This is extremely subjective and maybe off topic, also purely based on my personal musical life experience, but I'll say it anyway. By all means learn your instrument whichever one it may be, but do yourself a favour, get over the barrier and study music theory so you understand the musical logic of songs you are working on. It's just a language, and the connection with every piece you are playing is unique as you are able to understand how masters navigate riddles and come to solutions in their compositions - be it Bach or Donald Fagen. Also it allows for bigger challenges when playing with others, as you are all 'on the same page' sorry for the long scroll but I just jumped on the piano during half time (France vs Germany) and transposed Harold Arlen's 1935 'Last night when we were young' (a forgotten gem) as in 2 hours a trumpet playing friend is arriving for a rehearsal (Trumpet is a Bb instrument - for those who don't read music, which means the sheet music has to be slightly altered). The process would have been identical on the Guitar. Just a thought...
I've been playing for over 50 years and I think this is great advice. I've gone back to looking at a bit of musical theory over lockdown but at my age getting anything to stay in my brain is a bit of a challenge. So, I wish I'd spent a bit of time on it between leaving school and now. The book I got was Jazz theory and it wasn't specific to the guitar.
Yeah, wish I'd learned music theory properly when I was a youngster.
I've picked up bits and pieces over the years, as I needed it - taken in some of the basics but not thoroughly learned much else apart from a few other random bits.
This is extremely subjective and maybe off topic, also purely based on my personal musical life experience, but I'll say it anyway. By all means learn your instrument whichever one it may be, but do yourself a favour, get over the barrier and study music theory so you understand the musical logic of songs you are working on. It's just a language, and the connection with every piece you are playing is unique as you are able to understand how masters navigate riddles and come to solutions in their compositions - be it Bach or Donald Fagen. Also it allows for bigger challenges when playing with others, as you are all 'on the same page' sorry for the long scroll but I just jumped on the piano during half time (France vs Germany) and transposed Harold Arlen's 1935 'Last night when we were young' (a forgotten gem) as in 2 hours a trumpet playing friend is arriving for a rehearsal (Trumpet is a Bb instrument - for those who don't read music, which means the sheet music has to be slightly altered). The process would have been identical on the Guitar. Just a thought...
I've been playing for over 50 years and I think this is great advice. I've gone back to looking at a bit of musical theory over lockdown but at my age getting anything to stay in my brain is a bit of a challenge. So, I wish I'd spent a bit of time on it between leaving school and now. The book I got was Jazz theory and it wasn't specific to the guitar.
Yeah, wish I'd learned music theory properly when I was a youngster.
I've picked up bits and pieces over the years, as I needed it - taken in some of the basics but not thoroughly learned much else apart from a few other random bits.
Note to self: never too late to do it!
What works for me is always beginning with theory which is relevant to what I'm listening /playing on a given day. It makes sense, it's fun, and fun keeps me coming back for more.
This is extremely subjective and maybe off topic, also purely based on my personal musical life experience, but I'll say it anyway. By all means learn your instrument whichever one it may be, but do yourself a favour, get over the barrier and study music theory so you understand the musical logic of songs you are working on. It's just a language, and the connection with every piece you are playing is unique as you are able to understand how masters navigate riddles and come to solutions in their compositions - be it Bach or Donald Fagen. Also it allows for bigger challenges when playing with others, as you are all 'on the same page' sorry for the long scroll but I just jumped on the piano during half time (France vs Germany) and transposed Harold Arlen's 1935 'Last night when we were young' (a forgotten gem) as in 2 hours a trumpet playing friend is arriving for a rehearsal (Trumpet is a Bb instrument - for those who don't read music, which means the sheet music has to be slightly altered). The process would have been identical on the Guitar. Just a thought...
I've been playing for over 50 years and I think this is great advice. I've gone back to looking at a bit of musical theory over lockdown but at my age getting anything to stay in my brain is a bit of a challenge. So, I wish I'd spent a bit of time on it between leaving school and now. The book I got was Jazz theory and it wasn't specific to the guitar.
Yeah, wish I'd learned music theory properly when I was a youngster.
I've picked up bits and pieces over the years, as I needed it - taken in some of the basics but not thoroughly learned much else apart from a few other random bits.
Note to self: never too late to do it!
What works for me is always beginning with theory which is relevant to what I'm listening /playing on a given day. It makes sense, it's fun, and fun keeps me coming back for more.
Sound advice, thanks Lenny. I'll try and take that on board.
I may have his nationality wrong,he is probably Hawaiin .I came across this guy purely by accident.There are some really fine guitarists out there who are really not well known,another of my favourites is Molly Tuttle,a blue grass flat picker.And if all you old codgers like me are still stuck in the bedroom,want to see something really soul destroying,check out the 6 year old Chinese girl playing Hotel Califiornia.i
I may have his nationality wrong,he is probably Hawaiin .I came across this guy purely by accident.There are some really fine guitarists out there who are really not well known,another of my favourites is Molly Tuttle,a blue grass flat picker.And if all you old codgers like me are still stuck in the bedroom,want to see something really soul destroying,check out the 6 year old Chinese girl playing Hotel Califiornia.i
I may have his nationality wrong,he is probably Hawaiin .I came across this guy purely by accident.There are some really fine guitarists out there who are really not well known,another of my favourites is Molly Tuttle,a blue grass flat picker.And if all you old codgers like me are still stuck in the bedroom,want to see something really soul destroying,check out the 6 year old Chinese girl playing Hotel Califiornia.i
Or Josh Meader playing anything.
Well.i confess to not having heard Josh play prior to your comment,what have I been missing,this kid is really up there with the Martin Taylors and Djangos of the jazz guitar(and probably anything else he chooses to play) What really pisses me off,is I remember when I first started,the agonies and frustrations of those first easy chords,the blistered finger tips just to master the most simple of tunes.Then you get this kid,waltzing through Reindhart numbers like he could be just sitting there having a chat with his mates with no apparent effort.hanks for the tip,I will look out for more of his music. I would recommend another favourite of mine,Clive Carrol,he is a very good acoustic player,and often plays at some small venues in the Greenwich area.
Anyone know much or recommend these amps, I have a small practice amp that I’ve plugged into for the first time as I’ve been learning without using one and the quality is awful. I’d rather not go down the millions of effects pedals route so thought this may suit.
Anyone know much or recommend these amps, I have a small practice amp that I’ve plugged into for the first time as I’ve been learning without using one and the quality is awful. I’d rather not go down the millions of effects pedals route so thought this may suit.
Anyone know much or recommend these amps, I have a small practice amp that I’ve plugged into for the first time as I’ve been learning without using one and the quality is awful. I’d rather not go down the millions of effects pedals route so thought this may suit.
What does an iRig interface do that a Spark amp can't? I know almost nothing about iRig, but I would be interested to know what makes it 'better', because the Spark amp, with the associated app, seems a brilliant bit of kit.
Anyone know much or recommend these amps, I have a small practice amp that I’ve plugged into for the first time as I’ve been learning without using one and the quality is awful. I’d rather not go down the millions of effects pedals route so thought this may suit.
What does an iRig interface do that a Spark amp can't? I know almost nothing about iRig, but I would be interested to know what makes it 'better', because the Spark amp, with the associated app, seems a brilliant bit of kit.
Better imo because you don't need an amp. Just headphones and leads. A saving of about £100 helps.
Anyone know much or recommend these amps, I have a small practice amp that I’ve plugged into for the first time as I’ve been learning without using one and the quality is awful. I’d rather not go down the millions of effects pedals route so thought this may suit.
What does an iRig interface do that a Spark amp can't? I know almost nothing about iRig, but I would be interested to know what makes it 'better', because the Spark amp, with the associated app, seems a brilliant bit of kit.
Better imo because you don't need an amp. Just headphones and leads. A saving of about £100 helps.
I assume you can’t blow up the phone if the volume was to high?
Anyone know much or recommend these amps, I have a small practice amp that I’ve plugged into for the first time as I’ve been learning without using one and the quality is awful. I’d rather not go down the millions of effects pedals route so thought this may suit.
What does an iRig interface do that a Spark amp can't? I know almost nothing about iRig, but I would be interested to know what makes it 'better', because the Spark amp, with the associated app, seems a brilliant bit of kit.
Better imo because you don't need an amp. Just headphones and leads. A saving of about £100 helps.
I assume you can’t blow up the phone if the volume was to high?
Anyone know much or recommend these amps, I have a small practice amp that I’ve plugged into for the first time as I’ve been learning without using one and the quality is awful. I’d rather not go down the millions of effects pedals route so thought this may suit.
What does an iRig interface do that a Spark amp can't? I know almost nothing about iRig, but I would be interested to know what makes it 'better', because the Spark amp, with the associated app, seems a brilliant bit of kit.
Better imo because you don't need an amp. Just headphones and leads. A saving of about £100 helps.
I assume you can’t blow up the phone if the volume was to high?
I've been getting into production recently and I'd really like to record guitar onto my computer to put on some tracks.
Can anyone advise the best way of going about it? I've read that a usb-guitar interface is the quickest option but some corners of the web disapprove. It would be for an electro-acoustic and an electric so going through an amp is an option.
I've been getting into production recently and I'd really like to record guitar onto my computer to put on some tracks.
Can anyone advise the best way of going about it? I've read that a usb-guitar interface is the quickest option but some corners of the web disapprove. It would be for an electro-acoustic and an electric so going through an amp is an option.
I've been getting into production recently and I'd really like to record guitar onto my computer to put on some tracks.
Can anyone advise the best way of going about it? I've read that a usb-guitar interface is the quickest option but some corners of the web disapprove. It would be for an electro-acoustic and an electric so going through an amp is an option.
I've been getting into production recently and I'd really like to record guitar onto my computer to put on some tracks.
Can anyone advise the best way of going about it? I've read that a usb-guitar interface is the quickest option but some corners of the web disapprove. It would be for an electro-acoustic and an electric so going through an amp is an option.
I've been getting into production recently and I'd really like to record guitar onto my computer to put on some tracks.
Can anyone advise the best way of going about it? I've read that a usb-guitar interface is the quickest option but some corners of the web disapprove. It would be for an electro-acoustic and an electric so going through an amp is an option.
I've been getting into production recently and I'd really like to record guitar onto my computer to put on some tracks.
Can anyone advise the best way of going about it? I've read that a usb-guitar interface is the quickest option but some corners of the web disapprove. It would be for an electro-acoustic and an electric so going through an amp is an option.
Nice of you to ask, @Chizz. I did really struggle with Ableton. Even simple things like trying to get a sample to loop four bars, but discovering you have to set those little parameter-thingies at 1-5 instead of 1-4 to do that (what the hell?). Then I got distracted moving house and the free trial ran out. It's a lot of money to buy the software when I know how much I've got to learn before I can even start making some decent music on it.
For now, I think I'm going to learn synths properly before I dive back into that. I might even do a weekend course if I can find one.
Nice of you to ask, @Chizz. I did really struggle with Ableton. Even simple things like trying to get a sample to loop four bars, but discovering you have to set those little parameter-thingies at 1-5 instead of 1-4 to do that (what the hell?). Then I got distracted moving house and the free trial ran out. It's a lot of money to buy the software when I know how much I've got to learn before I can even start making some decent music on it.
For now, I think I'm going to learn synths properly before I dive back into that. I might even do a weekend course if I can find one.
How did you learn Ableton?
You know the level you were at *before* you took out a free trial? That's where I am right now...
Comments
I've picked up bits and pieces over the years, as I needed it - taken in some of the basics but not thoroughly learned much else apart from a few other random bits.
Note to self: never too late to do it!
I would recommend another favourite of mine,Clive Carrol,he is a very good acoustic player,and often plays at some small venues in the Greenwich area.
Plini
Sithu Aye
are all worth a look on Youtube.
And one i completely missed in the 70's. Alan Holdsworth.
What does an iRig interface do that a Spark amp can't? I know almost nothing about iRig, but I would be interested to know what makes it 'better', because the Spark amp, with the associated app, seems a brilliant bit of kit.
which one is needed?
Can anyone advise the best way of going about it? I've read that a usb-guitar interface is the quickest option but some corners of the web disapprove. It would be for an electro-acoustic and an electric so going through an amp is an option.
Focusritre do some good ones, this is a great place to start.
Think about connectivity, are you recording on a laptop? Eg do you need a usb-c connection?
https://www.gak.co.uk/en/focusrite-scarlett-2i2-usb-audio-interface-3rd-gen/927802?gclid=CjwKCAjwrfCRBhAXEiwAnkmKmbBRG2X_ci_DsyCXcHcvc9uHUP6kIX7xc1UccUjvPRZQ9UVqT7O1URoCZ3QQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-UMC22-Computer-Audio-Interface/dp/B00FFIGZF6/ref=asc_df_B00FFIGZF6?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814161489211&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413736650631&psc=1
For now, I think I'm going to learn synths properly before I dive back into that. I might even do a weekend course if I can find one.
How did you learn Ableton?