Been playing for 16 years - no training AND....

L

loop

Veteran XX
I think it's time to start thinking about scales and whatnot. I throw leads in based on feel, and play completely based on that - and while it works pretty well and I can keep up just fine, it's kind of limiting. I'd like more of a musical vocabulary.

I mean, I have a very basic understanding of theory and why certain things sound the way they do and blah blah blah, but I never bothered actually learning the real SCALES like I probably should have.

Are there any good exercises which will help me to nail down the various kinds of scales and work on my overall speed?
 
I need a good resource to help me learn more about theory. I am in the same boat as you, but I feel like I run up against a brick wall a lot of the time.
 
I'd also love to learn how to do my own intonations and repair work for my guitars. Any good resources online about how to learn that?
 
loop said:
I'd also love to learn how to do my own intonations and repair work for my guitars. Any good resources online about how to learn that?
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The Guitar Handbook taught me almost everything I know about guitar maintenance. Seriously, this will get you going with a little theory (although I didn't really learn a lot of theory from this book), and everything about maintaining guitars.

Or just bring 'em to me, I'll get 'em fixed up straight.
 
old_skul said:
The Guitar Handbook taught me almost everything I know about guitar maintenance. Seriously, this will get you going with a little theory (although I didn't really learn a lot of theory from this book), and everything about maintaining guitars.

Or just bring 'em to me, I'll get 'em fixed up straight.
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Actually, I just might do that. We are trying to figure out the next time the fam's going to cinci to visit my brother, and if we do (and you're serious) I'll bring you my guitars that need work and leave em with you for a while.

SPEAKING OF - set up a frickin kohai/rain42 show already. :) We're looking at January or Feb at this point, since we're booked thru dec (i think)
 
loop said:
Actually, I just might do that. We are trying to figure out the next time the fam's going to cinci to visit my brother, and if we do (and you're serious) I'll bring you my guitars that need work and leave em with you for a while.

SPEAKING OF - set up a frickin kohai/rain42 show already. :) We're looking at January or Feb at this point, since we're booked thru dec (i think)
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Bring em down. Instead of keeping them, I'll show you how to do these things yourself. Teach a man to fish...

Kohai is on hiatus now, with the bass player in school. :( I have another act I'm working on, though, that might be a perfect fit. I don't think you've heard this material yet...we did a concept album this year and I need to put together the band. Once that's together we're going to play regionally, so it might work out.
 
old_skul said:
Bring em down. Instead of keeping them, I'll show you how to do these things yourself. Teach a man to fish...

Kohai is on hiatus now, with the bass player in school. :( I have another act I'm working on, though, that might be a perfect fit. I don't think you've heard this material yet...we did a concept album this year and I need to put together the band. Once that's together we're going to play regionally, so it might work out.
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OK. I'm in. Can't wait to hear the material, too.
 
A book called Patterns for Jazz (by Jerry Coker) is excellent if you are up to tackling something that's very challenging, yet approachable. The book is appropriate not just for jazz players, but for musicians of any genre that become serious about expanding their concept and ability.

It's available in various clefs. I could scan some excerpts for you to check out, but I think my copy was ripped off by a "friend" years ago :(
 
WeRe-|WoLf|- said:
A book called Patterns for Jazz (by Jerry Coker) is excellent if you are up to tackling something that's very challenging, yet approachable. The book is appropriate not just for jazz players, but for musicians of any genre that become serious about expanding their concept and ability.

It's available in various clefs. I could scan some excerpts for you to check out, but I think my copy was ripped off by a "friend" years ago :(
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That's a great book.

In addition, I would recommend Bert Ligon's "Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony" and both volumes of his "Jazz Theory Resources" (see Amazon links below), as well as Mark Levine's "The Jazz Book." The first book is outstanding as a sort of Rosetta Stone to jazz. It explores striking similarities across a broad field of the tools that different jazz players use, effectively shortening the learning curve. Like Wolf said, if you're not a jazz player or even if you hate jazz entirely, this is theory and can be applied anywhere in its own way. It's just tools to use. I have the Levine book in .pdf format if you want it. Just stop by IRC in #collective.

If I have time tomorrow, perhaps I'll write up a simple list of chords and scalar functions if I'm up to the task, but it will be heavy duty if I do, so be prepared to work in order to learn it all.

The Ligon books:

Amazon.com: Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony: Books: Bert Ligon
Amazon.com: Jazz Theory Resources: Volume 1: Books: Bert Ligon
Amazon.com: Jazz Theory Resources: Volume 2: Books: Bert Ligon
 
hopefully this is a good thread. I will check out the links later.

I've been half-assedly practicing guitar for a long time now, but I've had trouble because I don't really know what to practice. I'm totally music-inept, but still want to learn...
 
A lot of great guitarists share a background of approaching theory in unconventional ways, since so many of them learned on their own, or on the street so to speak.

It is commendable that some guys are eventually willing to make the effort to get a better grip on music theory, not just because of the help it can be to their own playing, but also because learning the conventions makes for better all around communication and opportunity within the broader world of musicians.

Typically, guys that have already learned to play have good aptitude and can learn pretty quickly. The obvious question for such guys remains, where do you start?

I suggest that this is a very worthy topic, and one that a lot of trained musicians here would like to contribute to, and I propose that we develop and post a stickied thread pertaining to core knowledge of music theory, to include linked materials and recordings.
 
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