Search options (Page 73 of 81)

Howdy ApeDoctor,

  Stonebridge has it correctly... it is the same as buying a steel guitar, like people each is different and it will all come down to the sound and playability that feels "right to you.  The necks are thicker and wider and the "headspace" between string and fret wider by a good margin requiring a more vertical attack with the fretting hand.  I learned to play on one of those and still have a nylon classical in the arsenal for those times when nothing else will do, I'm sure feeling neglected hanging over there in it's gig bag.

There are notoriously "good" brands out there, some of which sound terrible to my ear, and there are "cheap" ones that have exceptional character and resonance.  Test drive everything you can lay hands on and buy the one that "sings" to you.

  For all those who would ask "why would you want one of those things?" Check out anything on you tube by Peter White....
yes friends that is a nylon strung "classical" guitar laying down those smooth jazz tones.

Good Hunting, and Take Care;
Doug

Zguitar,  Welcome to Chordie!

  Strum patterns are a difficult subject to broach within the limitations of language.  Which may be why it is difficult to get help with them.  The best teacher is by doing and especially if it can be visually reinforced or introduced via video.  I would be looking at anything by justinguitar on you tube, as his stuff is really good, and it is just one guy and his axe in a small studio, communicating in plain language! 

  But honestly most of us just do our thing and it happens to sound very much like we are following some recipe out of a book somewhere.  Strumming is the prime function of the rhythm guitar guy, and he is following and augmenting the percussion and bass line of the tune.  So in there with the drummer and bassist is where you are going to find the strum pattern, which is hard to hear as an individual instrument in even a fairly small ensemble.  But the beat is your guide.

  Sorry I can't give you a better answer, but after so many years  of playing it all seems to be automatic... not that it wasn't difficult at first and maybe a little awkward.  Just too easy to forget what the early years were like all the time.

The nice thing about Chordie is that we are here to help each other as we can, and I'm sure that more learned minds than mine will come through with other responses that may serve you better.  Visit often and you will find a wealth of information at your disposal that can't be replicated anywhere else on the web.  People helping people, a community with the common bond of music,
making the world a smaller and friendlier place every day.

Keep making music... it just gets better and better, and again Welcome to Chordie!

Take Care;
Doug

Alansheeran, thanks for the link!

  I'll have to go back there and face all the voids in my knowledge base now LOL.  But valuable stuff anyway as all good information is, appreciate you finding it for everyone's benefit.

Hi Toney,

  Not sure about the Narcissism part, but there is some validity in the discussion about having some idea of where another person is when trying to give assistance.  Little things, like not wasting words in complex explanations when they are not necessary.  Generally though, you (or at least I) get a "feel" for the abilities of the questioner by the language of the question.  In most cases I think that would hold true.  A well phrased question gets the best and most specific answer.  In which case, ability to communicate effectively overshadows musical ability in the quest for knowledge.  Your thoughts?

Tubatooter 1940,

  You-bet-cha there should be special catagories for such instances!  I know for a fact that I know everything, and I am just an "undiscovered" Rock Star after a half dozen double scotches!  LOL

You folks Take Care, and enjoy whats left of your weekend!
Doug

Howdy Ronacongram, and welcome to Chordie!

  I see that you are newly registered and that this is your first post so a hearty welcome seemed appropriate.

  Like you I too have suffered injury to both of those small digits, dislocations playing raquetball back when things healed more rapidly... so I do understand your frustration with trying to get the darn things to work properly.  The only thing that I have found helpful is persistence.  Make the thing do what it is capable of every time you play and over time those tendons will start to respond in some semblance of order.  Both of mine curve towards the palm slightly making it difficult to stretch out to the 4-5 fret spread but it has improved over the past couple of years so that barres are OK, and some if not most of the orchestral chords are manageable.

  I have found that starting every session with scales has helped in getting the little finger working on it's own without seeming "wired" to it's neighbor.  That was a difficult hurdle to get over, but lots of practice should get you where you want to be.

  For inspiration, you might check out Southpaw41L postings, as a person who has overcome adversity to do what he loves to do.  A fellow who switched hands and really had to get innovative in his desire to make music.... and a living at it!

  Visit here often and you will find encouragement from this community of aspiring and wise folks.  Thanks for sharing, and we look forward to hearing from you in the future.  Again Welcome to Chordie!

Keep making music it just gets better and better!

Take Care;
Doug

Kudos on a very nice job putting that together!  You two should do more like that, the harmonies are well fitted and deserve the accolades you have gathered.

Goodonya and Take Care;
Doug

I'm with you Russell...  Somewhere over five in most areas, but "I can't play reggae" the counter-beat throws me everytime LOL.

But I do have to wonder.... what would be the point of a scale to rate yourself?  If you are really good, you have music on the market, or (like you) a studio sponsor.  The rest of us are just in it for the enjoyment of doing it.  Teaching, learning, participating and inspiring the next generation is to me what it is all about.  It is not competitive it's music!

Just my "tuppence" worth...

Take Care;
Doug

Greetings and Welcome to the Chordie Forum!

  Well it would be helpful to know which hand were you fretting with while playing this "right handed" instrument?  If your left hand was your strumming hand, and you have only been playing at it for a couple of months.... I would think it would be a good time to get yourself a "left handed" guitar!  Now I know there are folks out there that can easily hit chords "off-handed" and upside down, Hendrix and all.... but there are some chords out there that are tough enough without complicating it further.

  The up side of this is that you have already demonstrated the interest in playing, and if having taught yourself the chords you know upside down, this time next year, you might be opening your own "world tour"!

  Keep making music, it just gets better.  Welcome again to Chordie and don't be a stranger, there is plenty of good advise available here among the community, and resources to help you along on your musical journey.

Take Care;
Doug

Hi Jerome,

  Shure Microphones are the standard by which everyone on the planet are measured (at least in the world of music), although there are some very strong competitors out there. You are likely going to find that the one you have is cardoid pattern which means that it has the ability to pick up sounds 180 degrees from the front of the grille.  To minimize feed back you will want to have your PA speakers upstage of the microphone and you monitor directly between you and the audience (behind the mic.).  Optimal placement for vocals will be somewhere between 6-12 inches away from source (ie: your face) and you will get more bass the closer you are to it right up to the grille.  Like Russell said, the 57 series is more of a hypercardoid (meaning the cone of sensitivity is 90 degrees or less) directional but not quite a "shotgun".

  I think you are really going to be pleased with the performance of it in most situations, and for live performances it is the "bomb"!  In a studio environment I prefer a condenser hypercardoid with a pop filter, but they can be way too sensitive for live work.... the "pin drop" thing.  Somebody backstage drops a clipboard and it is heard in "the cheap seats"!

Take Care;
Doug

Well you know it has been a few generations since my people fled Scotland.... and here in the "Colonies" we tend to toss vowels around rather promiscuously.  So I do apologize for the spelling error, no offense intended.  A little known fact however is that the Scots are quite "green" and some of the earliest recyclers on the planet.  A good Scots Whisky canna be made without the availability of a "used" Bourbon barrel, tis that which gives Scotch it's distinctive flavour. 

We will gladly send all our spent barrels over so you can send them back filled!  It's good for the planet, y'know.....

Take Care;
Doug

Hi AW,

  How is your guitar hooked to the PC?  If you are going directly from the instrument to the sound card, you might turn down the volume and tone controls on the guitar as they can send a pretty good voltage into the line which might be causing it.  If you don't get it when playing through an amp it is not likely the cord.  If you are feeding through a pre-amp and then into a line in on the sound card you might see if there is a phase shift switch on the pre-amp which might make it better, or once again turn it down.
You don't have to drive much into the sound card as the amplification can be achieved at the sound card itself or through software.

  Hope that helps, and if not I'm sure that there are others here who will contribute thoughts to help you sort it all out.

Take Care;
Doug

Hi Quotelawrence,

  First seeing as you are new as a poster to Chordie I would like to welcome you to the site.  But I must call your attention to the "Sticky" at the top of the topics section in which you will find the rules for requesting songs and posting songs here.

  Please don't be offended if your active post here to which I am responding is deleted by the time you get back here, but it is forbidden to post any copyrighted material, such as lyrics and music on the site itself.  I'm sure that you will be notified and made aware of this shortly, and hope you are understanding of the position one could put the administration in by doing so.

  If you should get back here before a moderator has, please edit your post to remove the lyrics and ask for assistance via e-mail.

Once again Welcome to Chordie and thank you for understanding;

Take Care;
Doug