Calling all weekend guitar warriors

So, I've had this idea:

Weekend guitar warriors, take heed. LOL

How many of us who aren't schooled musicians sit in front of our computers, with our accoustic or electric guitars, any given night, trying to play our favorite song, recorded by our favorite artist, and somehow it just doesn't translate, the sound?

Because our guitar isn't tuned to the same scale or key that particular song is in.....

So how about an app we could click on that would play a representative selection of our six guitar strings, of what we should be tuning our guitar to so that the song will sound exactly like what we're hearing?

Thoughts on this, pls. I found a site called audiokeychain.com, but it still didn't seem to meet the requirements I'm speaking of....no offense intended. This could make millions. You could imbed the site that gives you this info on every chord/lyrics page, after all.

tetra50

a reply to: tetra50

Having said all that, I've heard the criticisms directly related as to no artist would want others to so accessibly be able to play what they are.

I kinda think that's bunk. I'm a woman. If I can play a man's recorded hit tune, what threat am I to him? And isn't the whole point of comp tech to provide access to one and all?

Just asking.

a reply to: tetra50

my thoughts are it has little to do with the tuning.
much to do with the no doubt expensive, high end guitars used on our favorite tracks along with pedals, amps, #ing cabs and the like.
we will never be able to replicate their sound because we do not have the equipment they use.

even when i use dunlop strings i do not sound like les claypool

check this out. my favorite guitarist is frank zappa. here is a picture of one of his rigs.
how can i hope to sound the same as him when i dont run those guitars through that rig?

a reply to: tetra50

Hi Tetra! So awesome to hear that your a weekend rockstar!!! I'm an in between work/kids/sleep style player myself.

As to your post, where are you getting your music from?

I personally go here: www.ultimate-guitar.com...

I use their free tabs and generally if anything other than open E tuning is used, it is noted.

There are some paid services as well that have fancy graphics and I think backing tracks that you can play through.

If your trying to nail the exact tone on a certain album or song. Then I wish you the best of luck!! Many hours and dollars are spent in finely crafting the sound they are chasing. I've a few solutions should you be alluding to that but I think, from your post that you are simply looking for music and tablature.

I miss having a guitar (electric) I had to sell my last 3 guitars to get by.
I wish I could afford another. Yea I could go to guitar center and get one for 59.99 even at that price I could barely afford one and the action would suck and it would not be fun. Miss my guitar so much.

a reply to: Naturallywired

Are you in the states? CL is a great place to pick one up especially at this time of year.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: Naturallywired

Are you in the states? CL is a great place to pick one up especially at this time of year.

Yea i know CL, that where i sold mine. Just bummed here. Really wish I had some money. I miss playing. sold my amp too a while back. line 6 spider with modeling. Miss it all.

I take donations? Got a old decent guitar?

a reply to: Naturallywired

I'm down to 4 guitars. 2 acoustics and 2 electrics. A Rivera amp and a little Roland cube. No extras at this point. Maybe after the holidays. I usually try and keep some in rotation to fix/sell.

I just write my own music. Or if its those couple songs I might want to cover on occasion, I do the rhythm by ear or write an approximation of a lead.

a reply to: tetra50

Did you try Rocksmith 2014 ?

It's a great software, I don't know why it's considered a game. It comes with virtual amps, effects and stuff, you can make your guitar in so many ways.

originally posted by: Naturallywired

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: Naturallywired

Are you in the states? CL is a great place to pick one up especially at this time of year.

Yea i know CL, that where i sold mine. Just bummed here. Really wish I had some money. I miss playing. sold my amp too a while back. line 6 spider with modeling. Miss it all.

I take donations? Got a old decent guitar?

if youre around cleveland i can hook you up.
i know how bad it sucks to have to give up your instruments and be left wanting.

of course this is not ideal man but you can probably go to any local guitar shop and pick up a used epi for like 70 bones. prob get a used, very small amp for like 30. of course it is low end # but playing is playing.
i have had to start over several times. over the years i have built up pretty solid instrument collections but for various reasons i would fall on hard times and the instruments would have to go.

i got divorced a little over 11 years ago and when that happened i had to let go of 14 guitars. a couple i really loved.

to the OP
i recommend getting a program called guitar pro. they are on version 6 now and i think it is an amazing tool.
it helped(and still helps) me a great deal.
it is only like 60 bucks and you can install it on 4 computers. if you get it i have about 100k tabs for it. let me know and i will hook you up.
also that ultimate guitar site that jinmi mentioned has tabs you can grab for free.

when you open guitar pro you can then open whatever tab file you want. it shows as notation and tab on the screen. you select just the guitar so it mutes out the other instruments. you can reduce the speed and all kinds of #.
it really helped me because tab does not give you not duration so if you do not know the song(and even if you do) it can be difficult.
with guitar pro you just hit play and it gets to it.

watch a demo on youtube.

a reply to: tetra50

Hey Tetra, One trick I use is to bring MP3s into the free tool Audacity where you can key shift them. This doesn't work of course for any alternate tunings, but it helps on songs where the artist tuned down a step or a half-step. I also use this to bring songs down or up a step to help me play them in a vocal key that is in my range.

I own and am the producer of a small indie label, not my day job just my main hobby. I have too many guitars and amps and processors from decades of Gear Aquisition Syndrome and sometimes equipment is the reason someone can't quite replicate a song, but in my experience technique is usually the main reason. I know guitarists that are much better than I and they can make a $100 guitar and a $100 amp sound better than many players who have expensive rigs. In particular, being able to have a soulful vibrato technique with the left hand does wonders to tone.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: Naturallywired

I'm down to 4 guitars. 2 acoustics and 2 electrics. A Rivera amp and a little Roland cube. No extras at this point. Maybe after the holidays. I usually try and keep some in rotation to fix/sell.

I got some warez software probably dont need a amp. just need a neck, body and strings

a reply to: Naturallywired

Pickups might help!

originally posted by: TinySickTears

originally posted by: Naturallywired

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: Naturallywired

Are you in the states? CL is a great place to pick one up especially at this time of year.

Yea i know CL, that where i sold mine. Just bummed here. Really wish I had some money. I miss playing. sold my amp too a while back. line 6 spider with modeling. Miss it all.

I take donations? Got a old decent guitar?

if youre around cleveland i can hook you up.
i know how bad it sucks to have to give up your instruments and be left wanting.

Nope noe close to ohio, but thanks

a reply to: JinMIlol yea, I got a cheap srtat pickguard and pickups.

a reply to: Naturallywired

I hate to play the "if I were you" card, but...I will!

If I were you and really wanted an instrument, I would take whatever I had and start offering that amount to the sellers on CL for the guitar you would want. Not a tech? No problem. Scrounge up another 20-30 bucks and take it to a guitar shop and have them set it up for ya.

Use the rest of the tools at your disposal for ampage! Reaper is a free to buy DAW and good free plugins are everywhere!

originally posted by: TinySickTears
a reply to: tetra50

my thoughts are it has little to do with the tuning.
much to do with the no doubt expensive, high end guitars used on our favorite tracks along with pedals, amps, #ing cabs and the like.
we will never be able to replicate their sound because we do not have the equipment they use.

even when i use dunlop strings i do not sound like les claypool

lol, TinySickTears, I hear ya.
However, I happen to have come by an electric guitar that one of my favorite artists recorded my favorite tracks on...which is why I'm writing this thread, in part. Cause now I know it really isn't just about what you've said, though that's part of it. Having watched him play some of those tunes, I now realize he is tuning in a very specific way, that I cannot currently replicate....so would be handy, now that I have the guitar, the chords and lyrics to have this last bit, along the way.


But yes, I digress...I think it has everything to do with tuning.....as well as what you've outlined already. The tuning is just another way to unlock it for the rest of us music dummies, sitting in front of our comp on Friday night, trying to play what we so love.....lol
Thanks for your input
tetra

originally posted by: TinySickTears
check this out. my favorite guitarist is frank zappa. here is a picture of one of his rigs.
how can i hope to sound the same as him when i dont run those guitars through that rig?

However, that doesn't mean we can't hope to get just one step closer...and this function would be part and parcel of doing just that.
tetra