Album Rating: 4.5

It takes quite some practice to get a "clean" sound. On my EP, OCD is the sound of my voice having lots of practice while skating. Alternatively, Hearts of Concord is the sound of my voice going weeks without practicing. You can hear the difference in how raw my vocals are on HoC.



Fo sho, homie. Lemme know if you find that sweet spot and how it goes. Do you have any music of your own to share?

Album Rating: 5.0

I will for sure practice.



I have a few songs on piano recorded, but I'm still a beginner at guitar so I haven't quite gotten anything too heavy done yet.



I do have this shitty elvis depressedly cover up though, but I just sing and play chords

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbmN04zJ1ZA

if you are a beginner i suggest learning classic rock songs first

Album Rating: 5.0

Fuck dat shit I'm goin straight to skramz

get dat pentatonic scale down

youll suck if you dont learn basic music theory. tabs are for noobs

Album Rating: 5.0

Scales are for pussies

XingKing tell this hopeless youngen what to do

Album Rating: 5.0

Oh boy I get free skramz lessons

Album Rating: 4.5

Best part is when you lean into the camera cause I get to see your beautiful face!



Just sit with your guitar and practice switching between chords over and over again really fast. It'll make those transitions cleaner. Your strumming is a lot more solid then the other kids I've taught too so props for that

Album Rating: 4.5

Ibeniz is right. Learning classic rock and folk songs is the best way to practice. I say that as having been a guitar TA for two years and having taught loads of kids how to play. Stick to getting the basics down like switching between chords and learning how the fretboard feels and memorizing where certain notes are.



After that, I've found the trick is to always try to learn songs out of your skill range. Pick one song and come back to it every few weeks after learning various songs in between and you'll find yourself slowly being able to play more and more of it until you nail it. Then pick another song. After you're comfortable and confident in your ability to play well, I'd recommend picking an album that isn't too complex and just sitting down and trying to learn it all by ear.



As for scales, I'd highly recommend them but I wouldn't call them a necessity. Music theory is important, but you pick that up just by learning other songs. I'm entirely self taught and I never bothered learning scales except for a few weeks in the beginning and then I never remembered them ever again. I picked up all I know about playing just from listening and learning others music. You just naturally learn what notes compliment what and yada yada as you progress

what girl was that for dude

"As for scales, I'd highly recommend them but I wouldn't call them a necessity. Music theory is important, but you pick
that up just by learning other songs. I'm entirely self taught and I never bothered learning scales except for a few weeks in
the beginning and then I never remembered them ever again. I picked up all I know about playing just from listening and
learning others music. You just naturally learn what notes compliment what and yada yada as you progress"

really so if i asked to improvise a solo in the key of A minor. would you be able to do it? Most of the people i know that
were entirely self taught and have little to no music theory knowledge cant improvise a solo for shit or play lead guitar at
all. if you can do it without using basic knowledge of scales you must have one hell of an ear man. I commend you for that
because i could never do it, my ear has never been that good.

Album Rating: 5.0

It was for Ruby. She's on the other side of the Earth from me though.



Thanks a lot Xing. Hopefully one day I'll learn how to play skramz correctly. For now I'll just stick to Neutral Milk Hotel and then maybe like La Dispute or something.



I'm starting guitar lessons at this place called "School of Rock" so that should be pretty helpful. But yeah, chords man. Chords and scales.

Booooring but I guess it's essential.



Also thank you for being such a kind gentleman Xing

"School of Rock" lol
im telling you man led zeppelin, black sabbath, and other classic rock will be the best it has all the basic stuff not too
difficult solos that will train your hands and easy riffs. just my advice though. neutral milk hotel would be great for
learning basic chords though.

Album Rating: 4.5

Using your ear and teaching yourself, you develop your own music theory. I could do it because I know what notes are in said key just from playing so long. I hate solos though and I'm not really good at wankery either unless it's well thought out technical stuff.



Think of this, I have enough of my own self taught theory that I wrote almost every track on my EP in one sitting.



@Yak: It's definitely boring shit but it'll benefit you eventually. You can also learn some cool shit that's really easy. Against Me (old) is really basic chords and it sounds fantastic. Tom didn't know a thing about theory or playing well but it was sweet.



As for La Dispute, I'd say Such Small Hands and the intro of Last Lost Continent are the easiest things to learn by them.



No problem, man. I love talking about guitar playing and teaching people

Album Rating: 4.5

Orchid songs are actually easy as fuck to learn. They are all almost universally just octaves played with open Ds thrown in all over the place

post-hardcore = octave hard on actually fuck all forms of punk in general

Album Rating: 4.5

Shitty post hardcore = Octaves and power chords with the occasional lead but gnarly post hardcore like A Lot Like Birds and Thrice = Mathy shit all over the place

Album Rating: 5.0

Good god I am jealous of you and your skills Xing.

You're also better than me lyrically, godammit



I've never actually checked Against Me, but I'll get around to it eventually. I have a shitload of bands I need to check out.



I love Such Small Hands, I'll try to learn it tonight.



We should collab on something once I don't suck so bad. For your drums you just used Superior Drummer right? I don't know how to go about actually recording music