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Just Got My First Guitar and Need a Little Guidance!

Yield To NatureYield To Nature Posts: 3
edited October 2003 in Musicians and Gearheads
What up Jamily!!
I just received my first guitar as an aniversary gift from my wife (she rocks). I feel like I don't know where to begin and I figured I knew one place I could turn for musical advice. At least I know we appreciate the same type of music. Any thoughts on the best way to get this thing started,? Websites, instructional guides, anything that has what you feel to be an excellent source of learning.

Thanks!
"With a bit of luck, his life was ruined forever. Always thinking that just behind some narrow door in all of his favorite bars, men in red woolen shirts are getting incredible kicks from things he'll never know."

- Raoul Duke
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Elderly ManElderly Man Posts: 235
    what kind of guitar??

    sorry this isnt helping
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  • Yield To NatureYield To Nature Posts: 3
    its an accoustic. a Johnson I believe. nothing spectacular but its a start.
    "With a bit of luck, his life was ruined forever. Always thinking that just behind some narrow door in all of his favorite bars, men in red woolen shirts are getting incredible kicks from things he'll never know."

    - Raoul Duke
  • Doug RDoug R Posts: 34
    Start learning Chords...Get your fingers used to different movements...Honestly, start learning from the very beginning and play stuff like Mary had a little lamb and all that stuff...Once your starting to get it, learn Tableture...You'll be playing Ledbetter before ya know it..
  • awwhotdogawwhotdog Posts: 16
    Get yourself a Good Charlotte Cd and youll be a superstar guitar player in 2/3 of a minute.
    "Esther's here and she's sick... hi Esther, now we're all going to be sick, thanks." EV Palace of Auburn Hills 10-7-00
  • mookeywrenchmookeywrench Posts: 5,931
    learn chords, learn some tabs....and start making your own stuff right away
    350x700px-LL-d2f49cb4_vinyl-needle-scu-e1356666258495.jpeg
  • spatspat Posts: 644
    awwwwhot dog haha that was good lol.
    don't expect to be playing hendrix the first day... despite how easy you might think it is YOU WILL GET AGRIVATED AND YOU WILL SCREAM AND GET PISSED. but take it easy and be patient. go to www. tabcrawler.com and http://www.guitar.com. they have some tips and tricks for ya. i've had an acoustic for 4 years and i still suck haha.
    My favorite Pearl Jam song: "Corporate Greed Boat Asshole Behind a Counter in the Oval Office"
  • jazzmanthesecondjazzmanthesecond Posts: 3
    I would get the book "Guitar Method 1" it's a blue book by Aaron Stang.
    It gives you fingerings, how to read music, rythms, key sigs. all the good stuff to start with.
    If you can already read music purchase "A modern method for guitar" by William Leavitt. It's very good, a berklee press book so you know your getting good stuff.
    For basic music theory you should look into "Harmony and Theory" it's a musicians institute book and is essential to play harder music.

    The best advice i can give you is to get a teacher, everyone needs one, i bet ya Kirk Hammet and even Mcready has one.

    You can get all these books and find a teacher at your local music store.

    "self education makes great men" so get going and rock out!

    My favourite website for guitar tablature is http://www.guitarnotes.com/tabs very good scource.

    Alright dude,
    you'll be playing Alive in no time

    Rock on
    Jazzman
    "That Dirty Frank was a bad Mother (shut your mouth!) hey man, i was just
    talkin' 'bout Dirty FranK!!!!"
  • quasiquasi Posts: 492
    Keep your nails clipped nice and low on the hand that is forming the chords. It helps keep the fingers close and tight to the fretboard. This is something that I never thought about until I started taking lessons.
    SEA 9/20/92, SEA 12/7/93, SEA 12/31/94 (MS), SEA 11/5/00, SEA 11/6/00, SEA 12/8/02, SEA 12/9/02, BEN 10/22/03, GOR 9/1/05, SD 7/7/06, LA 7/10/06, LA 7/12/06, LA (EV) 4/12/08, LA (EV) 4/13/08, LA 7/12/08, LA 9/30/09, LA 10/7/09, SEA 12/6/13, SEA 8/8/18
  • EchoesEchoes Posts: 1,279
    http://www.guitartabs.cc/home.php


    I think that's a good place for guitar tabs, teach yourself to read tabs, its a lot easier than sheet music for me........
    printf("shiver in eternal darkness\n");
  • ThumbingMyWayBack2PJThumbingMyWayBack2PJ Posts: 11
    The best thing to do is find a teacher. LOOK HARD because you don't want to find some jackass who thinks he knows how to play guitar. He(or she) will just fuck you up. Other than that wholenote.com is a good place if you want to learn.
  • MasamanMasaman Posts: 17
    First it hurts, like hell, for about a year. The pain will make you doubt god but when you start making a little music you'll belive all over again! My fingers and wrist still aches playing some chords. The first thing did was get a chord chart (see the links below) and tried to learn as many of the easy ones as I could (Em, A, D etc.) and didn'y worry about the ones that looked like I needed 8 fingers (F, Bm etc)

    Here are some good links

    http://www.giventowail.com/

    http://www.supersonic.net/guitar/chords.htm (chord chart)

    http://www.musicianforums.com/forum...rumid=57&ref=mx

    http://www.looknohands.com/chordhou...r/index_db.html

    http://www.guitaretab.com/

    Good luck!
  • frankzappafrankzappa Posts: 143
    get them calisis built up!
    go buy a tuner and find out how to tune the guitar yourself. then learn a power chord. then you can start writting your own stuff. Also, go on giventowail.com and learn wishlist.

    Take your time and just learn all the songs you listen to (or try to learn them) - the more of them you play, the more you'll start to understand about how they were written
    "If god really made us in his image, that means god is dumb all over and a little ugly on the side" -FZ
  • peacenowarpeacenowar Posts: 24
    yeah get a good teacher definately.....my first teacher was good player, but kept on trying to teach me Swing Low Sweet Chariot and In the Arms of Jesus LOL!!! Here's me back then, 14 and trying to rock out.....
    why am i admitting to this!<grin>


    nah but seriously, just get used to the shape of a chord and then add one to another, keep it slow 'til you can make the changes from one hand position to another pretty smooth.
    But remember there's no RULES on how to play the guitar, whatever sounds good to you s'alright!

    And: tony iomi had a fingertip missing, while jerry Garcia had only three fingers!!
    (makes you sick don't it!)
    ~~~
    "Never think that a group of committed citizens can't change the world, indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
    - Margerat Mead
  • Yield To NatureYield To Nature Posts: 3
    Thanks you guys are the best!!!!
    "With a bit of luck, his life was ruined forever. Always thinking that just behind some narrow door in all of his favorite bars, men in red woolen shirts are getting incredible kicks from things he'll never know."

    - Raoul Duke
  • BinFrogBinFrog MA Posts: 7,309
    Start here:

    http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/f/p/fpm108/glw/lessons/index.htm

    You may also want to try instructional movies like:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000069YX0/qid=1065534941/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/103-0698047-0171811?v=glance&s=dvd

    or

    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006HI52/qid=1065534941/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-0698047-0171811?v=glance&s=dvd

    or

    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000056VQS/qid=1065534984/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/103-0698047-0171811?v=glance&s=dvd

    And look into the Karl Aranjo book series.
    Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
    Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
  • aenimaaenima Posts: 4
    ive been playing for 8 years, and i dont, and never have had calises. i think theres something wrong with me...

    but anyways,
    best advice, find a good teacher, i had a shit one for the first year and it fucked me over.

    learn chords, learn scales and learn how to read music, tabs are useful, but they are no substitute for being able to read the real thing.

    start with the absolute basics, yes, it is frustrating but you'll be much better off in the long run.
    It makes much more sense to live in the present tense...
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    Don't forget my second-fav site:
    http://www.olga.net

    They're the best resource (in my opinion) for tablature. At least, to get a good selection from a huge number of bands.

    I started with a video on intro to Folk Guitar... really cheesy, but it taught me how to tune a guitar in standard tuning, how to play the basic major and minor chords, how to play barre chords, and how to read tab. Once I knew tab, I used olga.net for everything. I had a guitar class through my high school after I'd been playing for five years, that helped me with music theory and some of the weirder scales.

    Good luck! Remember, we're always here when you need help or when you're just plain frustrated.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • frankzappafrankzappa Posts: 143
    I never got a teacher. I bought ledzeppelin Complete (I, II, III, ZOSO, Houses) and started working my way through it. 5 months later, I was a guitarist who could play stairway. do what works for you though. I knew the music i wanted to play, so thats what I started with, and I spent all the time I could on it until I had it. Not the best way, but I never had to play swing low sweet chariot :)
    "If god really made us in his image, that means god is dumb all over and a little ugly on the side" -FZ
  • ZappanaticZappanatic Posts: 8
    Originally posted by Echoes
    http://www.guitartabs.cc/home.php


    I think that's a good place for guitar tabs, teach yourself to read tabs, its a lot easier than sheet music for me........
    Great link, man.
    Fact is, I wanna buy one next year (if I'm out of the finishing-my-house-blues), thanks man. Only on a PJ forum......
    I can eat alphabet soup and shit better lyrics than most of today's crap artists.
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