Acoustic Guitar

Boom The Cat

All thanks to Daughter, I want to take up acoustic guitar, I have no knowledge of guitars no guitar and I'm starting lessons soon, any tips for a dummy?

moster78

My best friend was given a Fender acoustic as a birthday gift from his girlfriend which he has barely touched, as much as I give him crap about it. I don't know the model number or anything, but its a nice acoustic. Can't be more than $300. I learned on a Dean Performer series acoustic, which went for about $300 as well. Decent guitar and got me started. Definitely take lessons, they're invaluable! Good luck and keep us updated!

Boom The Cat

Ok, I will, I can't wait for the part where I have to find tabs

Child Of The 90s

daughter isn't played on an acoustic. it's got some funky pickups that make it sound that way.

exhausted

live it's played on an electric with a special pickup but the original studio version is an acoustic.

moster78

Regardless, its given him the desire to pick up a guitar and learn to play. That's what is important. Watching Touring Band 2000 and listening to the 2000 bootlegs is what spurred me to buy my acoustic four and a half years ago. Only took me until this June to actually start taking lessons and they've been immensely helpful. Acoustic is definitely the way to start as I find its a little harder to play sometimes.

exhausted

generally speaking, it is a little harder and, being that you can't hide behind noise, is a better way to learn.

but yeah, whatever helps maintain the interest and drive to learn, be it acoustic or electric or whatever. that's the important part.

Boom The Cat

exhausted wrote:

live it's played on an electric with a special pickup but the original studio version is an acoustic.

*sigh of relief* Thanks all for your supprt, to be honest I don't want to go on to do electric guitar (I may change my opinion aftr playing acoustic but..) I like the idea of waking up in the morning and just playing something without having to plug amps in etc. no disrespect to people who do electric though

Dirty_Frank

Stone plays Daughter on either the Fender with the fishmans or an acoustic depending on the night. I've seen video of the strat and on acoutic. It sounds a lot better on the acoustic though. That's how he does it on the album too.

moster78

Boom The Cat wrote:

*sigh of relief* Thanks all for your supprt, to be honest I don't want to go on to do electric guitar (I may change my opinion aftr playing acoustic but..) I like the idea of waking up in the morning and just playing something without having to plug amps in etc. no disrespect to people who do electric though

I thought my acoustic would last me until the end of the year and I made the mistake of trying out some electrics at Guitar Center one weekend. I walked out the next weekend with a new Fender Strat because it was just love at first sight and play. But after playing only acoustic for months, I found the electric easier. Good luck!

HYLA

Daughter can be played on acoustic, so go for it. Don't need a piezo electric to get the same sound.

Pearl Jam and toast

exhausted wrote:

generally speaking, it is a little harder and, being that you can't hide behind noise, is a better way to learn.

but yeah, whatever helps maintain the interest and drive to learn, be it acoustic or electric or whatever. that's the important part.

Acoustic IS best to start with. absolutley.

Dont' learn Daughter first.

Alternate tunings should come about when you have a good basis of fundamentals i'd say.

moster78

Start with Elderly Woman, much easier. Thats what I did in my first guitar lesson.

Boom The Cat

Nice!

I'm gonna pick up some Ben Harper stuff too, and I'll do Elderly Woman before daughter thanks for the help!

edit

also what's Yellow Ledbetter like to play?

moster78

Boom The Cat wrote:

also what's Yellow Ledbetter like to play?

Hard.

But then again, I've only been at the guitar for a shade under 5 months now.

casper leblanc

I think YL is one of those songs that are as hard as you make it, since it's basically built around E, B and A. What you do with it from there, is your own.

But yeah, you gotta have some knowledge and a minor bit of skills to wank this one home.

JofZ

As a beginner it is easy to get caught up in playing your favorite tunes, but I can tell you it will be worthless if you can't recognize your basic chords and play scales.
Tunes come quick once you have your basics down!
Another thing to learn is a practice routine, get into the habit of learning and really learning it, not just playing it once or twice. I usually warm up for 10 to 15 mins, playing scales, then I go through new material for an hour or so and then on to whatever.
There are so many details to go through you will feel overwhelmed at first, but over time you will start to get it together.

Pearl Jam and toast

JofZ wrote:

As a beginner it is easy to get caught up in playing your favorite tunes, but I can tell you it will be worthless if you can't recognize your basic chords and play scales.
Tunes come quick once you have your basics down!
Another thing to learn is a practice routine, get into the habit of learning and really learning it, not just playing it once or twice. I usually warm up for 10 to 15 mins, playing scales, then I go through new material for an hour or so and then on to whatever.
There are so many details to go through you will feel overwhelmed at first, but over time you will start to get it together.

It can't be said enough or understated.

Boom The Cat

JofZ wrote:

As a beginner it is easy to get caught up in playing your favorite tunes, but I can tell you it will be worthless if you can't recognize your basic chords and play scales.
Tunes come quick once you have your basics down!
Another thing to learn is a practice routine, get into the habit of learning and really learning it, not just playing it once or twice. I usually warm up for 10 to 15 mins, playing scales, then I go through new material for an hour or so and then on to whatever.
There are so many details to go through you will feel overwhelmed at first, but over time you will start to get it together.

Don't worry, I see what you mean, mabye I'm running before I can walk here, but I'm so excited about this, once I get a guitar I'll take it everywhere I can.

WindNoSail

On "about to give up on this". Feel like I am helping the frustrated.

Definately do acoustic first - it will make your hands stronger quicker and will get you into the rythym of the music. But you can do both later.

Squidge

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

Acoustic IS best to start with. absolutley.

Dont' learn Daughter first.

Alternate tunings should come about when you have a good basis of fundamentals i'd say.

Well said. learn songs in concert pitch before fuckin with the tunings. Drop D should be the first alternate tuning to learn.

Play Jeremy (acoustic), peice of pissssss.

Verse - A G
Chorus - F G A

Easyyyyyy and funnnnn

Boom The Cat

any ben harper stuff good to start with?

Boom The Cat

oh yeah, what would be a cheap but decent guitar to start with?

moster78

My friends girlfriend got him a Fender acoustic for his birthday a year or so ago that he's barely touched. I've probably played it more tham him and its decent. Couldn't have bene more than $200... $300 tops. Don't know the exact model. I learned on a Dean Performer Series acoustic that I got 4 years ago for a little over $300. Good luck, but Just try everything in your price range and go with what feels best to you.

elstongunn

there are some good lower priced solid wood guitars. go to a guitar center or
http://www.musiciansfriend.com has good prices and customer reviews of everything you'll ever need. i started with a takamine eg-240 at about $240 (has an electric pickup you don't need) but for a soliod wood i love it.

peace

Boom The Cat

what would second hand ones be like?

moster78

Boom The Cat wrote:

what would second hand ones be like?

Depends. Honestly, go to a store, any store and play what they have in stock. You'll find something you groove with.

Boom The Cat

thing is I've no lessons or anything, so I'd just pick it up and look like a gerkin

Boom The Cat

what about ben harper? Is his stuff hard to play?

moster78

Boom The Cat wrote:

thing is I've no lessons or anything, so I'd just pick it up and look like a gerkin

That's OK. Everyone has to start somewhere. Just go to a store, ask a salesman for help, explain that you're just starting out and you want to look at acoustics in a certain price range, and just don't go way over that range.

Boom The Cat

Cool, I know where my guitar store is, its below the drum store (I play the drums) I'll go and check some stuff out there.