Unanswered Questions 3
- The American Guitar Academy
- 11 minutes ago
- 5 min read
This week we have a different set of questions, all things that have been asked or I have thought to myself in the past. Let us jump straight into it!
Do I Need to Learn the Blues?
I will try to keep my answer as succinct as possible, owing to my tendencies to ramble about the genre that really got me interested in the guitar. No, you do not need to learn the blues. However, you should always try to be open and receptive to new ideas on the guitar - that usually means trying something you have not tried before.
The blues is one of those styles that is easy to learn and impossible to master, and you can find a trace of it in almost every style. The common I - IV - V progression is popular in all styles, and many solos use famous blues-style licks. So you do not need to dig into the style, but it can definitely help you.
I Am Worried About Joining a Band?
The joy one can get from playing with other musicians just for fun, or playing with those that will help you along, is immeasurable. If you are having concerns about joining a band, first try to think about why.
Are you concerned about your skills? I would instead suggest checking out some open mic events in your local area, especially those that have a strong community of beginners. You may instead wish to play with just a group of close friends and, if they don’t play an instrument, use this as a reason to get them started!
Check out this blog post I wrote on joining a band here:
You should always be willing to take risks, but make sure that you are comfortable first! There is nothing wrong with a little nudge in the right direction, though!
Do I Need to Modify my Guitar?
I have been asked this question quite a few times over the past few years. It really depends what you want to change the guitar for? This has inspired another blog post that I will write shortly, answering this in more detail.
For now, the answer is a resounding… maybe. Firstly, figure out if you need to repair the guitar (fix electronics for example) or upgrade the guitar. If you have broken a tuning peg, it might be a good time to upgrade if you can both afford it and you can upgrade the components.
A common reason for modifying the guitar is because you will be under the assumption that you just need to. Just because a famous artist does something, it does not mean you need to follow suit.
If you want to modify your guitar, and you can easily afford it and it will make you happy, go for it!
Why Am I Not Improving at the Guitar?
This is an easy one to answer, and nearly always comes down to the same 4 reasons. You are either not practicing enough, not practicing effectively (this includes the correct material and remaining focused etc), you are expecting too quickly or you do not have a good teacher (this could be yourself as well as a guitar teacher).
Here is a link to a blog post that TAGA’s Ryan created about practice:
Here is one I wrote a few months ago, detailing what you should do if you are getting bored with practice:
How Do I Make My Guitar Sound Better?
Are you thinking about the sound of your guitar by itself, or in the context of a song? This is a very important distinction to make!
When considering the sound of your guitar with other instruments, you have to understand that you might need to focus your playing in one specific area of the neck, and also adjust your tone to fit. When playing by yourself, or with one other person, you should aim for bigger chords and a larger tone. However, using this same idea with a large band means that no-one will hear you play.
If you listen to isolated guitar tracks from famous songs, some are available on YouTube, you will notice that they do not always sound great. When they are used in a mix, however, they really come alive.
Making your guitar sound better could also be based on simple things like improving your technique, or getting your guitar set-up properly. Unless your guitar is of exceptionally poor quality, modifying it will not make a huge change to the sound.
Is It OK That I Don’t Like This Song?
Sometimes people like to learn the guitar for fun. They get pleasure from simply strumming along without a care in the world and that is wonderful. Others enjoy the process of learning and know that the best way to do that is with a good teacher.
Many teachers have a standard list of songs they like to teach students to help them improve important aspects of playing, such as strumming, chords, bending etc. If you are given a song to learn, and you do not like it, that can prevent you from playing at your full potential - your heart will just not be in it. You should always let your teacher know in this instance, you usually don’t need to learn that particular tune.
There are some exceptions to this. They are as follows:
If you are in a band in a democratic capacity (you all vote on what songs to learn), and your vote does not win (short of leaving the band, anyway!),
You are working towards an exam the requires specific material,
You are a professional working musician and you have no other choice.
Further to my third point above, I was asked to join a band to play at a wedding, and the bride specifically requested we play Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’. If there is one thing that I have learned, never deny a bride her requested song unless you want your guitar lodged in your neck.
Final Thoughts
You have all heard the phrase “There are no stupid questions.” - I believe in this, providing that the questions are relevant and that you genuinely want them answered. They have to be realistic, an example of some bad questions to ask would be:
“How can I play Ynwgie Malmsteen songs with only one string, both hands behind my back and whilst hopping on one foot?”
“Can I learn the whole of ‘Parisienne Walkways’ by Gary Moore in one month, never having played guitar before?”
This was a genuine question that a friend of mine was asked only last year by a potential client! Whilst not impossible, the sheer amount of work that would have to go in would be a dealbreaker. You wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he did not even show up for his trial lesson!
One more bad example questions:
“Have you heard of ‘Cemetery Gates’ by a band called Pantera?”
What kind of guitarist would I be if I didn’t know that song?! In all fairness, the student was on a journey of self-discovery into the world of metal so I quickly forgave him.
If you have any questions you want answered, no matter how trivial they may seem, you can always send an email to The American Guitar Academy for the attention of myself (Alex) and it will filter its way through to me.
