Playing in a two guitar band?!?!

[echofinger]

Re: Playing in a two guitar band?!?!

Anyway, these guys want to stay in standard tuning so I won't have my guitars in Eb or C# any longer.

The guitarist plays many songs using a capo and I am just in standard tuning minus the capo. I also mentioned Eb tuning or maybe just me, but the singer won't go for it.

Am I moving too slow though?

The main guitarist was a little put off initially because he thought I was going to roll in and just be up to spead and ripping off licks and fills left and right. I am not an improvisor and usually need time to study the song and find where I can fir and what fits. Is this weird?? Am I weird in my style? I would suck in a jam band. LOL.

Mmmm... I'd keep that guitar tuned the way you are most familiar with it. In the end, what difference does it make that your lowest note is 2 or 3 steps lower than the other guitarists? You can use those lower notes to hit chord inversions people were talking about earlier in the thread.

As to your speed, I am slow to find my way into other people's music too. I just joined a band that kicked out their old guitarist. I had to learn all the songs he wrote though... It's tough to go shredding away in a song you had no part in conceiving, so I wouldn't worry about it.

However... You say you are not an improvisor... This, in my opinion, is where music theory training is most crucial. Theory TELLS you what notes to hit, so you gain confidence improvising. After a while, you no longer consciously think about where the right notes are, you just play... And that's when guitar playing turns into a lifetime obsession.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Playing in a two guitar band?!?!

Mmmm... I'd keep that guitar tuned the way you are most familiar with it. In the end, what difference does it make that your lowest note is 2 or 3 steps lower than the other guitarists? You can use those lower notes to hit chord inversions people were talking about earlier in the thread.

As to your speed, I am slow to find my way into other people's music too. I just joined a band that kicked out their old guitarist. I had to learn all the songs he wrote though... It's tough to go shredding away in a song you had no part in conceiving, so I wouldn't worry about it.

However... You say you are not an improvisor... This, in my opinion, is where music theory training is most crucial. Theory TELLS you what notes to hit, so you gain confidence improvising. After a while, you no longer consciously think about where the right notes are, you just play... And that's when guitar playing turns into a lifetime obsession.

Thanks bro! Great stuff! I also thought I could just use my Eb tuning, but I thought it would be easier going to standard tuning. No??

I agree though, it is difficult to walk into a room and just start shredding solos over another guy's tune as he expected! Pissed me off. I came up with a killer lead over the chorus later that week, but told the singer I may be backing out because I am having a difficult time getting into the music.......not in my heart with this.

The singer is interested in doing a heavier project with my and a drummer friend from my last band so things may work in the end.

I am also puting more time into theory and have re-opened my Fretboard Logic series of books and accompanying DVD. Also Jesse Gress has some killer books that might help. I don't have time for lessons so it's have to be on my own through books/DVDs.

Would it be confusing for me to try to get into serious theory with my guitars in Eb tuning?

Thanks.

 

[echofinger]

Re: Playing in a two guitar band?!?!

Yah, didn't mean to mislead you i guess...

If you are not too familiar with theory yet, tune your guitar the same as the other guitarist, till you understand how it'll work out...

This band I just joined wrote all their songs in E for the most part, but at the moment, I have one guitar set up in drop D tuning, and one sort of Nashville tuning, but low C on the bottom. Point is, I didn't have to retune a guitar to E to play their stuff... You just end up playing the riff in a different spot.

And as far as you learning theory in E flat tuning...

You should get to a point where it doesn't matter how you have your guitar tuned. Theory is the road that will get you to that point. Start digging in, and you will understand what I mean. If the book or DVD you have is aimed specifically at guitarists, and they start you off teaching on a guitar in standard tuning, then yes, yah better retune it .

 

[Farkus]

Re: Playing in a two guitar band?!?!

I have a ton of theory books, but I always get bored with reading them. Anybody got a suggestion for some theory books that are directly applied to guitar?

Farkus

 

[matt99camero]

Re: Playing in a two guitar band?!?!

In my classic rock band we had 3 guitar players. One played only rhythm, I had a couple of solos(hotel california, witchy woman, do you feel like we do) and the other one had most of the others and we all played rhythm at times. I haden't been playing long so one of them was there just to back me up but I think now that I have been playing a little while longer we are just going with two of us.