#1

Noob Question regarding Notes on the Guitar

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Thu Mar 05, 2015 6:42 pm
by Jfed • 8 Posts

O.K so I'm a relative noob I guess on the guitar, less than six months and I'm going to ask a dumb question. So here goes;


How come the open A string sounds different than the A note on the sixth string at the 5th fret? If it's not supposed to sound the same then you can reply just that. I'm watching Pebbers music theory classes and I'm just not there yet maybe.


Anyway, sorry for the stupid question, I'm concerned that something is wrong with my hearing since I'm old. Thanks for reading.




Jeff

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#2

RE: Noob Question regarding Notes on the Guitar

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri Mar 06, 2015 7:15 am
by deltadiscos • 321 Posts

yes they should sound the same. have you got an electric tuner try tuning with that.
If you are tuned ok then your intonation could be way out.


You think you practice enough.......YOU DON'T!............PRACTICE MORE! Darryn U.K
One note can say a million words........It can also take a million notes to say one word

Last edited Fri Mar 06, 2015 7:16 am | Scroll up

#3

RE: Noob Question regarding Notes on the Guitar

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:45 am
by Guitar Player • 83 Posts

I was going to say that about the intonation. The best advice I can offer is this.......take the guitar to a decent tech to set it up, level the frets etc. It is worth the cost of doing it.

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#4

RE: Noob Question regarding Notes on the Guitar

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri Mar 06, 2015 11:22 am
by Sirkostik • 12 Posts

If it sounds a bit darker or muddy than open A, it's normal because of string thickness.


Last edited Fri Mar 06, 2015 11:23 am | Scroll up

#5

RE: Noob Question regarding Notes on the Guitar

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri Mar 06, 2015 11:52 am
by Guitar Player • 83 Posts

^110% Correct!!!!!

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#6

RE: Noob Question regarding Notes on the Guitar

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri Mar 06, 2015 3:45 pm
by Farelli • 189 Posts

That was my first thought as well. As long is in tune and the intonation is set correctly, the two notes will be identical, but the note color (I believe it is called) will be different. The sixth string fifth fret A sounds more muted, softer than the same A on the fifth string open.

That's for two reasons: 1) the fifth string open is open, so it naturally sounds more vibrant, and; 2) as the strings get thinner they also sound more vibrant, or peppy, or whatever word you want to use for it.

That's why the F on the first string first fret sounds different than the same F on the second string sixth fret, while the same F on the third string tenth fret sounds different than both of those, and the same F on the fourth string fifteenth fret sounds different still.

Taking it to the max the same F note on the fifth string twentieth fret sounds still different. As you play those five identical pitches you will hear distinctly different coloring of the pitches even though they are all identical (if you're in tune and your intonation is correct).

This is incidentally why some guitarists sound different or better than those who learn to play their songs. The original guitarist sometimes chooses an "unusual" fingering for the notes, making them sound a particular way that he or she wanted them to sound, and people learning to mimic those notes often choose the easiest way to play them.

That fact hit me in the face when I watched Tony Iommi play Paranoid for the first time. Just about everyone learns to play that riff with a fifth string root. He plays it (or did some time ago) with a sixth string root so the guitar sounds more moody, more Black Sabbath.

That's also why you'll see pop guitarists playing only the top three strings. They sound brighter, so the guitar has a distinctly different sound.

Man, I could go on all night about this stuff. :D

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#7

RE: Noob Question regarding Notes on the Guitar

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Fri Mar 06, 2015 5:38 pm
by Jfed • 8 Posts

Thanks a lot for the replies fellas, I really appreciate it.



Jeff

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#8

RE: Noob Question regarding Notes on the Guitar

in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS Sun Mar 08, 2015 1:10 pm
by Ray1981 • 279 Posts

This was a good question Jfed not stupid at all. I think it is stupid to dont ask things you dont know! So if you have more questions ask them as you can see everybody is willing to help you here. Like this we can all learn from eachother, that why Pebber created this forum.

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