U2 & Guitar Gear: Q & A

Originally posted by LikeASong:[..]The riffs are easier to start with, but with the time, you will slowly and slightly forget individual riffs (I hope not, but... it will happen ). On the other hand, a chord, with its single sound and structure, can barely be forgotten, it remains many longer.

You must think that, in all U2's discography, there are about (or more than) 100 different and recognisable riffs (not talking about small licks, solos, etc), but... how many chords there are? Not more than 20 or 25. And moreover, the individual U2 riffs will be useless if you want to play other artist's music (how many songs do you know to feature WTSHNN's or Gone's riff?)... On the other hand, a chord is universal; the same Am chord is present on Staring At The Sun by U2, or Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin, or She Loves You by The Beatles, or Time Is Running Out by Muse......

This all is my opinion, because I also started playing riffs (first ones were Miracle Drug and Still Haven't Found), but now I only look for chord structures, riffs come easier when you know the chords of a song

Originally posted by LikeASong:

Playing solos and riffs is great, but you should't focus just on that. That's all, Lyndon

Originally posted by vanquish:I'll do both concurrently, learn riffs to stop me getting bored with learning scales and chords
(also you can't impress people by playing scales)
Chords don't sound good an an unamplified electric.

BTW anyone know effects/delay settings for TTTYAATW? It's not on that amnesta site.

Originally posted by LikeASong:PS. In fact, you can impress people playing scales. Look at all those "expert" guitar players like Van Halen and all his disciples... Nothing about harmony, melody or beauty on the music. They just care about quickly-executed scales... And nevertheless they earn lots of money and good criticism...

Originally posted by LikeASong:[..
[..]Someone will answer much better than me soon, but for the moment I'd say he uses a pretty big delay, combined with a phaser and/or wah-wah pedal. I don't know much about effects and pedals, but I if I had to set up my guitar for Tryin' To Throw, I would put those ones.

Originally posted by LikeASong:Stairway's solo was my first dream too!!! In fact, Stairway was the very first song I learned (just the picking, I didn't learn the solo until... months of practice hahaha!! but I learnt it pretty quickly, and soon could sing along while playing!!). The first song I learned to play with chords was You've Got To Hide Your Love Away by The Beatles.

I understood you perfectly. You're just playing around, starting over, I know. I just wanted to say that you must NOT focus only on playing riffs and solos, because you're SURELY going to get stuck in somewhere. I don't know when or where, but you will; just because there are some things that you cannot play if you haven't a lot of practice hours behind you. You will get stuck, and then you might get desperate. I know the feeling: you're trying to play one of your favorite songs and you simply can't, the guitar is specially tough on that track. You try and you fail, you try and you fail... Infuriating. (it happened to me when I tried to learn Gone!)
And then, it might be helpful if you start to learn some chords and scales, it's very useful really. Playing chords is easier. You don't even need an electric guitar to make them sound great (think of acoustic and spanish guitars!), and they're much great if you play to other people without electrical amplifying. Chords are easy and funny!
Alex (the guy who posted below me) is a much more experienced guitar player and he agreed with me

Playing solos and riffs is great, but you should't focus just on that. That's all, Lyndon

Originally posted by vanquish:I finally got my amp

I a bit confused as to how to use it properly though, it has 7 knobs in addition to the 3 on my guitar. Got some mad floor shaking, distortion going though

Once I get my M13 connected between the amp and guitar, should I use it for distortion or the amp?

Originally posted by vanquish:[..]
Chords don't sound good an an unamplified electric.

Originally posted by vanquish:[..]

Yes, that's basically what all the hard rockers do, just play a blues scale really quickly.
[..]

Only the crappy ones.

Originally posted by vanquish:[..]
Thanks, I'm trying to play the live version which is a bit diff to his guitar on the album.
[..]

If you listen closely, Edge almost always plays something live compared to how it sounds on the album. You shouldn't try to hard to emulate how someone else plays. Play to make your own music.

Originally posted by vanquish:I finally got my amp

I a bit confused as to how to use it properly though, it has 7 knobs in addition to the 3 on my guitar. Got some mad floor shaking, distortion going though

Once I get my M13 connected between the amp and guitar, should I use it for distortion or the amp?

You also need to slow down. You already have better equipment than 95% of guitar players out there, a top notch guitar, an effects rig that most people will wait many years of playing before they can really master it, and lord knows what amp.

Try to read what the 3 knobs on your guitar do, it's pretty basic. The amplifier is pretty much the same way. Read what each knob does then play your heart out, it doesn't matter if your intonation if off a little, or if you're out of tune a little bit. Just have fun and don't try to hard to copy The Edge. Make your own music.

And just FYI, if you can't play chords and are around other guitar players, that's not a good thing... Chords are the meat n' potatoes of playing the guitar. Learn chords, variations of chords, and then you will learn Edge stuff much easier.

*don't forget. 50% of tone comes from your fingers.