Regular 7 string guitar question.

[Bluez Dawg]

Hey gang once I get good with my timing on the bass how easy is to learn a normal guitar? I've been eying this one from Cort shes around $475 and shes a light wood with a whammy bar on her. and she has double humpbuckers I think or at least a single one for sure. Anyways how easy would it be to learn it? and can you still use finger style?


On side note. I do know this is a bass forum but this question does belong in the off topic .

[britrit]

It depends on how well you know your theory. If you knew your stuff I'm pretty sure you could start playing some chords and stuff. Yes you can play fingerstyle, but it's a different way than bass.

[WalterBush]

If you're thinking of playing a 7-string guitar just like a bass, let me strongly advise you not bother. The string spacing isn't even close, and your fingertips will not likely fit between the strings the same way they do on bass. Classical guitars are spaced the way they are to allow for fingerstyle playing. Electrics, in general, are not. Try learning to use a pick. Hard at first, but worth the effort in the long run.

And yes, I own a 7 string guitar. I only play fingerstyle on it if I drop a pick in the middle of a song and don't have a spare in grabbing range.

How easy it is to learn depends entirely on you. I studied classical guitar in college, and played guitar and baritone in a cover band for a couple of years, so switching to 7-string hasn't been that hard. YMMV. Great practice if you ever plan on owning a 7-string bass, though. After a while, all those strings don't seem so intimidating anymore.

[Bluez Dawg]

Thanks guys. Hey jabberwock right now my music theory is descent could be way better though. and will playing with a pick allow me more tone control? btw I guess the real problem I have to work on is my timing but that is coming along.

[WalterBush]

Playing with a pick allows plenty of tonal control, although with guitar a lot of it comes through your left hand. The technique is entirely different, however some of the same principles apply, i.e. plucking closer to the neck gives a mellower, bassier tone, plucking near the bridge accents highs. Pick angle, strength of attack, etc affect how the strings vibrate and can change tone, though. Start doing it, and expiriment.

Note, IME, that the same things that work with a pick on bass don't translate well to guitar. It's a different, though similar animal, and simply requires practice. The mental acrobatics involved in translating what you know of a bass's fretboard to the tuning involved in a 7 string guitar are good exercise for any musician, and I'd always recommend someone give it a shot.

[Bluez Dawg]

Originally Posted by jabberwock777

Playing with a pick allows plenty of tonal control, although with guitar a lot of it comes through your left hand. The technique is entirely different, however some of the same principles apply, i.e. plucking closer to the neck gives a mellower, bassier tone, plucking near the bridge accents highs. Pick angle, strength of attack, etc affect how the strings vibrate and can change tone, though. Start doing it, and expiriment.

Note, IME, that the same things that work with a pick on bass don't translate well to guitar. It's a different, though similar animal, and simply requires practice. The mental acrobatics involved in translating what you know of a bass's fretboard to the tuning involved in a 7 string guitar are good exercise for any musician, and I'd always recommend someone give it a shot.

Yuppers everything takes practice. but I am really interested in play a normal guitar too. only for the fact that it kind of has more possibility's like creating some sick ass riff. and then you can set your own time an measures you know what I mean?

[Bluez Dawg]

Would the normal guitar be able to plug in to my small bass amp? I don't want to use my big one just incase.

[Blackbird]

Originally Posted by DerekTbasser

On side note. I do know this is a bass forum but this question does belong in the off topic .

No, Derek. Anything related to music that doesn't fit in the topical forums goes to Miscellaneous.


...except Axl Rose.

A big announcement about this has been stuck at the top of OT forum for quite some time. You can read it here.

[lemur821]

Originally Posted by DerekTbasser

Would the normal guitar be able to plug in to my small bass amp? I don't want to use my big one just incase.

Yes.

[Bluez Dawg]

Thank you every one for ansering my questions.