Advice on learning the guitar

Hi BTS...

I have recently acquired a guitar and wondered if any of you can recommend any good youtube links for learning the basics...

I say youtube because i dont have much money and am not very good at learning from books... I often find it easier to learn stuff if shown by another person!

Also... any other tips regarding learning the guitar will be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

I like the Gibson site. Choose beginner at the right and start looking at videos right away. It won't tell you ALL you need to know, but it's an easy place to start.

Gibson Guitar Lessons

Good luck and have fun!

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Hi Benevolent Heretic,

Thanks for that... i will give it a try and let you know how i get on

Here's another one that shows a bunch of chords. I don't like how this guy plays Em. I use a little different fingering (more like his E chord), but I guess whatever's easier. Embed's not working for me.

www.youtube.com...

This one looks good, too!

www.mahalo.com...

[edit on 5/31/2010 by Benevolent Heretic]

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Thats better

The other site was ok but, even though it said beginers, was too advanced for me...

I need the real basics, like learning chords, so these other sites should do the trick

Thanks again

[edit on 31-5-2010 by Muckster]

Yeah, I realized that after I looked around at the beginner part of the Gibson site. I use it, but it's for someone who already has the basics.

Your fingers will be really sore for about a week, but the best thing to do is keep playing so calluses form. Dab your fingertips with alcohol a couple times a day to encourage them to form. I just went through this as I just bought a guitar after 20 years of not playing.

Have a great time!

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Last night my wife remembered that she had a book on learning the guitar, so i had a read through that just to learn the correct terminology for things and the basics of what strings are what ( i didn’t know what frets were... or the neck... or how to tune... or what notes each string is, hehe)

Today i spent an hour on the guitar practicing chords using a mixture of the video links and the book... First ten minutes was very frustrating... but after a while my hand started to get used to the awkward positioning and movements and swapping between chords... I intend to simply practice these basic chords (A, D and E) until i can happily swap between them without having to think to hard
Once i have mastered that, i will move on to other chords.

After my little practice session, I felt relaxed and happy... My wife had made lunch, so i ate, and in the normal tradition of “whoever cooks doesn’t wash the dishes” decided to wash up. Filled the sink with hot soapy water... plunged a couple of dishes and my hand into the water...

OUCH!! OUCH!! OUCH!!
Dam that hurts... someone has stabbed me in three of my fingers on my left hand...

Then the Obi Wan'ish voice of Benevolent Heretic echoed through my mind "Use the Alcohol Muck" and "Remember the calluses"

Phew... everything is normal and fine

Looking forward to another little practice tomorrow

reply to post by Muckster


Welcome to the wonderful world of wire and wood. From here on out you will never be alone.

reply to post by whaaa


LOL Thanks Whaaa...

Am i the only person in the history of the guitar to get a strange sort of pleasure from the pain in my finger tips?? I can’t stop pressing them

LOL

I can strongly recommend to play with friends.....If you do not have friends who play the guitar try to make them play. No really....I was lucky to have some friends around who where also starting to play and it is a perfect situation to exchange licks, jam together and just to talk about your instrument and music. You will stimulate eachother to keep on playing and practising.

Your ability will grow depending on the hours you make on the guitar. It's easy to understand that you can play for three years but still suck because you only touch the instrument once a week.

Try to learn how tablature works and try to concentrate on songs you really would like be able to play. But be realistic....do not start with Eruption from Van Halen.

If you like to be a lead guitarist you should learn the scales and pay close attention to technique. The right hand is just as important as the left hand. Do not take short-cuts, maybe it will take some more time to master a tune when applying the proper technique but in the end it will surely pay off.

Originally posted by Muckster
Am i the only person in the history of the guitar to get a strange sort of pleasure from the pain in my finger tips?? I can’t stop pressing them

Absolutely not! I'm proud of mine!

Every afternoon, I take my guitar in the living room and just play around for about an hour. I may not play a song at all, but I play. It's important to play regularly to get good.

Your other post reminds me, I've got some dishes out there that need doing.

reply to post by Muckster


1hour every night and within a year you will be doing ok!!

I promise!!

g

I recommend getting a metronome to play to: it's important to learn to play to a beat and the sooner you learn how, the easier it will be. If the click annoys you there's several cheap and free programs for making drum loops that you can use instead. When I'm just practicing I use a program called Reason to make a loop to play to.

Also, you should learn to read music (and play songs from the music staff, not just tablature) and have a good foundation in music theory, if you don't already. That will help a lot too.

Seriously: don't be that guy who has no idea what key the song he just wrote is in.

Rock on, man.


TheAssoc.


ETA: Always wash your hands before playing, dry them thoroughly, and wipe your strings down with a soft, clean cloth when you're finished. The oil and stuff on your fingers will damage your strings.

And finger exercises don't hurt, either. Get a tennis ball or one of those dealies with the springs that you squeeze and give your finger muscles a workout when you aren't playing.



[edit on 3-6-2010 by TheAssociate]

I sing (classical/jazz mostly), but I will concur that dedicated practice is the biggest factor in musical improvement.

-Practice for one hour everyday (no more than a hour for singers). Instrumentalists can practice for longer lengths, but please think about your hands (or lungs lol).
-Use a metronome, but you must also practice sight-reading rhythms.
www.practicesightreading.com...
This site is good, there are also books you can buy. You should do simple and compound meter.
www.amazon.com...=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1275617515&sr=8-4
I keep this book around as well. Do something with them everyday.
-You must learn theory. I can't tell you how many people I've walked out on because they could not explain anything. This is what theory is for.
www.amazon.com...=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275617570&sr=8-16
www.amazon.com...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275617570&sr=8-1
Here are two books I used. I have taken college level theory, believe me these books will cover your needs just fine. If you have a keyboard you will find it quite useful for learning theory. You must write out your scales! You must do it often! This is the best way to learn them. Just do it again and again until it is there. When you write them out use the key signature.
www.good-ear.com...
Here is a good ear trainer.
www.trainear.com...
and another
www.musictheory.net...
and of course Ricci's famous music theory site.

Watch every live performance of Jimi Hendrix that you can find Follow along till your fingers bleed. Then do it again. He was on acid and playing colors. But even straight, you'll catch on once you feel what he's doing.

[edit on 6/3/2010 by wookiee]

[edit on 6/3/2010 by wookiee]

Learn chords G, C and D. you can play alot of songs using just those chords. after you get them down pat learn songs with other chords until u have all the major ones memorized. once your feel comfy, learn some tabs and eventually youll know what to do next based on your taste.

Some great advice from everyone... Thanks guys.

antonia

Thanks for the links... i shall definitely check them out

wookiee

Hendrix?!?! Are you mad?!?!?

I'm 37 years old with a brain that has probably sustained as much damage as Hendrix's ever did... I think I’ll just stick to practicing chords for now... maybe in 10 years I can try copying the legend

TheAssociate

I think my Sister has a metronome so I’ll ask if she can lend me it and see how i get on


To everyone else...
I am currently practicing for 1 hours a day... and loving it

I have been doing an hour a day... but today i done 3 hours and loved it... went over some more chords and have started finger plucking (basics)

Chords are coming along and I’m actually progressing faster than i thought i would

I'm now listening to George Benson and chilling... Life is good

I have been thinking for about a year that I need to get a guitar and learn. You have sparked my interest again and I think that is going to be my next purchase. I too will be learning from scratch, good luck!

reply to post by Muckster

Invest in a guitar tuner with your purchase, and make sure your guitar is ALWAYS tuned!