Here to learn

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ThinWhiteDuke
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2012 3:18 am

Here to learn

Post by ThinWhiteDuke »

I have been playing guitar since I was 12 years old.

I am currently 19 years old.


My history of guitar playing is rather sad. I first started learning guitar through Heavy Metal music. For years I spent playing hard heavy stuff, but for the last year I have been trying to forget what I learned and play a different style.


For years I was hung up on metal thinking it was the best thing ever. I wanted to be the heaviest guitar player. Then one day, something changed my musical experience forever. The introduction of Pink Floyd in my life, from a family member that told me I was too closed minded with music. It was a miracle, I had never heard anything so relaxed and heart warming than Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon. After that, I came to Stevie Ray Vaughan, and what really impressed me was his happy feel to everything. Even his fast playing, he's so relaxed and not uptight like I had seen from dozens of Metal guitar players. I found Stevie Ray Vaughan from listening to David Bowie's "Cat People". He quickly came about in my top 5 guitar players and I was in love with listening to his stuff.

Strangely enough, I grew to the point of hating the Heavy Metal stuff I had learned to play guitar on, and for the last 2 years I have been trying to stop playing like that, and try playing like a normal guitar player. I came across David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album, and put quite some time into learning some of Bowie's stuff, but once I found the album Station to Station, I was stuck in heaven with the heavy R&B sound of the guitars on that album. Listening to Bowie all together totally changed me as a person as far as music goes. I learned a good deal of things about chords just from Ziggy Stardust, when before hand I had never learned a single thing about chords. Ziggy Stardust helped me as a guitar player in many ways.


My transition was a good thing. Heavy metal music of today's age always made me play uptight like I was racing against time to play a song and by the time I was done I was worn out. But old Rock and Blues/R&B showed me new life, and has changed me. The Rolling Stones also hold a key in this, I discovered them on the albums Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers and was just amazed at their sound. When playing along to Bowie or the Stones, I am very relaxed, calm and in a great mood. Along with Pink Floyd, I started getting more into a Jazzy mood when I came across Miles Davis, in which the music just blew me away.

But me coming to this site, I wanted to learn about the blues to become a better guitar player and forget my past. I only wish I had learned from the Blues when I first started playing. it's like the essence of life and soul, just listening to Muddy Waters, The Rolling Stones, and SRV, no matter how bad of a day you had, they can cheer you up and get you in a great mood.

My favorite guitar players I guess would be David Gilmour and SRV.

Anyways, my thanks for making this site, I plan to use it at best to become a better guitar player.
kiwiclapton
Posts: 103
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 8:00 am

Re: Here to learn

Post by kiwiclapton »

Yep, I love this site too, been here for over a year. The stuff here is fantastic for anyone wanting to lean to play the blues.

Love SRV, he use to spend a bit of time in New Zealand, he had a kiwi girlfriend before he died. Check out the book that compiles his interviews with Guitar Player, got it before Christmas, its a keen insight to the man and his music.
In the name of God, Eric Clapton and the Slowhand, Amen.
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larz
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 8:39 pm

Re: Here to learn

Post by larz »

:welcome:

Welcome. Fun with younger people here, too. Should be intresting to hear when you post your songs here on the site later. I mean you are young and can be a very good bluesguitarist if you tend to be seriously. Like SRV and Gilmour.
I look forward to hear from you :beer:

:wave: Larz
Beginner playing Fender Mexico Standardstrata, Hagström Absolut Vodka Ultra Swede Rock Edition and Fender Mustang III Amp.
MichaelRobinson
Posts: 2172
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:20 pm

Re: Here to learn

Post by MichaelRobinson »

:welcome:

Don't worry. You is just 19 and have youre life ahead of you. You have plenty of time to learn about blues and this is one of the places to do so.
You seem to me to be very musical and have good ears for music so I think you will find this site interesting to you.
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losaavedra
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:47 am

Re: Here to learn

Post by losaavedra »

Big welcome from Spain. By coincidence I got my first guitar when I was 12 and 'found the blues' when I was around 18/19 (but that was in 1963!). Many years later I'm still hooked and learning new things ... so you're at the start of what will likely become a lifetime journey. This forum is indeed one of the best places to be for the blues and the standard of playing is, in many cases, as good as it gets. There's also a wealth of info on technique etc. here, freely shared by those who've figured stuff out better than I have. All good ... enjoy!
Mike
"I feel more like I do now than when I first came on" (Ronnie Scott, Maidstone)
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VikingBlues
Posts: 4466
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:44 pm

Re: Here to learn

Post by VikingBlues »

:welcome: to 12bar. :D

Glad you have managed to find the blues at a time in your life when you have a chance of making a good long journey of learning. As a guitar player who didn't "find" blues till in his fifties I can really identify with your comment about wishing you'd discovered it earlier.

In passing you mention SRV and his happy feel - if you get the chance I recommend you see any of his "InSession" DVD with Albert King - now, there's some playing by two very relaxed and happy people who are just loving what they play, and loving what the other plays. I don't think if seen more smiles and grins from guitar players in performance in any other genre than blues.
Hope you enjoy it here at 12bar. You'll certainly find help and encouragement here - good luck with your journey down the road of blues playing. :bb:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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12bar
Site Admin
Posts: 3273
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:05 pm

Re: Here to learn

Post by 12bar »

:welcome: to our Blues community!
Not many young players switch from metal to something like Blues (or Jazz), but from what I can tell you, you're on the right way! :thumbsup:
alaskabluesguy
Posts: 97
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2011 7:06 am

Re: Here to learn

Post by alaskabluesguy »

Welcome from Alaska!

My story is similar to yours. I started playing at 19. First song I learned was "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by the Scorpions. "Crazy Train" by Ozzy lead me to the guitar. It was not long until my ear centered on the Cream. Then somebody gave me a tape and said "check this out!" It was the original Fleetwood Mac! Since then I have been on a musical journey exploring literally every genre and period of music you can imagine! I am 45 now and I am a decent blues player but I am also a pretty accomplished tenor banjo player and mandolin player and I love all of that stuff. But you know what? I still find time to listen to Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Cream, Scorpians, Led Zepplin and all of those heavier bands that "lit the spark" for me. The blues is my lifeline but don't close your mind to anything bro and enjoy the ride! Aside from my wife and daughter, music it is the greatest experience I have had in my life!!

Again welcome, this is a fantastic resource!
ThinWhiteDuke
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2012 3:18 am

Re: Here to learn

Post by ThinWhiteDuke »

Wow, what a welcome, thanks guys.

For years I never could find a resourceful area of where I wanted to become as a guitar player, but more than anything I would like to learn as much as I can, and maybe one day play like SRV. Listening to his interviews and stuff, he was a walking encyclopedia.

I'm currenlty working on Scuttle Buttin', the track that introduced me to Stevie, and it's my favorite track. One thing about most Blues I have listened to that is so different from any other music is the fascinating string bending, there's so many great ones out there.

I would like to learn as far as going into Blues, and eventually develop into Jazz music. It seems those two mix together perfectly, and I love the horns and trumpets with sax.
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tele8156
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 4:00 am

Re: Here to learn

Post by tele8156 »

Welcome to 12bar. :D As MichaelRobinson said, you've got plenty of time to learn to play the blues and you are in the right place I believe.
“Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson
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2WheelsOfBlues
Posts: 750
Joined: Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:59 pm

Re: Here to learn

Post by 2WheelsOfBlues »

:wave: there :welcome: here

You found the right place to be.
Poeple will help where they can.

Great that youre swith to this style of music, it's not the easy one, but it will be the greatest one to learn.
play guitar like the wind, mysterious but definitely present....
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