Guitar

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

Feel free to delete this if it's not allowed. I hope it's all right since I posted it in the more off-topic section.

So, I was inspired by a video I saw on YouTube of some girl playing "Somebody to Love" by Jefferson Airplane on her guitar. Now, granted, she was quite good and I'll never measure up, but ... I decided to learn it and record myself playing it, too, lol.

I looked up the chords and have literally been playing it since about five o'clock this afternoon (it's now ten after ten p.m. for those of you who don't live in Central Standard Time like I do), so ... five hours, about. I took breaks, of course.

But anyway I thought I'd post the link to it, if that's okay. Just incase any of you want to see it, lol. I'm SO embarrassed to post it though, not because of the guitar playing, but because of my voice ... it's absolutely terrible. I can sing fine on certain songs but this one is definitely not one of them. But hopefully you guys can look past that, lol. I was doing it more for the guitar work, not for the singing ... but it has kind of a weird beat and you kinda can't not sing along. So that's why you have to be subjected to that, lol.

So here it is. It's on my Photobucket instead of YouTube because I really only want certain people to see it, lol. :)

s24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/lifeonthemurderscene15/?action=view¤t=PicsandVideos1.flv

I apologize again about the terrible voice. I'm so embarrassed, lol. D:

[Keira]

I don't know what you're talking about -- that was great! I couldn't hear your voice all that well, but the guitar sounds fantastic, and from what I could hear, your voice did, too You are really very good at the guitar.

I've had a guitar since I was 17, but I have yet to learn how to play it. I got it, and some learn-to-play-yourself books, but I couldn't even figure it out. But, I'm taking private lessons next semester at school, and that should be fun I'm excited, anyway.

You and your super mod look rock, too. Lol, I love it. I've actually been thinking about cutting my bangs similar to that, but I haven't decided yet.

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

Thanks so much! That really means a lot because most of the time I don't think I'm that good, lol. Especially not when I hear people like my friend Jake who is younger than me, hasn't been playing as long as I have, and yet he sounds like a professional musician ... sigh.

Aww, don't feel bad about that. I started playing in ... I want to say sixth grade but I can't remember. Maybe seventh. I took lessons first and we "rented" my acoustic (the one I'm playing in the video) from the place where I started taking lessons. Eventually we just bought it, and I love it ... especially now since the aforementioned Jake has re-strung it for me with Fender strings. ;) So it sounds better than it used to. And my parents bought me a Fernandes electric guitar when I was in eighth grade but I really like the way my acoustic sounds and I'm too lazy to hook up the electric to the amp half the time so I don't use it as much, lol. (I really want a Gibson SG ... so bad ... )

But back to the point ... like I said, don't feel bad, because personally I only know the basics -- I don't even know power chords, the only thing I can finger-pick is the beginning to "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd, and, literally, I JUST today learned how to use a capo properly, lol. (That's the black thing that sits over the strings.)

Ooh, you totally should get bangs like that! They're so much fun. I remember I was so nervous about getting them ... I got them cut the summer before freshman year, and before that I had had really thick waist-length hair that was just so difficult to manage and looked terrible. So eventually I decided I wanted the mod look since I love it, and ... I got my hair cut shorter and my bangs and that was that. That was my new style and I love it, lol. I think bangs suit me better than anything, and most people can totally pull it off, so I say go for it!! :D

P.S. I'm going to record more videos so I hope it's okay if I post more of them in this thread in the future. :)

[Nittanylizard]

Holy cow, thanks so much for posting that! Your guitar playing was great. My husband has played since he was about fifteen, and he was in a band in high school (they called themselves Power Surge), but I've somehow gone...hmm...almost twenty years of knowing him without learning. And the stupid thing is, that's the one instrument I really wanted to learn in school, but they didn't offer lessons. So I played the drums instead ;D.

But Rich (my husband) started teaching me this past spring, and I get so busy with other stuff that I don't get it out to practice, so I'm not much farther along. Now, though, I've been inspired again . I swear, I'm going to learn that thing by the end of this year, if I have to stay up practicing until midnight. After I finish writing, hahaha.

Thanks again for posting it, and by all means, share some more. And I agree, your hair looks great!

Liz

[Keira]

I didn't know you played the drums, Liz. That's so cool! Haha. I actually thought about doing drum lessons at the university as well, but I'm not sure they offer private lessons - which is the only reason I'm doing guitar. Not that I think I need private lessons or anything... lol. I just like the idea of it being one hour a week. One hour, one credit. Easy stuff. If I had to take my pick, though... I almost think I'd choose drums over guitar. I mean, I'm not aiming to start a band or anything (though, in high school, my friends and I discussed the whole, "If we ever had a band, we could name it _______.", but girls seem to have an easier in with the drums than guitar, unless you want to be stereotyped.

That's really neat, about the electric guitar too, Queen Jane. My boss has one, but hasn't played it in about 12 years or so (at least, that's what he tells me), so I'm thinkin' if I can get good enough at the guitar, maybe just MAYBE he'll let me try out his electric one sometime. Not for keeps, but just play it. He's cool like that. Usually. Lol.

[BlindedxxFalcon]

Since we were talking about bangs...mine go almost all the way down my face. Seriously. And my hair is only three or four inches down my back. I know how to play the drums, a little. My music teacher says I have great rythem, but I don't have a drum set and I don't take lessons...but I know a little.

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

nittanylizard said:

Holy cow, thanks so much for posting that! Your guitar playing was great.

Thank you! That's really neat about your husband, too. You should definitely try and learn some more. It's a lot of fun. Takes patience ... and time ... but it's fun, lol. I hated taking lessons, though. I always dreaded going because my teacher was no fun and we'd listen to a song that I wanted to learn but then he'd like twist the chords around and we'd like create a "new" song that sounded similar to the one I'd want to learn. It drove me nuts. So I quit, and now I teach myself with some assistance along the way if I need it ... I just think it works better. Besides, there is only so much you can accomplish in a half-hour guitar lesson.

My brother David plays the drums. He just turned fifteen in July and he's really, really amazing. He's in a band with a couple of his friends. Actually, he's in two bands, lol. The first is Discreet and the second is Anxiety. Discreet's already cut a few songs, although the CD technically isn't finished ... they participated in a Battle of the Bands event in August, and I took some videos. I could post one or two of those, too, so you guys can hear them. I think they're awesome; his friend Brandt has the most amazing voice. And Jake, the lead guitarist ... he's like a mini Hendrix, let me tell you. It's crazy. He's so talented.

Drummers I've noticed are very touchy about their drums and David doesn't like to let anybody touch them, play them, or handle them in any way, although he's let me attempt to play them once ... let's just say that's not my bag, lol. I couldn't keep a beat on those things if my life depended on it. So more power to both of you for being able to, lol. :p

I'm working on two Beatles songs right now so I might record those and post them. ;) And let me know if you want to hear Discreet!

Oh, and thanks, about my hair, lol. It actually didn't look that great because that was before I took my shower ... my bangs were actually getting kinda greasy, lol. :p

Peace,
Queen Jane

[zevie]

Woot, Liz! Yayz for female drummers! Unfortunately, there is a huge stigma against girls with sticks, but don't let the man get you down! Girls rock hard. We all know it.

Drummers get peeved when people touch their drums because people touch their drums. It's, sadly, easier to hit a drum than to play a chord (not saying it's easier to play "the drums" though). Don't touch if you don't want a drummer boot in your butt.

QJ, that was great! Post more links!

[Nittanylizard]

Yes, post more! I'd love to see your brother's band. The main character in my current novel is the drummer in his older brothers' band, and he also just turned 15 at the beginning of the story.

I only played for a while, so didn't get very far. My music teacher got busy and put me with somebody who wasn't too good at teaching and got impatient with me, and then the actual music teacher suggested having me play the symbols in the marching band, which was the last thing I wanted to do. I really wanted to work with a drum set, but like you said, a half-hour a week was nothing, and I had no way of practicing at home. I should have stuck with it because I was progressing quickly, and it made me sick to quit even then, but I was too reserved to just tell somebody what my real aspirations were. Plus, I didn't have much confidence, so I was always afraid that I sucked. Looking back now, I realize that I didn't.

Rich has been very close to buying me a drum set to play around with in our basement. Maybe in a few years. I'd like to learn how to play bass, too. I've recently been realizing how much you can still keep doing or go back to after you've grown up and your life has stabilized.

Oh, one more tidbit - I've heard that drummers tend to be mathematical/analytical people, which, if it's true, is right on target for me.

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

Hmm, that's kind of ironic ... but yes, I'll definitely upload a couple of those videos (aka procrastinate my Chem. homework, lol). The sound quality isn't all that great but that's probably because I was right up close to the stage ... and pretty darn close to the speakers, lol.

That's interesting, actually. I haven't heard that. I'm not sure if that applies to my brother, though ... both of us are in special ed. math, lol. Although apparently just being able to read music is supposed to be helpful academically.

[BlindedxxFalcon]

Well, many people say I have natural talent when it comes to drums, but math is just not my thing. LA is, though...I was placed in advanced classes for that.

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

All right, well, apparently Photobucket does not want to upload the videos I took of my brother's band ... so that's going to have to wait until I have the patience for YouTube, lol.

However, tonight I learned how to play "Blackbird" (one of my LiveJournal friends taught me everything through instant messaging, lol; it was great, she should totally be an online music teacher because I learned the whole song in like two hours, lol ... hey, that's not a song you can just learn in a half hour! it's tough!), and so once I practice that a little more and get a little more comfortable with it, I'll record it. She wants to hear how I do on it, anyway, so I kinda have to, lol. I promised. :p

Oh, and I had an idea ... I want to record "You're Gonna Lose that Girl," but with my brother singing backup, lol. Because we always used to do that together and I think it would be funny. And he would have a cameo! :D

... That's not to say we wouldn't be cracking up throughout the entire thing, though. :p

Peace,
Queen Jane

[Keira]

Liz, you'd be THE coolest mom ever

I remember in my high school ASL class, we had to do after school groups once a week, where ever we could meet, so we could practice our signs. My group consisted of me and two other girls and more often than not, we'd end up at one of their houses to practice. We'd make cookies, or play games, but all while signing. Anyway, one of the girls had two older brothers in a band, and their parents had converted the basement into this huge studio, with the whole shabang. I remember being real envious at the time. They even sound proofed the walls so that ... MOST of the sound didn't escape the basment... or in other words, disturb anyone else, lol.

I'd love to see/hear both more yours, and your brothers band's work.

[anotherillusion]

I don't know what you were worried about there, you did really well Considering you haven't played for long either, you were really good, I know how awkward quick chord changes can be (and you handled them well) as I used to play guitar (as in stopped lessons about a month ago because I was not practicing enough) but still play it every now and then.
Anyway, I digress, you played really well and you shouldn't do yourself down over it
Another Illusion

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

Thank you! It's not usually my guitar playing I'm down about; it's mostly my voice. I simply cannot sing, lol. End of story. I mean, I can sing -- anybody could do that -- but can I do it well? Not on your life. :p

That's awesome that you play, too. Isn't it fun?
Although I never practiced when I had lessons, either, lol. But lessons are no fun ... especially not with my teacher who manipulated everything. I never got to play the song I wanted to learn how to play -- he'd teach it to me briefly, and then, I think like I said before, switch the chords around so that it was a similar-sounding tune but a different song. It made me so mad. And he wasted like fifteen blank CDs to burn drum beats onto for me to play along with that I never used, lol. I don't need one of those; I can just look up an electronic metronome online and play along with that if I really need to. I like to keep things simple.

Not to mention I definitely think self-teaching is the way to go if you want to learn guitar. I mean, yeah, lessons are great for the basics -- you know, like the basic G, D, E chord, fingering, frets, that kinda education -- but once you know that, the rest is pretty darn simple. If you can read music to a degree, you can play guitar. I still can't read tabs properly, so I always look up chords instead since I know most of those, and that's how I teach myself. And self-teaching gives you the opportunity to play whenever you want, practice whenever you want, learn whatever you want, etc. You're basically on your own schedule. And, I just think it's better, lol. Brandt, the lead singer in my brother's band, took lessons maybe one time, and yet he's pretty amazing (not as good as Jake, but he is a really good guitarist).

But that's mostly why I quit. My friend Jake took lessons from the same teacher I did, too (his name was Andrew and he was like British-Italian) and Jake just didn't like the way he taught AT ALL. (Come to think of it, neither did I.) And now he and David and I constantly make jokes about him. He was really weird, though, so we have good reason. :p

I'm going to try and record "Blackbird" today. I'm getting much better at it. But my fingers are so sore! I've been playing so much guitar since Saturday, lol. :)

Peace,
Queen Jane