Ways to use one's instrument or voice precisely to produce a desired musical effect.
2
votes
1answer
80 views
Is there a typo on page 27 of 'Mastering the Scales and Arpeggios'?
Cooke's 'Mastering the Scales and Arpeggios', from 1931, came recommended to me as the one-stop reference for learning to play scales. On page 27, I find A-flat. The text says, 'Right hand: Fourth ...
4
votes
6answers
2k views
Tips playing F barre chord
Any tips for a newbie in playing the F barre chord.
I find it very hard to put my fingers in place. I've got a strat.
I hear you can move it up and down the neck for other barre chords.
2
votes
1answer
214 views
Soprano recorder vibrato
How should I vibrate the sound of my soprano recorder?
Note: I'm not sure to use the correct term. By vibration I mean producing the sound similar to vibrating your hand on a Violin during playing a ...
10
votes
2answers
95 views
What is this technique called?
In this video, scroll to around 1:24. Andy McKee puts his right hand on 12th fret (Not sure) and pulls out his left hand from 3rd or 4th fret producing a peculiar sound. What is this technique ...
8
votes
6answers
1k views
Playing one hand loudly and the other quietly
I'm currently learning to play Comptine d'un autre été from Yann Tiersen (Sheet music(pdf) - youtube video) and when I play starting from the 13th bar I barely hear the notes my right hand plays.
...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
Ways to warm up vocal cords?
What are some safe ways to get my vocal cords without over using them before a practice or performance?
3
votes
4answers
2k views
How to play upstrokes with our hand when playing an acoustic guitar?
I have seen a lot of guitar videos and read a lot of guitar books but one thing they all have in common is that while teaching strumming they tell you to "loosen up", "keep going up and down" etc. Or ...
5
votes
1answer
185 views
vocal chord protection against nodule
I was recently diagnose with a small
vocal chord nodule. I was wondering
what are some proper ways to use
vocal?
I heard that singing with your
diaphragm is the correct way to
avoid overuse of vocal ...
10
votes
2answers
230 views
Techniques for memorizing a musical idea and “saving it to paper”
Sometimes I have a very nice musical idea, with orchestration too, and I clearly hear it in my mind as if I was listening to a CD.
But I cannot retain it. The only way is to play it over and over in ...
3
votes
1answer
280 views
Piano technique: Repetitions and oscillations
Not sure if I am using the right expression, so allow me to cite examples.
There are some piano movements that cause my hands (wrists) to cramp when I play it for too long. One are repeated chords. ...
2
votes
1answer
166 views
Any way to practice using the very tip of your pinky?
I'm practicing a lot of scales as mentioned in my earlier question. When I stretch my pinky to reach for a distant fret, I almost always "land" on the side of my pinky. Is this ok? If not are there ...
2
votes
1answer
269 views
Beginning sweep picking exercises
What are some recommended easy exercises to start developing the sweep picking technique in guitar? And what advice would you give to someone who's just starting with this technique? I mean, what is ...
11
votes
5answers
2k views
How to hide a flat pick in the right hand when switching to finger picking, Warren Haynes style
Watch any Warren Haynes video on YouTube and you'll notice that he often likes to mix it up and play solos with a pick but mid-way switch to using his fingers.
...
6
votes
3answers
399 views
What is the technique Adrian Belew utilizes through-out : “Elephant Talk” by King Crimson?
Adrian Belew has some incredible sounds coming out of his Strat - one of them is the quasi-Elephant sound on Elephant Talk - King Crimson - "Discipline". I've watched him do it live but apart from ...
4
votes
3answers
257 views
Is it really necessary to have your thumb on the back of the guitar neck?
I've seen lots of artists playing with their thumb resting on the top of the neck, but my guitar teacher says it's a must to place the thumb on the back of the neck. Opinions?
5
votes
6answers
243 views
What's the right way to hold a pick?
It there any difference between holding a pick in a fist like this
and with your fingers sticking out like this:
I've found that most online guitar lessons teach it the first way, but I've ...
5
votes
2answers
315 views
How do I play the intro riff from Collective Soul's song Heavy?
This question got me all jazzed up about Collective Soul again, so I was spinning through my iTunes library and I hit "Heavy" off Dosage. I have always wondered how to play the beginning riff of that ...
6
votes
7answers
479 views
The “right” way to use my pinky.
Ever since I've been playing, I've always fretted a B chord like this:
Using my pinky to cover the D, G, & B string. However, while it works, it's never felt quite right. I've tried to use three ...
11
votes
4answers
672 views
What is a string skipping exercise?
What is a string skipping exercise? I've heard about this exercise a lot, including on this website. What is it? What skills does it develop? Can you give an example?
5
votes
2answers
99 views
Links and tips for Learning and using scales
Tips and links on learning and using different types of scales will be helpful.
If possible List of scales with songs in which they are used and (artists/types of bands) who uses certain scales to a ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
Right hand accuracy
I've realized, that I have a big problem with right hand accuracy, when using a pick, especially, when I play arpeggios and have to skip a string or a couple of stings. Sometimes, I hit the wrong ...
18
votes
5answers
234 views
What are some of the components of a good guitar solo?
Putting aside the emotional value of listening to a great guitar solo, what are some of the criteria that can be applied to make an educated judgement as to the quality of a solo within the context of ...
4
votes
3answers
213 views
How do you play a barre chord (or a chord with 4+ strings)
I need to play a chord that goes:
$1.5.$2.7.$3.7.$4.7.$5.5
I can play a barre chord with my index finger and hold down all the strings on the fifth fret, but I cant hold down the three sevens. Any ...
1
vote
3answers
70 views
How to play these chords?
I'm trying to play the song here. What confuses me is when I see things like 0h2p0 and 0h2(x4). What are those, and how do you play them?
1
vote
2answers
749 views
How can I hold a barre chord for a long period of time?
I don't know if there is a special word for this playing style - I do it like this: I take a barre and I play all single notes along - if I need a chord I just keep the barre and press all needed ...
11
votes
5answers
3k views
How can I minimize going out of tune when using the whammy bar?
Perhaps my selection of musicians is biased, but usually when I see a whammy bar used, it's usually with a locking tremolo bridge like a Floyd Rose. Everybody else seems to take the whammy bar out and ...
6
votes
5answers
123 views
Getting consistent tone from bar chords
Perhaps it's just that I have small hands (e.g. index finger is barely longer than the 12th fret), but I seem to have issues with barring; no matter what I do it seems there is a string that's right ...
4
votes
2answers
66 views
Wrist problems when using the first fret
One perennial problem I've had for as long as I can remember is that any time I play a song that uses the first fret a lot (e.g. the verses for Metallica's "Jump in the Fire" come to mind) I end up ...
7
votes
3answers
850 views
What are some good slap guitar resources?
I'm fascinated by the technique of most of the guys on CandyRat records, specifically Andy Mckee. Are there any resources out there on slap guitar technique? How can I too become as epic as him at ...
5
votes
5answers
348 views
Is it possible to mute some of my strings?
I'm working on a part of a song where I need to strum the top two strings (B & E) together and very fast. I'm wondering if there is some sort of a damping capo that I can put over the other four ...
5
votes
2answers
158 views
Bach's Bourree BWV 996 timing issue
I'm currently learning Bach's Bourree, although I'm into second part of it, I have troubles getting the timing correct. Usually it follows a 3 bar flow (except few places, where it really speeds up), ...
6
votes
5answers
88 views
What are some of the things that influence a players “Tone”?
Listen to Larry Carlton, Jeff Beck,Steve Morse, Grant Green, Freddie/BB/ King, Hound Dog Taylor, Luther Allison, Dave Gregory ect.. - love'm or hate'm they all have very distinctive tones, Why? It's ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
What should a guitarist learn first: Rhythm or Lead?
It is a slightly subjective question, however, there is, I'm sure, a common consensus as to what lends itself better to a beginner so as not to get frustrated with the instrument. I'm curious as to ...
7
votes
5answers
102 views
Why is the guitar traditionally held by a strap, and not in the lap?
Ya know, like the late Jeff Healy used to play. Are there technical reasons for holding the guitar in front of you, and reaching up and around to fret the strings?
Has anyone any experience with ...
5
votes
2answers
571 views
Is there one or more “proper” finger picking styles/techniques?
Essentially, if there is some collection of proper techniques that have distinct rules or characteristics about them, that's what I'm looking for. There's not one particular artist or type of music I ...
4
votes
3answers
100 views
Effective learning from videos
I've taken lessons and taught myself songs from books and tablature. I have also listened to a song repeatedly and attempted to learn it by playing along. One method I have not tried is learning from ...
7
votes
4answers
442 views
Do we hit all 6 strings for upstrokes?
I saw a video in youtube where they told us to play only the bottom 3 strings while upstroking and all 6 strings while downstroking. The reason given was that the upstrokes will sound slightly higher ...
7
votes
3answers
145 views
Fingers and fretboard
I am glad to join this community :)
I am a beginner in guitar and I have the following question: When I play a chord (for example G7) my fingers aren't vertically aligned with the fretboard, but they ...
9
votes
1answer
270 views
brass: bending notes upwards
It is fairly easy - although it requires a bit of strength - to bend notes downwards on a trumpet. For example playing a F#, a F, or even lower notes with all valves open.
It does not sound nice, but ...
3
votes
3answers
109 views
How do I improve my lead technique
I can play a small amount of pentatonic-based lead guitar but being mostly self-taught, my technique is quite poor. As I take my finger off the fret, sometimes the open string will sound. How do I ...
6
votes
2answers
246 views
What is tremolo picking?
Are you just picking the same note a bunch of times or are you picking a lot in general and kind of hammering on to hit the notes? What does it have to do with an actual tremolo (whammy bar)?
4
votes
1answer
46 views
6
votes
2answers
111 views
Improving my descending tapping technique
I find that it's very easy for me to get a clean phrase when tapping in an ascending pattern like the following:
$1 7h9h12
Reversing that pattern, however, becomes hard for me:
$1 12p9p7
I ...
4
votes
2answers
239 views
Where can I learn more about tapping on an acoustic guitar?
I want to learn tapping on acoustic guitar; its basics, various techniques and so on. How should I start with it? Reference of some video lessons would be a great help.
5
votes
4answers
166 views
Muting technique and exercises
I have been practicing muting for some days. However, I am not finding myself very comfortable with it. I use my right hand placed on the strings while the left had lightly placed over the fret. Is ...
5
votes
6answers
472 views
Up-down strumming when playing fingerstyle
I'm trying to learn never dying Nothing Else matters by Metallica and got to the part where I need to strum C, A and D chords:
If I had a pick in my hands, it would go like nothing - ...
5
votes
1answer
220 views
Are there exercises similar to the 'Buddha rope' for endurance on bass guitar?
The "Buddha rope" technique described by Bill 'The Buddha' Dickens in his training DVD basically entails putting a rope between strings and then using the increased tension for building muscles in ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Short fat fingers
Any tips for someone with short fat fingers.
I find trying to get my chords, I accidentally cover over other strings.
Any tips?
12
votes
5answers
156 views
How to learn to play guitar with a slide ?
I have always wanted to play guitar with a slide. How should I go about learning this skill ?
I am looking for tips, songs, exercises, etc.
Thanks.
p.s.: The "Slide" tag would have been useful ...
3
votes
2answers
124 views
How can I mute a string when playing an octave riff?
I'm trying to reproduce this Metallica riff (from the song Day that Never Comes):
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...
