Guitar players

[runnah]

I try to emulate Yngwie Malmsteen in every way possible.

 

[minicoop1985]

I try to emulate Yngwie Malmsteen in every way possible.

Yes. Yes, you should. Particularly his hair and fashion sense.

 

[weepete]

Well I have an old acoustic guitar kicking about the house, learned my first three chords (G,C and D) after picking it up at the weekend. I'm currently just trying to get the changes faster now so I can actually play a song! I can also play drums a little.

 

[Devinhullphoto]

Fender 80's era Japanese strat and a Marshall half stack for this kid who refuses to grow up!

Those are nice! I hear they are just as good as American. Jelly of the Marshall.

 

[Tiller]

Well I have an old acoustic guitar kicking about the house, learned my first three chords (G,C and D) after picking it up at the weekend. I'm currently just trying to get the changes faster now so I can actually play a song! I can also play drums a little.

It gets easy quick! But you've just got to do it over and over until it becomes second nature.

And just some advice, when you get to F, learn the barre chord! People are so afraid of barre chords and never play them which can hinder you a whole lot.

 

[ffarl]

If I were home, I could spend a lot of time putting photos up on this thread. I'm on the road now, but I've got my Clapton Strat and my newer Martin acoustic with me.

 

[cynicaster]

And just some advice, when you get to F, learn the barre chord! People are so afraid of barre chords and never play them which can hinder you a whole lot.

No kidding! I can never understand why so many casual players half-ass it and don't bother to ever learn how to play barre chords. Sure, they will definitely result in some sore fingers and stiff wrists for a while, but eventually it clicks and becomes second nature.

 

[Steve5D]

Steve5D, I would not have recognized you from that last photo. Rock on!

That photo's better than ten years old.

I miss that moustache more than I miss that hair...

 

[ronlane]

Steve5D, I would not have recognized you from that last photo. Rock on!

That photo's better than ten years old.

I miss that moustache more than I miss that hair...

I could relate to the first part. I've been sporting the goatee so long that it just looks weird without it. (maybe because it makes me look so much more like my dad).

 

[Steve5D]

I try to emulate Yngwie Malmsteen in every way possible.

Don't. Please, don't.

I met Yngwie at the NAMM trade show in Anaheim several years ago. "I met him" is about the nicest thing I can say about him. The guy's a complete prick in every way imaginable.

The guy I thought would be a prick, but was actually a ridiculously nice gentleman, was Slash...

 

[Devinhullphoto]

No kidding! I can never understand why so many casual players half-ass it and don't bother to ever learn how to play barre chords. Sure, they will definitely result in some sore fingers and stiff wrists for a while, but eventually it clicks and becomes second nature.

It is worth it!

 

[Steve5D]

And just some advice, when you get to F, learn the barre chord! People are so afraid of barre chords and never play them which can hinder you a whole lot.

No kidding! I can never understand why so many casual players half-ass it and don't bother to ever learn how to play barre chords. Sure, they will definitely result in some sore fingers and stiff wrists for a while, but eventually it clicks and becomes second nature.

Some people just physically can't play barre chords. They're few and far between, but they're certainly out there.

I don't know that I would characterize not playing barre chords as "half assed". It's simply another tool, and a preference...

 

[ronlane]

It took me a while before I wanted to learn them because I was playing strictly on acoustic and that SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!! In hind-site, it does make the electric seems like nothing.

 

[cynicaster]

And just some advice, when you get to F, learn the barre chord! People are so afraid of barre chords and never play them which can hinder you a whole lot.

No kidding! I can never understand why so many casual players half-ass it and don't bother to ever learn how to play barre chords. Sure, they will definitely result in some sore fingers and stiff wrists for a while, but eventually it clicks and becomes second nature.

Some people just physically can't play barre chords. They're few and far between, but they're certainly out there.

I don't know that I would characterize not playing barre chords as "half assed". It's simply another tool, and a preference...

Come on, we’re not talking about Eddie Van Halen tap solos here. Some techniques are just too fundamental to ignore. I “couldn’t physically play” barre chords at first either, but anybody who is serious enough about the instrument to invest the time and effort can learn.

Think about this: a guitarist who dismisses barre chords has to sit out on any song that is played in standard tuning and includes the chords B or F. And then there’s all the other sharp/flat-rooted chords that don’t translate at all to open fingerings, so they can’t play songs that use those either. Sounds extremely limited and half-assed to me.

If one chooses not to use barre chords as a creative decision, that’s one thing. But to say “I don’t know barre chords, because they’re not my style” seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to the infamous fauxtog mantra “I’m strictly a natural light photographer”, a.k.a., “certain techniques are intimidating and take significant up-front effort to learn, therefore I convince myself that I have no use for them”.

 

[weepete]

Well I have an old acoustic guitar kicking about the house, learned my first three chords (G,C and D) after picking it up at the weekend. I'm currently just trying to get the changes faster now so I can actually play a song! I can also play drums a little.

It gets easy quick! But you've just got to do it over and over until it becomes second nature.

And just some advice, when you get to F, learn the barre chord! People are so afraid of barre chords and never play them which can hinder you a whole lot.

Thanks for the advice mate, I'll make an effort to learn them then. I seem to be wanting to place my fingers one by one on the strings at the moment, i'm guessing that's pretty normal for a beginner but I probbably want to be trying to hit all the notes on a chord at the same time?

I'm trying to practice a wee bit every night right now but it's gonna take me some time, slow is smooth and smooth is fast and all that. At least with the guitar I can practice in the evenings after work and it won't bother the neibours as much as my kit!!