On the recommendation of goldbludgeon, I'm learning guitar again.
I picked up Rocksmith for my Xbox and I'm gonna let it guide me through everything. It was a lot of fun. I played a couple songs, mostly Foo Fighters and System of a Down. It was neat watching the game go from single notes to chords after a while. It's not the whole song obviously but for a single day I've made good progress, I think. According to the game, I can play a whole 10% of Hypnotize!!
I still don't understand chords. Am I only supposed to be strumming the strings my fingers are on, or all of them? I'm bumbling all over myself trying not to mute other strings too. I will need finger extensions by the end of this. My little pokers aren't used to bending like that.
Reminder to eventually get proper accessories. I don't have a strap and I'm picking with good ol' Abe Lincoln, who flew from my hands on one particularly heavy session.
I don't have a strap and I'm picking with good ol' Abe Lincoln, who flew from my hands on one particularly heavy session.
-Pennies make awful picks. I would suggest taking one of those plastic squares they put on bread bags to keep them sealed and use that. They're the best. When you do get a pick, I love the ones with the grip on them. I use snarling dog mediums.
All about pushing through the initial pain and developing strumming with the hand and fingerpicking in my opinion. I find it offers a lot more dynamic control and options in terms of sound. I also think it sounds better and, for me, offers a better sense of being connected to the instrument. I can't remember the last time I used a pick.
They both have their place, for sure. I use both approaches for different outcomes.
You might want to check out this guy's videos they are amazingly helpful for learning. I'd recommend his beginner's course.
I've been playing guitar for 25 years and I'm still figuring it all out. -that's what makes it so much fun! Good luck!I still don't understand chords. Am I only supposed to be strumming the strings my fingers are on, or all of them?
this depends entirely on the chord you're playing, the song you are playing and your intentions. Usually, if you individually play each note in the chord you can pretty will discern which ones belong and which don't. A general rule of thumb is that the bass note in the cord should be the lowest note played in that chord. So, if you are playing an "A" chord, you shouldn't allow the open "E" string to be heard. You need to mute it or just not play it. After a while all of this becomes second nature.
A few notes for ya, rocksmith is great to really build up your playing skill, but it makes it difficult to memorize songs and play on your own. As for chords, the game will show you which strings to hit during the chord. The ones you need to hit are the ones that are lit up. But it really depends on the chord. Some of them you hit all the strings, sometimes you hit the strings you have pressed down, and sometimes you hit the ones that are pressed down with a couple of open strings. Just watch the game, and look up the chords that appear the most. And yeah, picking with a penny is not the best idea, but we've all been there xD Edit: forewarning I've played rocksmith once and it was over this most recent weekend
It's actually reaaally fun and helps you learn all these little tricks from the masters. I used to play it and spent a good while going through queen parts from Brian may/ john deacon. Also the cable can be used with ableton live (not sure about other programs) so you can go from the guitar to the computer sans interface. Worth it for the chord alone as far as home recording goes.
Rocksmith? Why not try some Slayer? To answer your question though.
I'm not sure how the game mechanics work, but in real life, some chords use all the strings, some use fewer. You have to learn them basically. Chords diagrams should indicate which strings are played and which are muted. It comes down to theory of how chords are built up and how the notes on the guitar are located. The advice about JustinGuitar.com is well worth following. Pretty soon your callused, gnarled fingers will endure pain and torment along with the best of them.
Your fingers remind me of Ringo. Drums but same idea. Keep picking away!