Lamentations of a beginner

Wizard

I've got knives in my cupboard which are blunter than my high E string ...

Wizard

Violin strings are G, D, A, E
Guitar is E, A, D, G, B, E
Have you any idea how confusing it is to translate my mind from one to the other?

A is open string on violin; B is open on guitar ...
E is open on violin and guitar

Tauriq

EADGBE

Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie

?

themanthatwalks

Tauriq wrote: EADGBE

Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie

?

Reverse

Easter bunnys get drunk at easter

Riaan-Combrink

themanthatwalks wrote:
Tauriq wrote: EADGBE

Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie

?

Reverse

Easter bunnys get drunk at easter

Every Bad Girl Drinks Alcohol Eventually

Elephants Beat Giant Drums Around Ethiopia

Good mnemonic stuff! ?

Bob-Dubery

Wizard wrote: Violin strings are G, D, A, E
Guitar is E, A, D, G, B, E
Have you any idea how confusing it is to translate my mind from one to the other?

Is it possible to not translate? To think of the guitar as having little in common with the violin?

In any event don't lose hope. There are many of people who took up guitar first and then mandolin or vice versa.

Wizard

It's very easy to translate ... but is just going to require a transition phase.
Only a problem when I'm playing from sheet music where I have previously established instinctive responses to notes.
e.g. A = open string; B = 1st finger; ...

And my fingers are instinctively going to the wrong places.
But it's quite hard-wired so will take a while.

This is only happening when I'm playing sight reading from sheet music.
Most guitar music seems to be available in guitar tabs anyway - which I'm finding easy to read.

Except for chords - which I've never played in my life before - and am blissfully avoiding for a while

Werner-Carstens

I started playing mandolin years after I learned to play guitar which means I am struggling with the same thing just in reverse!!
I still have to concentrate on navigating the extra half-steps when playing scales on the mandolin vs the guitar. I am still hopefull though...

Bob-Dubery

Wizard wrote: This is only happening when I'm playing sight reading from sheet music.
Most guitar music seems to be available in guitar tabs anyway - which I'm finding easy to read.

My beef with tab is that it doesn't have any convention to show the relative duration of each note, or where you should let one note ring whilst playing others. I really need to start reading proper notation. I am currently practicing Bach's Air On a G String which is a lovely piece of music, but Tab doesn't properly convey everything. If you know the tune then tab may suffice - but again this makes it more suitable for 3 minute pop songs with short, repetitive structures.

Wizard wrote: Except for chords - which I've never played in my life before - and am blissfully avoiding for a while

Well BB King doesn't do much in the way of playing chords, and I doubt Django Reinhardt would have done much more. So you can do without them, if you have good backing musos. But they are fun and for many things essential as the guitar is usually not just a melody instrument.

Ray

Hey Wiz, I think you gatta play chords man! It's acrobatic and cardiovascular. In my current learning experience it is the biggest feeling of achievement viz. being able to contort my hand into a position and then being able to flik-flak between different contortions.

Squonk

@ Ray

Try the Guitar Pro Tablature program. http://www.guitar-pro.com/en/index.php
It has the tab but also plays the tune as well. I have learned a lot and it's good for learning how to arrange as well.

Chords are good, will definately help with your playing, will help you understand the notes in a scale etc. There are so many chord shapes, so many positions and it's quite fun working out ways to play chords all over the fretboard.

Wizard

To be honest I have done some work in learning chords, but have not made much progress.
Whenever it gets too tricky I just bail out and find some pleasant sounding, easy lead solo to learn, which leads to immediate gratification.

I have learned how to play "power" chords as Sunshine of my love required them - but I understand they are not 'chords' in the purist sense.

I have definitely found that chords are nothing short of a contortionist exercise.
Seems to all be a question of muscle memory.
Hold your hand in said position for long enough until:
a) your muscles, tendons and bones have bent enough to accomodate the position, and
b) your brain has memorised what it feels like
c) both a and b above can be replicated on demand

I have found this has happened with the power chords I've learned - so do believe in the process.

There was one chord I tried and I could not get it to work.
i.e. all fingers on correct frets and no finger blocking a string it shouldn't.

I'm allowed to make these naive ramblings and let you all laugh because ... these are the lamentations of a beginner.
Am starting formal lessons soon - so will get the help of the knowledgeable.

Werner-Carstens

Hi Wizard, I read an article the aother day of Laary Carlton saying that he approaches the guitar from chord and not scales. He just uses three string shapes for all chords and base all his runs and harmonies from these shapes.
Allthough it might be "not so lekker" it will definitely pay dividends in the long run.

Riaan-Combrink

Wizard,

Have you tried the Guitar Essentials 1 lesson Manfred posted about the other day?
http://www.mechasonic.com/

I'm currently teaching my wife to play, and she found it very useful.

DaFiz

Interesting. :-\ I only play chords :-[ (the rhythm being more my forte on guitar) but I really admire the lead breaks and thoroughly enjoy holding a rhythm while I watch the lead guitarist pull off the scales. :yup:
Once you know the scales I think the transition from violin to guitar won't take too long. ?

Carmen

I tend to 'buzz' sometimes on my guitar.
I also struggle with alternate picking. :?

Wizard

I just had my 2nd lesson ... and it was GREAT fun !!

[deleted]

Sounds like you're getting there. I think you should write a song called "lamentations of a beginner", it just has so much feelimg. You're absolutely right about the muscle memory. Your brain might be going at 100 k/h, but your fingers are probebly only at 60. Things like learning the notes come over a long period of time where you get used to the usual patern uses. I've always played from the sheet music, but found music that offers both that and the tabs SO much easier. It realy helps a lot in guitar playing where you have so many different positions to choose from. Also the nice thing about chords is that you can muck around quite a bit and call it jazz. (Note to jazz players that I do actualy like jazz)

Wizard

Viccy wrote: Sounds like you're getting there.

I'm certainly having a lot of fun.
Can now play G, D, Am and C chords ... but the changes are still too slow.

Learned a blues scale and am having enormous fun jamming around in it.
It's really nice when you can hear something in your head and can make it happen.
Very simple and primitive so far - but it's music !!

Squonk

Good stuff Wizard

Youv'e got enough chords there to learn Lobo's "I'd love you to want me". Twas the first song I learned, that and House of the rising sun.