i am a beginner guitar player and really love surf music. Alot. Anyway, is there any lessons out there or where can i get some guidance on where to begin learning this. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thank you
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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Musician »
Learning Surf Guitar
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Joined: Dec 29, 2008 Posts: 27 Boise, Idaho 
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Posted on Oct 20 2009 07:00 PM
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Joined: Feb 25, 2006 Posts: 19333 Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Oct 20 2009 07:12 PM
Moved to Surf Musician. —Site dude - S3 Agent #202 "It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea |
Joined: Sep 27, 2008 Posts: 1149 Damascus, Maryland
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Posted on Oct 20 2009 07:18 PM
I'm a beginner as well. I have a Tascam trainer to slow things down, and I just pick the songs out. Some of the tabs in the download section are useful for learning the chord progressions. I work with an instructor who knows what I listen to, and he's helped me work out some of the double stops & such. PM me if you have any questions or want to talk more about it. —Will "You're done, once you're a surfer you're done. You're in. It's like the mob or something. You're not getting out." - Kelly Slater |
Joined: Jul 23, 2008 Posts: 488 Edge of the East China Sea 
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Posted on Oct 20 2009 09:56 PM
Hi PistonDude. If you're starting from the ground floor and plan to stick with this for a long time, check out this site: http://www.justinguitar.com/ I've found it to be very helpful and comprehensive. It begins with absolute basics (e.g. How to hold a pick) and moves systematically on to quite advanced concepts. It includes vids, a staged beginner's course, aural training, and a very active members' forum, as well as well as printable resources such as blank music staves and tabs for transcribing. The site is a real labor of love which is continually being added to and refined. While the forum is not generally as... 'literate' as SG101's, it hosts some very knowledgeable people along with plenty of utter noobs. I think if it weren't for Justin and SG101, I'd still be trying to figure out which way to hold a guitar! |
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Joined: Oct 16, 2008 Posts: 551 Madison, WI 
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Posted on Oct 21 2009 11:31 AM
Yeah, Justin's pretty good, and he gets that in the internet age, you have to give some away to get some. A lot of his video's are on youtube, and aren't just garbage. It's his real lessons. I've often though about buying one of his DVDs just because his free stuff is so well done, and I'd like to encourage that. |
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Joined: Mar 27, 2006 Posts: 343 North Hollywood, California
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Posted on Oct 22 2009 04:26 PM
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Joined: Dec 29, 2008 Posts: 27 Boise, Idaho
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Posted on Oct 23 2009 10:20 PM
Thanks for the You tube links. They are great and slow enough to learn what they do. The Justin site is great also. I am learning slow so that what I do sticks. Is there any Surf guitar players plying in Anaheim soon? Again Thank you for your help. |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 25668 Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Oct 23 2009 10:34 PM
Piston Dude, http://www.surfguitar101.com/modules.php?name=GCalendar&file=viewday&y=2009&m=10&d=24&e=1505 —Jeff(bigtikidude) |
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Joined: Dec 29, 2008 Posts: 27 Boise, Idaho
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Posted on Oct 25 2009 02:52 PM
I made it there last night. Sounded great I see they are at Don the Beachcombers on Nov. 7. |
Joined: Jun 13, 2006 Posts: 58 Oslo, Norway 
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Posted on Oct 30 2009 03:34 AM
Surf guitar might be less complex technically than other styles, but it requires more when it comes to controlling the resonance of the guitar, how to hit the strings andsoforth. My biggest advice would be to try to figure out the melody of some songs you like, on a guitar. It will go slow initially, and don't stress it. Remember to how fun and practice chords in between as well. I wouldn't start with an electric guitar. Getting used to a natural reverberation is crucial before you start to use a of "distorted" sound (with distorted I don't mean heavy metal type distortion, but any effect that makes it sound different). Either get an acoustic guitar or a hollow body guitar that you can plug every now and then. IF you're on an electric, use a natural clean sound, or you'll fall to much in love withe the noise and the gimmicks before you actually learn to play. —guitarist, The Mobsmen |
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Joined: Sep 30, 2009 Posts: 47 |
Posted on Oct 30 2009 04:50 AM
A bloke in our band,when we had one, used to teach and he always advised his students to turn the amp OFF to master a te4chnique...POs..HOs in particular. |
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Joined: Jul 14, 2009 Posts: 28 |
Posted on Nov 01 2009 09:50 AM
Hello I myself started learning guitar few months ago, but progress is slow, because I have so little time. I use Justin's lessons and think that they are great. The guy with the strange hair from youtube is also great. I play solid body electric guitar unplugged for the same reason Eddy's Mum pointed out - I feel it more educational... and I like it this way!!! I love playing (at least trying to do so) Peter Gunn riff and Batman Theme:) |
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Joined: Sep 27, 2008 Posts: 1149 Damascus, Maryland
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Posted on Nov 01 2009 10:35 AM
I tend to play without an amp, as usually i'm grabbing a few minutes here & there. What I've found is that I might not be totally happy with the way it sounds...but I'm blown away by how much better it is through the amp, even without the reverb. Add the (crappy) reverb pedal and it sounds pretty good. Throw in the fuzz for a Ghastly Ones song (Dimension 66) I'm working on, and I sound pretty damb good!!!!!!! (at least to me) —Will "You're done, once you're a surfer you're done. You're in. It's like the mob or something. You're not getting out." - Kelly Slater |
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Joined: Oct 16, 2008 Posts: 551 Madison, WI
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Posted on Nov 17 2009 03:56 PM
Hehe. I almost always play with the amp completely off, because I get my playing in after the wife and baby are in bed. |
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Joined: Oct 20, 2009 Posts: 6 |
Posted on Nov 18 2009 10:34 AM
You may want to try a Microcube amp. 2W of raw guitar power guaranteed to... well, not wake up anyone. And it has a reasonably plasant black panel setting which should sound nice with a bit of overdrive and a Spring King or similar small reverb unit. |
Joined: Sep 04, 2009 Posts: 1800 Temecula, CA
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Posted on Nov 18 2009 12:50 PM
I used a Korg Pandora for silent rehearsing. Now I have a Boss ME-70 multi-effects with a headphone out & CD/IPOD input. |
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Joined: Aug 20, 2008 Posts: 654 California |
Posted on Nov 18 2009 03:20 PM
Playing with the amp off really helps me out, 90% of the time I pick up my guitar, I am playing unplugged. I am much more critical of my playing when my amp is off, so when I crank up the tank, and turn up the Bassman, I really amaze myself with how good it sounds(at least the way I think it sounds) |
Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4537 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Nov 18 2009 04:39 PM
One of my instructors was very strict regarding technique and I spent about a year playing scales, arppegios and chord inversions acoustically, listening carefully for even volume and attack. It was the most productive year I ever spent as far as learning is concerned. —The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. |
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Joined: Jul 29, 2009 Posts: 97 central coast USA metro Chicago |
Posted on Dec 03 2009 11:34 PM
'Almost always have the not-top-quality classical out in the open; it helps to have something to pick up when you only have 3 mnutes and are passing through a room. It's a cumulative thing. |
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