play guitar

[gummer]

is it true that damien doenst use the 1st n 2nd strings on most of
his songs?
and does any one know why?

[Jgrg1984]

where did you hear that?

[Thomas9]

Not true, no, not from what I've seen him play and not from what music of his I've played.


There's two reasons why a guitarist wouldn't play particular strings (in particular the first thick ones, ie. the bass ones).


Reason A) One of the notes isn't part of the triad. For instance, take the D major scale:


D E F# G A B C# D


The 1st, 3rd and 5th notes are D F# A. The "traditional" D chord is played with the E bass string open. As such, if you want a proper D chord, you can't play the first string. Those who have big hands or who are very dextrous may be able to use their thumb to barre the E string at the second fret, yielding an F#. In general I play all the strings I can, the more the merrier!


Reason B) You just want a certain sound, eg. more bass or more treble, to set the mood. At the extreme bass end, you'd have "power chords" and at the other end you've have the likes of "Delicate". In playing "Delicate", I choose to bring the bass notes in a times and leave them out at others.


They're the reasons thatcan be "explained" in the general sense of "music theory". After that you've just got stuff that sounds good. For instance, you have "seventh" chords, where the seventh note of the scale is brought into the chord, yielding D7. Seventh chords fit nicely into alot of songs, take the E7 in "Black is the colour" by Christy Moore, which just totally brings the song to life. And then you have hammer-ons and pull-ofs which are the essence of "Delicate".


Music can be explained a lot by music theory, but at the end of the day people either like the sound of something or they don't. Here's an extreme example: A song is said to be played in a certain key. This can be a major key ora minor key. So if you have asong in A minor, you'll be using chords from the A minor scale:


Am B C D E F G Am


But then you hear "Cheers Darlin'" which uses both A minor and D minor, which I found as a big surprise, but by Jesus it definitely sets the mood!


In essence there's no rules in music, but the music theory we have today is a massive help in writing songs and in trying to figure out the notes of a song you've heard.

[Johnny B. Goode]

How long u playin guitar if you dont mind me askin?

[Thomas9]

Eightyears.


Started off with acoustic. Then electric. Then classical. Now I'm pretty much settled on acoustic, though I'll probably play more electric and classical in the future. . .

[Johnny B. Goode]

Interesting.........Always admire someone who has the patience to learn the musical theory stuff! I play both accoustic and electric myself! Classical is a little intimidating but i love to listen to it!


Rodrigo y Gabriella...............awwwwwwwwwwe*druels*[img]smileys/smiley32.gif[/img]


That sh*t is musically orgasmic!

[Thomas9]

Yeah, classical guitarists are their own breed (also flemenko guitarists). They have such overwhelming proficiency, yet they disguiseit so nonchalantly. You'll find that they only use a plectrum when they have to, just like Damo, and just like me[img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img]!


...only thing though iswhen I get real drunk I tend to think I don't need a plectrum when I do... and end up with blood stained strings. As one person put it the next day "Tom you left your DNA on my guitar".

[Johnny B. Goode]

Sorry to go off topic! I'm with thomas on this one! Just listened to a few of his songs to double-check and although ive never seen him live, its obvious from his studio stuff that he likes to mix hammer ons and pull offs on the bas strings with alternate strumming pa tterns on the top strings! To good effect too! [img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img]

[WahooRye]

what exactly is "classical guitar"?


huge apologies for my ignorance

[reyvee61]

Originally Posted by WahooRye

what exactly is "classical guitar"?


huge apologies for my ignorance

It's usually a parlor size nylon string guitar vs steel string that is used in classical music compositions, the necks are generally thicker therefore making it quite the bit more difficult to play. They are almost always played with fingers and not picks.





Hey Thomas,


That's a lot of valuable info you gave there...thanks for that!Edited by: reyvee61

[reyvee61]

I have the tendancy to play the bass notes of a chord to fill in since it's just me and I notice Damien does alot of that too....

[gummer]

ok i dont use the 1 n 2nd strings on blowers daughter is that the
right way to play it?

[fasterfaster]

I've seen one performance of Volcano where he actually removed the first E an B strings which he didn't use in the song anyway.

[Thomas9]

Classical guitar:


It's another breed of guitar. A guitarist can play any "guitar", be it electric, acoustic or classical.


The actual instrument itself is referred to as "a classical guitar", "a spanish guitar", "a flemenco guitar"... though you may find a classical guitarist defend his guitar from the title of "spanish guitar" and vice versa.


Anyway, the differences between classical and acoustic:


1) The fretboard is wider and the strings are further apart. This helps with plucking for one thing. Whether it helps with chord shapes is debatable... sure you've more room with your fretting fingers, but then again some chords may be harder (or even impossible) to play because you can't stretch your hand that far. Take for example the D chord in which you hold down the E string at the second fret with your thumb; now I can just barely get it with an acoustic guitar -- but not a chance with a classical.


2) The strings. A classical guitar is strung with nylon strings. Those who are used to playing steel strings will find them quite dull... but they do appeal to some people.


Beginner guitarists commonly start off with nylon strings, to spare their fretting fingers some agony -- this is a major cop-out though, a decent enough callus can be achieved in a week.


As for not using a plec with a classical guitar... I myself play an acoustic with steel strings and I use my thumb and nail whenever I can, reason being that if you smack steel strings hard with your flesh you're going to harm yourself (and you will end up with bloodied strings). As for nylon, you can smack them all you want.


I saw Damien in concert at the Temple Bar Music Centre recently. You could clearly see him switch from pleck to nail regularly. He used his hands whenever he could, but when the strumming got violent he whipped out a plec.


You've far more dexterity with your thumb andso you've that muchmore control over the strings, which gives you greater freedom of expression. Take "Delicate" for example, its sounds different when played with a plec, as if the feeling and heart has been lost to a piece of plastic.


Few more little notes:


I've never found a classical guitar to be more difficult to play than an acoustic. Maybe it's just that you play acoustic and so you're not used to the wider neck? and maybeif a classical guitarist picks up an acoustic guitar he'll find it different too... ?

ok i dont use the 1 n 2nd strings on blowers daughter is that the right way to play it?

If by "right way" you mean the way in which Damo plays it, then no, you're not playing it right. He even uses his thumb to fret the bass notes in that song.

I've seen one performance of Volcano where he actually removed the first E an B strings which he didn't use in the song anyway.

I haven't looked closely at the tablature for "Volcano", so I honestly don't know if he plays the B and E strings, but what you're saying seems a tinsy bit drastic... I'm not saying that he doesn't do it, but if just seems like a lot of hassle to be adding and removing strings, or even changing the tuning of your guitar, between songs.

[Gatsby]

thomas you go into alot of detail to get your answers across... (thats a good thing)[img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]


cheers

[Darren_K]

Lol thats because he was in work and has nothin better to do [img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]

[reyvee61]

As for not using a plec with a classical guitar... I myself play an acoustic with steel strings and I use my thumb and nail whenever I can, reason being that if you smack steel strings hard with your flesh you're going to harm yourself (and you will end up with bloodied strings). As for nylon, you can smack them all you want.

Well...I might agrue with you on that point, I beat the livin daylights out of my Martin steel string and I dont use nails at all just bare fingers....[img]smileys/smiley1.gif[/img]

[SisterMidnight]

Ooh Rey's a macho man! [img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img][img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]

[Thomas9]

Well...I might agrue with you on that point, I beat the livin daylights out of my Martin steel string and I dont use nails at all just bare fingers....

Maybe you've got a callus on your strumming/picking hand? I myself have only recently just developed a little bit, ('cause I filed my thumbnail a tinsy bit too short and now a blob of flesh is hitting the strings). At the moment I've got the remnants of a blister, but it looks like (and feels like) it's starting to callus.


I have though on atleast two occassions ended up with bloodied strings. The first time I was playing a Gibson Les Paul at a party (locked out of my head ofcourse) --it was only afterwards that I noticed I'd a cut on my thumb. Then again at another little party I got a bit over-zealous during a rendition of "Don't look back in anger" and ended up leaving a nice DNA sample on a friend of mine's Ibanez electric.


You've got to love callus though, it's like nature's armour... it would be cool if we developed reptile-like scales though... oh but a boy can dream...


--


I went to the bother of looking up the spelling of "callus", 'cause I f*cking well spell it different every time. Firstly, there's two separate meanings:


A) Localized hardening/thickening of the skin.


B) Cold-heartedness


--


Here's the spellings...


A) Noun: callus. I have a callus on my finger. I have calluses on my fingers.


A) Adjective: callous. (My fingers are calloused.)


A) Verb: callus. (My fingers eventually callused.)


--


B) Noun: callousness


B) Adjective: callous


B) Verb: callous


--


Here's a note from "dictionary.com":
<BLOCKQUOTE>


Usage Note: Do not confuse the adjective callous, as in Years of dealing with criminals had left her callous, with the noun callus, as in <CITE>I have a callus on my thumb.</CITE> Also, do not confuse the verb callous, which means “to make or become callous,” with the verb callus “to form or develop hardened tissue.”</BLOCKQUOTE>


--


I can get pedantic from time to time. . . hope that's a good thing![img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img]

[mari]

I don't even play the guitar, but I'm loving this thread!


Thomas, I love the way you took the trouble to explain the difference between the verb callous, with the noun callus...now I justhave to remember which was which!

[reyvee61]

Originally Posted by SisterMidnight

Ooh Rey's a macho man! [img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img][img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]

Me Macho[img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img]





Actually back in the days when I was a bass player (I played with my fingers) I remember I had strung roundwound stings on my bass for the first time right before a show.....


I got blisters on my index and middle fingers, they kinda popped...um that really hurt and they woulda kick my behind if I hadn't finished the show and that would have hurt more.....[img]smileys/smiley36.gif[/img]


There's my blisters on my fingers story.......

[reyvee61]

Here's the spellings...


A) Noun: callus. I have a callus on my finger. I have calluses on my fingers.


A) Adjective: callous. (My fingers are calloused.)


A) Verb: callus. (My fingers eventually callused.)


--


B) Noun: callousness


B) Adjective: callous


B) Verb: callous


--


Here's a note from "dictionary.com":
<BLOCKQUOTE>


Usage Note: Do not confuse the adjective callous, as in Years of dealing with criminals had left her callous, with the noun callus, as in <CITE>I have a callus on my thumb.</CITE> Also, do not confuse the verb callous, which means “to make or become callous,” with the verb callus “to form or develop hardened tissue.”

This is a very educational thread indeed...


I have one more to add to the list:


Famous boxer also known as Ali: Callous Clay....[img]smileys/smiley36.gif[/img]





Sorry me bad....</BLOCKQUOTE>

[Thomas9]

F*cking knew some-one would take the piss![img]smileys/smiley7.gif[/img]





[img]smileys/smiley36.gif[/img]

[reyvee61]

[img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]

[fasterfaster]

Originally Posted by Thomas9

I haven't looked closely at the tablature for "Volcano", so I
honestly don't know if he plays the B and E strings, but what you're
saying seems a tinsy bit drastic... I'm not saying that he doesn't do
it, but if just seems like a lot of hassle to be adding and removing
strings, or even changing the tuning of your guitar, between songs.

I'm 100%. It was a single performance for the BBC and so he had no
other songs to worry about needing the strings for. There may well have
been another reason why they were removed (breakage etc.)

The top E and B strings aren't used during the song anyway.

[rubthabuddha]

Glad to see the mentioning of Classical Guitar. I just released my first CD which features some contemporary classicalworks.


Playing the classical has definitely removed the desire to play with anything but my fingernails. Even when I move to my steel string. I usually end up with a huge chunk taken out of my index fingernail after a show, but it is worth it.