Learning the Guitar

When I was 15, I set out to learnThe Rain Song by Zeppelin. I worked with it for about two years off and on, and then one day, I went in a semi-cheesy music store in Hollywood and saw *gasp!* Led Zeppelin Anthology! It was marked down to $10.00, and I spent my last tenner, clutching my treasure in my sweaty hands and carried it home. Well. It helped some, but a few weeks later, I discovered that it wasn't REALLY how Jimmy Page played it. Pissed me off. The Nerve.

Fast forward to two years ago. I came across Bobby Crispy's tutorial on youtube. I was reborn. FINally, after four short hours of repetition, I was able to play the song as it had originally been played. It almost brought tears to my eyes to finally be able to do it after having working on the [expletive] song for 41 years.

Internet resources are wonderful. Here's the thing. I think that a person never stops learning when they embark upon study of the guitar. It's like life -- you stop learning, maybe you start dying, or at least stagnating. I also think that once a person has a wee bit of skill under their belt, it is MANDATORY that you mentor someone, even if you weren't mentored yourself. Pay it forward. It's one of the best things you can do in life, is to help someone else out upon the road to love of the guitar.

a reply to: argentus

The trick is in the tuning, of course. It's pretty nearly impossible to make it work in standard tuning. Once you discover the correct tuning (CGDGCD IIRC) you can play it with two fingers, just about.

What ever you do....remember...

Playing the guitar is an art and not a competition. Don't get pulled into that BS...

Play from your heart...

I'd much rather listen to a kid with a junk 6 string, with only a couple of chords play an original tune than

some guy that took lessons and can shed like hell but has no soul or originality.

a reply to: Astyanax

That's true -- the "almost" two fingers. Also true that the alternative tuning is da bomb.

I'm still pissed off that the 'Led Zeppelin Anthology' was just a knockoff that didn't have really anything to do with how ANY of the songs were played. That just ain't right. What's the big secret, right? Did they think we'd love them less if we found out how they really did it? I just hope that Jimmy Page didn't have anything to do with that sheet music.


ETA: I use DGCGCD,. My mnemonic is Day Glow Colors, Glow Colors Day.

a rcorrect. argentus

DGCGCD is correct.

The thing that helped me with playing the guitar and to spice things up is a mulitrack recorder. Recently I bought a Boss BR800. This machine has everything you need for honing your guitar skills and guitarsound..it even has a phrase trainer built in.
To name a few features..

First off, not too expensive and good quality... because its a Boss/ Roland product.

8 tracks, 4 tracks simultanious recording... (for inviting some friends and having a ball)

Guitar tuner..

EZ recording options..(press a few buttons and you are off..)

You can use your 6 shooter for playing bass guitar on a track.. (very good built-in effectsprocessor)

Effects for acoustic guitars, vocals, electric guitars. Stereo Microphones, drumcomputer which generates its own paterns. USB friendly, a DVD for editing your recordings on a laptop or desktop computer... and so on.



An other tool would be a site which can deliver you backing tracks of any kind of music.

Maybe these tools are for the little more advanced player but hey...just go for it.



Unfortunately I can not find a real good YT vid which will give you a complete review so... watch the other BR-800 demo's on YT.

Rock on Rock 'n Roller..

a reply to: zatara

Yes, gadgets, new tunings, new axes, new styles of playing can all refresh your interest in the instrument. And it all adds up to better musicianship. Mini-studios get you thinking like a producer. Me, I just like to play, preferably with other people or [I]to other people. When 'tape' is running I turn into an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist.

a reply to: Astyanax

What did surprise me was that playing real loud, think 199 Watt.... gave me some sweet inspiration...

a reply to: Astyanax

I definitely will. Thank you

a reply to: Astyanax

A couple of decades ago, I used to fire up a (then) state-of-the-art TEAC 4-track recorder and just ............. PLAY. You are a player, so you know about "come-and-gones" -- those little ditties that spring into your hands and you either have the choice of going with them wherever they lead, or breaking the whole zen of the thing and trying to study it.

Many was the time that I'd play nonstop for an hour or more and then go back and rediscover the things I'd found.

I wish I still had that TEAC.

a reply to: argentus

Yes, they were good machines. Isn't it funny how technology makes things more complicated?

Brilliant resources on here guys. Hope all these ideas can help someone in their quest to learn a good skill and enjoy the journey. keep them coming!!


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