Guitar Megathread - learn-share-talk-lessons-tips-fun

[Dominik]

TC ditto looks good and only $84. What about practice amp. I am not happy with the one I have (Acoustic brand). I'm deciding between Fender Mustang I V.2 20W 1x8 Guitar Combo Amp or Fender Champion 20 Guitar Combo Amp. Leaning toward the champion as the mustang has a bunch of features I don't understand.

If your budget is $100 then you're limited to a combo with a tiny speaker. By all means demo one at a music store and see if you're happy with an 8" speaker. To me they sound boxy. It might only be for practice but when you have a nice tone even at bedroom volumes you'll enjoy playing more.

If you can go up to $199 I'd go with a Boss Katana 50 which has a 12" speaker. Plus you can download Boss effects to your heart's content.

Here's a demo of the 100w version.

[Rasputin13]

I live in an apartment and play with headphones on so as not to disturb the neighbors and, most importantly, the wife.

[Dominik]

I live in an apartment and play with headphones on so as not to disturb the neighbors and, most importantly, the wife.

Understandable. When I moved into an apartment years ago I stopped playing altogether because with headphones the tone was garbage. Not a problem these days with modeling technology, cabinet emulation, etc.

Anyway that 50w amp can be dialed back to 1/2 a watt. Not loud at all. Your call of course. Personally I'd go with the Boss. 12" speaker. Delay. Reverb. Up to 55 effects are available via USB.

[Rasputin13]

Understandable. When I moved into an apartment years ago I stopped playing altogether because with headphones the tone was garbage. Not a problem these days with modeling technology, cabinet emulation, etc.

Anyway that 50w amp can be dialed back to 1/2 a watt. Not loud at all. Your call of course. Personally I'd go with the Boss. 12" speaker. Delay. Reverb. Up to 55 effects are available via USB.

The store I'm going to has it. I'll take a look at it.

[cjmadscientist]

Any of you gents have a Whammy on your pedalboard?


I try to avoid buying gear I don't need, but watching videos of this thing really intrigues me, it's a very unique pedal.

I'm considering picking one up just for jamming on some Gojira

[NaturalFTW]

So I got a guitar which I'm gonna be honest is probably not the best but I'm okay with that for now as mentioned before I literally could not spend more than 200ish due to saving up for school and a new phone. Anyways, Where would you guys recommend I start? I read the OPs posts but I don't even understand half of that tbh

[SwimToTheMoon]

So I got a guitar which I'm gonna be honest is probably not the best but I'm okay with that for now as mentioned before I literally could not spend more than 200ish due to saving up for school and a new phone. Anyways, Where would you guys recommend I start? I read the OPs posts but I don't even understand half of that tbh

GOAT lessons for beginners
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...AA4629624F20D8

[NaturalFTW]

GOAT lessons for beginners
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...AA4629624F20D8

I used this exact playlist for about a month when I was messing around with my roommates guitar haha!

[ruddager7]

Got a question for any theory guys about modes or anyone that can shed some light.
NOw I realise that modes are all the same scale just different positions and some modes therefore have the same notes.
In my case I am playing E minor/aeolian. Now all of the notes in E aeolian are the same notes as C lydian.
Now my question is if I am playing a 2 chord progression of e minor and c major with equal emphasis on each chord, what mode would I be playing?
Would it depend on which note I land on or use as the tonic? Or while the E minor chord is playing would I be playing E aeolian and when the C major chord is playing would I be playing C lydian? Or am I technically playing both?
If any guys know anything about this id be happy to hear cause its been racking my brain! lol
Ive never studied music other than just googling a bit here and there and what other players have told me etc.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated or if anyone wants to talk about a bit of theory!

[ruddager7]

So I got a guitar which I'm gonna be honest is probably not the best but I'm okay with that for now as mentioned before I literally could not spend more than 200ish due to saving up for school and a new phone. Anyways, Where would you guys recommend I start? I read the OPs posts but I don't even understand half of that tbh

Youtube is your friend. So many lessons and videos. Theres so many ways you could approach learning guitar I guess it depends what you want out of it. Good place to start is learning a few easy chords and then stringing a few together. That way you'll feel like your making a bit of progress.
After you can put a few chords together you could maybe learn a scale. Minor pentatonic is easy and sounds good over pretty much anything. That way you could put some chords together and play a little bit of stuff over the top which I found to be really encouraging and felt like progress!

[Dominik]

Got a question for any theory guys about modes or anyone that can shed some light.
NOw I realise that modes are all the same scale just different positions and some modes therefore have the same notes.
In my case I am playing E minor/aeolian. Now all of the notes in E aeolian are the same notes as C lydian.
Now my question is if I am playing a 2 chord progression of e minor and c major with equal emphasis on each chord, what mode would I be playing?
Would it depend on which note I land on or use as the tonic? Or while the E minor chord is playing would I be playing E aeolian and when the C major chord is playing would I be playing C lydian? Or am I technically playing both?
If any guys know anything about this id be happy to hear cause its been racking my brain! lol
Ive never studied music other than just googling a bit here and there and what other players have told me etc.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated or if anyone wants to talk about a bit of theory!

"with equal emphasis on each chord"

In that case flip a coin. I guess it comes down to the first chord of the progression at the start of the bar. Minor is obviously the more common scale and most people would have difficulty coming up with melodies in Lydian that don't sound like they're trying to resolve back to Major or Minor.

Lydian is one of those modes that you need to spend a lot of time with to reach the point where you can use it effectively. It starts with being able to hear it and identify its signature sound — Major with a raised 4th.

The perfect example is Satriani's Flying in a Blue Dream where every chord is Lydian. Time Machine is another one.

[Dominik]

The Satch marathon continues...

Here's another one worth listening to. "Pitch axis" with Lydian and Mixolydian. The root remains fixed while the scales change. Where Joe leaves most guitarists in the dust is his sense of melody.

[ruddager7]

Cheers for the quick and quality reply. Misc never ceases to amaze me the different types of people and knowledge on here.

In that case flip a coin. I guess it comes down to the first chord of the progression at the start of the bar. Minor is obviously the more common scale and most people would have difficulty coming up with melodies in Lydian that don't sound like they're trying to resolve back to Major or Minor.

Thats what really had me thinking, just because our ear is inclined to resolve to the minor note does that necessarily mean your playing that mode though? As that note is a part of Lydian as well.
Definitely hear what your saying though as you can make it sound distinctively more lydian by emphasising that raised 4th and landing on the C (in the context of this progression).

The Satch marathon continues...

Here's another one worth listening to. "Pitch axis" with Lydian and Mixolydian. The root remains fixed while the scales change. Where Joe leaves most guitarists in the dust is his sense of melody.

Cheers for the new music too! Ive been needing some fresh stuff. Heard a bit of satch but am yet really gave him the time he probably deserves. Steve Vai was what got me playing around with Lydian. Big fan of mixolydian as well so I'm going to go check that song out!

[NaturalFTW]

Youtube is your friend. So many lessons and videos. Theres so many ways you could approach learning guitar I guess it depends what you want out of it. Good place to start is learning a few easy chords and then stringing a few together. That way you'll feel like your making a bit of progress.
After you can put a few chords together you could maybe learn a scale. Minor pentatonic is easy and sounds good over pretty much anything. That way you could put some chords together and play a little bit of stuff over the top which I found to be really encouraging and felt like progress!

Thanks a lot! I've been looking around but I can't seem to find a website that gives me the definitions of all the terms such as chords, scales etc. Do you have any you recommend?

[ruddager7]

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ has some good stuff from memory but I guess any question you had you could just google e.g. 'what is a guitar scale' 'basic guitar chords etc' and I'm sure you will get some answers.
A chord is just a combination of notes together and a scale is basically just a bigger group of notes that go together to create a certain sound or feel (e.g. playing from the minor scale is typically thought to create a more sad sound where playing from the major scale is considered to have a more happy sound). All chords are made up from notes that come from or belong to a particular scale. Im sure you'll find better explanations online and it takes a while to wrap your head around.
Maybe start with some basic open chords which they call 'cowboy chords' (just google it). They are just some easy chords.
The beauty of these is they sound good and by learning about 6 different chords you will be able to play literally 1000s of popular songs as so many songs can be played by just using these basic chords.
Also maybe familiarise yourself with the difference between a major and minor chord as far as sound and feel.
Start with A minor, C major, G major, D major, F major and that alone would be enough for hundreds of songs.
The 'cowboy chords' all sound good because they use open strings in the chord for some of the notes (just playing the string without actually putting your finger on any frets)

[NaturalFTW]

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ has some good stuff from memory but I guess any question you had you could just google e.g. 'what is a guitar scale' 'basic guitar chords etc' and I'm sure you will get some answers.
A chord is just a combination of notes together and a scale is basically just a bigger group of notes that go together to create a certain sound or feel (e.g. playing from the minor scale is typically thought to create a more sad sound where playing from the major scale is considered to have a more happy sound). All chords are made up from notes that come from or belong to a particular scale. Im sure you'll find better explanations online and it takes a while to wrap your head around.
Maybe start with some basic open chords which they call 'cowboy chords' (just google it). They are just some easy chords.
The beauty of these is they sound good and by learning about 6 different chords you will be able to play literally 1000s of popular songs as so many songs can be played by just using these basic chords.
Also maybe familiarise yourself with the difference between a major and minor chord as far as sound and feel.
Start with A minor, C major, G major, D major, F major and that alone would be enough for hundreds of songs.
The 'cowboy chords' all sound good because they use open strings in the chord for some of the notes (just playing the string without actually putting your finger on any frets)

Thanks a lot man

[ruddager7]

Thanks a lot man

Not a problem. Good luck and stick with it!
Such a fun and rewarding hobby to have

[Rasputin13]

I love Fender hardtail strats. Guy is selling an American on eBay. Problem is he wants nearly $1,000 for it. That guitar sold new in the early 2000s for less than that til they stopped making him. He won't budge on price either.

[iTzDevo]

I love Fender hardtail strats. Guy is selling an American on eBay. Problem is he wants nearly $1,000 for it. That guitar sold new in the early 2000s for less than that til they stopped making him. He won't budge on price either.

Unfortunately the seller dictates the price when it's a discontinued piece, especially without any other competition. 1k for an american strat isn't a bad price, though, if it's in good shape

[Dominik]

Cheers for the new music too! Ive been needing some fresh stuff. Heard a bit of satch but am yet really gave him the time he probably deserves. Steve Vai was what got me playing around with Lydian. Big fan of mixolydian as well so I'm going to go check that song out!

Steve was a big influence for me too. The solo in Rescue Me or Bury Me is probably his greatest moment as far as exploring the Lydian mode.

Thats what really had me thinking, just because our ear is inclined to resolve to the minor note does that necessarily mean your playing that mode though? As that note is a part of Lydian as well.
Definitely hear what your saying though as you can make it sound distinctively more lydian by emphasising that raised 4th and landing on the C (in the context of this progression).

There are no rules but you can definitely hear when a composition is in Lydian. As a listener you're happy for Lydian to be the tonal center without feeling any tension from not resolving back to Major/Minor.

Here's another example in a rock context. Whether you like the band or not I think it's essential listening when getting a feel for Lydian. You'll immediately hear where it kicks in. Whether these guys even knew what scale or mode they were playing is irrelevant — they wrote a great piece of music.

[ruddager7]

Steve was a big influence for me too. The solo in Rescue Me or Bury Me is probably his greatest moment as far as exploring the Lydian mode.

There are no rules but you can definitely hear when a composition is in Lydian. As a listener you're happy for Lydian to be the tonal center without feeling any tension from not resolving back to Major/Minor.

Here's another example in a rock context. Whether you like the band or not I think it's essential listening when getting a feel for Lydian. You'll immediately hear where it kicks in. Whether these guys even knew what scale or mode they were playing is irrelevant — they wrote a great piece of music.

He's obviously an amazing technical player but I've always liked the feel and melody Steve puts into some of his more simpler stuff. The first minute or 2 of 'Boston rain melody' comes to mind but theres plenty more if I stopped to think.

Ive always this song was a nice example of Lydian and captured the feel well. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy was a Vai fan.


Funny you say that about the pearl jam song. When I listen to rock bands, especially some of the older ones and hear a mode I always wonder if those guys studied theory and know about modes or if they just write whatever they feel and it is what it is.
I find it hard to imagine guys like say Nirvana in their younger years amongst the partying drugs etc. actually sitting down and learning theory (not that nirvana necessarily play in modes a lot but more guys living that lifestyle)

[Dominik]

He's obviously an amazing technical player but I've always liked the feel and melody Steve puts into some of his more simpler stuff. The first minute or 2 of 'Boston rain melody' comes to mind but theres plenty more if I stopped to think.

Never heard that Vai song before. Really like when he plays that clean chordal stuff.

Funny you say that about the pearl jam song. When I listen to rock bands, especially some of the older ones and hear a mode I always wonder if those guys studied theory and know about modes or if they just write whatever they feel and it is what it is.

I find it hard to imagine guys like say Nirvana in their younger years amongst the partying drugs etc. actually sitting down and learning theory (not that nirvana necessarily play in modes a lot but more guys living that lifestyle)

I'm sure it was the case for a lot of bands. You can hear them stumble on something really beautiful but because they have no idea what it is it's harder for them to explore it so they play a few bars and quickly return to their comfort zone of cowboy chords and pentatonic scales.

I don't think learning theory is essential but it definitely removes a lot of the mystery which helps with composition and if you want to improvise freely it obviously helps there too.

That being said there's no substitute for being creative and developing a great ear. I see parallels with photography where someone can spend thousands on the best camera and learn everything from a technical standpoint but still take boring photos. Meanwhile someone with an eye for it is taking better photos with their phone. Music is like that.

[ruddager7]

I'm sure it was the case for a lot of bands. You can hear them stumble on something really beautiful but because they have no idea what it is it's harder for them to explore it so they play a few bars and quickly return to their comfort zone of cowboy chords and pentatonic scales.

I don't think learning theory is essential but it definitely removes a lot of the mystery which helps with composition and if you want to improvise freely it obviously helps there too.

That being said there's no substitute for being creative and developing a great ear. I see parallels with photography where someone can spend thousands on the best camera and learn everything from a technical standpoint but still take boring photos. Meanwhile someone with an eye for it is taking better photos with their phone. Music is like that.

That is a good point. Your right that a lot of the rock bands touch on a mode but don't really seem to explore it in the same way someone like vai or satch would. Even Hendrix stuck mostly to the pentatonic major/minor stuff (obviously a few exceptions).
Hendrix was pretty widely considered to have not studied theory (which would explain the last sentence) but he was also a freak of a musician and who knows what he could of created if he had studied theory.

Completely agree though that theory is not at all essential but can also be very helpful and definitely doesn't hurt to know more about what your playing.
I still think your ear and feel for music is your biggest asset. Some people have it and some don't regardless of how much theory they learn.
But those natural musicians will be better off the more they know

[Dominik]

That is a good point. Your right that a lot of the rock bands touch on a mode but don't really seem to explore it in the same way someone like vai or satch would. Even Hendrix stuck mostly to the pentatonic major/minor stuff (obviously a few exceptions).
Hendrix was pretty widely considered to have not studied theory (which would explain the last sentence) but he was also a freak of a musician and who knows what he could of created if he had studied theory.

Vai struck gold when he started out. Very first teacher was none other than Mr. Joe Satriani who lived in the neighborhood. Three years with Joe + attending Berklee + transcribing for Zappa = being able to play almost anything.

Completely agree though that theory is not at all essential but can also be very helpful and definitely doesn't hurt to know more about what your playing.
I still think your ear and feel for music is your biggest asset. Some people have it and some don't regardless of how much theory they learn.
But those natural musicians will be better off the more they know

You can hear SRV banging away on notes that are not in the scale as the key changes and they clash with the chords but he's so commited to what he's playing he sells you on it. It's all one take.

It's certainly not "outside" playing like Coltrane or Allan Holdsworth — he just sounds lost at times. Does it matter? Not at all. I like it the way it is. However if he'd learned theory and applied it to the changes he obviously wouldn't intentionally hit those "wrong" notes.

[KyBrah32]

I love the tone at this beginning of this song, sounds so crisp. Watching these playthroughs of solo guitarists that do all the instrument tracking for their songs (I assume this guy does) motivates the hell out of me thats what Id love to eventually be able to do

[m3ngr]

I love the tone at this beginning of this song, sounds so crisp. Watching these playthroughs of solo guitarists that do all the instrument tracking for their songs (I assume this guy does) motivates the hell out of me thats what Id love to eventually be able to do

fk man yes this tone cuts
it has that strat vibe but its different
man I love strats

[KyBrah32]

fk man yes this tone cuts
it has that strat vibe but its different
man I love strats

yea I love a good strat tone man

[BuddyBoyo]

0:24 I cannot unsee...

[Dominik]

I love the tone at this beginning of this song, sounds so crisp. Watching these playthroughs of solo guitarists that do all the instrument tracking for their songs (I assume this guy does) motivates the hell out of me thats what Id love to eventually be able to do

[youtube]h4TY-Fxg7Hk[youtube]

Speaking of tone, anyone listen to Andy Timmons?

What happens when you take an incredible player and add incredible tone.



Shame he plays Ibanez. Everyone knows you can't make them sound any good.

[iTzDevo]

Never knew Timmons played an Ibanez, that's actually quite surprising. His tone is so warm, Resolution (2006) is one of my favourite albums of all time.