When I'm practicing I'm just playing some songs, but I really want to learn how to play or write my own stuff.
I've heard people talking about scales, could you post some too and tell me how to practice them right. I really need some progress in playing guitar.
Thanks!
How do you practice?
- Patrick
- Billy Spleen
- Posts: 261
- Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:22 pm
- First name: Patrick
- Age: 19
- Gender: ♂
- Instrument 1: Bass guitar
- Instrument 2: Guitar
- Location: Austria, Vienna
How do you practice?

- Max
- Dr. Rocco
- Posts: 1016
- Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:11 pm
- First name: Max
- Age: 32
- Gender: ♂
- Instrument 1: Fender Tele Deluxe
- Instrument 2: Gibson Les Paul
- Instrument 3: Epiphone Casino
- Twitter: maxwood
- Location: Manchester, UK
Re: How do you practice?
People will always tell you to learn your scales and chords as scales and chords are the basis of pretty much all songs. For example the main Hell Song riff is based around the C Major Scale.
Scales are also used for building strength in your fingers. They will allow you to improvise more and sort of know what sounds right, if you like.
I wouldn't count on the fact that learning your chords and scales would instantly make you a better guitar player. I tried that approach but quickly got bored of it as it is very boring.. although you have to keep in mind that probably all the best guitarists (definately not Deryck Whibley) know their chords and scales.
Have a look into it and try and learn a few scales, just google it or something. :)
Scales are also used for building strength in your fingers. They will allow you to improvise more and sort of know what sounds right, if you like.
I wouldn't count on the fact that learning your chords and scales would instantly make you a better guitar player. I tried that approach but quickly got bored of it as it is very boring.. although you have to keep in mind that probably all the best guitarists (definately not Deryck Whibley) know their chords and scales.
Have a look into it and try and learn a few scales, just google it or something. :)
- Jeremy Kill
- Moderator
- Posts: 12879
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 11:57 pm
- Gender: ♂
Re: How do you practice?
I learn mostly by just playing songs. But I really need to learn some scales and more chords. I learned a bunch of chords once, but forgot them after a week of playing them.
As soon as I turn it into, "Okay, I need to learn this scale and these chords." It gets boring, fast.
I know the basic chords and the minor pentatonic scale. That's pretty much it.
As soon as I turn it into, "Okay, I need to learn this scale and these chords." It gets boring, fast.
I know the basic chords and the minor pentatonic scale. That's pretty much it.
- Gibsum 41
- Underclass Hero
- Posts: 3401
- Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2007 11:51 pm
- Age: 16
- Gender: ♂
- n00b: Kano, Still Waiting
- AKA: Gib
- Instrument 1: Bass
- Instrument 2: Guitar
- Instrument 3: Drums
- Location: Beneath your bed
- Contact:
Re: How do you practice?
What I do to learn chords is look for the chords to a song on UG and learn the chords as I learn the song. Makes it A LOT less boring.
NoReason27 is my mastah.
Kano and Still Waiting are my official n00bs. Mess with them and before you know it you'll be working in Nickelodeon
J-pan, xmarryxx and conspiracyof1000 are my grandn00bs and T. is my brothah
- Shiv
- Resident Skumfuk
- Posts: 4600
- Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 2:52 am
- First name: Shiv
- Age: 17
- Gender: ♂
- n00b: Punkrock101
- PSN ID: Communsim
- Instrument 1: Guitar
- Contact:
Re: How do you practice?
herees what i do
i play songs i know, and freestyle to them
i dont always come up with another song, but i always have fun and i do make songs too
i play songs i know, and freestyle to them
i dont always come up with another song, but i always have fun and i do make songs too
- Billy41
- Ma Poubelle
- Posts: 698
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:55 am
- First name: Koen
- Age: 21
- Gender: ♂
- PSN ID: Koen41
- Instrument 1: Guitar
- Instrument 2: I wish bass
- Location: Netherlands
Re: How do you practice?
lol same here. I know zero chords, I think that isn't important. When I want to play a song I listen to it and try to play it for a long time untill Ive got the song, if I can't figure it out I check for tabs on UGhardcoresum41fan wrote:herees what i do
i play songs i know, and freestyle to them
i dont always come up with another song, but i always have fun and i do make songs too
All creds for the Still Waiting sig are for Jeremy!
- Shiv
- Resident Skumfuk
- Posts: 4600
- Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 2:52 am
- First name: Shiv
- Age: 17
- Gender: ♂
- n00b: Punkrock101
- PSN ID: Communsim
- Instrument 1: Guitar
- Contact:
Re: How do you practice?
Billy41 wrote:lol same here. I know zero chords, I think that isn't important. When I want to play a song I listen to it and try to play it for a long time untill Ive got the song, if I can't figure it out I check for tabs on UGhardcoresum41fan wrote:herees what i do
i play songs i know, and freestyle to them
i dont always come up with another song, but i always have fun and i do make songs too
Re: How do you practice?
this man speaks the truth!Jeremy wrote:I learn mostly by just playing songs. But I really need to learn some scales and more chords. I learned a bunch of chords once, but forgot them after a week of playing them.
As soon as I turn it into, "Okay, I need to learn this scale and these chords." It gets boring, fast.
I know the basic chords and the minor pentatonic scale. That's pretty much it.
learn to write new stuff by taking little bits out of other songs. thats how its been done for decades.
- 182sins
- Half Hour Of POWER!!!
- Posts: 1346
- Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:53 pm
- First name: Cyril
- Age: 23
- Gender: ♂
- Instrument 1: Guitar
- Instrument 2: Vox
- Instrument 3: Piano
- Twitter: @cyril_41
- Location: France
Re: How do you practice?
For me the only real way to learn is to play songs you really like, and after, when you have played enough songs, you can do your own riffs. I also would like to learn the scales and the chords, but when I try, I get bored 2 mins after !
- Heather
- Moderator
- Posts: 3071
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2008 10:43 pm
- First name: Heather
- Age: 26
- Gender: ♀
- Instrument 1: vocals
- Instrument 2: guitar
- Twitter: @HMac41
- Location: South Carolina
- Contact:
Re: How do you practice?
I know the major chords. but like most have said I just play songs I know, then take those fingering positions and move them around the neck find new sounds/chords and just kinda play around and find stuff that sounds good. I've been playing the chorus to walking disaster as a warm up lately. Have no idea what to tell ya for lead parts though.
- Max
- Dr. Rocco
- Posts: 1016
- Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:11 pm
- First name: Max
- Age: 32
- Gender: ♂
- Instrument 1: Fender Tele Deluxe
- Instrument 2: Gibson Les Paul
- Instrument 3: Epiphone Casino
- Twitter: maxwood
- Location: Manchester, UK
Re: How do you practice?
http://tinyurl.com/83o32oPatrick wrote:Scales please.
- Patrick
- Billy Spleen
- Posts: 261
- Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:22 pm
- First name: Patrick
- Age: 19
- Gender: ♂
- Instrument 1: Bass guitar
- Instrument 2: Guitar
- Location: Austria, Vienna
Re: How do you practice?
Thanks, I could've done that by myself. I just find those scales very confusing. So if someone would explain me those, I'd be very happy.

- Bass Cone
- Underclass Hero
- Posts: 3220
- Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:29 am
- First name: Brittany
- Age: 18
- Gender: ♀
- n00b: jordan, sandro/2
- Instrument 1: French Horn
- Instrument 2: Bass
- Instrument 3: Guitar
- Location: Earth
Re: How do you practice?
Eartraining really helps. Ever since I've been taking music theory class this year, my skills have really improved. If you know what certain intervals sound like it will help you improvise and come up with your own riffs.
http://musictheory.net/trainers/html/id90_en.html
There is a great ear training site ^
http://musictheory.net/trainers/html/id90_en.html
There is a great ear training site ^