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Learning Guitar
Back_Pedal
Posts: 1,171
I've been trying to learn guitar for a while but I can never stick to it long. Recently I've started again and have been learning chords and what keys they go in, but I don't know what else I should be doing. I've been waiting on my only local guitar teacher to get a free space so I can learn, but in the interim I want to know some stuff before I do.
Thanks EPOTTSIII!
"Vinyl or not, you will need to pay someone to take RA of your hands" - Smile05
424, xxx
"Vinyl or not, you will need to pay someone to take RA of your hands" - Smile05
424, xxx
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One, two , three, everybody say with me............
Mods. please make this a sticky, so peeps get help, but we don't have to repeat ourselves all the time !!!
they put out a series called "metal method basic guitar course" which is 6 parts with 4 lessons each (one lesson per week) and I think the whole series on DVD costs something like $50 or $60.
don't be fooled by the name, "metal" has little to nothing to do with it. it's basically a series on learning guitar from the ground up. he starts off with open major and minor chords. then the minor pentatonic. then barre chords. then major, minor, 7th, etc etc barre chords on 6th and 5th strings. then other scales. and he explains stuff like hammeron/pulloffs/slides/vibrato, etc. and he explains stuff like relative major/minor, which is important to know. and lightly touches on other stuff like tapping, etc. throughout, he uses a song that incorporates pretty much all of it and breaks the song down and shows you how to play it piece by piece over the course. it's money well spent, imo. I got it because there was more I wanted to know other than just learning other people's songs by tab, I wanted to know more of how everything works. so I was I guess an "intermediate" going in, so I breezed through the first four parts. but there's good stuff in there.
also, Guitar World magazine puts out a DVD about once a month and the ones on basic guitar by Andy Aledort are, imo, great. they cost about $10 each and there's a lot of good stuff in there. the good ones were released last year, so you may have to look to find them. I think the newest one is by Michael Angelo Batio, who is a major fast shredder, so it's probably more advanced than what you'd want.
I had face to face lessons for a few years that got me to the point I'm at. but the thing I didn't like was that you often end up learning what the teacher wants you to learn and not necessarily the stuff that interests you. and in my case, my teacher skipped around too much, so stuff became very convoluted whereas these DVD series kind of teach things in order and explain in more detail.
You 're right!..
they can see all the "old" post on this thread..
Sea, please, stick an "help" for the beginners..
A B C D F G .. just learn.. or NOT.
ps: personally, i'm a self-taught.. so, "démerdez-vous!"..
peace, sandoz
What gets me out of ruts is learning a song that I love. Chords and theory are important, as are lessons, but nothing beats rocking out to a tune you like to listen to. I'd recommend http://www.giventowail.com for Pearl Jam tabs. You'll have fun, impress your friends and learn a lot too...
If you are just learning, then these are excellent excercises to build up strength in your fingers. They might seem hard at first, but keep practicing and it will become easier.
theres this clip to watch it might help
http://www.guitarz-for-ever.com/guit...exercises.html
If you are able to swing it, i would suggest that you take some lessons from a teacher or another player. i know you said you are waiting for lessons but try and follow through with it. they can show you things in minutes compared to hours of reading and working out on your own.
also, check http://www.giventowail.com because it's the best site available for pj tabs and if you look to the left, they have an excellent section on lessons, and it also goes through tunings. it's easy to read and not to over the top.
http://www.giventowail.com/lessons/beginners.php
this is an excellent basic cords chart. (one of the regular posters here has posted this in the past and it is very good)
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...aal/CHORDS.jpg
http://www.cyberfret.com is also an awesome online learning resource centre.
best wishes!
Also, here is some chord theory: http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/ianvomsaal/ChordExplination-1.jpg
And here are some scales/modes: http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/ianvomsaal/Scales--Modes-Diagrams-Fingerings.jpg
<b><font color="red">CONTACT ME HERE</font>: www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal</b>
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thank you mr vomsaal
mods, can you please sticky this please. invaluable for anyone wishing to learn.
many thanks.
do you think i can still learn to play a guitar..i mean be a good guitarist?
l e
a f
f a
l l
s )
one
l i
ness
gets to me every time
I'm 32 and I started guitar just one year ago so it's never too late
I started with a folk guitar and I bought an electric guitar 3 weeks ago. I'm now addicted !!!
Playing guitar is fun. Of course, it's difficult at the beginning but once you are able to play basic chords songs, you'll see that you'll like it more and more and want to go for more difficult songs.
My advise is too start playing songs you like. As mentionned above http://www.giventowail.com is the site for all PJ tabs.
You need to set goals like a particular song you want to play and work little by little to achieve this goal.
Hopefully we all know that I'm just kidding - if you have the drive, motivation, time, and a little natural ability
(which, no matter what anyone says, IS actually needed to become a "good guitarist") . . . there is nothing
really stopping you. Just remember to have fun - if you really want it, and you put in the time, you'll get there.
Cheers . . . Ian
<b><font color="red">CONTACT ME HERE</font>: www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal</b>
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Could we please have this thread stickied so that anyone wanting to learn that has questions, can just add to this thread. Might make it easier for everyone to have all the information in one thread.
Cheers
i started very late.. i'm still shit, but its a whole lotta fun.
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Thanks for all the advice and resources, to everyone that's posted.
"Vinyl or not, you will need to pay someone to take RA of your hands" - Smile05
424, xxx
First thing, make sure you have a tuner. Being in tune is essential for sounding good and for developing your ear. Sure,eventually learning to tune by ear is cool, but accurate tuning is hard, and an electroinc tuner is a very valuable thing to have.
Next, get a metronome. Either buy one or download a software one.
Regular intervals is the difference between music and noise. Learning to play in time with yourself and anyone else is also tres cool and poor timing has been the ruin of many musicians. Start with a very slow tempo 40 bpm and speed up as you get the hang of stuff. Drum beginner books are very good for teaching about rhythm. Do the exercise on your guitar by turning it over and bangin on the back. They make good bongo drums.
Learn theory, techniques and songs on equal measure.
Technique should not be separated from repertoire.
Learn to read music. At least read the rhythm. Tabs are great for position, but don't note duration. Standard notation will tell you how long to playh a note for, to get phrasing right.
Get lessons. Good techers are fine, but a friend who can play can set you up to learn the basics pretty quick, and save you a heap of time and wasted effort.
Start with a soft pick, but learn to finger pick also. Both are good for beginners. Practice for short intervals often so your hands and fingers don't get too tired and sore. Put new strings on your guitar of a light gauge to make things a bit easier.
Remember, music is not a competition, so having fun is okay. It does not really matter if you are doing things "right" or learning things comprehensively. Guitar is a folk instrument, the instrument of anarchy and rebellion. Eventually your journey will take you where you want it to, if you follow your path for long enough. The path will be different for everybody.
i guy at work heard me listenin to ledbetter and said if u can play that u can play anything. all though not entirely true i took it as advice. i took that tab and didnt quit til i could play it..well kinda.
just sayin findin music i loved to practice made it easier and fun
now i can wail!..well kinda
also justinguitar.com is awesome for beginners
I'm only a novice myself, but I encourage anyone that wants to learn to stick with it. Never give up on something you're passionate about.
Then a couple of friends of mine threw me a challenge 2 weeks ago, of using only Youtube videos to learn how to play songs and first song I learnt was 'Elderly Woman...', followed by 'Thumbing My Way'. To this date, I have now 13 songs on my repertoire that I can play along with the original tunes on CDs ! No books, no personal instructions needed. When there's a will, there's a way mate !!!
Learn how to play 'Elderly Woman..." and from then on you will be addicted to Youtube like I am now !!! LOL !
Good luck !
Justinguitar.com is the greatest guitar teaching tool ever. Justin explains everything from basics/beginner onward in the form of text and video. It is much, much better than any video or beginner book I have seen.
Most importantly Justin structures your practice schedule and gives you exercises to do.
For example, right in the beginning (after tuning, basic theory, changing strings, getting pick out of an acoustic, etc...) He teaches the A, E, and D chords 1 at a time. He shows you how to switch and how mentally to switch. He tells you in your practice time you should practice switching each one A-D, or A-E, or D-E one full minute and see how many times you can do it and write it down. You do them the next time you practice and keep working at beating you record. At the end of the lesson group there are a few simple songs implementing what you have learned and it is rewarding.
I wasnt enjoying practicing before. But with this structure I am enjoying practicing so much I think about it throughout the day.
As stated it is free also. You can donate. Normally I may hold off... but I really feel like I am going to throw him some bucks. Its a great site which may have made it possible for me to participate in a lifetime hobby... Its amazing he offers it for free.
I picked up a guitar for the first time about three weeks ago and can manage a few songs.
I think the best thing to do is don't run before you can walk. Pick about 20 easy songs using basic chords and learn how to move your fingers on the frets using some easy stuff that is fun to play. The songs I started with, all of them really easy (mostly taken from ultimate-guitar.com), are:
Belle and Sebastian: Boy With The Arab Strap
Lemonheads: Confetti
Neil Young: Helpless & Heart Of Gold
CCR: Bad Moon ...
Rolling Stones; Can't Always Get What You Want
Flaming Lips: She DOn't Use Jelly
Blur: Badhead & Best Days
Cure: Just Like Heaven
Kings Of Leon: California Waiting
Eddie Vedder: Hard Sun
The Band: I shall Be Released
Beatles: Across The Universe
GnR/Dylan: Knockin On Heavens Door
Tom Waits: I Hope That I don't Fall In Love With You
The Boss: Dancing In The Dark
Basically, start with three or four easy chords and try to add a new one each song you learn. Anything on the list above is a good place to start with some enjoyable and easy strumming.
Anyone know any more that are a doddle to play?
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
I started with a friend showing me some chords (mostly just how to do the power chords at first, everything else came later). With these though I was able to figure out how to play some simple songs, like some nirvana, green day, etc. After that I started playing tablature to any song that seemed simple enough for me to play which allowed me to see new and different chords, single note melodies, and even some very simple guitar solos. I mostly worked with just tablature for a couple years there, until I was to the point where I could play metallica and things like that. At that point I felt comfortable enough to write some of my own songs and shortly after joined a band where I learned a ton about music. Playing with a drummer so there is that real sense of timing and writing music with other guitarists/vocalists is like bootcamp, you improve as a player dramatically. Id say about 4 years into playing I wanted to learn how to write guitar solos, I could play them through tab books but had no idea how to write them. So I hit the books and learned music theory, which was probably the most difficult step I ever took in music, at first, its like learning a new language, and it can be extrememly confusing. However you have to stay motivated and keep trying to learn it over and over, eventually its like someone turns a light on and you start to get it. After learning a few different scales, how the modes worked, etc I started writing solos for the band I was in at the time. At first it took me forever to write one, I was using purely music theory to figure out solo licks that might sound cool. However before too long my ear took over and through playing the scales over and over literally thousands of times its more something I can hear and automatically play without thinking about the scales or modes at all. I think at that point the final step is finding your own sound and finding the creativity inside you to sound less like the guitarists that inspire you and more like your own.
And I know she's reached my heart,... in thin air
I know some basic chords and i like to learn by practising songs. I've been on youtube, there are some great videos there. Right now i'm trying to play last kiss, it's fairly simple, but i'm still struggling with the chord changes.
Do you guys have tips for other pearl jam songs that are really easy to play and sound fairly recognizable on an acoustic guitar?
btw; on youtube, i like the lessons of marty schwartz from guitarjamzdotcom. He also teaches the strumming pattern, and that's what i need. Some people say; just listen to the song and you will get it.... well, that's not working for me :oops: . Maybe if i'm a bit more advanced, but now i really need everything pointed out, step by step