Electric guitarists here? (esp. lefties)

[southpaw]

Hi guys

I have had an electric guitar for about 2 months so far, but because of school work I have done very little with it. I know one guitar solo, and bits of 3 songs. Can someone tell me some nice, easy songs to learn to begin with?

Also, if there are any other lefties out there, does anyone have a sheet of basic left handed chords? I cant find a sheet of lefty ones, and I keep getting confused trying to learn them from righty chords.

Cheers

[driller]

Get the Guitar Handbook by Ralph Denyer. It's got everything you'll ever need. Learn all the basic chords (and bar chords- with them you're sorted)and then just use your ear to work things out. What kind of music are you into?

>> Edited by driller on Wednesday 8th June 20:18

[southpaw]

Sorry, didnt notice your reply, then kicked my reset button :s

I'll pretty much listen to anything (except folk) and I dont mind what I play, just as long as I can play it to make myself feel proud

[drea]

southpaw said:

I cant find a sheet of lefty ones, and I keep getting confused trying to learn them from righty chords.

Have you tried this? Only four quid.

www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/026361/details.html

[alexkp]

I think in my day it was "House of the Rising Sun"

[Pigeon]

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold...

[driller]

southpaw said:

Sorry, didnt notice your reply, then kicked my reset button :s I'll pretty much listen to anything (except folk) and I dont mind what I play, just as long as I can play it to make myself feel proud

Mmmmm I reckon you need a bit more than two months to play anything seriously (unless you are the reincarnation of Hendrix ) For example can you make smooth changes between open chords yet?

[southpaw]

driller said:

southpaw said: Sorry, didnt notice your reply, then kicked my reset button :s I'll pretty much listen to anything (except folk) and I dont mind what I play, just as long as I can play it to make myself feel proud Mmmmm I reckon you need a bit more than two months to play anything seriously (unless you are the reincarnation of Hendrix ) For example can you make smooth changes between open chords yet?

Nope, but thats because I havn't had the time to play it enough.

[driller]

southpaw said:

driller said: southpaw said: Sorry, didnt notice your reply, then kicked my reset button :s I'll pretty much listen to anything (except folk) and I dont mind what I play, just as long as I can play it to make myself feel proud Mmmmm I reckon you need a bit more than two months to play anything seriously (unless you are the reincarnation of Hendrix ) For example can you make smooth changes between open chords yet? Nope, but thats because I havn't had the time to play it enough.

OK well without sounding dull (and it's gonna ) you need to sit down with your guitar for several hours a day and just practice chords, scales, the lot. After 6 months you'll notice you can sudenly play some interesting stuff chord wise. I found after 18 months I could start to play some interesting stuff on the electric but before that felt like I was going nowhere. If you're just after being able to hammer out a few chord sequences well try to get bar chords sorted because then you can just slide up and down the neck with the same chord shape. Easy

[shadowninja]

Pigeon said:

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold...

Is she buying a stairlift in Devon?

[vitesse39]

Gazboy said:

Status Quo - three chords in every song. More interesting is Enter Sandman, I've tought newbies the bit Big Jim plays in afternoon.

Some mistake surely, Quos Break the rules, Again Again, Living on an island...and that's just from 12 Gold Bars.

Anyway if you really fancy a challenge or just to hear some mind numbing playing John Petrucci from Dream Theater. Same goes for Mike Portnoy on drums!

[Hanslow]

Guitar Pro is your best friend.

Plenty of songs for it at My Songbook.

[Incorrigible]

Another lefty here

I reckon you should perservere with the right handed chord boxes. Becasue if you don't you'll end up having to transcribe every new one you come across, and your other band members (perhaps one day) will get the arse

What to play ? Do you like to sing along ? any pop type stuff is great for that, Robbie Williams Oasis etc. And they're the sort of songs you don't get bored with (and the chords are easy)

But practice scales and chords.

[southpaw]

Incorrigible said:

Another lefty here I reckon you should perservere with the right handed chord boxes. Becasue if you don't you'll end up having to transcribe every new one you come across, and your other band members (perhaps one day) will get the arse What to play ? Do you like to sing along ? any pop type stuff is great for that, Robbie Williams Oasis etc. And they're the sort of songs you don't get bored with (and the chords are easy) But practice scales and chords.

Sing along...at the same time?

Cheers for the advice guys, will check out those sites!

[oddman]

Not a leftie but most seem to suggest persisting with RH if learning from scratch.

Have you thought about lessons or a PC tutorial product like this www.charanga.com/

Lots of encouraging advice on www.regentguitars.co.uk/cgi-bin/bulletinboard_cgi/ultimatebb.cgi

As others have said practice is all. Try and stick with learning chords and making slick transitions between them. It's easy to get distracted into learning simple solos based on single notes and riffs based on power chords.

Throw your TV away, sack your mates and spend 2 hours a day practising. I bet none of Jimmy Page's and Eric Clapton's schoolmates remember who they were.

T

[pwig]

The oasis songbooks are good, most are dead easy to play

[love machine]

Teach yourself blues, (with full on gospelly fat chords) whang in a few notes, listen to what you get, it's pretty straightforward. When you start getting good, start singing your improvisation. It sounds stupid but you'll be making a lot more sense than rockwank. I used to play years ago and taught myself this way. Just get the feel for it and you'll get there. Practice lots = perfect lots.