1 Reply by colm

(12 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Hi Folks,


Maybe time to own up that I've been playing for about 15 years, simply playing chords is good, also been taking classical guitar lessons for about 4 years now, so my fingers move well and I have a reasonable general sense of timing etc.  My biggest problem seems to be in maintaining the 2 separate rhythms.


Maybe I'm trying to push myself too much and should simplify the music, but this problem even goes for playing Mull of Kintyre with simple chord progression and simple 3/4 downstrums.


When learning a new classical piece, the trick is to sloooowwww down, but one can only do that so far when you have to sing along.


I've had some success with the "learn the song very well" advice, I found that I was sometimes playing some extra beats to fit around the words, stretching some bars and shrinking others to suit.  But the problem still remains.


Thanks for all your kind words and advice, they've helped relieve the impatience somewhat.


I'll just keep trying


cheers

--

Colm

Go to forum: Acoustic

2 Reply by colm

(23 replies, posted in Bands and artists)

Without a doubt, my favourite story in a song must be Rocky Racoon by the Beatles.


Second to that I'd say Dogs by Pink Floyd, it's a moral tale about the bad that can happen to you if you don't live a good life, Karma man!

Go to forum: Bands and artists

3 Reply by colm

(81 replies, posted in Songwriting)

I'm loving leafdrums <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_smile.gif" border=0 alt="Smile">

not had this much fun since I bought a specdrum years ago!


thanks for the headsup


<a href="http://www.leafdigital.com/software/leafdrums/" target="_blank">http://www.leafdigital.com/software/leafdrums/</a>

Go to forum: Songwriting

4 Reply by colm

(81 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Maybe a links page would be good on chordie,

the 3 track recorder sounds like good kit, but the annoyance of bouncing the tracks reminds me of my old 4 track <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_wink.gif" border=0 alt="Wink">


Audacity is a Fully Free multi track recording software for most any computer you'd care to name, easy to use with a ton of plugins for playing with your sound


<a href="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">http://audacity.sourceforge.net/</a>

Go to forum: Songwriting

5 Reply by colm

(7 replies, posted in Electric)

simplest...

capo or tune the instrument to the singer's range


that way you can play your existing shapes.

Go to forum: Electric

6 Reply by colm

(6 replies, posted in About Chordie)

I suggest adding a "support chordie" paypal account and put the link up near the chordie logo, that way the folks who voted on this poll can support very easily.


Don't be shy <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_wink.gif" border=0 alt="Wink">  we want to make sure your interest in Chordie continues!

Go to forum: About Chordie

7 Topic by colm

(0 replies, posted in About Chordie)

I'd like to see a search box on each and every page in chordie

Ideally in the top right hand corner


seems like a nice web standard much touted by jakob nielsen et al


what's everyone else's thoughts on this?

Go to forum: About Chordie

8 Reply by colm

(2 replies, posted in Acoustic)

guitar tab is a pictorial representation of the guitar strings with the highest E string at the top


Going from left to right, top to bottom, the numbers on each string tell you which fret to play on which string.  when more than one number is shown on an adjacent string at the same time, play those two notes simultaneously.


Other notation exists with tab, but if you start with this basic instruction, you can ask questions when you come across more difficult pieces.


Start with this easy example:

<a href="http&#58;&#47;&#47;www.chordie.com/chord.pere/www.guitartabs.cc/fetchfile.php?fileid=9807159" target="_blank">  http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/www.g … c/fetchfil e.php?fileid=9807159</a>


ps.  Tab is a bit of a poor format since it doesn't tell you how long to play each note, I'd recommend that you learn to read music

Go to forum: Acoustic

9 Reply by colm

(7 replies, posted in Acoustic)

You'll like this one


Street Spirit by radiohead, nice to be able to play something that actually sounds like the record <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_wink.gif" border=0 alt="Wink">


<a href="http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/www.guitartabs.cc/fetchfile.php?fileid=9807159" target="_blank"> http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/www.g … c/fetchfil e.php?fileid=9807159</a>

Go to forum: Acoustic

10 Reply by colm

(1 replies, posted in Acoustic)

<a href="http://www.rockguitarschool.com/tapping1.html" target="_blank">http://www.rockguitarschool.com/tapping1.html</a>

Go to forum: Acoustic

11 Reply by colm

(1 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Maybe you mean the 2-3-4 chord songbook?

<a href="http://www.chordie.com/publicbooks.php?show=details&songid=32188" target="_blank"> http://www.chordie.com/publicbooks.php? … s&song id=32188</a>

Go to forum: Acoustic

12 Reply by colm

(2 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I strum with a combination of the thumb and the backs of all the nails of the right hand, that way your hand isn't holding an invisible plectrum and the fingers are ready to be deployed since they're normally sitting around the "home" strings - thumb over 6/5 and ima over 3/2/1


This also allows for some nice damping using the back of the fingers and the heel and even allows you to tap the soundboard quite easily to get a flamenco style rythm going.


It also allows you to avoid resting fingers on the soundboard whilst playing - a very bad habit I picked up and took ages to get rid of.


Hope this helps.

Go to forum: Acoustic

13 Reply by colm

(4 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Working out the chords from the sheet should be simple enough.  Remember that chord just means more than one note played at the same time.  Have a look at a couple of bars and combine the notes in that bar, see if it matches any of the chord shapes you know.


btw - aren't the ukelele chords right for guitar?

Go to forum: Acoustic

14 Reply by colm

(12 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Try Hurt by Johnny Cash (actually by 9 inch nails, but Johnny makes it wonderful).  It's a combination of picking and strumming.


it's all first position chords too, so good for a beginner.



Listen to it here:

<a href="http&#58;&#47;&#47;www.losthighwayrecords.com/e/cash11403.html" target="_blank">http://www.losthighwayrecords.com/e/cash11403.html</a>

Go to forum: Acoustic

15 Topic by colm

(12 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Hi folks,


been playing a while now and still have not mastered singing and playing at the same time.


Funnily enough, I can play arpeggios and sing (e.g. street spirit, house of the rising sun, streets of london).


But when I strum chords, I always start strumming the rhythm of the lyrics.  I can't seem to separate the two.


I've started accompanying the CD of songs I'm learning to get rhythm and timings together.


I'm sure it's down to practice, practice, practice, but I also know that if I don't have a battle plan, then I'll just reinforce my bad habits (as I've done over the years to date...)


I like almost any kind of music...


What do you do?

Go to forum: Acoustic

16 Reply by colm

(9 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Well, really depends on your tastes, The Bends by Radiohead should keep you nice and busy, fantastic sound too on acoustic.  Search your favourite peer to peer for an pre-bends acoustic version.


After that, tackle Dogs by pink floyd - their best song (imo)

Go to forum: Acoustic