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Majy
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 1713
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 Posted: 08/27/03 - 07:37 Post subject: guitar players - acoustic strumming question
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I'm not really an acoustic guitar player but I just bought one to go back to school w/ (a martin 00C-15AE) in an attempt to broaden my horizons on playing styles and just get better overall... I don't really know any good guitar message boards but I know there's a few experienced players here so I figured why not =P Anyway, I noticed Dave as well as John Mayer and probably many other artists tend to strum constantly and just mute whatever strings they're not playing... even when playing single notes... I can't really get the hang of this, it sounds like shit, do I just need practice or is there something I'm missing or what?
Also, in advance, I know dave and mayer prolly aren't the best examples to use on this board but they're all I know in terms of this right now, so bear w/ me =P On a side note, I saw Mayer in concert the other night w/ counting crows, and while I didn't really enjoy him as a performer he really is an amazing guitarist, definitely a lot better than I thought... very underrated.
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Buntz
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 13 Oct 2002
Posts: 3342
Location: Banner Elk, N.C.
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Posted: 08/27/03 - 07:50 Post subject:
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mayer sucks as a guitar player dude..wtf you thinking =/
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Majy
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 1713
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Posted: 08/27/03 - 08:04 Post subject:
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dude, if you saw him playing you would not think so =/
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Spitulski
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 23 Nov 2002
Posts: 4344
Location: Washington
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Posted: 08/27/03 - 08:37 Post subject:
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If you tried playing some of his riffs you wouldn't think so, either.
Granted, "Your Body Is A Wonderland" is easy as shit.
Try playing "Neon". That shit is f*****g hard. I can barely manage to play it slap-style like he does.
Majy - getting that dave sound takes a lot of damn practice. It's a combination of the angle of the pick, where on the strings you're strumming, the speed/direction...and of course the muted strings. Dave normally mutes 1 or 2 strings in his chords and doesn't hit the rest at all, and for his percussive strumming he'll mute 3 or 4 and attack really fast. Best advice I can give is to practice playing just rhythms - no notes, just strum rhythmically. Once you get a sound you like, start working that into chords and keep the rhythm going. It sounds like a backwards way of doing it, and obviously it may not be for you, but it's something to try =P.
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Syke
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 12 Oct 2002
Posts: 2976
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: 08/27/03 - 11:59 Post subject:
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Spitulski explained it fairly well...You just have to learn how to position your fingers on the strings so you can play a clean note. It's takes lots of practice to build the strength in your fingers to be able to be as dexterous as Dave mathews...He does do a lot of mute picking and slides like you wouldn't believe.. I have no idea how he plays that stuff and sings at the same time, it's pretty complicated.
Anyways, the best thing you could do would be to get a guitar chord book, learn 2 - 3 chords, one at a time, then start connecting them together to form a rythm. Keep switching chords back and forth until you feel comfortable moving your hand and positioning your fingers in the exact spots they should be for the next chord. Repeat this step, but try it with new chords...after you've learned a bunch of chords put them all together and you can form your own songs.
Most chords involve muting certain strings, and the chord book usually shows you how to position your hand on the strings to correctly mute them. Even though the chord book shows you hand positioning, it doesn't magically make you good, you're going to have lots and lots of trouble muting those strings and playing a clean note for the first few months (or less if you're gifted).
You just need to keep practicing, keep building the strength in your fingers and hands and it will be easy.
There are these little spring loaded contraptions you can buy at any guitar store, that you squeeze with your hand over and over so you can build your strength if you're not around your guitar ...it works really well.
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Buntz
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 13 Oct 2002
Posts: 3342
Location: Banner Elk, N.C.
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Posted: 08/27/03 - 12:30 Post subject:
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| Majy wrote: | | dude, if you saw him playing you would not think so =/ |
you just havent seen real guitar playing =(
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Paco
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 13 Oct 2002
Posts: 12940
Location: Jacksonville, FL
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Posted: 08/27/03 - 12:47 Post subject:
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but midgets can't play guitar
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Occulis
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 13293
Location: Moral Relativity Central
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Posted: 08/27/03 - 12:54 Post subject:
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YEENGWEE MALMS-TEEN FOR LYFE.
HEY MAJY HOW IS THE FRAT GOING
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Spitulski
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 23 Nov 2002
Posts: 4344
Location: Washington
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Posted: 08/27/03 - 14:38 Post subject:
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He's good, Buntz. Anyone who's seen him live can attest that he has skill. Granted Dave owns him...
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Trebel
Luke Warm
Joined: 13 Oct 2002
Posts: 213
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Posted: 08/27/03 - 15:11 Post subject:
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A lot of times... it may look like they are strumming, but in actuality, they can individually hit strings like that. I have been playing for 5 or so years, and I can hit individual strings while holding a chord. Just takes some practice. Also.. John Mayer is a GREAT guitarist. Listen to some of his older stuff, like Neon, the acoustic version, and even 3 X 5's. Also, go see him live, then you will retract your statement heh.
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Spitulski
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 23 Nov 2002
Posts: 4344
Location: Washington
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Posted: 08/28/03 - 02:00 Post subject:
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Crash is a perfect example of faux strumming.
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Sasa
Sir Postalot
Joined: 15 Oct 2002
Posts: 1213
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Posted: 08/28/03 - 07:49 Post subject:
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that made me giggle Eluhvis!
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