Polkasound
Senior Member
But here's my problem...these libraries really only shine when you're good at playing a keyboard like a guitar, right? Any resources for learning how to do that better? I do play real guitars, but I'm pretty much a hack
In my opinion, OTS guitars shine no matter who uses them, because they are beautifully sampled and scripted. But nothing can make any virtual instrument track shine more than when the person playing the virtual instrument understands the real one and how it is played. That knowledge supersedes keyboard skills, because even if you're a hack keyboard player, you can apply that knowledge by editing a crummy performance and turning it into gold.
The other week I put together some music for a wedding, and used a SWAM Flute. I'm not a flute player, but I closed my eyes and imagined where breaths would be taken, which notes might have a stronger attack, how running short of breath might affect vibrato and note length, etc. I edited the &$*%! out of the the track until it sounded right to my ears. Since you have experience playing guitar, you should be able to close your eyes and imagine where notes might slide into each other, where you'd hammer on or off, where you'd bend a string, etc. If you're not quite at that level of playing, there are lots of videos and audio files out there of fantastic guitarists from which you can learn a great deal.
It's tempting, when using a keyboard, to make every note of a virtual instrument track sound equally neat. You have to train your brain to accept the beauty in imperfection. When you hear a real guitar performance, you're not just hearing notes being played -- you're also hearing a flurry of misfretted notes, barely-audible hammer-ons/offs, slides, squeaks, fret buzz, accidental mutes, etc -- and all of those things are what make the performance real and beautiful.
I apologize since I am not exactly citing a particular resource, but my point is that your ears and the infinite music around you are some of the best learning tools.