learning to play the guitar...

[thaya]

wow it works!!

I'd never thought of putting my thumb on the string to mute it good thinking mark

thanks! it's sounding much better already. x

[essex sucks]

haha thats ok it does work well

[thaya]

I have another question to all you guitar players out there. I've mastered basic chords (I think), had a go at some VERY simple tunes including the chorus to "where did you sleep last night" by nirvana, which I love, but now I want to have a go at some more complicated stufff, even though I'm still totally useless. I was looking up tabs for Jack Johnson tunes but i just don't understand them! I've been looking at stuff like this:



which tells me where to put my fingers and what to play!!! I can remember A,D,E,G, Em, Am, F, C, Dm, and now trying to figure out C7, D7, G7 and Em7.

I want to have a go at my favourite tunes but on the net they all seem to look like this:

Banana Pancakes Chords by Jack Johnson, www.Ultimate-Guitar.Com

Tabbed by Murray Hachey

Chords used:

Am 577555
G 355433
D7 x57575
C7 x35353
D x57775
Bm x24432
Em x79987
C x35553

Intro and Chorus:

Am G

e ------------------x-5 e ----------------x-3-|
B ------------------x-5 D ----------------x-3-|
G ------------------x-5 B ----------------x-4-|
D ------------------x-7 G ----------------x-5-|
A ----5-------------x-7 A ----5-----------x-5-|
E 5/7---7-5-3-0-3/5-x-5 E 5/7---7-5-3-0-3-x-3-|


Second time around do this instead:

Am G

e ----------------x-5-- e ----------------x-3-|
B ----------------x-5-- D ----------------x-3-|
G ----------------x-5-- B ----------------x-4-|
D ----------------x-7-- G ----------------x-5-|
A ----5-7-5-------x-7-- A ----5-----------x-5-|
E 5/7-------7-0-5-x-5-- E 5/7---7-5-3-0-3-x-3-|


e -x-x-5-5-|
B -x-x-7-7-|
G -x-x-5-5-|
D -x-x-7-7-|
A -x-x-5-5-|
e -x-x-x-x-


:Intro:
Am
Well can't you see that it's just raining?

G
There ain't no need to go outside.

D7
But Baby!


:Verse:
G D7
You hardly even know this

Am C7 (when you strum upward, remove pinky and play x35333)
when i try to show you

G D7
Song is meant to keep you

Am C7
from doing what you're supposed to

G D7
wakin' up to early

Am C7
maybe we could sleep

G D7
make you banana pancakes

Am C7
pretend like its the weekend

(fill on 'weekend')
e ----------|
D ----------|
B ----------|
G ----5-7-5-|
A 5/7-------|
E ----------|


CHORUS

Am
now

G
we could pretend it all the time.

Am
Can't you see that its just raining.

G
Ain't no need to go outside.

D7
But just maybe!


:Verse 2:

Hala ka ukulele, mama made a baby.
Really don't mind to practice cause you're my little lady.
Lady lady love me cause I love to lay you lazy.
We could close the curtains pretend like theres no world


:Chorus:

outside.

Then we could pretend it all the time.
cant you see that its just raining,
Ain't no need to go outside.

(just chords at this point, no fill)

Ain't no need Ain't no need.
mmmm mmmm mmmmm mmmmm
Can't you see can't you see?
Rain all day and I don't mind.


:Bridge:

Am D
But the telephones singin ringin its too early dont pick it up.

We don't need to

Am D
we got everything we need right here and everything we need is enough.


just so easy

Bm
When the whole world fits inside of your arms

Em C
do we really need to pay attention to the alarm?


G D
wake up slow, mmmmm mmmmmm
G
wake up slow


:verse:

But Baby!

You hardly even know this
when i try to show you
Song is meant to keep you from doing what you're supposed to.

fill on 'supposed'
e ----------|
D ----------|
B ----------|
G ----5-7-5-|
A 5/7-------|
E ----------|


Wakin' up to early
maybe we could sleep
make you banana pancakes
pretend like its the weekend


:Chorus:

now

We could pretend it all the time.
cant you see that its just raining.
Ain't no need to go outside
aint no need aint no need.
Rain all day and I really really really don't mind.
Can't you see can't you see?
you gotta wake up slow.

I just don't get how you understand the rhythm, cuz it's not written down like sheet music when I used to play the piano. What are the bits at the top with loads of numbers? Are they for the frets or picking or what???? Do you play that chord on the fifth or seventh fret or something? The numbers I've been looking at so far tell me which finger to put where!!! What are these numbers? ^ I'm soooooooooooooooo confused Do I have to stick to boring stuff for a bit longer till I get better? I really want to learn some good songs and I've got loads of time on my hands...

[Luke]

Ah mate don't worry.

Tabs don't really include rhythm, but they give you an idea of how people have worked out how to play it.

Tabs aren't always perfect, but most are usually pretty accurate.

The numbers correspond to the fret, and the line it's on is the string, it's meant you pick the tune while listening to the song...and copying the rhythm.

the ones at the top are just chord shapes...do the second one down, and you see it's the same as an F chord that you've learnt, but on the 3rd fret....which makes it a G.

There is usually a key included in tabs that tell you the symbols used...such as 5/7 means slide up from fret 5 to fret 7.

[isaluteyou]

ya tab is pretty easy to get your head around might look strange at first. Rythm is rarely tabbed as some rythms would be impossible to tab

Secondly it is very difficuly to play a rythm exactly like some one else. Try playing tin town reggae identical to them and you just wont succeed. But you can mimic it or alter it to suit your own personal style wgich to be honest is far better. Rather work on your style rather than be a parrot. The exception to this rule are session guitarists. If you ever meet one you will wonder how anybody could get so good. Any half decent guitarist will have their own style of playing. Its all good though

Keep it up

[RJD]

You need the proper sheet music in addition tot he tab to get the whole picture, tab alone isnt enough (tho supertab could be I think).

With sheet music your getting into timing/beats etc, a good learn guitar & music book should introduce you to this stuff in a friendly way. You'll start hunting down metronomes on the interweb then

[Beachbumhippie]

http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa071200e.htm
This may help

[flyingvee]

Hey Thaya - I posted a vid on the Random section - have a butchers...

[thaya]

i picked up the guitar today after a long break and i just wanted to say how chuffed i am with myself i've learnt bob marley's redemption song. obviously it's very rusty and i don't in any way do it justice, but the important thing is you can actually tell what song i'm trying to play!!!! i'm just really pleased with myself. unfortunately it's taken me 3 hrs and 2 of my fingers are bleeding again grrrrrrrr. i'm gonna keep practising though till i get lots better!

[isaluteyou]

i picked up the guitar today after a long break and i just wanted to say how chuffed i am with myself i've learnt bob marley's redemption song. obviously it's very rusty and i don't in any way do it justice, but the important thing is you can actually tell what song i'm trying to play!!!! i'm just really pleased with myself. unfortunately it's taken me 3 hrs and 2 of my fingers are bleeding again grrrrrrrr. i'm gonna keep practising though till i get lots better!

awesome song. Keep with it and dont take many long breaks if it can be avoided you finger will soften but never to state they were before

I found one of the most inspiring things to do is jam with someone. So if you get a chance try it

[RJD]

Yeah I pretty much stopped playing when I didnt have people to jam with (after 10 years or so).

Always have the guitar handy and knock out a few chords or whatever befoer bed just to keep your fingers in condition.

[Thibb]

This is no shortcut for practice or anything, but it'll help keep your fingertips hard. In between playing, rub pure alcohol on your fingers. It'll dry out your skin and help keep up the callouses. Don't trust me, trust Eric Clapton, he's the one that I saw mention it in an interview...

[garbarrage]

^^kinda works... but your fingers should be on their way to steely hardness by now. if you practice lots through the pain it shouldn't take long at all... a week or so.

tabs are quite good, but you'll be much better off in the long run if you train your ear listening to the songs you want to play and trying to figure out which chord goes where.... after a while you begin to figure out much faster, and it makes jammin with someone like falling off a log.

really recommend joining a band... know it sounds like early days for such a thing... but it never really is too early... they dont have to be virtuosos or anything. just a bit better than yourself is a good place to start. nothing will get you there faster.

really good to see you getting your teeth into something!!!

[isaluteyou]

really recommend joining a band... know it sounds like early days for such a thing... but it never really is too early... they dont have to be virtuosos or anything. just a bit better than yourself is a good place to start. nothing will get you there faster.

Couldnt agree more when i first joined a band i sucked but that experience Turned me into a much better guitarist very very quickly. It also really helps to define the direction in your abilities you will go i.e lead, rythm, classical stles etc etc....

If you cant join a band get some backing tracks and play along. Youll be astonished at how playing in a sructered way with a band or backing track will improve your abilities

Another great thing to do is try some classical stuff Moonlight sonata is excellent piece to play and not very hard - i have an alternate tab somewhere if you want it just ask

[thaya]

i'm just about getting to the point where i can listen to a song and then find the right chords without searching for the tabs on the internet...

i can actually remember where my fingers need to go now and ive tried a bit of bob dylan this week

the thing is.... it just doesn't sound that great and i don't know why. i know i'm getting the chords right and finding a rhythm but i don't like the noise my guitar makes! i dunno whether it's a crap guitar or whether it's me ( more likely!). what do you think i'm doing wrong? why does it sound a bit tinny?

[flyingvee]

what kinda guitar you got?

[isaluteyou]

the thing is.... it just doesn't sound that great and i don't know why. i know i'm getting the chords right and finding a rhythm but i don't like the noise my guitar makes! i dunno whether it's a crap guitar or whether it's me ( more likely!). what do you think i'm doing wrong? why does it sound a bit tinny?

Style is something that comes at a later stage. However theres a lot to be said for quality in guitars. A mid range guitar will generally sound a lot better than a bottom one. Visa versa for a top range one. That said the greates guitarist i ever saw was a homeless bum playing a cheap fender but he made sound like a $3000 taylor or martin

The tinnyness you are likely hearing is probably the guitar you can try a different string thickness to mellow it and accentuate the bass more. Or try accenunate the bass trings more during rythm (naturally that depends on the rythm of the song as to the potential of doing that)

If its an electro acoustic and you are plugged in try fiddling with the Eq a slight drop in trebble will usually mellow it out.

[garbarrage]

cheap beginner guitars are often laminated - that is they are made from plywood with a veneer on them or a woody laminate... when you get to about £250-£300 or so you are getting into what is known as a solid top... ie true wood guitar.

the problem with cheaper guitars is that the bass doesnt' resonate in plywood so the guitar seems to swallow the bass tones causing a tinny sound... a true wood guitar resonates the bass in the wood.

the next price range up will get you a quarter cut guitar which is a less efficient use of timber from a log but resonates bass better again... this is where the log is cut across the centre, giving two pieces that have identical mirrored grain patterns... as oppossed to a solid top that is just cut from planked timber. these usually start at about £500 and go as high as you like.

keeping new strings on a cheap guitar can compensate somewhat but really you cant make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.. the guitar you have should do you for a while either way... but if you can swing getting a solid top you won't regret it...

[flyingvee]

cheap beginner guitars are often laminated - that is they are made from plywood with a veneer on them or a woody laminate... when you get to about £250-£300 or so you are getting into what is known as a solid top... ie true wood guitar.

the problem with cheaper guitars is that the bass doesnt' resonate in plywood so the guitar seems to swallow the bass tones causing a tinny sound... a true wood guitar resonates the bass in the wood.

the next price range up will get you a quarter cut guitar which is a less efficient use of timber from a log but resonates bass better again... this is where the log is cut across the centre, giving two pieces that have identical mirrored grain patterns... as oppossed to a solid top that is just cut from planked timber. these usually start at about £500 and go as high as you like.

keeping new strings on a cheap guitar can compensate somewhat but really you cant make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.. the guitar you have should do you for a while either way... but if you can swing getting a solid top you won't regret it...

+1 The only exception to the rule is early seventies japanese laminated eg Yamaha - if you can find a good one they sond great

[thaya]

i have no idea what type it is, other than an acoustic it's just something i've been lent to occupy my time when i'm feeling up to it. don't have any money to buy my own. i don't wanna blame my bad playing on the guitar!!! i'd be curious to try another one and see if it sounds better though thanks for the advice. x