Playing guitar...

[Toyowner]

I really want to learn, but Im not sure if Im really a "musical" type of person when it comes to it.

I love music passionately, and would love to be able to pick up an acoustic and have a little strum in the bedroom (!!)

I had a bash about ten years ago and got nowhere if Im honest, but I fancy having another go.

One of the things that frustrated me enormously before was not being able to even make a vaguely recognisable tune in the early days to keep my interest up.

Ive found a local tutor who I plan to talk to tomorrow,but anyone have any tips for success ? It seems the learning curve is near vertical from here.

[davepoth]

Set your sights low to start with - you only need three chords to make a hit record!

[Honk]

Many tutors will teach you a simple riff of your choice to keep you interested before the hard work starts

[Toyowner]

No Satch or Vai to start then ?

[NiceCupOfTea]

Two very important things:

1) Find a good teacher.
2) Practise. Every day.

[davepoth]

--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
--0--3--5-----|--0--3--6/5---|--0--3--5-----|--3--0--------|
--0--3--5-----|--0--3--6/5---|--0--3--5-----|--3--0--------|
--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|

Ish.

[Toyowner]

I know thats tab, but it means nothing to me Im sad to say.

[Heathwood]

I had a similar desire to play guitar as you. Picked one up for the first time just under a year ago without knowing so much as a single chord. I'm still pretty st but I'm really enjoying it and don't regret it for a moment.

An excellent starting point is www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-000-BeginnersCourse

[AdeTuono]

Toyowner said:

I know thats tab, but it means nothing to me Im sad to say.

Only the best known riff of all time. Banned from all guitar shops.

[kiteless]

^ that won't sound all that good on an acoustic, though would it dave

Needs a Fender Strat, with a scalloped neck, and much distortion. Oh, and Ian Gillan on vox.

[davepoth]

kiteless said:

^ that won't sound all that good on an acoustic, though would it dave

Needs a Fender Strat, with a scalloped neck, and much distortion. Oh, and Ian Gillan on vox.

It sounds AWESOME on any guitar. plus it's the same even if you're playing a right handed guitar in a left handed style, so it's great for me when I'm soundchecking guitars for people. Live the dream.

[otherman]

Toyowner said:

I know thats tab, but it means nothing to me Im sad to say.

Smoke on the water. But even that tab isn't so easy for a starter.

I say learn chords A, D and E. It takes a bit of work but ten minutes every day and you'll get it. There are plenty of three chord trick tunes you can do with them, then just add chords to your repetoir - the new fingering gets easier to learn once you can do a few.

[moleamol]

If you want to play some songs to keep you interested then Green Day or Offspring and their power chords will be ideal. Don't do what I did and decide Enter Sandman is the first song you absolutely need to learn.

[C2james]

davepoth][NOWIKI said:

Ish.

i know what that is, leave now! we have enough bloody beginners playing that.

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|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--0--3--5-----|--0--3--6/5---|--0--3--5-----|--3--0--------|--0--3--5-----|--0--3--6/5---|--0--3--5-----|--3--0--------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|


edit: this quoting is really screwed up!

[RV8]

The first riff I learnt was 'where boys fear to tread' by smashing pumpkins, again two strings and straight forward.

The best thing to do is learn hoe to tune the guitar in tbh, buy a tuner if you are not certain. Then learn a simple riff or a couple of chords from a song you like as it'll help sustain your interest, especially when you start getting the rhythm nailed or getting the chords to ring true - that's a great feeling. After a while it's like the other guys said you'll pick up more stuff and get more out of it but I have to agree - practice every spare moment when you are first starting.

[Ruttager]

Go buy a entry level acoustic guitar.

Pop it in your living room or somewhere its visible (You will be more likely to pick it up and play it).

Start learning the basics.

Find a few songs that you like and want to play along to. Learn them.

You'll find learning guitar comes in steps. You'll learn some open chords and this will open up a lot of songs. Then you will get stuck learning bar chords and it will take a while for the dexterity to build up in your hands. It will come though and that opens up another load of songs. Then you will find more complicated chords, strumming techniques, picking styles and so on.

[Bacon Is Proof]

davepoth][NOWIKI said:

Ish.

I've never seen a truer post.
That was the first thing I ever played (albeit on a bass). Once you work out that you can play a recognisable tune the hardest part is over.

I'm not a big fan of too much tuition. It's nice to have someone who can point out good technique but too much tuition can cause problems: Jamiroquai's guitarist Rob Harris used to teach guitar a couple of doors down to me and lots of my friends took lessons with him.
Not knocking his ability to teach and he's obviously been incredibly successful but if he was ever struck down by lightning/plague, I could point Jay Kay in the direction of a dozen people who all sound exactly like he does.

[AndyFoo]

I was in your position, and trust me, it was frustrating.

One day though, I sat down with my 'Bob Dylan Songbook' and picked probably the easiest chord song of all time to play, 'Knockin' on Heavens Door'.

G D C, G D Am (repeat)

It teaches you four of the basic and easiest to grasp chords, how to change to them quickly and easily, how to maintain pressure on the strings and produce fine sounding chords over and over again and finally, the most important part, Timing and strumming technique.

The G Chord
e---3---
B---0---
G---0---
D---0---
A---2---
E---3---

The D Chord
e---2---
B---3---
G---2---
D---0---
A---x---
E---x---

The C Chord
e---0---
B---1---
G---0---
D---0---
G---2---
A---3---
E---x---

The Am Chord
e---0---
B---1---
G---2---
D---2---
A---0---
E---x---

It's a simple structure of two beats of G and D then a four beats of Am or C


| G G | D D | C C | C C |

| G G | D D | Am Am | Am Am | (Repeat)


Video of the song...
http://vimeo.com/26769701


That should give you something to start with, good luck and don't get too frustrated with it not sounding like what it should. That just means you're playing Jazz

[hesnotthemessiah]

Heathwood said:

I had a similar desire to play guitar as you. Picked one up for the first time just under a year ago without knowing so much as a single chord. I'm still pretty st but I'm really enjoying it and don't regret it for a moment.

An excellent starting point is www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-000-BeginnersCourse

Yep, that's where I started too.

[Heathwood]

So Toyowner, you picked up that guitar yet then?