I have two words for anyone who doubts the 5 watt amp - Vox DA5. This little bastard amp has kept my playing just fine for me- loud and clear, and when miked, it really lights shit up. http://www.activemusician.com/store/product.asp?sku=EM.VOX-DA5&ref=wn-text-hp

well, there is like 3 ways to play an E7 and I know three ways to play an E9. It's just the fact that you have to do a little work to get the right sound. hey, I sound like a lazy guitar player! lol But no, when you add in all those variations and there's several chords going on it can take a minute to figure out. I get bored of that after a while and just make my own music... But it's cool to see all that great stuff on that site. Shake Revard said:

"wish it had some notes on if they should be barre chords, etc.
seems you have to toy with them..."


yeah, sometimes an "e" isn't a normal first position chord (i guess that's correct terminology) or barre chord. it might be some weird variation like an E7 or E9.

Good luck!

yes...webrock.free.fr is cool but it can't help me finding how to play an E or and A in this or that piece of music. Generally for me is not a problem finding what chords play in a piece. but i play them ALL in a barrè style cause is the only one i know.

"wish it had some notes on if they should be barre chords, etc.
seems you have to toy with them..."


yeah, sometimes an "e" isn't a normal first position chord (i guess that's correct terminology) or barre chord. it might be some weird variation like an E7 or E9.

Good luck!

yeah. that's the best source i've found too. wish it had some notes on if they should be barre chords, etc. seems you have to toy with them... great stuff for oblivian/gories fans fo sho. Shake Revard said:

Forgive my belated reply:
I wish that when I'd started learning to play guitar, there'd been some Link Wray tab book available. It seems criminal there still isn't one around.
I recommend the Chuck Berry tab book published by Hal Leonard. The 50s Decade series tab books by Hal Leonard are also cool. They tipped me off to different chord positions that I was unfamiliar with.

Finally, here's a good online tab resource for garagepunk and related genres.
http://webrock.free.fr/

Forgive my belated reply: I wish that when I'd started learning to play guitar, there'd been some Link Wray tab book available. It seems criminal there still isn't one around. I recommend the Chuck Berry tab book published by Hal Leonard. The 50s Decade series tab books by Hal Leonard are also cool. They tipped me off to different chord positions that I was unfamiliar with. Finally, here's a good online tab resource for garagepunk and related genres. http://webrock.free.fr/

yeah. let me get back to you later. got stuff to do b4 work. something i can tell you fast. Look at Koppers' page. He's got a slide show and one pic has "how to play punk." it's a joke but that will help you. Johnny Ramone played 99% of everything w/one Barrechord shape. for a solo he would just play one of a few of the strings by themselves w/out moving his whole hand! amazing how simple can sound so wonderful. also you tube Ramones you can find other people playing Ramones songs and that will help. it's not difficult. songs like Loudmouth have like 4 different chord changes tho. croatoa said:

Joenzy said:

yeah. "different voicings" means different sound pitchs. You mix them (chords; ways of playing the same chords) up, and you have a larger arsenal (more sounds) to pick from. It doesn't matter how much you know. It's what YOU like and what sounds good to YOU. Listen to the Velvet Underground. Very simple but it was the way Lou Reed played. Same with the stooges - very simple chord(s) but it was the way Ron Asheton played which is more difficult than just know a bunch of chords. Bo Diddley is amazing for that stuff on the 5th fret. he just pops his finger up and down. The same with the Kinks you get that jumping sound. Play that same stuff fast and break it up with the jumping sound
and you got the Ramones. Play Barre Chords up and dwn the neck and you got Nirvana. It's all style. Forgive my laymans terms as I am self taught except thru other street musicians...

yeah when i listen to the velvet underground, the stooges, the ramones i fell the difference by ear...but i don't know the technics to obtain the different sounds...and the tab in the web generally they're not complete or correct. do you know somewhere where i can find good tab (written like they REALLY played the piece)???

Joenzy said:

yeah. "different voicings" means different sound pitchs. You mix them (chords; ways of playing the same chords) up, and you have a larger arsenal (more sounds) to pick from. It doesn't matter how much you know. It's what YOU like and what sounds good to YOU. Listen to the Velvet Underground. Very simple but it was the way Lou Reed played. Same with the stooges - very simple chord(s) but it was the way Ron Asheton played which is more difficult than just know a bunch of chords. Bo Diddley is amazing for that stuff on the 5th fret. he just pops his finger up and down. The same with the Kinks you get that jumping sound. Play that same stuff fast and break it up with the jumping sound
and you got the Ramones. Play Barre Chords up and dwn the neck and you got Nirvana. It's all style. Forgive my laymans terms as I am self taught except thru other street musicians...

yeah when i listen to the velvet underground, the stooges, the ramones i fell the difference by ear...but i don't know the technics to obtain the different sounds...and the tab in the web generally they're not complete or correct. do you know somewhere where i can find good tab (written like they REALLY played the piece)???

yeah. "different voicings" means different sound pitchs. You mix them (chords; ways of playing the same chords) up, and you have a larger arsenal (more sounds) to pick from. It doesn't matter how much you know. It's what YOU like and what sounds good to YOU. Listen to the Velvet Underground. Very simple but it was the way Lou Reed played. Same with the stooges - very simple chord(s) but it was the way Ron Asheton played which is more difficult than just know a bunch of chords. Bo Diddley is amazing for that stuff on the 5th fret. he just pops his finger up and down. The same with the Kinks you get that jumping sound. Play that same stuff fast and break it up with the jumping sound and you got the Ramones. Play Barre Chords up and dwn the neck and you got Nirvana. It's all style. Forgive my laymans terms as I am self taught except thru other street musicians... Jimmyspaz said:

croatoa said:

Joenzy said:

well, for proper finger positions "tab books" may or may not help. it's hurky lurky. hit or miss.
but, it's worth a shot looking into tabs - even on the net. maybe check into guitar pro. it's a music program that has tabs and you can follow it through. you will know when somebody doesn't tab something right.
but there's variations of different tabs so you gotta filter through them. another idea is to have a friend who can show you a couple of things or just by going to shows and watching people and maybe approaching them and ask a few questions...

yes...infact when i go to concerts (not only garage punk) sometimes i look at "strange" (for me) positions of chords and i say "why is doing this in that way????"...i usually use one position for ALL the chords moving my hand through the guitar...

Well different voicings of chords sound different, if you just slide power chords around they all have about the same tonality, I didn't really get into this a lot until I seriously started plying the blues, I learned a lot of "jazz" chords from T-Bone Walker and the like. Or Bobby "Blue" Bland's arrangement of "Stormy Monday",,,,,,

croatoa said:

Joenzy said:

well, for proper finger positions "tab books" may or may not help. it's hurky lurky. hit or miss.
but, it's worth a shot looking into tabs - even on the net. maybe check into guitar pro. it's a music program that has tabs and you can follow it through. you will know when somebody doesn't tab something right.
but there's variations of different tabs so you gotta filter through them. another idea is to have a friend who can show you a couple of things or just by going to shows and watching people and maybe approaching them and ask a few questions...

yes...infact when i go to concerts (not only garage punk) sometimes i look at "strange" (for me) positions of chords and i say "why is doing this in that way????"...i usually use one position for ALL the chords moving my hand through the guitar...

Well different voicings of chords sound different, if you just slide power chords around they all have about the same tonality, I didn't really get into this a lot until I seriously started plying the blues, I learned a lot of "jazz" chords from T-Bone Walker and the like. Or Bobby "Blue" Bland's arrangement of "Stormy Monday",,,,,,

Joenzy said:

well, for proper finger positions "tab books" may or may not help. it's hurky lurky. hit or miss.
but, it's worth a shot looking into tabs - even on the net. maybe check into guitar pro. it's a music program that has tabs and you can follow it through. you will know when somebody doesn't tab something right.
but there's variations of different tabs so you gotta filter through them. another idea is to have a friend who can show you a couple of things or just by going to shows and watching people and maybe approaching them and ask a few questions...

yes...infact when i go to concerts (not only garage punk) sometimes i look at "strange" (for me) positions of chords and i say "why is doing this in that way????"...i usually use one position for ALL the chords moving my hand through the guitar...

Well 5 watts doesn't sound like much power but an old Fender Champ rocks!! I've seen Eric Clapton playing through one on stage too, just need a GOOD mike set-up for it. The best tone I've heard lately was a '53 Tele through a matching (came as a set) Champ. Not loud but magical tone, just turn both knobs all the way to the top and plug in, no pedals needed! As far as garage-punk tones on guitar I can't argue with any of the comments made here, I personally used the first couple of Ventures albums as texts for riffs, licks, and tunes. You can't go wrong with Nokie!! And another good band to listen to for garage style riffing is the McCoys, "Sloopy" is an all time classic and Rick Derringer's lead playing is great!!

well, for proper finger positions "tab books" may or may not help. it's hurky lurky. hit or miss. but, it's worth a shot looking into tabs - even on the net. maybe check into guitar pro. it's a music program that has tabs and you can follow it through. you will know when somebody doesn't tab something right. but there's variations of different tabs so you gotta filter through them. another idea is to have a friend who can show you a couple of things or just by going to shows and watching people and maybe approaching them and ask a few questions... croatoa said:

mmm, 5 watts seems too small...i'll try to find how expensive is a deville in italy (where i live)...

i...yes, i know how it sounds a garage band...but sometimes i have strange doubts about some kind of power chords or the right way to the positions for the solos (and how to create them)...but maybe it's only a matter of time and listening to...

do you still have the book?is there a miracolous possibility of a pdf somewhere in the web?

For solos try finding a book on traditional blues scales or 50's R'n'R this will will help a lot, I learnt guitar from a book called Traditional American folk music written in the early 60's, most of the music was from 30's to the late 40's, it helped to understand the roots of rock'n'roll, remember most garage bands started off playing a mix of 50's R'n'R and blues, then developed thier own sound out of that, good luck..... croatoa said:

mmm, 5 watts seems too small...i'll try to find how expensive is a deville in italy (where i live)...

i...yes, i know how it sounds a garage band...but sometimes i have strange doubts about some kind of power chords or the right way to the positions for the solos (and how to create them)...but maybe it's only a matter of time and listening to...

mmm, 5 watts seems too small...i'll try to find how expensive is a deville in italy (where i live)...

i...yes, i know how it sounds a garage band...but sometimes i have strange doubts about some kind of power chords or the right way to the positions for the solos (and how to create them)...but maybe it's only a matter of time and listening to...

Yeah but croatoa aint asking what records he needs to listen to, so its kinda pointless to tell him to listen to kinks records. He's aksing how to achieve that sound, I guessing he's already familiar with how a garage guitar sounds, he wants to know the method in which you get that sound. I suppose listening to Link Wary will help understand how simple raw guitar sounds can work really well. but you need to get your own style of playing, one that suits you, starting off with simple blues scales and style can really help get you head around it...... just a thought.....
Oh yeah croatoa, the Deville aint particulary cheap, if you are after a cheap amp with a raw sound, fender make a 5watt amp similar to the old blues amps of the 50's, when you crank em up on full they got a great sound, and they are cheap, $200 or something like that, they aint loud though

I cannot speak for Gringo but I would say you are absolutely right in as far as Village Green being a wonderful record. but and also, Croatoa was asking about "garage punk" guitar playing. Village Green is swinging away from that Kinks garage sound and more into different territory ala Pet Sounds perhaps(?) jailbird said:

What about Village Green Preservation Society? Thats probably my fave Kinks album...
Gringo Starr said:

<

These Kinks records are an absolute MUST:

Kinks - 1964 (first LP) - Pye
Kinda Kinks - 1965 - Pye
The Kinks Kontroversy - 1965 - Pye
Face To Face - 1966 - Pye

...And have a listen to Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley while yer at it. Have fun!

What about Village Green Preservation Society? Thats probably my fave Kinks album... Gringo Starr said:

<

These Kinks records are an absolute MUST:

Kinks - 1964 (first LP) - Pye
Kinda Kinks - 1965 - Pye
The Kinks Kontroversy - 1965 - Pye
Face To Face - 1966 - Pye

...And have a listen to Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley while yer at it. Have fun!

croatoa said:

The Branded said:

... get a OLD tube amp, not one of those new modern tube/hybrid things they stink. A good modern amp with an old sound is those fender deville's, used them many times at shows, if you over cook the tube bias a little they sound really raw and warm, (the distortion channel stinks though). Listen to some old 50's blues and rock'n'roll, learn a few chord progressions, speed it up to double, then your nearly there, instant garage-punk, it aint really rocket science.... and there aint no manual, you gotta play by ear!

what does it means "if you over cook the tube"???? so a good model is this so called "fender deville"?is it cheap or not??

You need to set the bias or power going to the power tubes, you need a bias probe, when the amp leaves the factory they are set a bit cold to lengthen the life of the tubes but this also makes the sound sound a bit flat or dull, if you add more power to the tubes they get hotter and sound a bit more like an old vintage amp should, this is easy to do on a deville and they can sound similimar to an old blackface twin. Or you could of course stick pencils in ya speakers, the choice is yours....

Yeh that Norton Link Wray album is aces... But I think they run out of em... At least they had only a few left last time I ordered fer my record shop... They used to do em with free Link Wray plectrums! Thats a good garage guitar tip... LINK WRAY yer amp by punching holes in the speaker with a pencil... Instant trash!

The Branded said:

... get a OLD tube amp, not one of those new modern tube/hybrid things they stink. A good modern amp with an old sound is those fender deville's, used them many times at shows, if you over cook the tube bias a little they sound really raw and warm, (the distortion channel stinks though). Listen to some old 50's blues and rock'n'roll, learn a few chord progressions, speed it up to double, then your nearly there, instant garage-punk, it aint really rocket science.... and there aint no manual, you gotta play by ear!

what does it means "if you over cook the tube"???? so a good model is this so called "fender deville"?is it cheap or not??

for the guitar sound I would say unlearn everything you already know (beer can help with this), buy a cheap 60's guitar, like a tiesco or silvertone, hofner or whatever you find cheap, get a OLD tube amp, not one of those new modern tube/hybrid things they stink. A good modern amp with an old sound is those fender deville's, used them many times at shows, if you over cook the tube bias a little they sound really raw and warm, (the distortion channel stinks though). Listen to some old 50's blues and rock'n'roll, learn a few chord progressions, speed it up to double, then your nearly there, instant garage-punk, it aint really rocket science.... and there aint no manual, you gotta play by ear!

jailbird said:

On a similar note(and completely serious - disregard my joke above) - what are the best things to drum on for a home recording/bedroom 4 track setup that sound good and lo-fi(ala Jay Reatards bedroom recordings, etc)when you dont actually have drums and/or a drummer? Ive tried boxes and buckets, but if anyone knows of a better solution besides getting a drummer, lemme know. Thanx.

for my home demos I use a wooden tambourine with the skin on one side, take a beater and bash the hell out of it, then stick it through a lot of compression add some reverb and voila, sounds tight raw and very trashy, I have also used the back of my acoustic guitar bash it like a bongo drum then add some compression and low bass, sounds like wooden bass drum, much like an old blues sound, give it a go.......

uh, how could i forget mr. Bo Diddley. Good Save Kopp. check out his videos on youtube...
the Ventures is a little steep for beginners - even for me! But it will give you some good chops.
the Kinks, of course. "all day and all of the night." Billy Childish is good to watch. you can learn much just from watching him... "the genius of Billy Childish" you can find at some recordshops...