A few basic guitar questions.

slipss

Ok I have a few questions, begginer stuff I think, so I figure theres no point in haveing seperate threads.

1. Does the type of guitar you play make much of a difference? I am only playing about 3 or 4 months and have been using some cheapo starter thing from argos. With christmass coming up i was thinking of buying myself a decent one, but is a guitar not just a guitar? Is there much of a difference to how good it sounds between say a E1000 strat and a E100 AS one? Or is the difference very small?

2. When playing two notes on the same fret but on different strings in quick succsecion (sc?) like moving from A6 to E6 the note I lift off first always emmits a slight ping on of the open note, even if I lift my finger off really really slowly. So far I've just been kind of masking that noise with the next note, but sometimes you can still hear it. Whats the deal there, am I doing something wrong or does the open note always sound slightly when you lift your finger off?

3.How do you get that "pew pew" sound that all the notes have in this clip, is it a way of playing them, is it the guitar, isa it some kind of effect? Whats the deal there? http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qtm66Z3lebc

4.I have actually forgotten the other questions i was going to ask sionce I started typing this but I'm sure they'll come back to me later and I'll post them. Anyways thanks for the help.

Alter-Ego

1. In my opinion, yes it does. It depends on the gutar thats right for you. Go into a guitar shop and try some out and see what you like. My bass cost €200 second hand and its one of the nicest basses i've played. As good as, if not better than some €1000 models.

2.This is a tough one to answer 'cos i dont really think about playing that much, its a more of a natural thing nowadays. I guess when i'd move from A string, 6th fret to E string, 6th fret i kinda mute the other string with the same finger, below the tip...if that makes sense. I guess its the kinda thing that comes naturally with practice.

3. Can't get youtube here. Answer later.

4. Think man, THINK!!

Johnny Storm

First of all - if you take any of my advice you are really in trouble.
Anyway here goes:-
1) I would say the difference between a 100 euro guitar and a 500 guitar would be big. The diff between a 500 guit and a 1000 one much smaller. In other words there's bang-for-the-buck to be had in the €400-600 range, certainly for a beginner.
2) "When playing two notes on the same fret but on different strings in quick succsecion (sc?)" - use the same finger to fret both strings. And practice, practice, practice. And as alter-ego says you have to mute the strings you are not playing, especially with an electric. With both hands in many cases.
3) No effect. The amp is turned up a bit and BB can really play.
4) I give up

mathias

3) No effect. The amp is turned up a bit and BB can really play.

yeah no effect , but the " pew pew " , Hes bending the string , I think thats what you mean anyway.

As for cheap guitars , I would never buy a guitar without playing it first , Argos is a no no , Even on guitars that are exactly the same model there can be world of difference between them , the set-up ,the intonation , the action are all vital.
Ive seen so many aspiring guitarists put off by some high action piece of junk , making them think they could never play.
You dont have to spend a fortune , but the more respected guitar makers have that rep for a reason , and a Standard USA strat can be had for about 400. Cant go wrong there !

slipss

I figure I'll just keep sticking any of these type questions I have here instead of littering up the forum with threads.

4. How much difference do different amps make to the sound of your guitar, and what differences do different amps make. Like is it just that the better quality ones produce a cleaner sound in the way that better quality speakers do for a stereo system or is there more to it? (at the minute I'm just using the one I got with my first guitar in a starter pack from argos. I've a better guitar now but I was wondering about the amp.

5. Bends. (i) Is a full bend where you bend the string up to the next strings position, half bend half way to the next string ect? (ii) Also when I bend and my finger comes into contact with the above/below string and then withdraws on the return the string I wasn't bending sounds. is it the same as with my previous question (2), you just have to mute it, and do you mute it with your fretting hand or your picking hand? Or is it just a matter of withdrwing from the string you come into contact with smoothly enough so that it doesn't sound (which works for me on slower bends but not rapid ones). (iii) Are you supposed to bend strings in a particular direction up/down, at the minute I just bend them all up except the low e string (the fat one) as that can only be bent down, does it matter, or do you just bend whichever way feels natural for the particular note?

6. Building up speed. I have seen the advice that to build up speed, strat slow and the work up in graduations with a metronome, so thats what I've started to do and it is helping (trying to play the solo in sweet child o mine) but my speed seems to have reached a maximum and has ceased impoving. I was wondering if anyone had any other advice that might help. Is it better to hold the pick stiffly or loosely so that there is a little play in it as you pick a string, or would that make any diference? is it easier to play quickly when using distortion or a wah wah pedal, or is it just a coincidence that most of the fast solos I hear use them? Any other advice at all in regards to playing really quickly?

7. Can solid body electrics be played acoustically, not as loud as a acoustic obviously but do they sound out the notes when not hooked up to an amp? Might seem like an obvious question, it's just the two electrics I've had both have done so, thats normal right?

Voodu Child

slipss wrote: »

6. Building up speed. I have seen the advice that to build up speed, strat slow and the work up in graduations with a metronome, so thats what I've started to do and it is helping (trying to play the solo in sweet child o mine) but my speed seems to have reached a maximum and has ceased impoving. I was wondering if anyone had any other advice that might help. Is it better to hold the pick stiffly or loosely so that there is a little play in it as you pick a string, or would that make any diference? is it easier to play quickly when using distortion or a wah wah pedal, or is it just a coincidence that most of the fast solos I hear use them? Any other advice at all in regards to playing really quickly?

Picking posture varies from player to player; there's no 'right' way of doing it. However, i'd recommend:
-Using a thick (less flexible) pick. At least 1mm. It's much more precise, there's no time or movement wasted while the pick bends and flaps. Dunlop Jazz IIIs are popular, but just about anything that isn't too flappy should be ok for speed picking.

-Try not to let the pick fall too deep into the string - i.e. just use the very tip of it to pick. Jazz IIIs are popular in this regard as well, because they're physically very small so they force you to just use the tip.

-Minimise movement. Don't flail your picking hand around. Picking fast is as much about economy of movement as it is about speed. Try and keep all movements (whether it's picking or fretting) as small and efficient as possible.

Dregon

slipss wrote: »

5. Bends. (i) Is a full bend where you bend the string up to the next strings position, half bend half way to the next string ect?(iii) Are you supposed to bend strings in a particular direction up/down, at the minute I just bend them all up except the low e string (the fat one) as that can only be bent down, does it matter, or do you just bend whichever way feels natural for the particular note?


7. Can solid body electrics be played acoustically, not as loud as a acoustic obviously but do they sound out the notes when not hooked up to an amp? Might seem like an obvious question, it's just the two electrics I've had both have done so, thats normal right?

(i) A full step bend is where you bend the note until it sounds the same as the note that is 2 frets ahead of it e.g if you bend the 7th fret until it sounds exactly the same as the 9th, thats a full step bend. A half step bend would just be bending the 7th fret until it sounded like the 8th fret.

(ii) I'm not too sure how I do this ( just instinct:o) so can't really help with this one.

(iii)I just bend whichever way feels natural, but I usually bend up on every string but the 6th, and sometimes the 5th.

7. Perfectly normal, electrics still do make sound when not plugged in, just not a very loud one.

slipss wrote: »

is it easier to play quickly when using distortion or a wah wah pedal, or is it just a coincidence that most of the fast solos I hear use them? Any other advice at all in regards to playing really quickly?

They're just effects used by the guitarist, don't help your playing or speed at all.

slipss

Cheers Voodoo, thats made a big difference already, especially the little stubby pick, I always thought they were kids versions of regular picks when I saw them for some reason.

Thanks aswell Dregon, just a couple of follow up questions man. Does bending a string up to the next string produce the sound a full step up, or is it random dependant on the guitar (does that make sense?). And I know the distortion is just an effect but it always sounds to me that the notes kind of overlap each other when its distorted and figured that would kind of disguise any gaps that are present between notes? But I guess thats just me reading into it wrong, yes?

Dregon

slipss wrote: »

Thanks aswell Dregon, just a couple of follow up questions man. Does bending a string up to the next string produce the sound a full step up, or is it random dependant on the guitar (does that make sense?).

Do you mean that for example if you bend your B string to where your G string is that that would be a full bend?
There is no set distance for how far you have to bend to make a string sound a full step higher, it is random as you say. But I find that you usually have to bend a string at least twice that distance for it to sound a full step higher. It really varies depending on what guitar your using, at what fret etc....

Not sure about the 2nd question, I'll let someone else answer that.:)

NoQuarter

you know your bendin up a whole step when you bend the string and make it sound the same as it would be if you played it 2 frets higher, for example....

pick the note on the 10th fret of any string, then pick the note on the 12th fret of the same string, remember the sound of the note at the 12th fret, then pick the 10th fret again and bend the string until it sounds the same as the note you just picked at the 12th fret, thats a whole step up!

Doctor DooM

Dregon wrote: »

They're just effects used by the guitarist, don't help your playing or speed at all.

In my experience some newer/ sloppier players get away with playing faster with wahs/ distortion because they tend to hide mistakes.

Also, when you play fast on an undistorted electric, often the string don't have time to ring out and give a nice sound.(It takes a certain amount of time for a string to ring to its max volume). Distortion adds to the signal and makes the note ring out louder. So when people play fast, they tend to use distortion. So while distortion doesn't make you play faster, people who play fast tend to distort.

i hope this makes sense to you

Duff_Man

na if anythin wha and delay just make you sound better than you are! the wha especially hides alot of mistakes! but if you use them right the sound sweet as

slipss

8. Ok how do you get a note to sound for a really long time, like at 2:25 of Parisienne Walkways here http://youtube.com/watch?v=18FgnFVm5k0 is it some technique, is it just a matter of picking the string as hard as possible, is it amp set up or some type of effect? Whats the deal there? Thanks.

slipss

No one got any ideas? Dregon, Duff Man? Anybody?

NotMe

Sustain. Different guitars will have different amounts of sustain (how long a note rings out) naturally, then distortion adds sustain but for those reaaaaaaally long notes you need a compressor.

slipss

Ahh I see, thanks.

slipss

9. How come my pull-offs never sound quite right? When i do them, they always sound as if the first note struck just drops pitch when i pull off onto the second rather than it sounding as two distinct notes. Any ideas?

10. How come my muted notes never sound right? When i play them instead of getting that "chika chika" sound I get a "click click click" sound. (I realise that might not make much sense but hopefully someone knows what I mean). Any ideas?

Dregon

9: Probably just from a lack of strength in your fingers, just keep practicing.:)

10: It could be that your hand is coming into too much contact with the string. Place the side of your hand on the bridge without touching the strings. Gradually move your hand( without lifting it off of the bridge) towards the neck of your guitar until you get the sound you want.

NotMe

9.
You have to actually pull the string rather than just lifting your finger straight off. Think of pulling the string down slightly as you lift your finger off.

10.
Do what Dregon said. You get different sounds depending on how close your hand is to the bridge so experiment. Sounds like you want to rest your hand closer to the bridge.

slipss

NotMe wrote: »

9.
You have to actually pull the string rather than just lifting your finger straight off. Think of pulling the string down slightly as you lift your finger off.

Ohhhh lol, thanks a million bud, sounds miles miles better already, i guess the clue was in the name.

Yeah that seems to be helping a good bit with the muting Dregon, still sounds off but I guess a bit of practice should sort it out, cheers man.

kahler

re; speed. speed is a by product of accuracy. saw that written somewhere and it hasnt been disproved yet. forget about speed. just learn to play it accurately. the speed thing happens on its own. use a metronome on a low speed. the more haste etc. dont clamp your fingers around the pick. that creates tension in your hand. allow just a little bit of play but not enough that you will drop it. you will get used to it. good luck and dont forget your scales...

slipss

11. How to you play this, it's from Always with Me, Always with You by Joe Satriani about 2 mins in.

0-12p0h9-12p0h7-12p0h9-12p0h5-12p0h7-12p0h9-12p0h7 ect.

Like which finger should be doing what to which fret, you can kind of see what hes at in this vid http://youtube.com/watch?v=F4fPv450OYM and it looks to me like its hammer and pull the 12 with your right index finger then hammer onto the 9 with your left index, hammer and pull off the 12, right index, then hammer the 7 with left index ect. Is that all there is to it? Cause I've been trying to get it for a few days now but it just doesn't sound the same, even if I'm only trying to do it real slow it sounds completely wrong. Is there some trick I'm missing somewhere or is it just another one of these "just practice it for 200+ hours" things? Cheers.

NotMe

Yeah the technique is called two handed tapping. Gotta love youtube for video tutorials

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWhYCPA9phw