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- dr_love6977
- Rep: 38
Re: New Years Resolutions for 2009
I would like to quit smoking this year.
I second that one. I would like to quit again.
Other resolutions include
-Going back for my business degree. I just applied at Eastern Michigan, so I've started on that one.
-Getting out and playing some live shows.
-Engineering/Producing at least 3 albums.
Re: New Years Resolutions for 2009
Lose weight. 10 pounds would do it.
Get a guitar and start learning. Buckethead has inspired me. It's late to learn, I'm 35, but I want to give it a shot.
Any advice for a 1st guitar? Acoustic? Electric?
Electric, and it's never too late to learn. It might be too late to become a star, but that doesn't mean you can't own a guitar and enjoy playing it - even if it's just for yourself.
I own 2 guitars (Strat II and a custom Epiphone Les Paul) and will buy a Gibson Les Paul at some point. I suck at guitar. I don't have time to practice and don't have the desire to practice. But I can pop AFD or UYI in the CD player and play most of the songs note for note. It's what I enjoy and why I play guitar. I'll be satisfied if I never learn to play another note. Some people would say that having 2 guitars and buying another is a waste of money for someone with my ability. I enjoy it and that's all that matters to me.
Re: New Years Resolutions for 2009
James Lofton wrote:I would like to quit smoking this year.
I second that one. I would like to quit again.
My mom died last year (a year ago next Friday) from smoking related illnesses. I hope everyone that's a smoker is able to quit before too much damage is done. My mom had quit for 5+ years when she died, but the damage of 30 years of smoking was done.
If you can't quit for yourself, do it for those that love you. And no matter who you are, someone loves you.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: New Years Resolutions for 2009
Get a guitar and start learning. Buckethead has inspired me. It's late to learn, I'm 35, but I want to give it a shot.
Any advice for a 1st guitar? Acoustic? Electric?
Do it.
It will take a couple of years to get good, but depending on your practise level you can speed that up. But what you will find is that you can have a lof of fun on guitar even when you arn't spectacular.
It's also worth noting that it takes all types in music. Like bucket owns Cobain on the guitar in so many ways it's almost insane to mention them in the same sentance, yet cobaib wrote a lot of world famous and loved songs. So what i'm saying is it's awesome that bucket inspires you...but don't get upset when you discover that playing at his speed is a very hard thing to accomplish...music will have a place for your skills too.
People will tell you to get an accoustic then graduate to an electric. That's the normal route. The recomend it because its harder to fret on an accoustic so it strenthens your hands well for when you play electric. There is probably other reasons as well. But it's not necessary. I learn't on electric just cos I don't give a fuck about accoustics. They're fun for an occasional play around a fire, but I was born to play Jungle not Used to Love her (although they're both great songs!). ANYWAY....all i'm saying is just cos most people go accoustic first doesn't mean you have to....
My advice would be spend a decent amount of money on a guitar to start up with but don't go silly. Two points worth considering are:
1. The best guitar in the world doesn't make you the guitarist who uses it. Seems obvious...but a bunch of people run off to buy a Les Paul cos slash has it, or a Jem cos Vai uses it or whatever....and while at the end of the day their specific tone will be easier to mimick with those interests...what seperates you from them at the moment is a ton of playing time and skill - so if you spend thousands on an instrument up front you won't get better for it...you risk damaging it before you learn how to care for it properly (and just through too much clunky crunch time) and you won't know enough which style guitar suits your hands (not always what your heros play it turns out). So save that purchase for a bit farther down the road.
2. That said. DO NOT go out and buy a piece of shit guitar. The fastest way to quit guitar is to own an unplayable piece of shit. I've seen it happen to a ton of my friends. This because....learning will be HARD on such a guitar...you can't make it sound properly, it'll buzz, mute when it shouldn't or most problematic....not hold tuning properly. Developing an ear for tuning and playing is something that's important and comes over time...fastest way to imede your progress is to make it so you can't tell if you are in tune properly, or worse, even if you can tell, just can't ever be in tune for more than a chord or two at a time.
So yeah...i'd by an electric or accoustic according to where your passion lies in terms of overall sounds. I'd be prepared for the idea that guitar is a passion that develops over time. You wont be good for a while but hang in there - it's totally worth it when you are. I'd not break my bank but I wouldn't go too cheap either. Spend some time in stores assessing the price range and buy something firmly in the middle.
I own 2 guitars (Strat II and a custom Epiphone Les Paul) and will buy a Gibson Les Paul at some point. I suck at guitar. I don't have time to practice and don't have the desire to practice. But I can pop AFD or UYI in the CD player and play most of the songs note for note.
Solos and all? That's not someone who sucks at guitar. Yes their are harder pieces by far, but I wouldn't call the solos on those albums as entry level.
- dr_love6977
- Rep: 38
Re: New Years Resolutions for 2009
Lose weight. 10 pounds would do it.
Get a guitar and start learning. Buckethead has inspired me. It's late to learn, I'm 35, but I want to give it a shot.
Any advice for a 1st guitar? Acoustic? Electric?
I also suggest an electric. Hell, for cheaps pick up a Mexican Strat. They're great guitars for the money. I suggest an electric because the tension's usually less and the action (distance from the string to the fretboard) is lower, so it's easier on your fingers.
Andddd...... it's never too late to learn.
Re: New Years Resolutions for 2009
buzzsaw wrote:I own 2 guitars (Strat II and a custom Epiphone Les Paul) and will buy a Gibson Les Paul at some point. I suck at guitar. I don't have time to practice and don't have the desire to practice. But I can pop AFD or UYI in the CD player and play most of the songs note for note.
Solos and all? That's not someone who sucks at guitar. Yes their are harder pieces by far, but I wouldn't call the solos on those albums as entry level.
Some of them, but not all of them. I can play songs like DTJ, KOHD, Civil War, and Estranged all the way through. Others like NR and Nightrain I can play almost all of it except for a solo section here and there (NR is tough on the outro runs). Locomotive I have a hybrid of Slash and Izzy parts down (minus the solos). I think I could make a good Izzy in a GnR tribute band, but I could never be Slash. I can play some of his solos, but not nearly enough of them. If there is any speed involved, assume I can't play it (unless it's a riff like Don't Damn Me). I taught myself by playing along with the CDs and the Tokyo DVDs, so I'm sure I do a lot of things wrong technically, but it sounds pretty good for a hack. My brother has played guitar for years and is amazed at how much better I can play some of the material than he can and how quickly I picked it up, but it's just because it's what I wanted to do.
It's amazing what you can do with just a little talent and motivation.
