My guitar learning log...

[NCAP]

3 hours ago, Starise said:

Just some thoughts on it.

Classical guitars have very often have a wider neck. Not that this will hold a person back. It depends on the size and reach of the hands/fingers.

A smaller guitar such as a parlor guitar can play very easy for those with smaller hands if set up correctly.

To adjust string height-If you know the mm measurement fret to strings all you need is a ruler and an allen wrench that fits the truss rod. It isn't really rocket science. The luthier just makes the turns in fractional increments until the height is correct. If strings are too high the rod needs to be loosened. Lefty loosey rightey tightey. If strings are high out of range turn left on rod. If strings are too low and buzz tighten slightly.

Sometimes on really inexpensive guitars or guitars exposed to lots of humidity in bad conditions, the neck might be warped. An adjustment won't fix that problem. If the neck is warped, it will throw intonation off too. Playing in the upper frets will be slightly out of tune.

Older hard played guitars will often have fret wear which means string height is compromised.

Both classical and parlor guitars can have pickups in them like any other guitar, so they can be made to sound 'bigger' with amplification. 

First, I want to thank everyone for their input. Next, I don't know how to actually get a picture of my guitar in this post. So, I'll provide some embedded links for you to click on to view pictures of my guitar that I took with my cell phone.

1. Inside the Guitar showing the make and type of model.

2. Picture of the neck and tuners.

3. Picture of the action where neck and body of guitar meet.

4. Picture of the action towards the nut on the neck and tuners. (Not a very good picture)

In the third picture, it is obvious that the neck appears to be rounded over quite a bit. And the action is high. 

 

 

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by NCAP

[NCAP]

6 hours ago, OneLight said:

A factor that many do not take into account right away is the action of your strings.  If you are a beginner, as we all were at one time, you probably have a guitar with high strings, causing difficulty when depressing the strings, resulting in muffled tones and sore fingers.  How is the action on your guitar?

I just noticed your reply above.  If you can, stop by a music store that sells guitars and try playing some of their higher end guitars.  Set a goal to purchase one and your playing will become a whole lot better and enjoyable.

Hi, OneLight.

I think you might be right about that one too, that is, setting a goal to buy a higher end guitar. Here are the reasons:

1. If you view picture three (above post) of the guitar I'm now using, you'll notice that the fretboard is too rounded over.

2. A rounded fretboard means a player has to press down a little harder on strings that are further away from the middle strings.

3. A higher end guitar, I'm assuming, would have a perfectly flat fretboard, making it easier to play.

4. This is what is happening to me. I'm using a subpar musical instrument, which has in the past caused me to lose interest in playing it. I don't want to press down hard on the high E string. It's a thin string to begin with, and a person (me) may not have calluses yet on the tip of the forefinger. 

[Jedi4Yahweh]

1 hour ago, NCAP said:

 

In the third picture, it is obvious that the neck appears to be rounded over quite a bit. And the action is high. 

 

Almost all guitars have curved or rounded fret board....that is normal.  The high action can be corrected by adjusting the truss rod and or lowering saddle and or bridge nut.  Be careful making these adjustments yourself because you can easily damage your guitar.

Its not bad guitar for starting out if you can get everything adjusted correctly or you can go fork out the money buy you a mid to high end guitar.

I personally own an expensive Taylor 714 guitar $2400 dollars new, but I have mid range guitar that sound just as good that I paid much less.

Checkout Breedlove guitars they have some good midrange guitars.  

Edited September 21, 2022 by Jedi4Yahweh

[Marathoner]

I just noticed that you're learning how to play the guitar, @NCAP. 

There are benefits to a high action at this juncture in your practice, though it might not be readily apparent. First, make sure that the gauge of your strings aren't heavy, and that your instrument can withstand that high action. We care for the instruments which the Lord places in our care.  

What's the benefit of a high action? When I was a kid, I inherited an acoustic guitar from an elder sister. That instrument was terrible --- I wasn't aware of that fact at the time. The action was high, and I wore out my fingers and hands shaping chords on the fretboard. I would play until my fingers screamed in protest and my hands felt like cooked noodles. 

This had the effect of drastically increasing finger/hand strength and stamina so that when the time came, and a fine instrument was finally placed into my hands, shaping chords was an effortless affair. My fingers sailed up, down, and across those strings like they were coated with butter, which had everything to do with a lower action. I embarked upon a "shredding" spree for a little while with that beautiful Ovation guitar. 

Developing tensile strength and stamina is every bit as important as learning the fretboard, my friend. In the beginning, I carefully positioned the fingers of my left hand upon the strings until I could sound each chord properly. It was slow going for a while, but this was also how I developed a feel for the fretboard. I could "hear" the sound before I struck the strings and, in the process, tinkered around with standard chords. 

Explore the instrument and by all means, take your time. Music is a gift from the Lord!

[OneLight]

13 minutes ago, NCAP said:

Hi, OneLight.

snip ...

3. A higher end guitar, I'm assuming, would have a perfectly flat fretboard, making it easier to play.

Not the case, my friend.  Fret boards are designed to fit the finger naturally, which does mean a bit of a curvature in its design.  You will understand this design better when you begin using bar chords.

13 minutes ago, NCAP said:

4. This is what is happening to me. I'm using a subpar musical instrument, which has in the past caused me to lose interest in playing it. I don't want to press down hard on the high E string. It's a thin string to begin with, and a person (me) may not have calluses yet on the tip of the forefinger. 

Calluses will develop over time, as long as you continue to practice.  This is both good and bad, depending on how thick they become.  To thick and they will start to peel, so learn how to manage them when you play more.

I agree with J4Y.  Be careful when trying to maintain your own guitar.  You could really damage it if you you don't know what you are doing.  I do suggest you get a humidifier for your case so your wood don't warp.

 

[Marathoner]

The other bit of advice I have to offer: drills. What do I mean by that?

Drills are designed to A.) familiarize you with the fretboard; B.) instill muscle memory so that the fingers of your fretboard hand reliably voice notes on the strings without buzzing or muting; C.) refine your picking technique. 

If you use a guitar pick, then drills will foment harmonious synchronization between the hand that picks and strums, and the hand that navigates the fretboard. 

If you're a finger-picker (my preference), then drills train each finger of the strumming hand to reliably work their assigned strings. I use all five fingers to work the strings: my thumb takes care of the two bass strings while the rest deal with one string apiece.

What do you use for drills? Scales. The major and minor scales are ideal for drills. Since the goal is to execute a rendering of a given scale without error, you start slowly: one... note... at a time. When you are able to pull it off without error at a slow pace, you pick up the speed. I suggest working your way up and down the fretboard, repeating the same scale over and over, until you can pull it off like breathing. 

Hard? Yes, it will be difficult for a long time. That's the nature of the drill. 

[NCAP]

28 minutes ago, Jedi4Yahweh said:

Almost all guitars have curved or rounded fret board....that is normal.  The high action can be corrected by adjusting the truss rod and or lowering saddle and or bridge nut.  Be careful making these adjustments yourself because you can easily damage your guitar.

Its not bad guitar for starting out if you can get everything adjusted correctly or you can go fork out the money buy you a mid to high end guitar.

I personally own an expensive Taylor 714 guitar $2400 dollars new, but I have mid range guitar that sound just as good that I paid much less.

Checkout Breedlove guitars they have some good midrange guitars.  

Thanks for that. I was at the Taylor website and their starting price for the 7oo series is $2999. That's a little more than I'm willing to fork out. The cheapest guitar at breedlove is $449. I wasn't even thinking of spending that much. But I would be willing if the instrument is easy to play.

Also, on the saddle and bridge nut, if I were to remove the saddle and then sanded the bottom a little too much, wouldn't I be able to start all over by buying a new saddle and trying again? Or would that be more effort than it is worth?

I watched a video one time on the saddle adjustment, the narrator said you have to be really careful that you don't sand off too much of the bottom.

So, I need to do some more homework to make more of an informed decision. I wouldn't buy a $3,000 bicycle, for example, if I could take a $200 bicycle and fix it up so that it almost performed like a $3,000 bike.

 

[NCAP]

14 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

The other bit of advice I have to offer: drills. What do I mean by that?

Drills are designed to A.) familiarize you with the fretboard; B.) instill muscle memory so that the fingers of your fretboard hand reliably voice notes on the strings without buzzing or muting; C.) refine your picking technique. 

If you use a guitar pick, then drills will foment harmonious synchronization between the hand that picks and strums, and the hand that navigates the fretboard. 

If you're a finger-picker (my preference), then drills train each finger of the strumming hand to reliably work their assigned strings. I use all five fingers to work the strings: my thumb takes care of the two bass strings while the rest deal with one string apiece.

What do you use for drills? Scales. The major and minor scales are ideal for drills. Since the goal is to execute a rendering of a given scale without error, you start slowly: one... note... at a time. When you are able to pull it off without error at a slow pace, you pick up the speed. I suggest working your way up and down the fretboard, repeating the same scale over and over, until you can pull it off like breathing. 

Hard? Yes, it will be difficult for a long time. That's the nature of the drill. 

I think you are spot on. Most of the time what people want is immediate results. It's called "impatience". I like the idea (your suggestion) of going through the scale one note at a time.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

[Jedi4Yahweh]

33 minutes ago, NCAP said:

Thanks for that. I was at the Taylor website and their starting price for the 7oo series is $2999. That's a little more than I'm willing to fork out. The cheapest guitar at breedlove is $449. I wasn't even thinking of spending that much. But I would be willing if the instrument is easy to play.

Also, on the saddle and bridge nut, if I were to remove the saddle and then sanded the bottom a little too much, wouldn't I be able to start all over by buying a new saddle and trying again? Or would that be more effort than it is worth?

I watched a video one time on the saddle adjustment, the narrator said you have to be really careful that you don't sand off too much of the bottom.

So, I need to do some more homework to make more of an informed decision. I wouldn't buy a $3,000 bicycle, for example, if I could take a $200 bicycle and fix it up so that it almost performed like a $3,000 bike.

 

Yeah the price of Taylor guitars has skyrocketed must be the inflation.  I have never owned a Breedlove but have friends that tell me they are a great guitar for the price.  

You would need to just the truss rod first to see if gets it in limits.  If that does not work then consider looking at the bridge height and nut height to see if they need to be adjusted.  Personally I would not do this myself being a new guitar player.  I would take it to someone who does this for a living.

You should maybe look for a good used guitar, but your high-end guitars are just as expensive used as they are new, sometimes they are even higher.

You maybe can find a good mid-range guitar used.  Be careful buying a used guitar you could be getting a damaged guitar that will cost you a lot money to repair.  Take your time and find a guitar that feels and sounds good to you that is in your budget.

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by Jedi4Yahweh

[OneLight]

What is also important to know are what chords go together.  Check this site out to show you what three chords play together.  https://www.fretjam.com/three-chord-guitar.html