Any other guitarists/musicians around here?

[HowardE]

Lessons are good...it'll help him if he has a solid sense of theory and structure (modes, scales, etc.). Make sure to help him keep developing his ear, though...that's something that's crucial.

I agree that the ear can be trained. When I started doing sound almost 20 years ago. I couldn't tell the difference between 250 Hz and 400 Hz - After learning the frequencies, I can easily EQ any speaker, by calling the frequency out to someone else who is operating the EQ for me.

People may not be able to LEARN perfect pitch, but you can be trained to have great pitch

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Not everyone has perfect pitch, but just about anyone can develop relative pitch.

 

[Reggae Joe]

Most definitely. When I started playing professionally 12 years ago, my ear was still really undeveloped in terms of hearing/feeling frequencies, and being able to figure out what sound will do based on the equipment and conditions it's being produced in.

As for pitch...like Howard said, having great pitch is about as good as having perfect pitch. I've got excellent relative pitch, I think, in that I can usually tell what key a song is in when I hear it. I taught myself to think of certain colors that pertain to a certain chord or sound, which helps me in a way I'm probably not even fully aware of how it works. For example, to me, G major makes me think of a deep red, while A minor makes me think of a royal blue shade.

Lol...maybe it's just residual narc'ing from diving for so many years.

 

[dive_lover88]

i still cant read notes!!

 

[M.D.]

I'm also a guitar player. I guess I've been playing for a little over 10 years, on and off. I used to play in a punk rock band, that was good fun. I still write some stuff, but I don't play professionally or anything.

I know it's all jokes, but what's with slaggin on the drummers? A band would be nothing without drums and frankly I think it takes more talent/coordination to be a good drummer than guitarist, even though I love guitar. What I mean is it takes a certain person to play drums, as the radiohead song goes, anyone can play guitar. I will now duck for cover...

Oh yeah, someone click on this link below and buy this from me. I need the cash.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

i still cant read notes!!

Reading the dots is overrated. It's what's in your heart. If you really want to read the dots, make or buy yourself a set of flashcards and keep them in your pocket. Take them out and flip through them every so often. Find really simple pieces and read through them until you've got treble and bass clef memorized, and then begin sight-reading more difficult and complex pieces. Mess with difficult pieces for a while, and then go back and do more simple pieces. Hymnals are good because there are so many songs and you can always play something new. Fake books and lead sheets are also good, if you know your chords and you're just working on treble clef.

Good luck!

 

[Reggae Joe]

i still cant read notes!!

Neither can I. :14:

 

[Reggae Joe]

I completely agree with Fish...just play what you CAN play with good, honest soul, and have fun doing it.

 

[HowardE]

I completely agree with Fish...just play what you CAN play with good, honest soul, and have fun doing it.

Some of the best musicians I have seen IMO - aren't the best technically, but put "umph" and spirit and the whole essence of their beings into each note.

This is better to me than some technical, or fast "powerhouse"

 

[plife]

Fish said "Reading the dots is overrated."

I have been a professional muscian all of my adult life and I teach music. It is great to be able to read music because then you can play anything. It is like reading a book. It is fine to memorize the book when someone reads it to you and play it over and over in your mind. But when you read it yourself, you see it in your mind and the experience, voice, and sounds become your own.

You can play anything, even if you have never heard it before. A good musician plays both by ear and by sight. If you can't read music, it is like losing one of your senses. Maybe you don't know what it is you are missing simply because you have never done it.

Learning to read simple music, like a fake book, is easy - just requires some time and practice, like anything else in life.

Patti