I’m the runt of my family, I’m the drummer. Everybody (pretty much) on my dad’s side can play several instruments reasonably well. I played piano for 5 years and still have no idea how music works. Shall we play in D or F#? All Welsh to me, not a clue. I can play a few tunes on the guitar but only through learning the exact finger positions. Wouldn’t have a clue as to how to play in a different key.
But I can drum along reasonably to most tracks without thinking. Odd that I prefer banging things, about right 
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Perhaps that’s my answer too?
As I’ve said earlier in this thread I’m in a slightly odd position where I know stuff but I’ve literally hit a wall due to not actually learning music. Like you I can play stuff but only from memory. I need and want to change that. I want to be ale to jam in the true sense of the word. Someone starts something and you just join in seamlessly.
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When you work it out, do let me know.
And my brother runs a major music school too and even that doesn’t help!
Well so far I have decided I need to understand basic music scales and probably more important chord theory. How I translate that into playing is another matter.
I started learning guitar in lockdown (for about the 3rd time in my life) and I was determined not to give up and sell guitar which normally happens.
I borrowed a mates electric and followed a guy called Jason’s course on YouTube.
Within a few weeks I could do the basic chords and then moved onto power chords.
What you do learn is its all about the strumming hand. If you can change chords perfect but your strumming hand is too stiff or out of time then it will sound shit.
I can play a few songs (not the guitar solos yet!) from Bon Jovi, GNR, Skid Row, Metallica, Green Day, Scorpions, Joan Jett and Oasis and then some lighter stuff like Travis (new song) and Fratellis.
Youtube will only get you so far though - it doesn’t teach you short cuts that make it easier for a beginner (example - you will see a youtuber play to the camera so he is up and down the fret board and it looks amazing but the song can more than likely be played in less frets and you don’t have to go up and down the fret like a nutter). Also if you get stuck following a Youtube no one can help you out. They just say “so do this and then that OK? Onto the next bit” but what if you are stuck? They cant help you with it.
You cant beat someone sitting there explaining it all so I there was a guy I used to go watch in a band (remember live music?) and he was on facebook saying he was doing guitar lessons for £20 p/h so I have one a week now and I’ve come on leaps and bounds and if you told me in April I’ve progressed as much as I have Id have never believed it. If you can practice for 30 mins a days that’s all you need to start progressing but the face to face lesson really helps.
Im not a natural so it takes me a good few days to get a song down and remember it but its cool knowing I can now play something advanced like Enter Sandman or something easier like Morning Glory.
In May I bought an Matt black ESP and amp and it rocks. I promised the wife I wouldnt buy my own stuff at the start incase I gave up again but this time i got past the giving up stage (and it nearly happened several times through frustration at the start) so was allowed () to buy my own stuff.
Dont give up!
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Yeah, face to face is not going to happen. It helps though as I used to have little jam sessions with friends a while ago, one of whom was a fantastic musician. Played professionally for a while. Talented bastard. But to be fair I learned a heap from him, being forced to learn and play songs as well as with other instruments was a massive step forward.
I dont have a massive problem with playing chords. My issue is that if I’m figuring a song or following a jam understanding what chord will / should come next along with soloing over those chords. Plus my memory is crap. So being able to figure it out rather than remember it would be a help. And as far as soloing goes I doubt I’d ever be quick enough to play note for note some of the songs I like so putting my own stuff together on those would help.
I’ve looked at Fender Play over the last weeks which was ok but a bit frustrating and more suited to people just starting. Going to try Justin Guitar next.
I print the chords out or write them down and have then in front of me when learning.
Then if i learn another song, ill forget the one i was doing the week before so its handy to have them somewhere so you can refresh yourself. Theres a lot to remember but normally the verses and chorus repeat so once you have it you have it.
If there’s a song I want to play but the youtube video isnt clear or there isnt one about my guitar dude will listen and then tell me the chords.
Another tip is dont get bogged down by strumming patterns. If you asked a guitarist what strumming pattern he used while recording a song he probably couldnt tell you its how he feels on the day.
You will know if your strumming too much as it wont sound right and vice versa.
Dont just play the song, feel it.
Reading chords from music sheet or guitar tab app is fine but they dont give you the melody - you have to figure that out by listening to it.
Justin is good and so too a guy called Andy.
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If you’re interested in that - the music theory behind most of rock/pop music really isn’t that difficult/complex, nothing to be afraid of or get intimidated by.
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That generally isn’t my problem. I can strum along with a host of stuff if I have the chords in front of me. No problem.
Playing without the chord sheet is what I want to be able to do, and not from memory. For example, most pop and blues tunes use a i - iv - v chord pattern. Next thing for me to learn is how to work out the those chords and actually understand them. Then being able to solo (improvise) over those chords. That means understand how the chords are built up, where they are on the fretboard and how to resolve to particular notes and when. Then being able to do that in any key without blinking.
Fuck , I’ve just scared myself
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No it isn’t which just makes it a bit more frustrating. (See post above on i-iv-v)
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I’m sure you’ll figure it out and after a while you’ll start to see patterns which will soon come naturally in your playing.
Have you tried using a loop pedal, they’re pretty cheap nowadays - strum a chord progression and then try out different scales on top - so you can actually hear the effect/what works and what doesn’t for yourself instead of just reading about it or someone just telling you what is ‘right’. Or vice versa, play a simple lick and try laying chords underneath it.
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That is a cracking idea to be honest. I could even laydown a basic backing track for parts of songs and play the fills over it.
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with chords and notes , there are only a few possibilities on what you can play after playing the previous chord/note… It’s about knowing which chords/notes are compatible with the preceeding ones.
It really helps when you know you can play the same chord in different places.
When wrote down the music sheet may say E, A, D, E, A, D, C, G - but it cant tell you the various ways of playing the chords so you may struggle to play them. I love the E, A, D combo as there’s hardly and movement and one finger can stay down all the time.
Good exercise to start moving between those 3 chords. Theres 100s of songs using just those chords.
When I started I couldnt get the C chord it caused me a week or so of pain. Now its easy. I do love a C Chord!
have you heard these versions? The second video, Mike Masse pretty much made a music career off the bac of this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH9FyLsfDzw
Thanks for this. Pretty sure there’s a formula for this somewhere as well. I need to learn it.
But here’s where I really get fucked up.
Bon Jovi’s Dead or Alive - great track. It’s in the key of D. But it has a C add 9 chord, and an F chord which do not appear in that key. In fact I don’t think D, F, C and G don’t appear in any key.
GNR play 99% of their songs tuned down half a step
