I studied piano from age ten and learned to read standard notation. I have no problem with it for keyboard instruments.
I started to learn guitar when I was 20 and started with chord positions. I then learned guitar tab by buying a songbook that had both notations in it so I could compare the two.

I discovered when I was about 12 or 13 that I didn't need the music to play most of the pop songs I heard at the time and started to play them all (on piano) "by ear". My piano teacher regularly got annoyed with me because I spent my whole time playing Beatles by ear rather than Beethoven by the book.

I gave up guitar when I was about 26 and didn't play again until last year when I bought a new acoustic and started playing again.
For some reason I can't explain I can usually hear the chords in a song and know what they are, unless it is a complicated chord progression when I need to listen more than once. This probably goes back to my school days where my music teacher trained me well to listen to music. We had to listen to a melody or chord progression and be able write it down.
I tend to work things out for myself by ear on guitar but will use chords or tabs to save time listening if the song is more complex.
I wouldn't describe myself as a "natural" guitar player. I'm more at home on the keyboard.
By the way, the gap where I didn't play guitar was 30 years. It has taken a year to get back to near where I was when I quit.
Hope this information is useful.

77

(9 replies, posted in Recording)

Delay is a single echo. In other words, it is a copy of, for example, the vocal which is heard slightly later than the original live sound. In the simplest case you can control the delay time - what fraction of a second the delayed sound comes after the original, and the delay volume - how loud the delayed sound is compared to the original. Delay is really an effect.
Reverb is more complex. It consists of multiple echos or delays applied to the sound. It is meant to simulate how the listener would hear the sound in a room or hall, for example. In this case the listener would hear the original sound first, and then the sound after it has bounced off the walls and ceilings a number of times.
The idea of reverb is that it places the sound in a "room" or "environment" when you use it.
The bathroom is a real environment with multiple echoes and so gives you a reverb.
In my recordings I place echo on instruments on their individual tracks depending on what sounds good. Vocals alway need a little echo/delay. Solo instruments too. Pianos in particular and guitars when picked need careful treatment. Too much echo can muddy the sound.
I only place reverb on the final mix. This places the whole performance in a "room" and gives it life.
The reason I don't usually place reverb on individual tracks is that it can make them sound like they were recorded in different "rooms".
That's just my technique. I'm sure others have different techniques.
If you have an acoustically dead environment and the facilities to add these effects later then I would say do it.
If you have to record in the bedroom, add the reverb, if you have it, later.
If you have to record in the bathroom, you are stuck with the reverb for ever and can never remove it.
Hope this helps.
Edit:
I forgot to add this.
Delay time is important if you apply the delay to a rhythmic track.
As an example, if you have a snare drum that is being hit on every beat and the song is going at 120 beats per minute, then your snare is hit twice every second. If you put delay or echo on that, you do not want the delayed sound of each snare hit to run into the sound of the next hit. For this reason you would never use a delay time of more that half a second. (500ms). In fact you would possibly use one of a quarter second (250ms) so that the delayed sound also falls at a regular point in the rhythm. In this case exactly half way between the two snare hits.

78

(74 replies, posted in Music theory)

Looks fine Steve. The diagrams make it clear how the scale of C looks on a fretboard, a piano and in tab and treble clef notation.
It reminded me of a song from way back that helps you to know what the notes sound like, too.
When I was in school we learned the "tonic sol-fa" - you know, the doh ray me fa so la tee doh. This is how the major scale sounds.
The song I remember is "Doh a deer, a female deer, ray, a drop of golden sun..." etc from, I think, The Sound of Music film.
So if anyone knows the "sol fa" above, or knows that song, just remember that the notes of the major scale are those same notes you hear as doh ray me... etc.
Thanks for this lesson.

79

(74 replies, posted in Music theory)

canudigit wrote:
jerome.oneil  wrote:

I think it's much easier to show using a keyboard, where you can break things down into white keys and black keys, to demonstrate how the key signature and the "number of sharps/flats" all make sense.  The fretboard can be a frightening thing sometimes!

I absolutely agree with you and thanks for that feedback:). 

I didn't do that because I was thinking this is a guitar forum and didn't want to confuse anyone with a different kind of instrument. 

jerome.oneil Do you think I should add a piano diagram to?

Also, I was thinking of creating the lessons with the learning objective stated up front so we can all give feedback and know exactly what the lesson is actually about.  I think this would be very helpful, but I would like to hear what others think.  This would be a way to have a standard, but this is just IMHO.

I am happy that we are all getting along not to mention I am learning how to communicate effectively in a forum.

This could have gotton much uglier, but we all did the rite thing smile.

Thanks Steve

I would vote for a piano keyboard too. Showing the fretboard, keyboard, tab and staff gives everyone a chance.
I agree it's also useful, in fact it's standard practice in training literature, to state the learning objectives up front so everyone knows what the lesson is about.
Go for it.

80

(74 replies, posted in Music theory)

SouthPaw41L wrote:

What the....????

A one lined treble cleff......(diagram 1)

A 3 string guitar tab with fret #'s on an invisible string..(diagram 1)

and a guitar fretboard without a B string....(diagram 2)


Your disclaimer at the beginning of this post really makes sense now.  This is definitely original and unlike any notation, standard or tab, that i have ever encountered....

The diagrams look fine to me. No idea what you are talking about. Do you have a computer glitch?

81

(74 replies, posted in Music theory)

Hi Steve
I've been following your progress with interest and observing the reactions on here.
I'm fairly new to chordie but have been around internet forums, including those of the musical kind, for many years.
I think the reception you got on here is fairly typical of the way most forums seem to work.
I must say I was a little surprised by some of the posts from those who have been here a while and some of the moderators.
They were, shall I say, a little uncharitable. There should be no need for bickering on here as we are all in this to learn and pass on what knowledge we have to others who may benefit from it.
I tend to reply to a query in this section if I feel I can answer it and it looks like no one else has yet replied. People like a quick response.
Clearly you have knowledge that will benefit others, and want to share this. So far so good.

If you look in this section, you will see that Jerome has obviously spent a lot of time putting together some lessons on music theory, particularly scales. There's not much point in repeating this or going over the same ground, don't you think? No need to reinvent the wheel!
However, there are areas he hasn't covered yet so why not write something that fills in the gaps?
For example, in the section on minor scales he hasn't yet got around to talking about the "melodic" and "harmonic" minor scales, just the natural minor. Why not talk about that? Melodies in the minor key do not confine themselves just to the natural scale, and one needs occasionally to play major chords when singing a melody in the minor.
Just my thoughts on a possible topic.
Music theory can be highly complex and it is difficult to know where to start and how to approach teaching it.
The subject of scales, sharps, flats, keys etc is tricky.
Rhythm can be even worse and I have had disagreements on here over aspects of this.
However, don't let the bickering put you off.
Best wishes
Chris

82

(17 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Roger Guppy wrote:

To expand on Selso's reply,

If you have the 12 string in the normal playing position the heavier of the paired strings are uppermost and are tuned as follows:

E - normal guitar tuning
E - but one octave higher

A - normal guitar tuning
A - but one octave higher

D - normal guitar tuning
D- but one octave higher

G - normal guitar tuning
G - but one octave higher

B - normal guitar tuning
B - normal guitar tuning

e - normal guitar tuning
e - normal guitar tuning

I hope that helps.

Roger

Roger, is this how your 12 string is set up?
Mine has the lighter strings uppermost on all the octave pairs.
This is how it came from the factory.

83

(22 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I have to say on this topic that maybe I must be missing the obvious here. But how is one supposed to comment on a song when all you have is the words and some chords? Where is the tune? The rhythm? etc. Without this I haven't a clue what the song sounds like.
Point me to a recording and I'll attempt a comment
If what you want comment on is what I see in the Songwriting section, I must in all honesty and with hand on heart say that I really can't comment. Sorry.
The words of your songs that I've looked at are fine - some nice stuff there, but without the tune what more can I say?
I hope I don't sound harsh. I think if you want feedback (from me at least), you must have a recording. I hope that is helpful.

84

(17 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I think they sell for around $250-300 in the States. Mine was £200 in the shop here.

85

(17 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Thanks keni010
Those spacings look very similar to mine. Are the pairs of strings parallel - with the same spacings, 2 - 3mm, at the bridge?

86

(6 replies, posted in Music theory)

If it's songs with just those 3 chords, don't forget that you can also use songs that are F G and Am (as previously mentioned) and C D and Em. Just play them as F G and Am and use the capo if they are out of range.
C-D-Em
F-G-Am
G-A-Bm
There are other possibilities. (eg D E F#m, or Ab Bb Cm if you like flats!)

87

(7 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I would give anything for a soft, charming and mellifluous voice.
Your friend is very fortunate.

88

(2 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

AS the guy is dead and not yet buried, I think it would be inappropriate to comment.
I enjoy chat about music and would welcome chat about MJ.
I have no wish to discuss your allegation that he was taking female hormones.
In fact, I think the allegation is in poor taste. Maybe you should moderate your own post.
The guy has left his music for us to enjoy, let him rest in peace.

89

(41 replies, posted in Acoustic)

You can get them on amazon (.co.uk) for £39 - I assume they are the Lindo guitars that are advertised on the chordie site.
They are a copy of the Martin Backpacker Guitar which retails at around £200.
The Martin has quite good reviews. I'm not sure about the build quality or sound of the Lindos. They come in black too.
I would suggest Googling around for Lindo Backpacker and reading some of the reviews.
Any guitar with such a small body is going to have a much less "full" sound compared with a standard shape. It is bound to sound thin in comparison. Having said that, the sound produced can be quite attractive if you are looking for a "light" tone.
I was looking for a travel guitar last summer and was interested in the Lindo but decided against it as I was not convinced of the quality.
Instead I went for a Troubadour. You can see one here
http://www.troubadour.uk.com/?page_id=6

90

(17 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Thanks guys.
yogachandra
As the guitar was set up, at the nut end the strings are such that each pair is separated by 2.5mm (3/32"), and the spacing between adjacent pairs is about 5mm (6/32"). (Gives 40mm width across the strings)
At the bridge all the spacings are greater. The pairs are about 3mm (4/32") apart and there is about 8mm (10/32") between adjacent pairs.
I would need to move the string pairs closer together at the bridge to make them parallel.
tandm
That tuning in triplets sounds fascinating. Can you remember exactly how he tuned the groups of 3. Did he use the same gauge strings as a normal 12-string? So the 3 bottom E strings would be one at low E and 2 an octave higher. It would need the nut grooves realigned. That's so whacky I might even try it. Not on my new guitar though!

91

(6 replies, posted in Acoustic)

A very common wood for the top (sound board) is spruce, and for the back and sides is rosewood. However, there are are others. Cedar is also popular for the top but gives a different sound. My main (folk) acoustic has a spruce top but my classical has cedar. My 12-string has mahogany back and sides.

92

(11 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

2001: A Space Odyssey
Once Upon a Time in the West

93

(35 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I bought a 12-string a couple of weeks ago (see my thread below re. string spacing which no one has replied to presumably because no one knows the answer, and that because no one plays 12-string on here!) and if anything I find it more difficult to play than my 6-string. Yes, the neck is a little wider, but it's more difficult to hold down the pairs of strings firmly.
The guitar sounds wonderful, especially when strummed with a light plectrum. I find it impossible to finger pick on it.
My advice is to try one and see how it feels.

94

(11 replies, posted in Music theory)

Whoever told you that there is no such note as E# or Fb etc was incorrect.
Those notes exist. E#, for example, as you rightly say in your post, exists in the key of F# major. It is the last (7th) note of the scale. It must be written as E# in formal music notation.
The problem is only when you have to play the note. You then find that on keyed instruments and fretted instruments, it is the same physical note as F natural and is also at the same pitch.
The difference really is just one of musical "grammar". You choose the name of the note depending on what is correct for the key you are playing in.

95

(17 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I just bought myself a 12-string. Nothing expensive but good value for money from all the reviews I've read.
http://www.waldenguitars.com/D552.html
I was wondering if anyone can tell me what the "ideal" spacing is between the two strings in each pair. I know they need to be close together but not so close as they cause a buzz.
Do any of you have any experience of the relative advantages/disadvantages of changing the spacing at the bridge?
Should the pair spacing at the bridge be the same as at the nut?

Has anyone here ever tried unusual tunings? I mean where you tune a pair to an interval other than an octave or unison?

All help and suggestions thankfully received.

96

(11 replies, posted in Music theory)

According to Wiki, a cadence is any sequence of 2 or more chords that end a phrase, section or piece of music.
So I,VI,IV,V (or 1,6,4,5) qualifies as it is a musical phrase, ending on the 5. It is technically an "imperfect", "half" or "open" cadence.
The use of the minor on the 4 chord gives it a bit of added colour and emphasis because it contains the note Ab which is not in the key of C major.
When I played this to myself just now it seemed to me to strengthen the final (V) chord. I think this is because the minor chord on IV seems to want to lead to the V chord more strongly that the major .

Headcase wrote:

Hi Guys,
            I thought this one would be for the Music Theory buffs, I have a copy of Freight Train
by Elizabath (Libas) Cotton.  The song is in the key of [G] but it has two Dominant 7th
Chords in the Version I have, IE, [ G, B7th, C, D7th ] is this normal, to have Two Dominant
7th Chords in the same song.


Luck and Health to all!!!

I play this one in C but the same applies.
My version has the 7th (mine G7 / yours D7) at the start of the verse (1st chord change) when you sing "... go so fast..." the first time.
At the end of the verse , the chord before my final C is a G. (Not G7)

I think it sounds better without the 7th the 2nd time. That's just my preference.
I think the reason for this is that the melody itself hits the 7th on the word "fast", so the 7th chord sounds fine.
At the end of the verse there is no 7th in the tune so a chord without the 7th sounds fine.
As I say, it's how I sing it and what sounds right to me.
Having said that, there is no rule about how many 7ths should be in a song. I suppose moderation is the best bet.
Too much of anything can become irksome.  wink

Have you seen the vids of Elizabeth Cotton singing this on YouTube?

98

(3 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

KajiMa wrote:

If you look at the chord chart in the resources tab you will see under the "A" chords "Adim" (diminished) with first fret strings 2 and 4 fretted and 2nd fret strings 1 and 3 fretted.

I have also seen this same chord with the same position being marketed under the "C" and "F" banner.

Obviously it is a weird one where the root is chosen from the 4 notes depending on key but all other notes are the same.

How many chords are there like this?

With that chord it really depends on the context you use it in - and as people have said, which note is considered to be the root of the chord.
If the chord is under "A", then it is a 7/9 chord, that is in this case, a A chord with flattened 7 (standard A7) and added flattened 9th.
Played without the root A it consists of 4 notes all separated by a minor 3rd (3 half tones) and has a nice sound.
If you add the open A string as the root, you get a real crunchy, somewhat jazzy discord. It's the flattened 9th that is the crunchy note!
The chord in this form would tend to resolve to to D minor (or major), or possible F. Go with what you ear tells you.
The reason this chord repeats up the fret board every 3 frets is because it's notes are all separated by 3 half tones (= 3 frets).

99

(7 replies, posted in Music theory)

sweety19541 wrote:

why B flat equals A sharp?

Depends what you mean by "equals".

On a keyboard or fretted instrument, for example, they are the same pitch.
In the harmonic system we use in the West, with sharps and flats and equal intervals of 12 semitones in an octave, they are the same pitch.
However, in terms of music theory, if I'm playing in the key of B or Bmin, the leading note (going up to the B in the scale, is called A# and not Bb. In the key of C, if I flatten the leading note (the B) then I must call it Bb.
A couple of hundred years ago, before the scale we now use was esyablished, they were not the same note, and a violinist or vocalist (where pitch is self determined), even today will often sing them at a different pitch.

It's actually quite a complicated idea!

100

(9 replies, posted in Acoustic)

If you are going to Cardiff then I highly recommend you go down to Cardiff Guitars in the Bay, and not one of the usual shops in the city. The guys down the Bay will give you plenty of good advice and certainly know what they are talking about.