about to give up on this

*given*to*fly*

ever since i can remember i wanted to play guitar ....finaly my roomate is trying to teach me but im getting soooo frusterated ....can any one suggest a good song to start with thats easy ? or maybe a book that could help me .....i know the tabs but my problem now is getting my fingers to move to where they are supposed to be without taking like 5 mins. to get them to the right spot....any suggestions?
PLEASE HELP ME
lol
thanx

the unseen

practice
practice
practice


and more practice.

thunder_balls

Yeah, as someone said earlier...practice practice practice. I was gonna' give up on drums, since I couldn't find my coordination. But so far, i've built up much more coordination, and have been able to do things. Get some inspiration...listen to your favorite guitarists. Whenever you get done practicing, at the end, do something you won't mess up on, and something that's fun....also, just a very high suggestion...get some private lessons. I took private lessons on the alto saxophone last year. I got into the Middle School Intermediate band, and I was only in 6th grade. And considering that the school was the best in the district, with the best music teacher and kids in the district, and that intermediate band had mostly 7th and 8th graders....it's a pretty nice accomplishment. So, Private Lessons can help a lot...you should look into that. Also, make sure you learn to read music, and practice MAJOR SCALES. That will get your hands well coordinated.

moster78

Get some lessons from a third party. I know its your roommate and they're helping you out, but it may be worth it to try someone else. Other than that, practice, you'll get it. It doesn't happen overnight, thats for sure.

*given*to*fly*

i refuse to take lessions because i dont have the time or money ..my roomate will do just fine but she isnt here right now so thats why i posted this
p.s also i can now play one song (redemption song)
i finally got the hang of it but i must have smoked a pack of ciggarettes in my frustration lol
thanx for ur guys help , id love some more tips
xo

MissYouAllDay

Seven Nation Army.

The first song I could play, and for a while, the only song.

justam

*given*to*fly* wrote:

i refuse to take lessions because i dont have the time or money ..my roomate will do just fine but she isnt here right now so thats why i posted this
p.s also i can now play one song (redemption song)
i finally got the hang of it but i must have smoked a pack of ciggarettes in my frustration lol
thanx for ur guys help , id love some more tips
xo

Here you are asking for an online lesson and yet you say "I refuse to take lessons." Why should anyone bother helping you?

Moving your hands from one position to another takes a number of things--moving as directly as possible (shortest distance usually) and working with natural, relaxed movements rather than something stiff.

(But I really shouldn't help you! )

*given*to*fly*

justam wrote:

Here you are asking for an online lesson and yet you say "I refuse to take lessons." Why should anyone bother helping you?

Moving your hands from one position to another takes a number of things--moving as directly as possible (shortest distance usually) and working with natural, relaxed movements rather than something stiff.

(But I really shouldn't help you! )

lol im so sorry i didnt mean to be rude ... i guess my frusteration is making me a miserable little bitch
and thanx for the tip i think thats my problem i cant relax my hands enough and get comphortable with this thing in my hand .....i think im starting to figure out how to be more relaxed ...again sorry for my attitude

moster78

I find playing to be the most frustrating, yet at the same time, the most enjoyable thing I can do. It just takes patience and determination, thats all. Good luck.

StuffnJunk

the unseen wrote:

practice
practice
practice


and more practice.

see above......i gave guitar lessons for a few years.....out of all my students, 2 or 3 were naturals who learn amazingly quick, one guy was absolutely hopeless (took lessons for over a year and still couldn't play old mcdonald or do any chords).......but everyone else was the same- it takes time, and the more you put into it, the more you'll get out of it........jimi hendrix or eddie van halen were known to practice 12-16 hours a day

Squidge

Learn all the open major chords A to G, and like the guy said, learn the major scales. All this will help with your theory, which helps with your writing.

And like the other guy said, practise.

Try 'Thin Air' or 'Indifference'

WindNoSail

I have never been to this thread but I think I can help. I started playing about 4 years ago, and I am now 37. I love PJ more and more the more I play so enjoy....

First - it is about two things in my mind. Learn chords and get the fingers used to the stretch. Chords teach the finger stretching you have to be able to do and so does learning positioning on the fretboard for different patterns. If you just practise chords and the notes in position on the fretboard your fingers will eventually remember. This is how scales are done. Example: Key of G has a pattern and since you have four fingers each has a position that plays a different note in the key of G. This will get your pinky working along with your index finger and everything in between.

Chords: G, A, D, E, C, F are used alot. Am, Dm, Dsus4, Em are also very common. You can play PJ if you know them.

Good songs to learn:

Pink Floyd: Mother G, C, D
Wish you were here, G, C, D, Am with a few riffs

Pearl Jam: Crazy Mary, Am, F, C, G and a Bridge with Am, D, E, F, and G. Chorus Am. F, G

Betterman is good but the opening is a little harder

Alive Chorus is E, G, Dsus4, and A

Oh, immortality is a great song to learn and is not hard.

Eagles Take it Easy is Easy, and Hotel California isn't too hard if you learn some Barre Chords (use your index finger to bar a whole fret position)

That is a start: Use tabs and after you have learned some basics a teacher can help.

enharmonic

So, you won't pay for lessons to make yourself a better musician, but you will pay for cigarettes, which make you...well...die...faster.

Right on!

The Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar will save your guitar-playing life. i only wish I would have had this book 8 years ago.

Dirty_Frank

The first two songs I ever learned how to play were Secret Agent Man and The Freshmen by the Vervepipe. I played them over and over again for like 5 months. Don't know what happened after that, but something clicked. 5 years later and I can play most things I put my mind too (excluding that wanker Malmsteen and most other difficult shred).

Thumbing My Way

I'd first start off with trying Eruption by Eddie Van Halen ... just kidding.

I thought that Burn One Down by Ben Harper was pretty easy, it's based around the Redemption Song.

I remember when i was at your stage too, that was just a year ago and i've gotten alto better since than.

I know excactly how you fell, trust me. Just keep at it and it'll come.

Maybe try playing...Come As You Are too, it may seem tough at first but it's really easy.

soaks the pages

when i get frustrated, i put touring band or msg in the dvd player, wait for mike's solos, then i zoom in on his hands and put it in slow-mo. just watch the way he moves his hands and his fingers. it's awesome. it'll help if you're a visual learner, like me.

who's_pearljam?

enharmonic wrote:

So, you won't pay for lessons to make yourself a better musician, but you will pay for cigarettes, which make you...well...die...faster.

Right on!

The Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar will save your guitar-playing life. i only wish I would have had this book 8 years ago.

Coiuldn't have said it better.

If your serious about learning, and refuse to take lessons, it's not going to magically come to you. You have to work a bit to play!
It IS good to learn some songs too, to make it fun, but anyone that REALLY wants to learn to play can save a LOT of time by taking lessons. There's nothing like a bit of one on one learning to get you on the right path.

If you're not going to take even a few lessons to get you on the right track to start, then I say at least quit smoking long enough to get $80.00 up to buy that book and DVD set to learn how to practice properly, how to position your hands, and to make the most of your time when learning.

Jamie Andreas is one of the great classical guitarists around, and that book is amazing.

*given*to*fly*

who's_pearljam? wrote:

Coiuldn't have said it better.

If your serious about learning, and refuse to take lessons, it's not going to magically come to you. You have to work a bit to play!
It IS good to learn some songs too, to make it fun, but anyone that REALLY wants to learn to play can save a LOT of time by taking lessons. There's nothing like a bit of one on one learning to get you on the right path.

If you're not going to take even a few lessons to get you on the right track to start, then I say at least quit smoking long enough to get $80.00 up to buy that book and DVD set to learn how to practice properly, how to position your hands, and to make the most of your time when learning.

Jamie Andreas is one of the great classical guitarists around, and that book is amazing.

hahahhaa ok ok ...its not that im refusing to take lessons ...someone is teaching me here ....my roomate has been playing for years and shes teaching me all the basic stuff i need to know and shes doing it on my time ....thats what i ment by not taking lessions ...like schedualed lessions with some guy i have to pay .... anyways thanx for all the tips ppl im actually starting to do pretty good and i no longer want to give up!
thanx again

One Song Glory

First song I learned was Black...but I think Elderly Woman and Last Kiss are pretty much the easiest song in the history of the Pearl Jam world. Hmmm...they have a lot of nice easy ones. I started playing two years ago, played 2-4 hours a day (too much time on my hands ) and now I'm teaching lessons. PJ has an extensive enough catalogue to start with Elderly Woman and still be learning a few years later how to play Even Flow solos (although it's much more fun to make your own!). Good luck and have fun...it's not all about playing songs. Learn the basics and practice the same bloody two or three songs over again until you can play them perfectly and it'll all come easier from there. Betterman's a piece of cake too.

who's_pearljam?

*given*to*fly* wrote:

hahahhaa ok ok ...its not that im refusing to take lessons ...someone is teaching me here ....my roomate has been playing for years and shes teaching me all the basic stuff i need to know and shes doing it on my time ....thats what i ment by not taking lessions ...like schedualed lessions with some guy i have to pay .... anyways thanx for all the tips ppl im actually starting to do pretty good and i no longer want to give up!
thanx again

No matter how long you play, you'll always find yourself at little plateaus. You get to just where you're frustrated, or maybe you think you just aren't going to get it.

Then you sleep on it, and the next day, or week,,, Bingo! You pick up the geetar, and you find out that you've learnt it! :cool:

It's easy to burn out if you're not getting anywhere. That's one of the great things about learning to practice efficiently, like that book, or good teacher, or your roommate can show you. Keep at it!

stargoddess81

Ahh! Don't give up! Easy song to start out with is Elderly Woman....Simple chord progression...another one is Disarm (Smashing Pumpkins). When you first start these, just worry about doing the chord changes, then work into strumming with it.
I would STRONGLY recommend that you learn the main power chords (A-G), then just take a few lessons; they only run about $10-$20, and a lot of places will let you take them without committing to a weekly session....worst thing that will happen is you'll go one time and not want to go back, in which case, you lost ten bucks.

jessie

*given*to*fly* wrote:

ever since i can remember i wanted to play guitar ....finaly my roomate is trying to teach me but im getting soooo frusterated ....can any one suggest a good song to start with thats easy ? or maybe a book that could help me .....i know the tabs but my problem now is getting my fingers to move to where they are supposed to be without taking like 5 mins. to get them to the right spot....any suggestions?
PLEASE HELP ME
lol
thanx

don't have a suggestion,but i'm in the same way, if i come across something, i'll lt you know, appeciate the same. thanks

*given*to*fly*

jessie wrote:

don't have a suggestion,but i'm in the same way, if i come across something, i'll lt you know, appeciate the same. thanks

i posted that a while ago iv been practicing for a few months and its getting easier every day
i basicly just used books and dvds to learn chords and if theres one i have troubble with i write on the side of my guitar with a dry erace marker where my fingers are supposed to be untill i can remember it sounds silly i knwo but it works

elstongunn

repetition. find a 3 chord song like GG CC DD 'wild thing'
just go from G to C don't worry about D until you have the first part. G C GC GC
then try the next chord D. if you play an hour a day in 3 months or so it'll just hit. something happens where you don't have to think and muscle memory takes over. then it gets easier and easier.

rrivers

I have a friend who has been playing for five or six years. I bought a guitar in 2001 (acoustic) and just doodled with it from a book then put it aside. In late 2003 he moved close to me and in 2004 we started getting together about once a week. I didn't practice much in between meetings and we gradually stopped getting together.

My mother in law gave me a guitar case for my birthday (July) and a guitar stand for Christmas and an acoustic guitar ornament. I felt like a total poser since I had this nice Fender acoustic and this equipment but could not play anything! One of my resolutions this year was to learn to play.

I asked my friend if he would mind teaching me again. He was totally down for it so we have been meeting once a week since early January. I can tell you by putting in just a little effort it really is one of the most rewarding things I have done! Obviously I still have a lot of work but I am loving it! I have this book called (I think) Guitar 1 which has some cool songs in it, that are pretty easy to play. "Wild Thing", "You really Got Me", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", and "Wonderful Tonight". Those are the songs I have been working on. "Wonderful Tonight" is a dumbed-down version but it sounds like the song and when you have only been playing a month and a half to even play part of a Clapton song is a great feeling!

I try to practice at least once a day even if it is only for ten minutes. When I first started, sometimes I had to make myself sit there and practice but now I look forward to it and will practice multiple times a day, stopping only when my fingers and hands hurt. I would just say stick it with. The feeling you get when your fingers start doing what you want them to without thinking about it is really worth it! It will be frustrating at times and exhilarating at other times.

brain of c

never give up.
never surrender.