Yet another newbie XD

[Matt]

Hello to all, my name is Matt (as the forum name may suggest). I'm relatively new to playing guitar- only been playing for a year and a bit and found this through searching for info on the lovely Squier '51 . anyhoo, i'm looking forward to the discussions and helpful tips here.

regards

Matt

Btw, Robert, your guitar lessons on dolphinstreet are most useful

[Tim]

Welcome Matt – This is a great forum. I also have been playing for a little over a year and just now getting serious about playing. This forum has a lot of good and knowledgeable people with tons of guitar skills and information. They are willing to share with all who ask. All you have to do is ask the questions.

[SuperSwede]

Welcome Matt

Damn I really must check out that Squier 51! It seems like everyone is buying them now...

[Iago]

Welcome dude! You're English?

[Matt]

Yup, but i was born in the US of A, so i like to think of myself as having dual nationality :P cheers for the welcome guys

Matt

[Robert****]

Welcome Matt, glad to have you join us! Rock on with that '51!

[Guitar-Chris]

Damn I really must check out that Squier 51! It seems like everyone is buying them now...

Yes, if you can get one My neighbour has ordered one in vintage blonde. And in hole Germany this isn't available. For the black one and the sunburst model they say it will be in stock at the end of january, but no date fpr the blonde one, too bad.


Hey, and welcome Matt

[Iago]

here is the same..I never saw a 51 myself!

Hey Matt, only English people say "lovely"

[Matt]

Cant say ive seen one in my local shop either- had to buy mine online and it came as sunburst when i had ordered blonde. ah well!

Hey Matt, only English people say "lovely"

proove it :P

[tremoloman***]

Welcome Matt!

Unlike other message boards, everyone here is friendly and open to offer advice whenever possible. I've learned a lot about guitar over the 'net and enjoy being able to help others in return. None of us are ever too old to learn something new.

The '51 is an awesome guitar for a beginner or pro! You are lucky to have such a great guitar to start on. My first guitar was a "Maico" which was a Strat ripoff. No foolin', the strings were about ½ an inch from the fretboard. If you could hold a chord for more than a second, you were doing well.

If you would like some advice in improving your skills:

1. What kind of music do you wish to play?
2. What song(s) can you perform correctly so far?
3. What songs do you want to be able to play?

If you can answer those, we'll guide you in the right direction my friend.

Cheers,
Tremoloman

[Matt]

In answer to your questions:

1) As for style, i have no defined style I like to play what tickles my fancy, but im generally not into jazz or funk. lately ive been getting into more accoustic stuff, but mostly i play rock, both classic and modern.

2) Generally i never learn a song the whole way through- i prefer to learn the main riff or solo or bridge depending on what it is i think sounds cool, and concentrate on applying the skills i leanr from them on my own songs.

3) Too many to count while i can do most of stairway to heaven, the solo is still a pain to do (for me), and most hendirx stuff i find pretty damn hard. but i want to expand my musical taste first- for example, i want to learn to how to finger pick properly with all fingers for playing accoustic stuff.

cheers for the welcome

regards

Matt

[tremoloman***]

Generally i never learn a song the whole way through- i prefer to learn the main riff or solo or bridge depending on what it is i think sounds cool, and concentrate on applying the skills I learn from them on my own songs.

I used to do that myself, but it led to my belief that "this is as good as I'll ever get." I recommend learning a song you really like all the way through. You will gain a sense of accomplishment and feed your desire to improve yourself. Start with a basic song, then as you grow self-confidence, push yourself to learn a song with a bit more difficulty, and so forth. I’m still using this method and always feed my desire to want to improve. Robert's videos from dolphinstreet.com inspire me big time.

The first song I ever learned was Highway To Hell by AC/DC. Once I learned it all the way through, I then moved on to You Shook Me All Night Long. With the confidence I gained, I pushed myself to learn what my favorite song was at the time: The Spirit of Radio by Rush. That into riff sounded so damn hard to me, but once I took the time to learn it myself without tab, it boosted my confidence to a whole new level.

Another recommendation I suggest is jam with other musicians whenever possible. I find my playing improves more by jamming than practicing songs. I feed off of other musicians and then my subconscious seems to take over. I remember Jimi Hendrix once saying "I feel possessed when I play live." I now know exactly what he meant by that.

If you love what you play, learning guitar isn't work - it's a passion.

Cheers!

[Iago]

Cant say ive seen one in my local shop either- had to buy mine online and it came as sunburst when i had ordered blonde. ah well!



proove it :P

HAHAHAhahaha, sorry, I ain't got my english lessons tapes here with me right now!

[Matt]

Robert's videos from dolphinstreet.com inspire me big time.

same here, that man is a legend

Another recommendation I suggest is jam with other musicians whenever possible. I find my playing improves more by jamming than practicing songs. I feed off of other musicians and then my subconscious seems to take over. I remember Jimi Hendrix once saying "I feel possessed when I play live." I now know exactly what he meant by that.

well, I am part of a band, and i'm lead guitar, but i usually find myself using the minor pentatonic scale for everything and the music is stating to sound samey. doesnt help that we have a vocalist or a reliable bassist. i might try to post some of our stuff.

HAHAHAhahaha, sorry, I ain't got my english lessons tapes here with me right now!

if the english on them does indeed say 'lovely' then i'm worried about what kind of view they are trying to teach to people

[Katastrophe]

My first guitar was a "Maico" which was a Strat ripoff. No foolin', the strings were about ½ an inch from the fretboard. If you could hold a chord for more than a second, you were doing well.

No foolin'? I had one of those guitars in high school, after my first electric (a Sears plywood Strat copy) ended up with a cracked neck. Kept it until I got my Ibanez, and gave it and my first amp (a Sears with a killer fuzz tone) to a friend of mine. Definitely good for building hand strength. And learning how to adjust necks. And intonation. And everything else. After every song. Twice.

[Iago]

if the english on them does indeed say 'lovely' then i'm worried about what kind of view they are trying to teach to people

Actually, I was joking! Welcome again!