Tell me about learning electric guitar

[ninja9578]

I've been playing for quiet a while, and am pretty good. But I taught myself and recently, I've noticed that because my fingers aren't in the proper positions, playing some more complicated stuff is impossible. Now I'm learning the proper fingering for each note and such, but it's hard going from one way of playing to another. Any tips? Unfortunately, I don't have time / money for a real teacher, I'm using the garageband lessons

[guitarboy]

Try to make your own technique out of the two. I'm basically self taught, and i can play things that I though would always be impossible when i started. When you get used to it, it's much easier to do. Make your own technique as I said, and it will come rather naturely. If you have some spare time ever, consider finding someone who plays guitar and play with them. even if it's not a lesson, I've learned a lot of the techniques i know from playing with some friends. If you really want to change, you have to practice everything you know with this teqhcique, and from now on do it with this technique and this one only. Eventually you will get used to it and it will seem easy to play both ways, but you have to stick with it. I learned this the hard way, after going on and off for months, I decided to practive an hour each day. It was hard and awkward, but now I can play most realistic songs (for instance, metallica, example of magic fairy dust music, dragonforce). It's rewarding, but it will take a month or two. Sorry for the rant, i am sick and can't fall asleep, and i can hardly remember what i just wrote, i probably just said something that would take a sentence to say

[juiceyfruit1714]

i've been playing for a little over 5 years, straight heavy metal from Trivium to As I Lay Dying, i've been in my own band for about 3 years so i've spent alot of time 'practicing' and shit. Here are the best tips I can give you. 1.Relax,It's accuracy before speed..remember this. play the riff/rhythm as smoothly as possible and pick up the pace. Don't try to jump straight to rockin' out if you're unsure about the music in any aspect. 2.If you get cramps or your arms get quickly exhausted, stop. Find a better way to keep your wrist as relaxed as possible. It's somewhat like typing and writing, if you're doing it wrong then your wrists get cramped and sore. 3.Take your own mental notes. If you find yourself skipping beats in the rhythm while your strumming, then find the factors of the problem. Are you using too much pick and catching the string? Is your hand crooked? Take notes and correct yourself. 4. Memorize whatever your working on physically. When you get better with time, you'll realize that half of your "song memory bank" is muscle memory..you'll try to write the song down, but you can't remember it, you have to play it to remember how its played. Your arms will remember when your brain doesnt. 5.I use the "box" technique with my fret hand. If you were to draw one line vertically through the middle of the neck, you'll want to keep your thumb below the line when playing faster and above the line with slower rhythms and single notes. This will allow more room between the fretboard and the fats of each finger, keeping them out of the way for ease of access and less fret feedback and noise. I hope any of this helps it all has helped me.

[[SomeGuy]]

I agree. I've been playing for over a year. I've been taking lessons, so that was a huge help. But, please,m for the love of God, do not learn tabs as your main music notation. They are terrible.

[juiceyfruit1714]

I agree. I've been playing for over a year. I've been taking lessons, so that was a huge help. But, please,m for the love of God, do not learn tabs as your main music notation. They are terrible. I agree, though not hypocritically. I learned to play through tabs only and i'd have to admit I learned to play very quickly, but as SomeGuy said, it'd be best not to learn tabs unless its just for extra education. Learn Music Theory,Scales and Techniques the right way. Tabs, a.k.a Music Notation for Dummies. It's the easy way out, but you'll be a more advanced guitar player in years if you learn the right way.

[DuB]

I've noticed that because my fingers aren't in the proper positions, playing some more complicated stuff is impossible. Now I'm learning the proper fingering for each note and such, but it's hard going from one way of playing to another. Any tips? You're going to have to be a little more specific. Outside of the realm of classical guitar, there is no consensus on the "correct" or "proper" way to fret any chord or note. There are camps, and everyone has their opinions, but there are enough exceptions to any approach to cast considerable doubt on the idea of there being a strictly right or wrong way to do anything. So exactly what fingerings are you transitioning from, and what are you transitioning to? What are some examples of the kind of thing you're having difficulty playing?