I just started learning guitar. How important is it for me to know music theory?
The fact that you're asking this particular question suggests to me that maybe you're on the fence about learning it.• If you're a little more on the side of "wow, it might be interesting," then by all means, learn as much as it pleases you to learn, while maintaining the steady practice that will be necessary to advance on your instrument.• If you're a little more on the side of "ugh, it sounds like drudgery," then practice your instrument, play music you enjoy, and if you come across a situation where you absolutely need to learn a little bit of theory, then learn just as much as you need for that situation.I consider myself a beginner (Baritone) Ukulele player, but music theory fascinates me. I like to describe music theory as being something like a fractal: the deeper you go, the more there is. There is no bottom to that rabbit hole. Once you realize that you'll never know "it all" because "it all" is a universe of exquisite detail and depth, you will be freed to learn just as much as is useful and enjoyable to you at any time, knowing that you can always go back to that deep, deep well for more if you want.The key word in music is "play." You don't "work" the guitar, you "play" it, so have fun!
How do I transpose guitar chords to ukulele chords?
TUNING: The first point to be kept in mind is the tuning. There are two tunings for the ukelele; G-C-E-A & D-G-B-E. The G-C-E-A is the standard tuning. Its the same set of intervals as the 4 high strings of the guitar (D-G-B-E). Just that it is up by 5 semi-tones or simply 4 letters(for beginners) i.e. 4 letters higher. A standard tuned ukelele has the same pitches as the 4 high strings of the guitar IF the guitar is capoed at the 5th fret. Simple, enough? No? Read on.TRANSPOSING: As we said, that the standard ukelele tuning is up by 4 high strings of the guitar, so the chords too will be up by 4. A guitar’s D MAJOR will be a uke’s G MAJOR. That means if you play a D Major on the uke as you would play it on a guitar, you are actually playing G MAJOR on the ukelele. For understanding purposes lets use this,You will be playing the 4th key/chord (IV) to play the original one(in the blue).Below are the guitar chords which you can play on the ukelele. You will be playing the notes which you would have played on a guitar, the only exception being that the two low strings of the guitar are not available on the capo. So you will have to play it accordingly.Guitars: A—C—D—E—F#—GUkelele: D—F—G—A—B—CE is a rather hard chord to be played on the ukelele. That is why it is not mentioned above. The same goes for the minor chords, except for Fm and Cm.e.g. To play Am on the uke, you will play a Em chord on the uke. So the one extra finger will not play anything as there are only 4 strings on the uke.I hope I could give a more detailed explanation, but am feeling sleepy right now. :-P Hope you find this answer useful.
How can I get used to playing guitar without looking at the frets/neck?
Pardon the rather philosophical take. This is just how I approach the instrument.You get used to playing the guitar without looking at it the same way you get used to speaking a language without being able to see the exact spot at which to place your tongue.When you’re a kid learning to speak, you hear your parents say certain things. Mind you, you don’t have tabs for that. You can’t download and slow down the audio.So you just try to copy what they say - simple monosyllabic words. And since you’re not obsessed with speaking very fast as a toddler, you take it slow.So, take it slow. And keep it simple. And try not to get too dependent on guitar tabs.You go wrong, again and again. So you keep trying. Until one day you get the right sound, much to the delight of your parents.And you repeat it. Again and again.Your brain starts relating syllables to exactly where you place your tongue, the shape of your mouth, etc.This builds muscle memory. Your tongue just knows where to go without your having to consciously think about it. So do your fingers.Infact, I’ve seen people like Paul Gilbert and John Petrucci mess up when they slow down a guitar part. Simply because they've practiced so much that they let their muscles do the thinking, not their brain.“It gets confusing, when it gets slow.” – Paul Gilbert“If I have to state one challenge for this album, I’ll have to say playing this slow” – Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)This also holds true for certain freestyle footballers. They do something amazing out of nothing, and have a hard time breaking down what they just did.Practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect.By the way, not looking at the guitar is not something you do consciously. It’s not like – “Hey look, I’m riding a bike with no hands.”, unless you’re doing it for showmanship, which has its place.It’s when the music hits you that you just tend to let go of any attention you’re paying to the real world.To get to this level, takes a lot of time. Believe me, long enough for most people to quit. If only they’d stick around longer, they'd see what lies beyond. You've learnt a language with countless words and have formed a humongous amount of sentences with them over the course of your life. A guitar is just 24*6 notes.So don't concentrate on not looking at the fret board. Look as much as you want. Keep looking. But keep practicing. One day the music will hit you. And you'll never be the same again. :)
What is your story of learning guitar?
I love this question. Thanks for asking it.Ten months back from now, I remember my Dad bringing guitar to me as a surprise. It was just the night before that, I was having a conversation with my mom on how sometimes I get stressed up during my studies and all other daily activities during college. I told her that I was thinking of buying an Ukulele, from the money which I had managed to save from my pocket money, so that I could play the instrument to free my mind. Also I had already planned of learning an instrument for a while.As every Indian parents, she didn’t hesitate a word, and was very reluctant of me for not buying the things I want, and not asking for money from her.Dad overheard all these conversation from his bed. I thought he was asleep the whole time. The next day, he surprisedly bought a guitar and gifted me. I was quite moved. I never thought he would be so serious about what I said.It has been 10 months now, and I absolutely love playing it. Whenever I feel stressed, I take a break, tune my guitar and voila, I get completely immersed in the music. I have already mastered every Chords and currently practicing finger-style and flamenco techniques. I am hoping to even get into professional music production after some months. I am already gearing up practicing DAWs and other essential things.To the person, reading this. Just get any instrument you like, be it anything, a guitar, a flute, anything. Just keep it by your side. You never know but you will essentially master it. Whenever you feel like bored, take that instrument and play it whatever way it is possible.Ten months back, I cannot even think of playing guitar such beautifully. I just went with the flow of learning, practising and enjoying. There was no teacher to hold my hand and teach me. I practiced all on my own, googling here and there “How to practice barre chords”. Today I teach some of my friends who are just beginners and I tell them the same thing, just keep the instrument by your side.I personally think every person should atleast know how to play one instrument. It’s a good thing. Practicing guitar, I have also learned that hardwork and dedication is a must to master something. It has been a great journey till now with my guitar. I hope you’re having a great one too!A picture of me, ten months back.
What has been the biggest challenge or frustration for a beginner learning to play guitar?
There are so many possible answers to this, just depending on the player…Hand size, finger length, strength, and width. I saw a lot of these when I was teaching kids to play guitar. But in my experience of learning, the biggest challenge is getting the callus’ built up on the finger-tips of your fretting hand, especially if you are playing rhythm guitar on a steel string acoustic. Electric guitars mostly have light strings, so it’s not as fatiguing.Next, but also related, is learning to fret barr chords. I must admit, this was the hardest thing for me to learn, but I say it is second, because I was actually able to get by for a few beginning years without being proficient at bar chords, long after I was able to fret the basic open chords.So, a little advice to beginning guitarists -First, DO NOT buy the first cheapest guitar you find on “Craig's list”, a yard sale, pawn shop, etc.If you find a guitar shop that also works on guitars, you can actually buy the cheapest guitar they have, and they should have it “Set up,” which means they can adjust the guitar to make it play easily, and sound as good as that particular guitar can. You shouldn’t have to push very hard to play a guitar that is set up properly.If you start with a crappy guitar, you’re going to have a very challenging time learning to play.Finally, you must be patient, and diligent. Keep your finger nails trimmed, and don’t let the discomfort discourage you. The more you play, the more durable your fingers will become, and then you will eventually learn how to play without pushing so hard to play chords.