Guitar Playing 102 (Don’t fret, you can do this….)

Guitar Playing 102 (Don’t fret, you can do this….)

Monday January 22nd 2024

Okay back in November I tried to lay out the first few considerations about getting realistic about starting the guitar, if you missed that, might I humbly suggest you check it out first?

https://bloggerrhythm5.blogspot.com/2023/11/guitar-playing-101.html

And….we’re back. I’m going to assume you’ve got your guitar (or ukulele maybe) now, you've tuned it, and you’ve learnt a few chord shapes, waved your hands at it a bit, but it’s all coming out a bit buzzy or random. The phrase I hear constantly from students is “it just doesn’t sound like music”. Remember that tutor I advised you to get? Well here’s what they should be telling you about your fretting hand, imho….

Firstly…

When you’re fretting a chord (a collection of notes) or a single note, the optimum place to have your fingers is immediately behind the fretwire. A clear note is the result of the string vibrating between where you’re fretting and the bridge (the bridge is where the strings attach to the body of the guitar). If you’re immediately behind the fret you don’t need to press as hard to get a good note. It’s not always perfectly possible, but generally too little pressure and you’ll get a buzz, too much pressure and you can stretch the string out of tune. And it hurts your fingers. Be Goldilocks...

Secondly…

The first chords most people learn are “open chords”, so called because they involve both fretted and unfretted (or open) notes. It’s important then to play the fretted notes in a way that doesn’t mute or foul the open notes you want. Try to use the tips of your fingers, not the pads, and, sorry Wolverine, you may need to trim those nails. There’s nothing worse than going to all the hard work of learning that chord shape only for it to sound a bit…meh. If you pick through the notes slowly, you should be able to hear each one, if one sounds dead or muted, try and work out why! The difference between success and failure can be millimetres.

Thirdly...

Another common struggle is getting to grips with the fact that some chords don’t want you to play all the strings. In fact, out of what might be considered your average selection of “open chords for beginners” E, Em and G are the only ones where you strum all six strings. For A, Am, B7, C and the like, it’s five strings, and for D, D7 it’s only four. Actually then, for the majority of the time you don’t want that pesky bass E string at all. The answer is not to avoid it, but to mute it by reaching your thumb over the top of the neck for certain chords. I stress “mute” it, so, “just touching / in contact with” not fretting or actually pushing down. Lots of tutors, particularly those orientated towards classical playing, will tell you to always have your thumb on the back of the neck, and there will be times you need to do this….but now isn’t one of them, (unless your aim is to learn traditional, classical technique).

Lastly...

This is a more general point, but I'm not sure it can be emphasised enough. Listening to what you're doing is massively important. Yes, it's difficult sometimes playing in big groups, or when you're in the grips of an open mic performance or whatever, but you MUST try to listen critically to what you're playing. If you can't hear what you're doing, or take the time to work out why it might be wrong, it's going to be an uphill battle.

Record Time

Haven’t done a proper one of these in a few weeks now. One record I have reconnected with recently is “Thirst For Romance” by Cherry Ghost. In all honesty I think I remember it got slated in critical review upon release, but I’ve got a lot of time for it. It’s got a ‘Coronation Street meets the Great Plains of Wyoming’ kind of vibe. Make of that description what you will ;-) Until next time!

Guitar Playing 101 (Getting realistic about getting started...)

Guitar Playing 101

Tuesday November 28th 2023

It only seems fair that one of these earlier blogs talks a bit about playing the guitar. It is basically what I do with my time, and by that I really mean, playing it, working out how to play it, working out how someone else can play it….you get the idea. How I got to this point is perhaps a story for another day, but right now, in this cold, hard, social media, everything NOW kinda world you probably want facts, so…..

Tip #1 : Find A Tutor…

Of course I’m going to say that, I’m a tutor! Although there’s half a million people offering a free opinion on YouTube who claim to have all the answers, they can’t tell you what you’re doing wrong. Success at the guitar is measured in millimetres…. A stray note here, a buzz there, it’s all very disconcerting. Not to mention a good tutor will find a way to teach you in a way that you understand. Everybody learns differently. Some people can do it on their own, no doubt about it. If I think back and I’m honest though, I did get some guidance on my first attempts from a friend at college who had actually received lessons. A knowledgeable person such as this can also help with the next tip….

Tip #2 : Get A Guitar…

You’d be surprised, (or perhaps you wouldn’t), how many times I’ve encountered somebody who wants to learn to play the guitar, but doesn’t have access to a guitar. Special shout out to that family I went to one time who thought their son could use his Guitar Hero controller…. What’s actually most typical is the young budding, rock guitarist is handed Uncle George’s classical guitar, that’s been delaminating in the attic under some soggy Christmas decorations for fifteen years. Or the mature gentleman who’s spent £5,000 on a salmon pink, Hank Marvin signature model Stratocaster they saw him play on the Royal Variety Show. 

Funnily enough, neither is the ideal starter guitar. Choose something simple, not the cheapest, but an affordable instrument you can hold properly and you like the look of. Get the guitar shop to make sure it’s set up correctly. Ideally, take your tutor (or significant, knowledgeable other) to the shop with you to help you choose. For beginners, I’d always say start with an acoustic, rather than an electric guitar. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think an electric guitar is “easier” - there’s more to worry about, more gear required and more moving parts. Get a basic guitar bag, a selection of plectrums of different gauges to experiment with, and a tuner, or download a smart phone app. If your guitar’s not in tune, you don’t stand a chance.

Tip #3 : Be Realistic…

Chances are, there’s going to be a disconnect between what you see yourself playing, and what you can do at first. That whole myth about practising a little every day being the key to success, isn’t a myth. For most people, it’s gonna take time, a whole lot of precious time, it’s gonna take patience and time, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do, to do it, to do it right child. George Harrison said that, and he was in The Beatles. The good news is, if you’ve followed tip #1, you’ll spend less time in this initial limbo period thinking the whole adventure was a terrible mistake.

Now I know none of these three pointers are going to get you shredding by next Tuesday, but there’s a lot of wisdom in the whole “right tool for the right job” idea. It’ll stand you in good stead for “Guitar Playing 102”.....

Record Time

This week’s musical share is the first album by little known Manchester group, Oasis. It’s called “Definitely Maybe”. Now I’m not the biggest Oasis fan ever, but I do appreciate and respect Noel Gallagher as a songwriter. The album came out whilst I was taking my first few steps with the guitar. I liked the simplicity of some of the songs, like “Columbia” and “Live Forever”....so I went and bought the songbook from HMV in Tunbridge Wells, and I sat in my bedsit and played along. Finding something to play along to that you find inspiring is a powerful thing - hopefully you can find yours!