Want to learn Surf techniques

smrybacki

Joined: May 04, 2014
Posts: 2
Coeur d'Alene, ID
United States

Posted on Sep 25 2019 10:59 PM

So I have loved surf style music all my life (born in 1959) and I want to learn how to play it.

I have:

A Stratocaster
A Princeton Reverb Reissue
A Carbon Copy Delay

Do I need anything else (outside of talent) to succeed?

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DannySnyder

Joined: Mar 02, 2006
Posts: 11077
Berkeley, CA
United States

Posted on Sep 25 2019 11:01 PM

Nope. You're good to go. You'll know if and when you need to acquire more gear.

—

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

I am now playing trumpet with Prince Buster tribute band 'Balzac'

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

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el_camello

Joined: Jul 04, 2010
Posts: 369
Ottawa
Canada

Posted on Sep 26 2019 09:45 AM

I started with a humbucker equipped Steinberger and a computer amp simulator so you're better off than I was!

—

-Pierre
The Obsidians! (Ottawa surf)
The Obsidians debut EP

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SpaceTimC

Joined: Apr 18, 2015
Posts: 189
Bay Area, CA
United States

Posted on Sep 26 2019 11:16 AM

Listen to a lot of music. Learn handful of classics. You'll be good to go!

—

The Reverbivores - we're local favorites!

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wfoguy

Joined: Dec 11, 2011
Posts: 2137
United States

Posted on Sep 26 2019 07:44 PM

There some good videos on youtube. Bruce Lindquist is one that that I found to be very useful.

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ldk

Joined: Nov 08, 2017
Posts: 369
San Francisco Bay Area
United States

Posted on Sep 26 2019 09:08 PM

Read the thread here about strings. Try some different types and sizes to see what you like best.

—

If I'd stop buying old guitars to fix, I might actually learn to play.
Bringing instruments back to life since 2013.

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Brian

Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19351
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
United States

Posted on Sep 27 2019 08:22 AM

Welcome to the site! I moved this thread to Surf Musician.

—

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

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DeathTide

Joined: Apr 13, 2018
Posts: 1380
New Orleans
United States

Posted on Sep 27 2019 09:57 AM

Practice with a 100% clean tone, no reverb!

—

Daniel Deathtide

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Surfing_Sam_61

Joined: Jan 15, 2019
Posts: 1515

Posted on Sep 27 2019 04:37 PM

Reverse engineer the whole Lost Legends of Surf Guitar CD series (4 volumes total and one compilation) Lots of standard kind of Surf riffs and moves on the fret board to pick up from all those Cd's.

Best of The Ventures and Dick Dale help a lot too.

I slow down all my CD's on a DJ player to pick out the notes and even can do that on a flash card as well. To me that's the best way to do it.

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edwardsand

Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 804

Posted on Sep 27 2019 09:51 PM

For practical tips, I'd say learn how to palm mute and do staccato picking. Also get used to the 12 bar blues chord progression. Definitely crank up the reverb, though as DeathTide suggests, you might want to practice with a clean sound and no reverb - that way your mistakes stand out and drive you to play better. Also a tremolo pedal can be useful.

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Surfing_Sam_61

Joined: Jan 15, 2019
Posts: 1515

Posted on Sep 28 2019 04:57 PM

I will have to try that 100% clean thing, I usually run with a lot of tank and drip.

I'm in the process relearning all my 400 plus songs I use to know, been a while (early Summer since playing) Its amazing how much you forget, but at the same time comes back about three times through a recording. I should write this stuff down.

Like I totally forgot how to play El Gato, but it came back after a short while messing with it. Still remembered Walk Don't Run though. lol

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el_camello

Joined: Jul 04, 2010
Posts: 369
Ottawa
Canada

Posted on Oct 01 2019 08:32 AM

second reverse engineering a bunch of songs. I use transcribe! to slow down the tracks and learn them. I usually get way more out of learning the song by ear as opposed to tabs.

—

-Pierre
The Obsidians! (Ottawa surf)
The Obsidians debut EP

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ArtS

Joined: May 09, 2008
Posts: 1406
Isle of Kent, MD
United States

Posted on Oct 01 2019 10:48 AM

Search the "Surf Musician" Forum for lots of good info, also some nice tab available at

Surf Tab on SG101

Learn Pipeline first, then everything else will flow from that...

—

Surf.The most dangerous of genres...

Surfcat

MARCH OF THE DEAD SURFERS! (2024) - Agent Octopus
THE JOURNEY HOME - Free download (2025) - Agent Octopus (Single)

BANDCAMP - Agent Octopus
YOUTUBE - Agent Octopus Surf
BANDCAMP - Reverb Galaxy

Last edited: Oct 01, 2019 10:49:10

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Tikidog

Joined: Jun 23, 2006
Posts: 186
15 News Pins

Posted on Apr 03 2020 09:15 AM

Try this.
www.thesurfguitarbook.com

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Samurai

Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2291
Kiev, Ukraine
Ukraine

Posted on Apr 04 2020 03:08 AM

Tikidog wrote:

Try this.
www.thesurfguitarbook.com

It say “pre-order” so no book actually available now?

—

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

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Tikidog

Joined: Jun 23, 2006
Posts: 186
15 News Pins

Posted on Apr 04 2020 01:05 PM

hi samurai,
the book will be finished by mid may.
then i‘ll send out all the preorders from the website and the startnext campaign. last corrections and recording of the tracks right now....

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