 AM. Reason: took out reference to deleted content
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  #36  
Old 09-03-2010, 02:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
Once you have a song playable from start to finish you have plenty of time to polish up the performance with further woodshedding.
Learn your song all the way through, right from the start. Its a pain at first, but you will get good at it and you will get a far better feel for the music. Once you can get through it from start to finish, concentrate on sections you have trouble with, but not exclusively.

Youtube is full of guitarists playing this or that solo. Lookup "Sultans of Swing" as an example. 80% of those guitarists can only play the solo and could not play the song right through in a pink fit.

Guitar forums are full of guys who complain they don't have a repertoire and can only play bits and pieces of this and that. Guess which method they use?
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  #37  
Old 09-03-2010, 03:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Backslider View Post
Learn your song all the way through, right from the start. Its a pain at first, but you will get good at it and you will get a far better feel for the music. Once you can get through it from start to finish, concentrate on sections you have trouble with, but not exclusively.

Youtube is full of guitarists playing this or that solo. Lookup "Sultans of Swing" as an example. 80% of those guitarists can only play the solo and could not play the song right through in a pink fit.

Guitar forums are full of guys who complain they don't have a repertoire and can only play bits and pieces of this and that. Guess which method they use?
What we are suggesting is somewhat overlapping. On what I find a simply song I just play it straight through. Often I can sight read it. Then working on it is more just a matter of memorizing it. On more involved pieces, especially those that have multiple distinct parts I will break it up into learning sections. The end result is that I have learned the complete piece. That works for me and works for a lot of people.
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  #38  
Old 09-03-2010, 03:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
The end result is that I have learned the complete piece. That works for me and works for a lot of people.
I am sure that for every one player it works for, there are ten players using the same method and are the type of guitarists I describe. You would have trouble finding a qualified music teacher who would recommend your method.
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  #39  
Old 09-03-2010, 03:45 PM
Broadus Broadus is offline
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FWIW, Pete Huttlinger says pretty much the same thing as Rick-Slo in his "A Guitarist's Guide to Better Practicing":
"Once you figure this out [why a certain section is giving you a problem], take a measure that is giving you trouble and work only on that spot. If the whole measure is too hard then just do half the measure. When you get half the measure down, begin on the 2nd half of the measure only. When you have that down, go back to the 1st half and get that back. Do the 2nd half again too. Now put them together. DON'T BE A SLACKER! MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE PLAYING CORRECTLY BEFORE GOING ON [his caps, not mine ]. The work you do here will make a huge difference later on."
Pedagogically, that makes sense to me.

Bill
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  #40  
Old 09-03-2010, 03:51 PM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Broadus View Post
FWIW, Pete Huttlinger says pretty much the same thing as Rick-Slo in his "A Guitarist's Guide to Better Practicing":
"Once you figure this out [why a certain section is giving you a problem], take a measure that is giving you trouble and work only on that spot. If the whole measure is too hard then just do half the measure. When you get half the measure down, begin on the 2nd half of the measure only. When you have that down, go back to the 1st half and get that back. Do the 2nd half again too. Now put them together. DON'T BE A SLACKER! MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE PLAYING CORRECTLY BEFORE GOING ON [his caps, not mine ]. The work you do here will make a huge difference later on."
Pedagogically, that makes sense to me.

Bill
Makes sense to me.
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Derek Coombs
Youtube -> Website -> Music -> Tabs
Guitars by Mark Blanchard, Albert&Mueller, Paul Woolson, Collings, Composite Acoustics, and Derek Coombs

"Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."

Woods hands pick by eye and ear
Made to one with pride and love
To be that we hold so dear
A voice from heavens above
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  #41  
Old 09-03-2010, 08:16 PM
daza152 daza152 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
That approach is what is usually done Bill. Most learn songs starting at the beginning of the piece and working through it in sections. You have a better feel for the music that way. If the song has some difficult spots or you are lagging in areas I would single those out for extra attention of course. Once you have a song playable from start to finish you have plenty of time to polish up the performance with further woodshedding.
Thanks that is what I was trying to say in my previous posts I figured that was the easiest and best way to do it. and it does work for me any many others too it would seem.
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  #42  
Old 09-03-2010, 11:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Born2be View Post
Everyone assumes I'm good because I've played so long [SIX YEARS]. I'm embarrassed when people ask -- I simply can't play anything worth listening to. And because I don't know any songs
Is this guy gonna learn songs by being bogged down in learning "sections" to perfection, or is he going to learn songs by learning things from start to finish?

I say, learn the song from start to finish, even its just strumming the chords. Even if thats as far as you get, at least you still have REPERTOIRE. I have been at many a gathering where some guitar player, who only knew how to strum, simply stoked everybody because they KNEW THE SONGS. Their level of perfection was totally irrelevant. Everybody enjoyed. I have also seen who only knew bits and pieces (even fabulously) that quickly made everybody fall ASLEEP.

@Born2be - learn songs, right through, even if just basic. Then you can build on and improve them. This will both build your confidence in your own playing and make people wanna listen to you. Believe me, lots of people are happy if you just know the chords and can play it, but will stone you if you only know a little bit and can't pull it off all the way through. If you can't sing (most people CAN, even if they hate their own voices), find somebody who can and jam with them, go to parties with them and blow everybody away. You can do it.

Last edited by Fliss; 09-04-2010 at 12:56 AM. Reason: AGF rule 1 "be nice" and language - please check FAQ
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  #43  
Old 09-04-2010, 04:31 PM
daza152 daza152 is offline
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???????????????
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Last edited by daza152; 09-04-2010 at 08:08 PM.
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  #44  
Old 09-04-2010, 07:10 PM
banjar banjar is offline
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Originally Posted by euchre View Post
Hey, don't feel bad. I have a friend that's been playing over 20 years and can't play ONE song. Seriously. He's what I call an inane noodler.
I have a friend like that. I have never heard him play a song. Who cares if he has fun-he drives me nuts.
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  #45  
Old 09-05-2010, 07:32 AM
urbanfarmer urbanfarmer is offline
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You might check out Harvey Reid's "Song Train"-it is a great compilation of 2-chord songs, comes w/ cd and a book that describes how to play each one. It is a really neat deal and I was surprised how many great 2-chord songs there are!

It can be found here: http://www.songtrain.net/
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