Can you learn to play electric ?

[JohnW63]

Until I got an electric guitar, I didn't realize what I didn't know. Acoustic stuff does not sound rocking or jazzy because it's on an electric, for one. I can't imagine it's just learning scales and riffs.

Is there a book or web site that might help me get my feet wet in playing an electric like they are meant to be played ?

 

[X-170AB]

What sort of music do you want to play? What electric guitarists are examples of the direction you'd like to go? There are lots of ways to 'play electric' - say, from George Benson to Brian Setzer to Ted Nugent (to mention 3 well known archtop players). The answers might help folks steer you to more useful guides.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Number one rule of electric guitar......Barre Chords!

 

[GAD]

^^ Yup.

Barre Chords
Power Chords
Pentatonic Minor and Blues Scales

If you know the E and A form barre chords, along with their minor counterparts, you can play for decades. That's what I did.

 

[Brad Little]

Number one rule of electric guitar......Barre Chords!

Or start with "shell chords" and build on them. Most jazz rhythm players seldom play open strings or full bar chords.
http://www.jazzguitar.be/jazz_guitar_chords_basic_shell.html
These are some extensions on the shell chords:
http://www.jazzguitar.be/jazz_guitar_chords_basic_major.html
Brad

 

[Alan_M]

I don't know if there is a book or guide anywhere, but playing amplified (essentially so when REALLY amplified) requires noise control. Since everything is so sustained and well, louder, learning to dampen unused strings and volume control. You'll find that suddenly every little mistake rings out and/or sustains forever! Then there's all the things that you can do or sound much more intense, such as pinch harmonics and bends. Just think of it as acoutsic with the broadest of extremes applied to your sound. It can be a wild beast that's hard to tame.

 

[Default]

Or just throw a fuzz on there to bury your mistakes!

 

[AcornHouse]

I don't know if there is a book or guide anywhere, but playing amplified (essentially so when REALLY amplified) requires noise control. Since everything is so sustained and well, louder, learning to dampen unused strings and volume control. You'll find that suddenly every little mistake rings out and/or sustains forever! Then there's all the things that you can do or sound much more intense, such as pinch harmonics and bends. Just think of it as acoutsic with the broadest of extremes applied to your sound. It can be a wild beast that's hard to tame.

Yes, that's one of the common trends I have to train my students away from. They want to just strum away on the chords. Electric rhythm guitars are just that, rhythmic. So I do a lot of damping with my right hand (or with the left in barre chords for a funkier groove). Also, not always going up and down. Some times you want to use a lot of down strokes for harder attacks.

 

[Alan_M]

Yes, that's one of the common trends I have to train my students away from. They want to just strum away on the chords. Electric rhythm guitars are just that, rhythmic. So I do a lot of damping with my right hand (or with the left in barre chords for a funkier groove). Also, not always going up and down. Some times you want to use a lot of down strokes for harder attacks.

Right! And to further detail this... dampening strings sounds like a simple idea, right? Oh no, it can be very complicated. I know a lot of people think playing electric is a bunch of banging away on barre chords, but that is a very limited view of the electric. I guess really the only way is like all other aspects of playing guitar. You don't really know until you try, and work hard at it.

 

[jimmyl51]

If you really want a study of dynamics regarding playing an acoustic guitar check out any of the gypsy players. They will knock your socks off especially being that gypsy jazz guitars are not easy to play albeit they have light gauge strings generally with what would be considered high action in comparison to a Les Paul! jim in Maine

 

[walrus]

Learn some "electric" songs! Any of the old rock classics with cool little rock riffs like Day Tripper, Baba O'Reilly, Satisfaction, or Sunshine of Your Love, stuff like that. Then you will see what everyone above this thread is talking about.

walrus

 

[Los Angeles]

^^ Yup.

Barre Chords
Power Chords
Pentatonic Minor and Blues Scales

If you know the E and A form barre chords, along with their minor counterparts, you can play for decades. That's what I did.

Me too!

 

[Los Angeles]

I think another first step is to have a practice amp with modeling/multi effect function or get a multi effect box like the Boss ME-70 (You can get one used for pretty cheap. Now you can "dial in" a sound that is similar to the one used by whichever guitarist you are mirroring. Marshal Stack, Twin reverb, Metal, Punk, Jazz, whatever.

Here's a picture of mine:

 

[griehund]

^^ Yup.

Barre Chords
Power Chords
Pentatonic Minor and Blues Scales

If you know the E and A form barre chords, along with their minor counterparts, you can play for decades. That's what I did.

And don't forget C7.

 

[killdeer43]

I'd like to join in the fun but it's just too difficult to take those electrics camping!
I'll stick to my acoustics, says I. :congratulatory:

Just sayin',
Joe

 

[JohnW63]

What electric guitarists are examples of the direction you'd like to go?

70-80s rock stuff. Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Boston, The Police, Clapton , .... But I wouldn't mind pulling out some Chet Atkins and other smoother stuff either. No heavy metal or punk.

No problem with barre chords , for the most part. The E shaped ones like F, G, and A are much easier than the B flat, B, C ones.

Don't know my scales, but I'm going to work on that. I got some of the Skeptical Guitarist books, that I like for music theory and fretboard stuff, as well as Travis picking.

 

[Alan_M]

70-80s rock stuff. Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Boston, The Police, Clapton , .... But I wouldn't mind pulling out some Chet Atkins and other smoother stuff either. No heavy metal or punk.

No problem with barre chords , for the most part. The E shaped ones like F, G, and A are much easier than the B flat, B, C ones.

Don't know my scales, but I'm going to work on that. I got some of the Skeptical Guitarist books, that I like for music theory and fretboard stuff, as well as Travis picking.

OK, then let me recommend a great way to learn some classic rock riffs: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-_hQWwfGhVblz993GksRPJSp8CB37wph
Andy plays them full speed, breaks them down, then plays them at slow speed. Great way to start learning how stuff works with a familiar tune. He doesn't always include tabs, and doesn't always break each chord down note by note, but as you progress you'll pick new things up faster and faster. I recommend these lessons because they are brief (usually not the whole song, just main components) and they above all ACCURATE. Lots of classic rock to find in this playlist. Some are in alternate tunings, but that is also interesting to me to see the choices artists made in creating their songs.
Good luck and keep Guild rocking!

 

[rampside]

I'd like to join in the fun but it's just too difficult to take those electrics camping!
I'll stick to my acoustics, says I. :congratulatory:

Just sayin',
Joe

Not when you have one of these!

Battery Power! Works amazingly well too.

 

[killdeer43]

Thanks, Terry, but I've been an acoustic guy from the get-go, and like the old adage, "if it ain't broke....."
I also like to strap it on (my guitar) and stroll around a bit, so I'd need a mighty long cord! :smile-new:

Acoustic Joe

 

[rampside]

Heck, Joe, just load a backing track on an MP3 player, plug it into the little amp and strap it on, along with the guitar and disturb the peace like your an entire band out there in the middle of no where.