An experiment in guitar

[SSPWOLF]

I'll be purchasing a (real) guitar soon, and I'm interested to see what my learning curve is going to be like.

Background:

I've been a musician for 21 years now. Percussion, Brass, Jazz bands, punk bands, hardcore bands, hip hop production, and various other facets.

Over the years from time to time I've attempted to learn guitar. Usually after a few days I would get frustrated when I couldn't even pull off a few power chords, so I'd quit.

The fact that I can play jazz on a drum kit, trumpet, or piano pretty much tells me that I'm not "uncoordinated" and that I'm very musically inclined.... guitar has just always eleded me.

So.. my experiment is going to be seeing how quickly I can pick up the "rudiments" of guitar playing now that I play RB guitar on expert.

I understand finger placement and all that, I'm not "ignorant" when it comes to guitar... I can already read tab and I know quite a few chords visually.. I've just never been able to make my damn hands do the guitar thing.

So.. once I purchase I'll make updates here ;)


Anyone else with a similar experience?

[Kingfish]

Well, my experience is/was, at the age of 12 i picked up a banjo(yeah, I know) and began playing in my brothers bluegrass band. I started playing an acoustic bass a little when he would put it down and by the age of 16 I had a cheap electric. My brother would tell ya, that was the worst thing i ever did cause I was HOOKED!

I started a metal band the next year and never looked back. After the banjo, the bass was SiMpLe...

Now, i have TRIED on numerous occasions to play guitar and my lack of cording ability really hampers my progress(i.e., I suck). I can power/bar cord but that’s the limit of my ability.

I think with your background, you should have no problems given enough practice and time. Really, good luck with this.

[batsu336]

I actually am at the other end of the spectrum. I have been playing guitar for 18-19 years, but was never really interested in music games until Rock Band. I find myself playing too many notes in the game. I know how most of the solos should go on real guitar, or at least the key the solo should be in, so I start playing the solo in real time, and play more notes or move my fingers up the fretboard to where they should be in real life, rather than to a button. In other words, the game will give you very little help in real guitar. It might help coordinate movement between your hands when fretting and strumming, and it will give your fret hand fingers some added dexterity, but that's about it. If you can read tab, then the rest is just practice.

Like Kingfish said, switching to bass after already knowing another string instrument makes bass a lot easier. I played bass on 2 demo CDs after only playing bass for a year. Once you learn one string instrument, your fingers already have the coordination they need to move to another string instrument.

[JBabin3xb]

usually if you suck at chords ( like me ) you are really good at solo work. Just depends. But playing guitar hero and rockband does help with real guitar in that it strengthens your fret hand

[Tarzanman]

Stringed instruments are a different animal. Your learning curve should be pretty much the same learning curve that all beginners go through.

You will pick things up like scales and other music theory faster... but you'll have the same growing pains teaching your hands/brain to play the guitar.

Despite what some people thing, guitar hero/rock band doesn't help you with guitar at all.

[Kingfish]

You will pick things up like scales and other music theory faster... but you'll have the same growing pains teaching your hands/brain to play the guitar.

That’s true. Part of that pain is stretching the "web of your hand" (how my guitar friend says it)...when riding a D and then REACHING with your pinkie to alternate E & D-octave(on bass anyway :) ).

But yeah as Tarz said, nothing will prepare for the cramps and blisters...but cramps go away and blisters turn to calluses so just stick with it.

[WildBillKickoff]

Despite what some people thing, guitar hero/rock band doesn't help you with guitar at all.

It helped me with my bass playing slightly, about the same amount as playing Madden helped me read defenses when I was watching them on TV. Essentially, it's led me to try things I would never have. For example, I'll hear a great bass line, say "how the heck did he do THAT?!?", and then go figure it out.

I'd say it has expanded my horizons as far as what can be done with a real instrument, though it certainly hasn't improved my technique or anything.

[Grayshadow]

I was in sort of a similar situation. I'm a drummer, but I bought my first guitar about a little over a month ago - I had tried borrowing and learning guitar a couple times before without sticking with it. What worked for me was finding the right instructional program with good practice methods. I recommend the Rock House DVDs:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation/rock-house-music-lessons-dvd-guitar-dvd-s?N=100001+305077+202557

I have the acoustic DVDs, which are really good, but I've heard that the rest are equally good. Worth a shot, they're not expensive.

[RogerTarin]

Yeah i agree with the people who say that it doesn't help in your guitar learning curve. The guitar for rock band is just a controller for the ps3, nothing else, playing real guitar it's much harder.

If we were to make rock band real you would only have anywhere from one string to three strings in your guitar so there's nothing real there either in the strumming or the fretboard.but oh well i have fun and i've spent several hours of my life on both real guitar and GH, RB....

Also....if it's your first guitar get a Fender...you can go fancy later on....