I just got my guitar back and I would so not be an attention whore back on this website if I could "ROCK" out the way I would like. I mean, the neck of my guitar has supposedly been adjusted (From what the guy that fixed it up told me, although I can't really tell a difference there), the strings and the gauge of such (From "9" to "10") have been changed, and the action is "SUPPOSEDLY" lower than it was before. Now, although I can defintely feel the change in the gauge, and I can kind of feel the change of the action, it still seems complicated to go up and down the strings while trying to hit a plethora of notes like a great soloist would (Like going through a scale; i.e. "Fresnian", "Pentatonic", bla, bla, BLA!!!). It seems like everytime I do the standard "ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR Scale" throughout the whole fretboard, up and down the strings (Especially at the end of the neck where the frets past the twelth notes lie), the strings pop up and make an open sound when I don't mean to after hitting the fourth fret of a string in the middle of going through that standard scale that I was talking about. Also, sometimes, actually....most of the time, either my fourth or third fingers can't get the job done and make the noise that I would like them to. This is when I try to execute hammer-ons, pull-offs, and finger picking. What is a crazy guy to do? Its depressing.
[Edited 7/11/07 23:24pm]

Where in the hell is my post?

FarrahMoan said:

Fourth fret? Are you hitting a harmonic... mute the strings to avoid unwanted noises... Are you playing distorted?



You might need to fret harder when doing those hammer-ons... not sure...

coolcat said:

I know about the whole "fret harder" routine. That's exactly what I am tring to do with the ring and pinky fingers, but sometimes it won't register. As for whether or not I am playing distorted, I don't think so. How would it sound if it was distorted? As far as I know, I have this standard amplifier with me, so I don't think I could anything such as distort the noise of my guitar. As for wheter or not I am hitting a harmonic....I am kind of embarrased to say this, but what does that mean exactly? I know about harmony and melody and the bit of difference, but tell me what you mean by "hitting a harmonic"?
[Edited 7/13/07 11:37am]

FarrahMoan said:

Distortion is the way electric guitar is usually played (hard rock, metal etc... distortion is what gives the high pitched sound of electric guitar lead solos, and the crunch/crunch sound of chords played on the low strings)... you can also play without distortion and get a clean sound (what you hear with a lot of funk rhythm guitar, basically it sounds like an acoustic). Usually amps have a way of turning on/off the distortion...

Never feel embarrassed to ask anything. Over certain parts of the guitar string (especially the 12th fret, middle of the fretboard)... if you lightly press your finger over the fret (you're not actually fretting, just lightly pressing down), then pluck the string and release your finger... the string will ring... that's when you've hit a harmonic...

This guy shows harmonics:

http://www.youtube.com/wa...ed&search=

coolcat said:

Oh, I know you mean when you say distortion. Yeah, I have that button as an option, but I don't have it on. It's off, but I guess I am sort of trying to challenge myself by having it off. I also know what you mean by the "Hitting A Harmonic", now that you've mentioned it. I do happen to come across that string from time to time, but that isn't the only one that I'd be having a problem with. But, I suppose that I should just be "EXTREMELY" careful to move my fourth finger just quickly enough so that it won't "PULL-OFF" and make an open string note sound while I am going through that "ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR" scale. Man, these instruments are so demanding!
[Edited 7/13/07 11:43am]

FarrahMoan said:

Are you getting that pull-off open string sound when you are going from one string to the next when playing a scale?

coolcat said:

EXACTLY!!!

FarrahMoan said:

You should mute the string you were on before you go to the next (or just as you switch to the next string)... The way I like to do this is by using the heel of my picking hand. The heel of my picking hand mutes the strings above the one I'm currently playing... my fretting hand is muting the strings below the ones I'm currently playing...

If I'm playing on the A string, my picking hand will be angled so that it's just muting the low E string (the part of the heel that is close to the thumb is touching the E string... the rest of the heel is above the strings...)

As I go down the scale to the next strings, the heel of my hand mutes more and more of the strings (so I'm slowly beginning to rest my entire heel on the strings)...

When I get to the high E string, the heel of my picking hand is basically resting on the strings, but not muting that high E string...

There are other ways to mute, but that's the way I use... it is challenging at first, but it will become natural as you continue to use it. Then you won't even be thinking about it.

Also, although it is good to practice clean, practice with distortion also, because it reveals muting problems in your technique more clearly...
[Edited 7/13/07 13:10pm]

It sounds to me like you're pretty new to the instrument, and that you're overreaching a little bit into techniques that should come in after you've properly learned the basics - fretting notes cleanly, developing co-ordination between the fretting and picking hands and maintaining good posture and wrist positioning whilst playing.

The 1-2-3-4 scale that you talk about (the chromatic scale) is a good way to build basic technique, without overcomplicating on the music theory side too early on. Rather than trying to play like Hendrix right away with trills and hammer-ons and vibrato etc etc, focus on the foundations of playing that I mentioned earlier. My personal recommendation to you is to locate a reputable teacher in your area and get a few lessons, where they can demonstrate to you these basics for you to work on.

It's a hard truth of playing a guitar or any instrument, that there's going to be a long time and a lot of hard work before the way you want to sound and the way you do sound matches up

Regarding the technical side of guitar maintenance and construction, I'd suggest getting a good book on the topic and learning how everything works. It's really something worth getting on top of - not only will it give you an understanding of how your instrument works, the knowledge and ability to set up and repair your instrument yourself will save you a stack of cash. Guitars take a fair amount of maintenance to work at optimum level - knowing how to swap strings, adjust the neck, set intonation etc will really pay off for you in the long run, in terms of getting the instrument performing exactly how you want it to.

Rowdy said:

I'm not exactly new to the instrument. I'm rather underdeveloped. I've got a few mode, chord, and scales sheets. As far as that other stuff goes, like setting intonation, changing strings, and other things; yeah I could use that bit of knoweldge. But, other than that, I am just not big on terminology, but I am picking it up as I go. I think that I am pretty good at learning new techniques on my own, just a little impatient.

Rowdy said:

Yeah, man, we used to charge $50 for a setup (I did the simple jobs - we had a tech for the hard-core guitar repairs) at the store where I worked. It's probably gone up now. Some people would even pay us just to change the strings. Learning a lot of those things can definitely save you some cash.

JesseDezz said:

Its like mechanics - they see so many people coming who don't have a clue about their cars and screw 'em - "ooh that's gonna cost ya" . I'm amazed by how many people don't learn how guitars work. I guess it's kinda intimidating, but its really the most basic principles of physics and engineering. I used to be friendly with a guy who worked at a local guitar shop, who wasn't even that technically proficient, but made a fortune doing setups that didn't really need to be done by a luthier. The number of jobs that actually required advanced tech knowledge and tools was very small indeed - the odd snapped headstock, rout-out every few months.

Once you get past the fear of irreparably damaging your guitar, taking it to bits and pimping it is good fun.

It - knowing the technical side of guitar maintenance/construction - was intimidating to me at first, though I still don't mess around with installing pickups 'n stuff. I learned how to do it, but it's not really my thing. The turning point for me came when I started working at a guitar store. I had to actually pass a hands-on test just to change customer's strings and every once in a while I would do simple repairs.

I learned a lot just by watching our tech, a local guitar legend named Joe Taino. It was like attending a master luthier class for free!!! Those lessons were priceless.
[Edited 7/15/07 2:00am]

Playing guitar takes time and pattience and lots of proper practice,getting frustrated with the guitar will only make it harder to learn,I think you just have to enjoy it and think I will get better in time

Fresnian is that a type of Cow

richierich said:

Oh, I meant "Fresian"!

FarrahMoan said:

Or Phrygian even

richierich said:

Oh, yeah! That's right. How ignorant of me!

What's up with this still being higlighted on "MyORG"?

Hey, I was wondering, you guys! I haven't been working on my right hand as much as I have my left because I have just been using the same methods, over and over again. Those methods being just mostly pull-offs and hammer-ons. I do add the occasional "strum" with the thumb and/or index. But I don't strum more than once when I am playing or trying to play a song on this instrument. I really use my right hand when playing a bit of rhythm guitar. Should I be concerned or what? I am "SOOOOO" rusty. I don't even think that rusty is the word. I haven't been using the guitar pick, though. Would you say that's mandatory? My thumb/index fingernails keep getting caught up in between the strings and stuck when I don't want them to be. It's so annoying!