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Just picked up Guitar any tips

davejenidavejeni Posts: 17
edited September 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
Hi i have just picked up aguitar and a learner guide any tips to help m,e get along.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • gimmesometruthgimmesometruth Posts: 12
    Spend time learning how to finger the basic chords (C,D,E,G,A), don't torment yourself with F or B yet, then go along to http://www.giventowail.com and pick out some of the easier PJ songs and strum away (Not for you, Wishlist, Elderly Woman, etc).

    Best bit of advice I can give is to be patient, you won't sound like Mike McCready in 5 minutes :)
    Y'know, you remind me of a poem I can't remember, and a song that may never have existed, and a place I'm not sure I've ever been to.
  • thewaxtadpolethewaxtadpole Posts: 50
    The best piece of advice I can give you is Don't listen to us. For that matter, don't listen to anybody.

    Learning the guitar is an individual thing, and one cannot be told how to do it. You have to experiment and find what maes you comfortable. If you're taking lessons it makes it a little easier, because you don't have to depend on your Internet or your ears to find songs to practice on.

    Also, I'm willing to bet that if you went on the "Vai Hendrix Satriani Virtuosos" message board, you'd get way different answers than what we would give you. "Make sure all the strigns are perfectly in tune, learn to play augmented tritone substitutions in the key of E flat, and then play an easy 20-minute solo, and if you're in a band, never let anyone else in that band do anything cool." I know some of these people well.

    Do what feels natural, and best of luck.
    I've noticed that our senators
    have very funny names.
    Like Lincoln, Zell, and Saxby.
    What's wrong with things like "James"?
    I think that this is crazy.
    I think that it should stop.
    I think this is the reason
    They confirmed John Ashcroft.
  • imstillaliveimstillalive Posts: 12
    good luck and have fun ,i got one last christmas and i love it im good but i wish i could teach myself all the basic chords first . i went straight to playing pearl jam stuff and heres my firsts and they are easy to me : rearviewmirror by pearl jam and alice in chains angry chair. these will make you want to pick it back uip day after day. i dont know what kind of music you like but these are good . take care and good luck
    laughter is the beat medicine--DV

    CHAMPAGNE BREAKFAST FOR EVERYONE- PJ
    DONT KNOW IF HES COMING HOME IN A BOX OR A BAG---PJ
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    If you know nothing about guitar,,, if you have a little time, you'll save a LOT of time in the long run by taking at least a few lessons with a good instructor. There is nothing like having someone physically show you the hand positions and some techniques to get you going.

    Make sure they teach you a couple of songs that you know, and not just what's in their books (Like twinkle twinkle little star:))

    Learn the open chords like gimmesometruth said

    Find your own style, like Wax tadpole said, but some lessons will give you building blocks to find your own groove.
    There are many right ways to play the guitar and it is a limitless instrument. From three chord rock songs to twelve string classical, to a stack of electronics like the Edge, or soundscapes like Robert Fripp

    I'm not a tab fan, maybe if you really want to know a song. You may find some cool licks on tab,,, but if you want to develop an ear for music, just try to play melodies that you hear on tv, radio, from your head. This is great ear/hand coordination stuff that most people just don't develop, but is invaluable for just being able to play what is coming from your head. (No offense to tab people, tabulature serves it's purpose)

    It's important to learn how to hold your hands and arms ergonomically so you don't wear yourself out or get carpal tunnel (VERY common amongst musicians)
    Once again a good instructor can get you on the right track for this.
    Hmm, I gotta go, but it's a start.

    Best advice?
    Make sure it's fun:D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • WashDirtyFrankWashDirtyFrank Posts: 75
    What kept me going as a guitarist was playing the songs I loved. It inspires you each time to play more and more.

    hAVE FUN
    "This is a public service annowncement... with guitars!!"
  • davejenidavejeni Posts: 17
    Thanks Guys

    Yeah do you guys read tableture when you play i ma better with numbers than letters.
    And what easy songs should i try to learn first. I have never heard of most of them in learner guides.
  • mca47mca47 Posts: 13,304
    i got my first acoustic last christmas. i don't play that often and well i pretty much suck...but it's still so fun!!
    i can play a few acoustic PJ songs. not very well though :(
  • WashDirtyFrankWashDirtyFrank Posts: 75
    get to a free guitar tab site like Guitar Tab Universe (i forget the URL, but just do a search on yahoo and it should be there). Try Wishlist, thats a nice easy song revolving around the Cmajor and Gmajor chords. Or if you want something slightly more difficult try "Elderly woman ... " thats a good song for learning chord changes and rythmic strumming.

    Just learn the basic chords Amajor, Gmajor, Cmajor, Fmajor etc, and you will nail these songs in no time.
    "This is a public service annowncement... with guitars!!"
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