A capo can be great.
As well as the different sound you can achieve you may also find that changing the key the song by using a capo makes it easier to sing.
552 12-12-10 21:09:00
Topic: Knowing the Notes (9 replies, posted in Music Theory)
Ok so there has been quite a bit of discussion about knowing the notes on the neck that you are playing at any given time.
Personally I do not rely on knowing the notes at all for any of my playing. I reply purely on patterns and the sound that I create. If someone asked me to play any note in 5 places I could do it with a little thought and a little time but it is never used for playing or writing. I can see the advantages though and eventually I would like to learn it.
So the question for you all is how important do you think it is. Do you think it could help you but you cannot be bothered/find it too hard/don't have the time etc to ever get round to it, or do you think it really does help.
If it does help where does it help? With primarily working out songs, composing, general playing?
What advantages have you ever found from taking the time to learn the notes on the neck?
What are your views on knowing the notes on the neck?
Discuss...
553 12-12-10 20:46:25
Re: Finally A Bit Of Recording Time! (17 replies, posted in Your Recordings)
don p wrote:
I usually set up a general drum track and go back in and add in the cymbals manually. Alot easier then my old Alesis sr 16 drum machine!
Nice idea here.
I have just been starting with a single groove then going back to drop in fills etc. I like your idea though.
554 12-12-10 18:44:50
Re: A satchy idea (10 replies, posted in Your Recordings)
Thanks for listening. This was really just a couple of ideas that came about from creating the jam track. I can't even imagine how this could even be developed to include vocals or a melody but you do raise a really interesting idea...
I know that collaboration could be good for me, you have even recommended it though I don't really know anyone that would I could work with like that. Even if I did, I always had in my mind that to get someone to work with me within the limited time I have would be almost impossible. I had not considered the fact I could send the audio for someone to work on in their own time - potentially anywhere in the world.
So this is quite an exciting idea!
When you write, how much of the song do you have in your mind? Or do you just lay something down and allow the melody/lyrics to really transform it?
I would love to hear more about how you go about this process
555 11-12-10 17:31:32
Re: Hello from Romania (8 replies, posted in Introduce yourself)
Hi Paul
Warm welcome from me. I look forward to seeing your site
556 11-12-10 17:20:20
Topic: A satchy idea (10 replies, posted in Your Recordings)
Thought I would make a little loop to jam to when I had a few minutes today.
Not going to develop this but thought I would share!
[mp3]/uploads/68fd885a6dc8d3d5bd285d5d68b25e62.mp3[/mp3]
557 10-12-10 13:56:41
Re: An Essay on Speed (19 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)
NicolaePaul wrote:
Now i am personally working on ear training and phrasing, i think that is how you feel you play guitar, not by shredding random note so that you look cool.
Good work. Welcome to the forum - good to have you around! 
558 09-12-10 14:51:14
Topic: Guitar Hero (5 replies, posted in General Chat)
Have any of you played Guitar Hero? I did for a while. As a guitarist I almost found it harder as some of the music would indicate that you press a button higher than the last when in fact it went lower.
I can't play it any more though. I think it is one of the most antisocial games out there as the player can not do anything but stare at the screen and anyone else has to just stare at a lad of dots flying towards them.
After playing it for a bit you can still see those dots when you shut your eyes!
559 09-12-10 14:48:02
Re: Finally A Bit Of Recording Time! (17 replies, posted in Your Recordings)
Instructor wrote:
why don't you start a topic where you share what you've learned,
Yep may well do this when time permits.
don p wrote:
By the way I also have Ez drummer. I love that program!
Yes it really is easy to use I don't think the sounds are too bad as well.
560 09-12-10 14:46:12
Re: Lighten Up. (8 replies, posted in Misc)
I'd like my Les Paul though in reality I will probably get some socks if I am lucky!
What do you guys usually do for Christmas? Stay at home or head out?
561 09-12-10 14:43:49
Re: An attempt to get over 100 posts. (143 replies, posted in Misc)
Sorry about the technical postings! Feel free to open some lighter discussion threads!
Hey Mikey - how's fatherhood treating you?
562 07-12-10 15:25:16
Re: Getting started doing lesson part two (16 replies, posted in How to Start)
Instructor wrote:
My question would be, from the eyes of a person who maybe doesn't know the notes on the neck, or hasn't learned, or maybe has tried but hasn't really gotten where they can do it almost immediately, what would you say concerning the Notes on the Neck course, and approach, from that perspective?
So can you elaborate more on your approach for learning the notes on the neck or is this information for paying customers only?
563 07-12-10 14:39:29
Re: Finally A Bit Of Recording Time! (17 replies, posted in Your Recordings)
Instructor wrote:
What I like and this isnt something that I hear often, is that your playing explores melody, something that I think is very much a staple of Joe's songs, and that I am a fan of
I like the same. He comes up with some really great melodies. Melodies that you can hum along to and this really appeals to me.
I have seen him a few times live now and one time he went on a 20 minute tangent in the song "Searching" and I lost interest. It either has to be something melodic or something particularly difficult to play to really make me enjoy it. Random shredding just doesn't do it for me.
Instructor wrote:
Why don't you go into how you are coming up with the melody? What's happened first with this song? Did you come up with the riff first and then "hear" the melody in your head?
Basically I had a couple of hours of time and I had set up my Marshall for the first time in ages. I thought I would try micing it and see how it recorded. Then I just played the riff and thought I would try and expand on it a little.
As you may have read before, I am quite new to recording and never really written anything so once I had the riff I was need to see what I could do with Cubase regarding adding some bass in there and messing with the drums a little. By the time it came to the lead I was pretty much out of time so I just improved over it hence the couple of timing issues.
I have tried before to analyse exactly how I improvise. I don't hear it in my head that is for sure. I think I am so pattern oriented that I can play over the fretboard pretty easy but also I have subconscious knowledge of some notes that sound good - it's a little hard to explain.
As I mentioned above I am not a great fan of random shredding so what I would like to do next time is to actually work out a melody rather than just improv it and then expand on that melodic idea.
I have some time off of work over Christmas so I expect that I will manage to get a little time to get some more playing/recording done in between family stuff!
Thanks for listening - appreciate it.
564 07-12-10 14:23:12
Re: An Essay on Speed (19 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)
I spent much time in the past trying to play fast because I thought if I could play fast it meant that I could properly play the guitar and play other peoples music as well as create my own.
Now I realise that speed has nothing to do with what I was trying to achieve. Timing and correct articulation as well as decent phrasing is more important.
I agree totally with Polyal though - speed is certainly an attribute but ONLY when it is applied when the music requires it. In addition, to me, playing a fast inaudible bunch of notes does nothing for me though a fast melodic phrase may well float my boat.
565 05-12-10 16:00:51
Topic: Descending Pentatonic Lick (2 replies, posted in Lick of the Week)
Here is a slightly larger than tiny lick.
This is based on a descending pentatonic scale and I use it for warming up and also all or parts of it a lot in soloing.
It it totally moveable and therefore can be played in any key.
[mp3]/uploads/0f6e7dce38af1a2cd1974fe23a520af1.mp3[/mp3]
566 05-12-10 15:25:25
Re: Finally A Bit Of Recording Time! (17 replies, posted in Your Recordings)
Hi Alun - good to see you back. Very kind of you!
Hopefully the first step in getting further with writing!
567 05-12-10 15:22:06
Re: Hello (8 replies, posted in Introduce yourself)
Hi and welcome to the forum.
What kind of music are you into?
568 05-12-10 11:26:49
Re: Finally A Bit Of Recording Time! (17 replies, posted in Your Recordings)
Cheers guys.
I am using ezdrummer for the drums John. You should check it out as it's easy to use and doesn't sound too bad!
Edit: -I did actually record this through my Marshall so correct John!
569 04-12-10 17:29:16
Re: Lick of the Week (15 replies, posted in Lick of the Week)
Ah yes audio is working again ok today!
570 04-12-10 17:27:45
Re: evening moonl (19 replies, posted in Your Recordings)
Zelig wrote:
piano tune with no guitar, so I couldn't post it to this forum
You still can post - I appreciate any musical instrument and especially if a member has written or contributed on it then I would love to hear!
571 04-12-10 17:24:44
Topic: Finally A Bit Of Recording Time! (17 replies, posted in Your Recordings)
I have just spent the last couple of hours chucking together this little tune in Cubase.
[mp3]/uploads/afcfc30850dd47684b4a4f3429e8e186.mp3[/mp3]
Of course it is totally unfinished though I doubt I will work on it again though I do like the riff - the lead is a bit naff but hey ho!
Let me know what you think!
572 03-12-10 17:22:37
Re: GnR Out ta Get Me - Solo Analysis (2 replies, posted in Song Analysis)
To be honest it was so long ago that I wrote this post I forget exactly what I was trying to work out now.
I might try and give it another listen over the weekend and I will let you know!
573 03-12-10 17:10:44
Re: Help finding these Chords (4 replies, posted in Song Analysis)
Chorus starts at 2:12 to 2:39
574 03-12-10 16:46:23
Re: Teaching songs (8 replies, posted in Common Student Issues)
Well I no longer teach and when I did I only had a couple of students.
Certainly no capo was used and rhythm was kept really simple - 2 strums per chord until they advanced. Then build up from there.
I like your video by the way! 
575 03-12-10 16:35:54
Re: Notes on the fretboard tricks! (4 replies, posted in Music Theory)
I think the tips above are good. I really only know the notes on the E and A. I know up to 5th fret pretty well on all strings but anything above that I would use the octave approach as above.
This allows me to identify a note but not at any usable speed, therefore making it pretty useless for me personally as I then tend to think in patterns rather than notes.
I think someone can learn this pretty quickly especially if they already know the notes on the bottom E.
Certainly the other techniques mentioned in the opening post would help a lot as well but it having the discipline to do it.
