Electric Guitar

Logic

Likes Dirt
Following on from this point, a lot of recorded music has multiple layers of overdubbed parts, which adds to the difficulty of trying to play and replicate it yourself. Some of the Led Zeppelin stuff I try (badly) to get around has about 15 different parts interwoven, so it's a battle just to work out what to actually play out of it all!

If you've got the equipment, what you can do to thicken the sound is double-amping; having two amps, with the guitar plugged into the primary, and if that amp has a "line out" jack, run a lead from that into a second amp, with any effects in between. So have your primary amp set to a clean or lightly distorted tone, and chuck an overdrive pedal in between to boot the second amp..... And if you've got a bit of space to set up in & separate the amps, you can get a slightly delayed double-tracked sound too. :wink:
sorry mate, didnt see your post last night for some reason.
That is a good point you raised there, most songs have some crazy FX going on in the background.
I think I just need to accept the fact that it's not something that happens over night. And it may take longer for some people.
 

Spike-X

Grumpy Old Sarah
thought I'd get some advice from some fellow burners.

I've been playing guitar on and off for about 3 years now, during that time I have not really improved much (I've had friends that are already better than me after playing for 6 months).

Problem is I can never seem to fully learn a song, I always get realllly into it and then completely lose interest after the first couple of days. It makes me feel like I haven't really improved at all. I don't know how to keep the motivation up to keep practicing, even though I would LOVE to play in a metal band and spend hours a day (literally) marverlling at how I would love to play like (Insert amazing guitarist here).


has anyone experienced what I experience, is it something that eventually goes away over time?

Maybe it isn't for me.

EDIT: I'm self-taught as my school guitar teacher was useless
What kind of stuff are you trying to learn? If you start off trying to learn something too hard, you're not setting yourself up to succeed. They guys from Metallica didn't start out playing Metallica songs, there's no reason to think you should be able to.
 

Logic

Likes Dirt
What kind of stuff are you trying to learn? If you start off trying to learn something too hard, you're not setting yourself up to succeed. They guys from Metallica didn't start out playing Metallica songs, there's no reason to think you should be able to.
I've started out with pretty basic songs like Blackbird by The Beatles or Wish you were here by Pink Floyd.
Ive started to move on to blackened as I want to start on metal, but jeez the solo is fucked.
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
Maybe try some Deep Purple stuff. The arrangements are relatively simple, although some of the solos will give you a workout. And it's kind of the grand-daddy of what you're into.
 

dej

Likes Bikes
I've been playing for a while and i still have trouble with learning a lot of songs. For some, they come easily and others i just dont get..
For pretty much all of them, i do find that i'll spend a bit of time working on it, then take a break for a few days and come back to it and find I've improved even without playing..
I pretty much always record everything too. I just play through a boss gt-100 at home, into the computer/cubase.
If I'm working on a song, i'll import it into cubase, make a new track and play along

There's also ultimate guitar which is good for tabs, they have a nice interface which you can slow down and repeat sections. It's not perfect, but it may assist with parts you cant get by ear
 

Logic

Likes Dirt
I've been playing for a while and i still have trouble with learning a lot of songs. For some, they come easily and others i just dont get..
For pretty much all of them, i do find that i'll spend a bit of time working on it, then take a break for a few days and come back to it and find I've improved even without playing..
I pretty much always record everything too. I just play through a boss gt-100 at home, into the computer/cubase.
If I'm working on a song, i'll import it into cubase, make a new track and play along

There's also ultimate guitar which is good for tabs, they have a nice interface which you can slow down and repeat sections. It's not perfect, but it may assist with parts you cant get by ear
Yeah totally agree with your first point, I find just taking a little break can help heaps.

I just cant seem to grasp tabs though, I find it difficult to get timing right. Doesnt help that I dont know how to read sheet music either.

I find the only way to learn is through youtube videos, although I'd love to understand tabs a little easier.
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
Learn the basics of reading music, at least time values of the notes, and use it in partnership with the tabs. The tabs will tell you where to put your fingers, the notation will tell you how long for.
 
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Logic

Likes Dirt
Learn the basics of reading music, at least time values of the notes, and use it in partnership with the tabs. The tabs will tell you where to put your fingers, the notation will tell you how long for.
righttt, yeah ill have a look at it, not sure how to get started. :/
 

Spike-X

Grumpy Old Sarah
Learn some basics of theory, folks. I don't mean being able to sight-read Bach or anything, just which chords and notes go together, and why. Learn your basic scales, up and down the neck, in every key.

Music is just patterns. Once you work out how to see the patterns, it will be a lot easier. It will also help when you start playing with other people - it can be very frustrating trying to explain a simple chord change to somebody who doesn't know the difference between a major and minor third.
 
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The Reverend

Likes Bikes and Dirt
And the whole task of learning scales is much easier on a guitar due to the stringing.
You don't need to learn different finger sequences for each type scale like some other instruments.
"Only beginners and professionals..."

It also doesn't need to be boring, just inject some life in the patters but what has been stated here is that it helps massively in being able to hear and recreate the way music is made.
 

Spike-X

Grumpy Old Sarah
*trying to learn the solo from Hit Me With Your Best Shot*

Damn you Neil Giraldo, why couldn't you just use pentatonic scales like everyone else?

(also, I just learned he played the solo in Jessie's Girl, which explains why it sounds so much like a Neil Giraldo solo)
 

Logic

Likes Dirt
*trying to learn the solo from Hit Me With Your Best Shot*

Damn you Neil Giraldo, why couldn't you just use pentatonic scales like everyone else?

(also, I just learned he played the solo in Jessie's Girl, which explains why it sounds so much like a Neil Giraldo solo)
Hahaha if only every musician made songs easier to play! I'm finding Blackened by Metallica quite difficult due to the weird timings. That's one song I'll never get sick of, oh and One.

Do you happen to listen to any modern metal music? eg. Parkway Drive. Far out those blokes have some incredible skill, it's incredibly inspirational. I don't understand how they got to where they are, I'm sure I remember both of their guitarists say that they've never had lessons before!?!
 
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