I’ve been an acoustic guitar girl since I was nine. I grew up on my Mom’s folk records. I’m an alt-country nut. But now, at 21, I think it’s time to go electric.
I’ve got my guitar picked out already. I’m getting a Gibson SG, worn cherry finish. It’s a thing of beauty. But now what? Any pedal recommendations? Any good books out there? All my life I’ve been a fingerpicker/strummer, with a fairly percussive style. Now I want to play all that power pop and geek rock that I love, and I’m not sure what I need to change. I’ve got the power chords down - what else do I need to know? The world of indie rock will (someday) thank you.
The short answer is: Play a lot of electric guitar. As you get a feel for it, your style will change based on: a) what sounds good to your ear coming out of an electric amp (as opposed to an acoustic soundhole); and b) what you end up wanting to play on electric, which will no doubt evolve as you play more.
There is no easy answer. I played “electric” songs on my acoustic for a couple of years before I got one of my own. When I started playing the electric, though, I couldn’t make it sound right initially. I became very discouraged until over time, I just got used to the foibles and idiosyncracies of electric.
A few things:
Using your fingers to make sure that certain strings DON’T make sounds when you chord becomes that much more important on a loud, distorted electric. Figuring out which fingers to use to mute strings takes an investment of time - lots of practice until a loud, overdriven electric in your hands doesn’t just sound like noise.
Because loud (and sometimes distorted) guitars can make fuller sounds with fewer strings (which is why 2-3 string power chords are so popular), some of your fave acoustic chords will sound too noisy, and you will be able to play more partial chords, which can lend itself to more speed and faster chord changes if you want to go there. All of this translates to more changes to your style and more practice. Also, certain chords and harmonics just sound different, worse or better on electric. The more you play, the more your chord repetoire will change.
A big issue is how important it is to you to play lead guitar vs. rhythm vs. more of an all-in-one strummy/fingerpicking style. All are possible on both acoustic and electric, but obviously the volume and sound effects available on electric open up doors for single note lead playing, hence the whole Guitar God revolution starting in the '60’s. If you want to play leads, you guessed it: More changes to your style and more practice. If you want to be more indie/alt, then that will be less of an issue.
There are other considerations, but you get the idea. Bottom line again is to play, play, play - the more you play, the more you learn about what you like even while you are practicing and evolving a style more specific to an electric. Check out any of the on-line tablature sites and download a few of your favorite electric songs - that is a great start.
By practicing on an acoustic your giving yourself the harder task. You’d be amazed how much easier an electric is after that. They’re less bulky and the strings have MUCH less tension. That means, of course, that getting them down to the neck is easier on the fingers.
Really, if you’re just so-so on your acoustic you’ll be amazed how much better you sound electric.
Electrics do tend to be heavier, though. That can come as a surprise.
If you’ve got the power chords (how I love them so) down pat then you’re set. fingerpicking and strumming works fine. There are some extra things you can do with an electric…extended bends and such. Those come with practice. Power pop is actually fairly simple to play. If it was difficult it probably wouldn’t have been as successful as it was.
JoeK had a good piece of advice there: play the way you would your acoustic on the electric and see how it sounds. There is a difference is how the sound will form. You’ll have to get used to it.
I know you want the gibson (and they’re usually pretty good) but have you considered getting a hollow body? Or maybe one of those half-hollow jazz guitars? I’ve got a strat knock-off solid and an Epiphone jazz type. The big empty resonating chamber on the Epiphone really brings a great sound.
Eh, it’s your call. Do what you like. That’s what it’s all about, right?
I kinda held back there with the style of guitar bit. I agree with Jonathan on the hollow body idea. Less of a transition problem, and acoustic technique would sound great on a hollow body.
However, IANAG (I am not a guitarist); I am merely a drummer and bassist-to-be who watches guitars quite closely and appreciates good technique on the guitar.
Forget books and videos and pleeeeease don’t go overboard with the pedals. I haven’t participated in the music scene in the States, but I am sick to death of Japanese indy rock guitar players who take 30 extra minutes to set up an array of 10 pedals, just to use 3 or 4 of them a few seconds each. You just know these people bought them because they think it makes them somehow more legitimate.
Also, as has been noted, in general a lot of acoustic-style sturmming is not recommended. You will get clearer, more attractive sounds if you play a few strings at a time. A really good bass player can help youfill in the holes, if that’s your thing.
I had never thought about it until someone mentioned it in this thread, but muting strings does become more important with distorted electirc guitars.
You will also be able to play with harmonics more, if you like that, because of the increased volume.
I personally play a cheap, Mexican-made Fender Stratocaster hooked up to a Jazz Chorus amp. Turn off the chorus, add just a little distortion (from the amp), and away you go, no pedals. We set up in 2 minutes flat.
Oh yeah, and if you want that big pop-rock sound right off the bat, just add a little distortion, turn the volume way up, and play all in fifths. It’s really that easy. You can play Weezer’s entire catalogue.
Learn power chords, and you can play Nirvana’s entire catalogue.
I dreamt last night that I was playing selections from Pinkerton on electric ukelele (no kidding). I sounded really good too. Hopefully that’s a good sign.
I was already planning on staying pretty conservative with the pedals - probably just distortion and maybe a wah, depending on what sort of amp I end up with. I’ll look into a hollow body too. Maybe one of these days I’ll have my very own “Tell me if I suck!” thread in here.
You should seriously think about using a pick if you don’t already. The tone you get from using a pick is totally different than the tone you get from fingerpicking. I do both depending on what I am playing.
If you get a decent amp you probably won’t need a distortion pedal. Amps these days generally have pretty good gain built in. Also you may want to put off trying to play with a wah until you get used to playing the electric. Using a wah well isn’t all that easy. I’ve been playing for 20 years and never did figure out how to use a wah very well.
And last, take some time to crank up the amp and just make noise. Have fun.
Yeah, I’ve got to jump in again and give some props to the concept of NOT going whole hog for the pedals and such. Know what my first teacher called pedals and effects?
“Talent Enhancers”
It’s easier (and requires less ability) to sound good using effects and such than just playing. Learn the capabilities of your instrument and the music that is possible before going for all the effects. Then work them in where appropriate…not everywhere.
Currectly I only have two: a flange pedal and a digital delay pedal. I have overdrive on one of my amps but I couldn’t tell you the last time I used it.
Distortion is really the only effect you need to start with (and you don’t need it at all if you don’t plan on playing distorted guitar parts), and most amps have distortion built in - even if they don’t have a distortion button, if they have two volume controls turn the master volume really low and turn the other one all the way up.
After you’ve played for a while, pick up some guitar magazines and see what kinds of effects are used in songs you like - this lead to me buying a chorus pedal as my second pedal. Compression is also nice, though if you have a tube amp you don’t need it so much.
I have a multi-effects box that has about 30 effects that you can combine in various ways. It cost about the same as 10 pedals, so I think it was a good deal (until my dog chewed up it’s power cable).
