My State of the Union

[Commodore 64***]

So, I've been here for a week or so and I thought I'd throw together a synopsis of recent events in my guitar life.

Last Saturday, I went to a neighbor's house. He introduced me to Blues. Went home on a mission to learn the E7, A7, B7 progression...e.g., Scratch My Back by the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Hitherto, I had never played A7 or B7, so it was like going back to basics, getting comfortable with chord changes.

Also, I was told I needed to learn Rhythm and strumming, so I've been working on that too. I am working on strumming based on 3 lessons on justinguitar.com. The triplet pattern seems to work well for Blues.

Been working on the following shuffle pattern, from the UG forum. The pinky stretches at the end here are KILLING me. I can barely stretch from 7 to 9, and the 10 just blows my hand up!

   Q.=80(8=s8)
    E7
   4/4
                |-3-|               |-3-|
    E E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E E
||--------------------|-------------------|
||o-------------------|-------------------|
||--------------------|-------------------|
||--------------------|-------------------|
||o-2-2-4-2-2-2-----2-|-2-2-4-2-2-2-----2-|
||--0-0-0-0-0-0-3h4---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-3h4---|


              |-3-|               |-3-|
  E E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E E
|-------------------|--------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|
|-2-2-4-2-2-2-----2-|-2-2-4-2-2-2-----2--|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-3h4---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-3h4----|


  A7
              |-3-|               |-3-|
  E E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E E
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-2-2-4-2-2-2-----2-|-2-2-4-2-2-2-----2-|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-3h4---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-3-4---|
|-------------------|-------------------|


  E7
              |-3-|               |-3-|
  E E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E E
|-------------------|--------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|
|-2-2-4-2-2-2-----2-|-2-2-4-2-2-2-----2--|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-3h4---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-3h4----|


  B7                 A7              E7             B7
   E E  Q   Q   Q    E E Q   Q  Q    E E Q  Q  Q    q  Q  H
|------------------|---------------|--------------|-------7----||
|------------------|---------------|--------------|-------7---o||
|------------------|---------------|--------------|-------8----||
|------------------|---------------|--------------|-------7----||
|-/9-9-11--12--11--|-7-7-9--10--9--|-2-2-4--5--4--|-9-----9---o||
|-/7-7--7---7---7--|-5-5-5---5--5--|-0-0-0--0--0--|-7-----7----||

Last week, some of you may have read that I purchased a Blackheart Little Giant. I also ordered an Epiphone 1 x 12" cabinet from Musicians Friend, but it is on backorder. Any other 1 x 12" suggestions while I have extra little time to think it over? Also considering a Vox 1 x 12", Blackheart 1x12 or Blackheart 1 x 10".

Yesterday was my birthday and a friend gave me a nice chord book and a Boss Blues Driver BD-2, can't wait to try that out too!

[FrankenFretter***]

First of all, happy belated birthday! I have an Epi 1x12 (I'm assuming it's the Valve Jr. cab, with the Eminence Lady Luck?) that I'm using for my Vox Night Train, and I'm pretty happy with it. I think I'd prefer a closed-back cab, just because I like a nice chunky bottom-end, but the Epi cab is fine, no real complaints. I bought mine through Musician's Friend, but they're widely available. Try Music123, or Zzounds (if you click on the banner here on The Fret, some of the money goes to the site).

I think the Blackheart cabs are pretty comparable in price, although I've never played through one.

Best of luck!

-Sean

[Commodore 64***]

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/msg/1467917577.html

A VHT 1 x 12 for $125. Any opinions? I understand VHT makes some good stuff, but this is rated for 300w...my Blackheart is only 5w.

[Rampant]

Hello matey

I've been doing this guitar thing for about a year and having lessons every week. My lessons focussed on chords and rhythm playing right from the get-go. Only from very recently am I beginning to get single string tunes introduced to learn.

Interesting that I've quite recently come through the 7ths power chords and know exactly what you mean about busting your fretting hand...

The song I was given to use these 7th chords is I Hear You Knockin' - Dave Edmunds. Have a search for the tab and give it a go while playing along to the CD/iPod...

(PM me for more if you like or peruse my blog on http://electricguitarforums.com/blog/main/3003752/)

Cheerz

Mark H

[Commodore 64***]

(PM me for more if you like or peruse my blog on http://electricguitarforums.com/blog/main/3003752/)

Cheerz

Mark H

Actually, I believe I had looked at your blog before. I was trying to gauge how I should be progressing, so I read through your blog starting at Day 1...and realized I was progressing really, really slowly.

In other news, I bought the VHT cab yesterday. It's rated for 100w not 300w. In any event, I hooked it up to my BHLG and had a little go at it. I'm very pleased.

Now, a question regarding practicing. Working on derivatives of that shuffle I posted above...it seems the lowest note seems to override all the others, like it drowns out the other notes. Is this a function of my strumming then? This is hard to explain, I suppose I need to figure out how to record myself.

[Eric***]

Now, a question regarding practicing. Working on derivatives of that shuffle I posted above...it seems the lowest note seems to override all the others, like it drowns out the other notes. Is this a function of my strumming then? This is hard to explain, I suppose I need to figure out how to record myself.

I think I understand. When I was first learning 12-bar blues, I did something like that second-to-last measure on the three lowest strings, and I encountered the same thing.

I think that what you're probably doing is attacking the lowest-pitched string too much to avoid unwanted strings from ringing out (e.g. hitting mostly the low E string so that you don't play the D string by accident).

Eventually your right hand will learn a little more control and you'll be able to stop from hitting those higher-pitched strings by accident, which will allow you to even out your attack between the strings you're trying to play.

Make sense? I won't guarantee I'm right, but that would be my guess.

[Rampant]

Now, a question regarding practicing. Working on derivatives of that shuffle I posted above...it seems the lowest note seems to override all the others, like it drowns out the other notes. Is this a function of my strumming then? This is hard to explain, I suppose I need to figure out how to record myself.

I often hear the same effect but I don't think there is necessarily any fault in technique. After I gave it some thought and critical examination I've rationalised it with 2 different effects that may be contributing...

First, when you shuffle the 5th and 7th diads, you are changing only 1 of the 2 notes. There is one note that remains the same and therefore rings out constantly and continually. It is only natural for the ear to "focus" on this constant and trick you into hearing this more prominently.

Second the thicker the string the more meaty it will sound. Not necessarily louder, but just a bit more full and heavy, again contributing to the prominence of that note within the diad.

Also remember that shuffle rhythms are normally supposed to be lightly palm muted which should go some way to equalising the initial audible attack across both strings.

My advice would be to continually exercise using the rhythm score from Come Together. PM if you need the tab. Play along with the music. Be critical of your physical playing and disregard what you hear for a while - if you honestly believe that you are striking both strings with equal pressure but can still hear the bass note more prominently then it's probably just a trick of your own ear.

For rhythm playing this is normally fine - remember the lead score when layered over the rhythm will be more prominent still. Also, for an audience listening to this, their ear will most probably be immediately drawn to the changing note within the diad.

Finally, another tip I would give you is to play the 5ths and 7ths with index and ring fingers anchored in place and using the pinkie to make the 7th. The shuffle rhythm for come together uses two 5ths, two 7ths, two 5ths, two 7ths, etc... so while playing the two 7ths, lift the pinkie between each strum. This creates a stacatto effect that draws more attention to the higher note

Hope that all makes sense dude

Cheerz

[Commodore 64***]

Thanks Eric and Rampant. This is precisely the type of advice I need!

Unfortunately...I have much trouble with palm muting. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed just trying to fret and play the right strings, now I have to add yet another variable...palm pressure to the equation on top of strumming and accenting properly.

Come Together...is that the Beatles Song?

Finally, another tip I would give you is to play the 5ths and 7ths with index and ring fingers anchored in place and using the pinkie to make the 7th. The shuffle rhythm for come together uses two 5ths, two 7ths, two 5ths, two 7ths, etc... so while playing the two 7ths, lift the pinkie between each strum. This creates a stacatto effect that draws more attention to the higher note

Well, I'll be damned. At least I'm doing something right for once!

[Eric***]

Unfortunately...I have much trouble with palm muting. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed just trying to fret and play the right strings, now I have to add yet another variable...palm pressure to the equation on top of strumming and accenting properly.

I wouldn't sweat it too much. I'm not too far removed from learning the basics (in fact, I'm still learning many of them), and palm muting just sort of comes along naturally as you teach your pick hand to behave.

14 years and still learning basics. Yeah, it's been a long road for me.

[Rampant]

Come Together...is that the Beatles Song?

Sure is dude It's one of my fave play-along tunes.

The palm muting used with shuffle rhythms is something you will probably pick up really quickly. Just rest the heel of your palm really lightly on the bridge to start with, not the strings above the bridge, just the bridge. You're only hitting 2 strings, so there's no need for big hand strokes or forearm movement, so just rest the palm there and leave it. What you will get is like a chug chug chug chug sound that is found on many popular tunes. Once you've got that technique nailed, try to vary the pressure and the position until you've found something that you think sounds right.

I know what you mean about feeling overwhelmed with palm muting, etc. The 4th song that I learned was Stuck in the Middle With You and features not only a weird off-beat up-strum biased strumming pattern, but also includes palm muting on 3 out of the 4 beats per bar. Now that was tricky. I wouldn't say that I've mastered this (or any) technique, yet, but I can play that reasonably well now. So keep plugging away and soon it'll be yours.

[tunghaichuan***]

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/msg/1467917577.html

A VHT 1 x 12 for $125. Any opinions? I understand VHT makes some good stuff, but this is rated for 300w...my Blackheart is only 5w.

$125 for that cab if it is in good condition is a steal. The 300W rating is how much power you can put into the speaker. More than 300W and the speaker will burn out.

My best guess is that the cab is loaded with an ElectroVoice EVM12L, which is heavy, efficient speaker and one of the few (if not only one) rated for 300W. 5W will drive that speaker to ear damaging levels in a small room. The speaker will not break up at all, which is why some players like speakers rated closer to the wattage of their amps.

The deciding factor for an amps ability to drive a speaker is efficiency, which is expressed as dB/Watt/meter. IIRC, the EVM12L's efficiency is 100. Which means if you put 1 Watt of power into the speaker and measure the sound pressure level one meter away from the cone, you get 100 deciBels, which is very loud.

[Commodore 64***]

Ok. I did buy the VHT Cab. And it does seem to sound great with my Blackheart. I mailed VHT (now Fryette) with he serial and model #s, they told me it was made in 1998 and has an Eminence 100E series speaker (100w)...which is proprietary. I don't know what that means...perhaps it means that Eminence made that speaker directly for VHT.

In any case, the seller told me it was rated for 300w, and it does appear that the speaker in the cab has been retrofitted: the screwheads are worn, there is some paint scraped off the speaker metal near the screws, like someone used a power screw driver or something. With that said, to be sure, I probably need to pop the speaker out to see what it is. It's a front loaded cabinet, so I can't see any info on the speaker.

[Commodore 64***]

Sure is dude It's one of my fave play-along tunes.

I'll have you know that I'm working on it right now, with guitar pro tab.

Come Together, Long Cool Woman, and Keep Your Hands to Yourself all use the shuffle type pattern. Been practicing all 3. I printed out PDFs of the Rhythm Tabs from Guitar Pro, if anyone is interested.