Why aren't there more female forum participants?

Started by L07 Shooting Star, December 23, 2016, 03:15:13 AM

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Hi Codycoat,

Quote from: Codycoat on January 20, 2017, 08:41:31 AM
I am here, I check in from time to time. As someone new to playing guitar I post infrequently because I don't want to ask a million questions and annoy anyone.
Questions are the seeds of fruitful discussions. Ask away!

QuoteAnd as a newbie I also don't have a lot of experience to share. In fact I have been playing about a year and a half but couldn't sing and play at the same time until this weekend! I like to learn as much as I can so I read many informative forum posts, I just don't reply.

This would have been a great topic starter.

I will be more likely to speak up in the future. Thanks for the encouragement. They key that unlocked my ability to sing and play at the same time was learning a few really easy two chord songs that I was very familiar with already. Before that, my teacher and I kept layering in progressively difficult songs. I asked him to switch gears to a few super easy numbers and voila! Octopus's Garden was one of the songs.

Cody - Which chords do you know?  If you've found your voice, (even using two chords), your world is about to get a LOT larger  very fast.  Most songs that you're familiar with are likely built on only three chords.  Tell us which ones you can play fluently or most comfortably.
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Hi I play C, G, D, A, E, Em the most. Probably most comfortable with G and D. I really do feel like the singing was a major breakthrough.
Planning to work on more of these easy songs. I should have been doing that all along. Instead I was most recently learning I Believe in Father Christmas which is IMPOSSIBLE, haha. Pull Offs, sliding up the neck , finger picking. No wonder I am so happy playing two chords.

Quote from: Codycoat on January 21, 2017, 04:00:12 PM
Hi I play C, G, D, A, E, Em the most. Probably most comfortable with G and D. I really do feel like the singing was a major breakthrough.
Planning to work on more of these easy songs. I should have been doing that all along. Instead I was most recently learning I Believe in Father Christmas which is IMPOSSIBLE, haha. Pull Offs, sliding up the neck , finger picking. No wonder I am so happy playing two chords.

Well, with those chords you are limited to only about a million songs.     :roll

Quote from: Codycoat on January 21, 2017, 04:00:12 PM
Hi I play C, G, D, A, E, Em the most. Probably most comfortable with G and D. I really do feel like the singing was a major breakthrough.
Planning to work on more of these easy songs. I should have been doing that all along. Instead I was most recently learning I Believe in Father Christmas which is IMPOSSIBLE, haha. Pull Offs, sliding up the neck , finger picking. No wonder I am so happy playing two chords.

Quote from: tuffythepug on January 21, 2017, 04:49:37 PM
Well, with those chords you are limited to only about a million songs.     :roll

Hi, learn F and Bm next and you will be able to play several million songs.  Singing along while playing chords is challenging at first, but comes easier once you get a few songs under your belt.  I agree with your "keep it simple" approach.  Play songs that you are already familiar with in terms of singing and just relax, play the chords, and strum the rhythm that seems right.  Don't obsess about playing anything exactly as it is written in a tab or musical notation.  That is for later once you have discovered your natural instinct for just playing music.
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Quote from: L07 Shooting Star on January 23, 2017, 05:24:44 AM
Don't obsess about playing anything exactly as it is written in a tab or musical notation.  That is for later once you have discovered your natural instinct for just playing music.

I couldn't agree more with these comments.  I even modify the lyrics when it is applicable, and certainly the melody.  The best music comes from folks that are not necessarily experts with guitar technique and vocal ability, but so much more from folks that have genuine passion when they play and sing.  It is not so much about parroting the original.  It Is All about how You Feel the music...
George

Quote from: L07 Shooting Star on January 23, 2017, 05:24:44 AM
Hi, learn F and Bm next and you will be able to play several million songs.  Singing along while playing chords is challenging at first, but comes easier once you get a few songs under your belt.  I agree with your "keep it simple" approach.  Play songs that you are already familiar with in terms of singing and just relax, play the chords, and strum the rhythm that seems right.  Don't obsess about playing anything exactly as it is written in a tab or musical notation.  That is for later once you have discovered your natural instinct for just playing music.

Plus the D minor and A minor and you have the entire key of C and most of D and G. If you really want to get adventurous the Fdim will give you the entire chromatic range in the key of C. Then, along with a capo, the world's your oyster and you can learn several million more songs.   :beer

Yes, all four of those chords F, Bm, D Minor and A Minor, are in songs I have been trying to learn. Jimmy Rankin seems to like them. I already use a capo for a few tunes including All I Want is You by U2 and a few Hawksley Workman songs.
I appreciate the advice about just playing through. I do obsess about getting everything right. Today I just sang through a giant mess, then I did it again a few times and the playing got better. Not great, haha, but better.
Am is fine, always forget D minor. Barre chords are killing me as are the ones with a big range. My hands are pretty small but my reach is getting better. I do plan to ask for more easy songs to work on at this week's lesson.

Quote from: Codycoat on January 23, 2017, 07:20:56 PM
Yes, all four of those chords F, Bm, D Minor and A Minor, are in songs I have been trying to learn. Jimmy Rankin seems to like them. I already use a capo for a few tunes including All I Want is You by U2 and a few Hawksley Workman songs.
I appreciate the advice about just playing through. I do obsess about getting everything right. Today I just sang through a giant mess, then I did it again a few times and the playing got better. Not great, haha, but better.
Am is fine, always forget D minor. Barre chords are killing me as are the ones with a big range. My hands are pretty small but my reach is getting better. I do plan to ask for more easy songs to work on at this week's lesson.

Are you learning any music theory that explains why certain chords work in certain keys? C - Dm - Em - F - G - Am - Bdim - C for instance are chords that are built on the C major scale. C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C or do re mi fa sol la ti do. Understanding the language really helps when trying to play it.   

This guy has some nice simple on line lessons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2le_5LRJL8o

Quote from: Codycoat on January 23, 2017, 07:20:56 PM
Yes, all four of those chords F, Bm, D Minor and A Minor, are in songs I have been trying to learn. Jimmy Rankin seems to like them. I already use a capo for a few tunes including All I Want is You by U2 and a few Hawksley Workman songs.
I appreciate the advice about just playing through. I do obsess about getting everything right. Today I just sang through a giant mess, then I did it again a few times and the playing got better. Not great, haha, but better.
Am is fine, always forget D minor. Barre chords are killing me as are the ones with a big range. My hands are pretty small but my reach is getting better. I do plan to ask for more easy songs to work on at this week's lesson.

There are alternatives to barre chords, there are many open style chords that are easy to play.  As someone with small hands as well, I can relate to the "reach" problem, it is the primary reason I do not fingerpick (besides that my right hand fingers are more uncoordinated that my left, LOL).  You will develop your own style as you progress.  Just keep at it, you apparently are already committed, few make it through the finger toughening process and continue on unless they are...
George

Well, there are no alternatives to barre chords if barre chords are what's required. That first position F and Bm are kind of essential. You can fake them a little until you get them down but get them down you must.   

Quote from: ducktrapper on January 24, 2017, 11:35:34 AM
Well, there are no alternatives to barre chords if barre chords are what's required. That first position F and Bm are kind of essential. You can fake them a little until you get them down but get them down you must.   

You can practice those shapes (E and Am) using the middle, ring, and pinky up and down the fretboard, and work on the hand strength of that barre.  Having a really well done setup will help immensely (IMO).

Ed

Quote from: eded on January 24, 2017, 11:50:37 AM
You can practice those shapes (E and Am) using the middle, ring, and pinky up and down the fretboard, and work on the hand strength of that barre.  Having a really well done setup will help immensely (IMO).

Ed

Quote from: ducktrapper on January 24, 2017, 11:35:34 AM
Well, there are no alternatives to barre chords if barre chords are what's required. That first position F and Bm are kind of essential. You can fake them a little until you get them down but get them down you must.   

Both good advice. Barre chords are ALWAYS tough at first - that's why we practice - to get better. Part of practice is 1) strengthening your fingers/hand, and 2) muscle memory; the more you practice, the more your hands "learn" where the chords are.

It'll all come - just keep at it!
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Larrivee owner since 1992

My guitar teacher has his Masters in Musicology (yes really) and plays in several really good bands so he is great at giving me both the theory behind what we are learning and the applications for real life playing. He does his best to keep it simple and he transcribes a lot of the songs we learn to make it more applicable to the level I am learning at, then gives me embellishments as I learn the song. I was very, very lucky to find him, he is also patient and funny and an all around cool guy.
I know I will have to master barre chords, learn theory, etc. Been working on it. I think what has been missing all along is just a basic "here are three easy chords" and simple Mary Had a Little Lamb songs that I could "play around" with so I am not so dead focused on the mechanics of what is happening. I feel like I have a lot of tools, and basically know how to use each one but I am trying to build a house without any plans. I really should be starting with a birdhouse or two.

Ducktrapper I really liked that youtube video!

Checkout ' justinguitar.com' beginnerscourse songs, totally free. Plenty of very easy songs to play.
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Quote from: Codycoat on January 26, 2017, 10:24:06 AM
My guitar teacher has his Masters in Musicology (yes really) and plays in several really good bands so he is great at giving me both the theory behind what we are learning and the applications for real life playing. He does his best to keep it simple and he transcribes a lot of the songs we learn to make it more applicable to the level I am learning at, then gives me embellishments as I learn the song. I was very, very lucky to find him, he is also patient and funny and an all around cool guy.
I know I will have to master barre chords, learn theory, etc. Been working on it. I think what has been missing all along is just a basic "here are three easy chords" and simple Mary Had a Little Lamb songs that I could "play around" with so I am not so dead focused on the mechanics of what is happening. I feel like I have a lot of tools, and basically know how to use each one but I am trying to build a house without any plans. I really should be starting with a birdhouse or two.

Ducktrapper I really liked that youtube video!

Glad you did. I stumble upon these things and think this would be useful. Even though I'm pretty good at this stuff, every now and then a reminder of how things work can inspire something new. It's great you have a good teacher and I know exactly what you mean. It has to be fun, as well. The internet is a wonderful thing, however. When I started playing, it was very difficult to find material that taught anything you wanted to know and songbooks of that era tended to be aimed at piano or horn players. Very difficult to learn songs in non guitar friendly, flat keys. Good luck with the process and have fun.

Quote from: Davy Vanthuyne on January 26, 2017, 10:29:38 AM
Checkout ' justinguitar.com' beginnerscourse songs, totally free. Plenty of very easy songs to play.

Thanks for the ideas.  I've been Youtubing for several months learning whatever song I fancy.  It's so easy with dozens of how to play vids out there for the same song.  My favorite though is the "shut up and play" guy.  I like his style and have learned many songs from him.   

As for attracting more females, my wife pointed out there are no "like" buttons on the posts.  Not that I claim to understand what that means..... 

:donut :coffee

Quote from: Betterlate on February 01, 2017, 11:18:18 AM
As for attracting more females, my wife pointed out there are no "like" buttons on the posts.  Not that I claim to understand what that means..... 

:donut :coffee

Not to keep women away but ... please .... let's keep it that way!   :arrow


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