petermoffat
Right, I've got the electric guitar, loving the sound of my new amp, and I've got zero motivation to play..
I've spent probably 3 or 4 hours the last two nights jamming on my accoustic, and I think the problem is that I can actually play that ok, at least well enough to sing a tune, which was always the draw for me to learn to play. I have no idea what to do with the electric, apart from playing the minor pentagon of scale in firs position about 4 thousand times, trying to get some speed into the single note changes and alternate picking, but there's no 'goal' as such. I don't really want to play rocking solos, perhaps some bluessy improv, but it feels like everything I've learned till now has been a waste of time, because I can't play it the way I play the accoustic. Chords are a muddy mess, and I just want to jam!
What do I do? I've had a look around Justin Guitar, but as helpful as it is for accoustic, there's seems to be nothing to help me play electric the way I want to (not lead?).
Help please... ☹
Averatu
What do you want to achieve. Do you wanna jam blues, write your own songs, play your favorite songs?
petermoffat
I really enjoy playing songs I like. With the acoustic, once I'd gotten Thea few chords down, and learned some basic rhythm, I just started looking for lessons on YouTube and learning the parts I couldn't do yet.
But where to even start with the electric?
guidothepimmp
well Peter, this is terribly vague cos we dont know you but heres a thought...
Lets say for example youre a Clapton fan...
Maybe you enjoy jamming the acoustic Layla...
So jam Layla the unplgged way, then...
Learn to jam Layla Electric style..
Same track in totally differentstyles... see how that works for you
Squonk
The electric is a different beast. Maybe learn a couple of riffs. I dont know what music you listen too, but try some basic riffs.
I started with Hendrix's Hey Joe, it's quite a good exercise in electric Rhythm playing and it has a sexy intro.
Listen to your favourite music and listen how they play guitar, the Internet is a huge resource for riffs, Tabs and chords
singemonkey
An electric guitar is an acoustic guitar with an amplifier/loudspeaker for a soundbox. It's as simple as that.
The loudspeaker has a couple of effects that give electric guitars their special characteristics. The one is that the sustain is greatly increased. The signal doesn't drop off as quickly as it does bouncing around in a soundbox. The other is that you can push it till it overdrives - a bit like having a loose, vibrating back on a guitar.
If you want your chords to ring cleanly, do not turn the amp up too loud - or the preamp up too far. Once it's overdriving, open chords will not sound the way you expect them to. It may be necessary to mess with your pickup pole heights to make sure they're all sounding at the same volume too. If the bass strings are too loud, it will certainly sound muddy.
You can't work out what "electric specific" stuff to play unless there's some aspect of that guitar playing you like and want to be able to play. If you just adore the sound of fingerpicked acoustics and that's all you listen to, you're not going to find any direction in electric guitar playing.
You first need to know what it is about electric guitar you like then... do that.
StefStoep
One thing I have encountered over the years is: people who have only played on a acoustic "unplugged", never really have heard them self playing. When they switch over to a electric or plug their acoustic in they are sometimes disappointed in the sound they are getting.
I think just to still down and play on a acoustic is sometimes very forgiving in the sense that we don't hear all our mistakes and our lack of ability. I'm not saying that this is the problem in your case, it was mine when I plugged in for the first time.
Maybe you just like acoustic songs/music more.
What music do you usually listen to?
AlanRatcliffe
Quite simply, if you have some songs you like with electric guitar parts, get the tab or search for a video lesson on that song and spend the time learning how to play it. It's a time honoured learning method that works.
