Support NeoGAF

[Star Power]

Could you post some exercises for me to try out? I'm sort of stuck in a rut...


M teacher is awesome, and he's helped me a lot... but since I have so much time off I want to start doing drills and stuff, and learn some stuff on my own. I really want to train my ear for chords... I can easily pick up lead and bass parts by ear, but the chords are kind of hard... any exercises for that? And could one of you explain scale notation? I only know one scale so far ( minor Pentatonic), and I'm not sure how to read the others. I'm pretty good with using my pinky and stuff... so yeah. I have some ideas for riffs and stuff in my head, but I can't translate that to the guitar :-\

 

[Litigation Manuel]

To train your ear for chords, start practicing all the variations of the major and minor chords: 7th, 9th, sus, etc. Also, keep in mind that most rock bands will rely heavily on power chords.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by scale notation, there are several ways I've learned scales but mostly in tab form. If you can, post an example of the notation you're using and we can help figure it out.

 

[Star Power]

Here's an example (a bit hard to replicate, as I have a chart, but I'll try):

Lydian Scale
7 1 _ 2
#4 5 _ 6
2 _ 3 _
6 _ 7 1
3 _ #4 5
_ 1 _ 2

 

[Litigation Manuel]

Here's an example (a bit hard to replicate, as I have a chart, but I'll try):

Lydian Scale
7 1 _ 2
#4 5 _ 6
2 _ 3 _
6 _ 7 1
3 _ #4 5
_ 1 _ 2

I see why you're confused. Okay, first off, read this from bottom to top. So the bottom line will be played on the low E string. What this is doing is showing the 7 notes from the original scale, or Ionian, and what notes are changed to create the Lydian. Thus, to create the lydian scale, you must sharpen the fourth note in the ionian scale. I'll write this out in tab so you can see it better:

(this scale can be played anywhere, but I'll be starting it on the fifth fret here, feel free to take the pattern and move it anywhere else)
E-----------------------------------------------4--5--7-------------------
B-------------------------------------4--5--7-----------------------------
G------------------------------4--6----------------------------------------
D--------------------4--6--7-----------------------------------------------
A---------4--6--7----------------------------------------------------------
E--5--7---------------------------------------------------------------------

So, to read these charts, just begin playing at any fret. The last line is the top string. Imagine that the chart was on your guitar neck. The space between any numbers imply that you skip a fret between them, and the dash at the beginning implies that you'll play the rest of the scale starting at that fret, but not that specific line.

 

[Star Power]

Thanks a lot.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Playing the Ionian scale is great. You should also practice on alternate picking, which is easily the most important part of learning to play. And also a great excercise is to do the chromatic climb/walk up. Start from the high E string:

E-1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------1-2-3-4----------------------------------------------------------------
G---------------------1-2-3-4----------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------------1-2-3-4-------------
A------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------1-2-3-4----------------------
E----------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4------------------------

Etc. Great technique; helps develop the pinky finger which is incredibly important. Try doing it to a metronome, faster and faster. It'll also help you if you ever want to shred.

 

[UtadaBarkley]

Playing the Ionian scale is great. You should also practice on alternate picking, which is easily the most important part of learning to play. And also a great excercise is to do the chromatic climb/walk up. Start from the high E string:

E-1-2-3-4-------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------1-2-3-4----------------------------------------------------------------
G---------------------1-2-3-4----------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------------1-2-3-4-------------
A------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------1-2-3-4----------------------
E----------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4------------------------

Etc. Great technique; helps develop the pinky finger which is incredibly important. Try doing it to a metronome, faster and faster. It'll also help you if you ever want to shred.

Argh.... FED EX hurry.. I'm really excited about this.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Argh.... FED EX hurry.. I'm really excited about this.

Be forewarned: It's addictive if you get into it. If you don't have a guitar around you and you're listening to some kick ass rock, you *will* whip out the air guitar. And anytime you're ever listening to a song you absolutely love, you *will* reach for the guitar, plug it in and start playing along.

Don't believe me on either one? I'd put money down on it.

 

[Star Power]

Any others?

 

[Raxel]

String skipping fun, courtesy of Paul Gilbert.

  Q=96
|-------5-7-8p7p5s7h8h10p8p7-------------7-8-10p8p7s8h10h12p10p8---------------8-10-12p10p8s10h12h13p12p10-------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------10-9-7-9-10-------------------------12-10-9-10-12-----------------------------14-12-10-12-14----|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-x-x-x----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


|-10-12-13p12p10s12h13h15p13p12----------------12-13-15p13p12s13h15h17p15p13----------------13-15-17p15p13s15h17h19p17p15-------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------16-14-12-14-16-------------------------------17-16-14-16-17-------------------------------19-17-16-17-19----|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


|-15-17-19p17p15s17h19h20p19p17----------------17-19-20p19p17s13h15h17p15p13----------------13-15-17p15p13s15h17h19p17p15-------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------21-19-17-19-21-------------------------------17-16-14-16-17-------------------------------19-17-16-17-19----|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


|-15-17-19p17p15s12h13h15p13p12----------------12-13-15p13p12s13h15h17p15p13----------------13-15-17p15p13s10h12h13p12p10-------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------16-14-12-14-16-------------------------------17-16-14-16-17-------------------------------14-12-10-12-14----|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


                                               Q=70                                                        Q=96
|-10-12-13p12p10s11h12h14p12p11----------------11-12-14p12p11----------------11-12-14-12-11----------------11-12-14p12p11-------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------13-12-10-12-14----------------------------------------------13-12-10-12-14----|
|-------------------------------14-12-11-12-14----------------------------------------------14-12-11-12-14----------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


|-11-12-14p12p11----------------11-12-14p12p11----------------11-12-14p12p11----------------11-12-14p12p11----------------11-12-14p12p11-------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------13-12-10-12-14----------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------14-12-11-12-14----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16-14-13-14-16----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15-14-12-14-15----|
|----------------15-14-12-14-15----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


|-11-12-14p12p11----------------11-12-14p12p11----------------11-12-14p12p11----------------11-12-14p12p11----------------11-12-14p12p11-------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------14-12-11-12-14----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14-12-11-12-14----|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16-14-13-14-16----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------15-14-12-14-15----------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------15-14-12-14-15----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


                                                              
|-1-12-14p12p11----------------11-12-14S16----------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------13-12-10-12-14----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|