Learning the guitar

Started by MR E, December 29, 2009, 12:21:20 PM

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The Gs Man

I learnt on an acoustic.  Once you get over the initial pain and get your fingertips calloused it's grand.

However, it is easier to do barre chords on an electric.  But you'll be learning the standard chords first, G,C,D,Em,A,Am before you even think about barre chords.  So I would stick to the acoustic first.  Plus, you'll not need the added expense of an amp/leads etc as you would with an electric.

That's just my verdict!

In terms of make, I'd go for a Fender or Yamaha.  You can pick decent ones up for in and around £100.

If you are going for an electric, I got my wee lad (10) a decent wee 3/4 size Epiphone Les Paul Junior for £100.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0047YUM9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's a great wee guitar for really cheap.  He's started off playing acoustic for 2 years.  The size really suits him, but it's also big enough for me to play.  It has a really good tone.  Better than some electrics I've played at 10 times the price!!!

Keep 'er lit

easytiger95

Started from a chord book and once I had an idea of basic shapes, went to Ultimate Guitar and started looking for songs that I like. Started on a semi acoustic I bought in Aldi for 80 quid (still the best sounding guitar I ever played but very battered now) but now I'm on a Tanglewood acoustic. Currently working my way through a Dylan songbook.

Can't do barres for love nor money - and I haven't really tried finger picking. I never had a problem picking up rhythm so I basically just bash away on the basic chords.

Learnt this one the other day - very good for when we have the weather - giving you the easy version as there are killer Bs all over the original - God bless the capo

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/m/michael_franti_spearhead/sound_of_sunshine_ver2_crd.htm

And for playing along

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqgHosrqJ8o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqgHosrqJ8o

magpie seanie

Bought an acoustic last Saturday and am starting out on something which has been an ambition of mine for a long time. Have practiced 20-30 minutes every evening, just looking at chords from chord charts and/or videos on youtube. My soft fingertips are going through the ringer. I'm determined and I know it will take ages to get any level of competency so I'm willing to put the practice in. I still find it very hard to understand how I'll get there......it seems like a huge mountain to climb. Advice on here looks really good so I'm reviving the thread.

AQMP

Quote from: magpie seanie on January 18, 2018, 02:52:53 PM
Bought an acoustic last Saturday and am starting out on something which has been an ambition of mine for a long time. Have practiced 20-30 minutes every evening, just looking at chords from chord charts and/or videos on youtube. My soft fingertips are going through the ringer. I'm determined and I know it will take ages to get any level of competency so I'm willing to put the practice in. I still find it very hard to understand how I'll get there......it seems like a huge mountain to climb. Advice on here looks really good so I'm reviving the thread.

Seanie there's some really good free stuff on You Tube for beginners, an English guy called Andy (Cowley I think) and an American guy called Marty Schwartz.  Here's a tip, learn your scales early and you'll benefit once you move from beginner to intermediate.  I never bothered with scales, I wanted to get straight into blasting out rock n roll, but they are really useful for practice when you're a beginner and for bringing your playing on when you get past the beginner stage.  Otherwise practice on half a dozen chords or so, e.g. A, Am, C, G E, Em, D. You'll be able to play hundreds of songs with these.  As the fella said "Six chords is more than enough, sure U2 made millions with five!"

The Gs Man

If it has more than three chords, it's jazz....
Keep 'er lit

JoG2

Quote from: AQMP on January 18, 2018, 03:09:20 PM
Quote from: magpie seanie on January 18, 2018, 02:52:53 PM
Bought an acoustic last Saturday and am starting out on something which has been an ambition of mine for a long time. Have practiced 20-30 minutes every evening, just looking at chords from chord charts and/or videos on youtube. My soft fingertips are going through the ringer. I'm determined and I know it will take ages to get any level of competency so I'm willing to put the practice in. I still find it very hard to understand how I'll get there......it seems like a huge mountain to climb. Advice on here looks really good so I'm reviving the thread.

Seanie there's some really good free stuff on You Tube for beginners, an English guy called Andy (Cowley I think) and an American guy called Marty Schwartz.  Here's a tip, learn your scales early and you'll benefit once you move from beginner to intermediate.  I never bothered with scales, I wanted to get straight into blasting out rock n roll, but they are really useful for practice when you're a beginner and for bringing your playing on when you get past the beginner stage.  Otherwise practice on half a dozen chords or so, e.g. A, Am, C, G E, Em, D. You'll be able to play hundreds of songs with these.  As the fella said "Six chords is more than enough, sure U2 made millions with five!"

Sure there's only 5 notes in the pentatonic scale, is there a rock solo out there not written in this minor scale?

Personally I'd stay well clear of scales until you've mastered the 4 chord trick / basic chords and have a good grasp of strumming (and singing while playing if that's your thing) as scales can be daunting and put many off. 

Buy a stand so the guitar is always handy, and a capo if you want to sing along. Means you can use the same chord shapes higher up the fret board (this changes the key)

Light gauge strings maybe a good option, be easier on the finger tips. Guitars will most likely come strung with medium gauge

Armamike

Quote from: AQMP on January 18, 2018, 03:09:20 PM
Quote from: magpie seanie on January 18, 2018, 02:52:53 PM
Bought an acoustic last Saturday and am starting out on something which has been an ambition of mine for a long time. Have practiced 20-30 minutes every evening, just looking at chords from chord charts and/or videos on youtube. My soft fingertips are going through the ringer. I'm determined and I know it will take ages to get any level of competency so I'm willing to put the practice in. I still find it very hard to understand how I'll get there......it seems like a huge mountain to climb. Advice on here looks really good so I'm reviving the thread.

Seanie there's some really good free stuff on You Tube for beginners, an English guy called Andy (Cowley I think) and an American guy called Marty Schwartz.  Here's a tip, learn your scales early and you'll benefit once you move from beginner to intermediate.  I never bothered with scales, I wanted to get straight into blasting out rock n roll, but they are really useful for practice when you're a beginner and for bringing your playing on when you get past the beginner stage.  Otherwise practice on half a dozen chords or so, e.g. A, Am, C, G E, Em, D. You'll be able to play hundreds of songs with these.  As the fella said "Six chords is more than enough, sure U2 made millions with five!"

Is he the guy that does Beatles tracks?  Very good if its the same guy i'm thinking of.  These guys on YouTube are brilliant.  Chord books are ok for learning the basic chords but the YouTube clips really help you pick up the actual chords and moves on the songs you like.  A lot cheaper than guitar lessons too! 
That's just, like your opinion man.

Armamike

Quote from: JoG2 on January 18, 2018, 03:26:43 PM
Quote from: AQMP on January 18, 2018, 03:09:20 PM
Quote from: magpie seanie on January 18, 2018, 02:52:53 PM
Bought an acoustic last Saturday and am starting out on something which has been an ambition of mine for a long time. Have practiced 20-30 minutes every evening, just looking at chords from chord charts and/or videos on youtube. My soft fingertips are going through the ringer. I'm determined and I know it will take ages to get any level of competency so I'm willing to put the practice in. I still find it very hard to understand how I'll get there......it seems like a huge mountain to climb. Advice on here looks really good so I'm reviving the thread.

Seanie there's some really good free stuff on You Tube for beginners, an English guy called Andy (Cowley I think) and an American guy called Marty Schwartz.  Here's a tip, learn your scales early and you'll benefit once you move from beginner to intermediate.  I never bothered with scales, I wanted to get straight into blasting out rock n roll, but they are really useful for practice when you're a beginner and for bringing your playing on when you get past the beginner stage.  Otherwise practice on half a dozen chords or so, e.g. A, Am, C, G E, Em, D. You'll be able to play hundreds of songs with these.  As the fella said "Six chords is more than enough, sure U2 made millions with five!"

Sure there's only 5 notes in the pentatonic scale, is there a rock solo out there not written in this minor scale?

Personally I'd stay well clear of scales until you've mastered the 4 chord trick / basic chords and have a good grasp of strumming (and singing while playing if that's your thing) as scales can be daunting and put many off. 

Buy a stand so the guitar is always handy, and a capo if you want to sing along. Means you can use the same chord shapes higher up the fret board (this changes the key)

Light gauge strings maybe a good option, be easier on the finger tips. Guitars will most likely come strung with medium gauge

Good tip (excuse the pun). 
That's just, like your opinion man.

AZOffaly

Lads, I'm just good enough to be called bad, but I enjoy myself. I love strumming along on an acoustic in the study, and singing stuff from Christy Moore, Fureys etc. Easy on the voice, and easy enough (relatively) in the  Chord department.

The one thing that is killing me is the Barre chords. B, Bm etc etc. My fingers just can't form the chords because either the one acting as a 'capo' won't stay down, or the other ones forming the chord can't reach. Is there an easier way to play those chords, or do i just have to keep at it until my auld fingers loosen up enough to do it?

PS, seanie, I agree with All JOG says there. Also I like this url for easy enough songs, and loads of them....

http://www.irish-folk-songs.com/lyrics-and-chords.html

Jell 0 Biafra

Quote from: AZOffaly on January 18, 2018, 03:41:54 PM
Lads, I'm just good enough to be called bad, but I enjoy myself. I love strumming along on an acoustic in the study, and singing stuff from Christy Moore, Fureys etc. Easy on the voice, and easy enough (relatively) in the  Chord department.

The one thing that is killing me is the Barre chords. B, Bm etc etc. My fingers just can't form the chords because either the one acting as a 'capo' won't stay down, or the other ones forming the chord can't reach. Is there an easier way to play those chords, or do i just have to keep at it until my auld fingers loosen up enough to do it?

PS, seanie, I agree with All JOG says there. Also I like this url for easy enough songs, and loads of them....

http://www.irish-folk-songs.com/lyrics-and-chords.html

There are multiple forms for all chords.  Here's a good resource, with a non-barre Bm:  https://www.8notes.com/guitar_chord_chart/bm.asp

Puckoon

#70
Regarding scale and chord work at the same time, I disagree that you need to stay clear of scales. There's no reason to omit them, and while they are boring - sitting around watching the TV and just having the guitar in your hand and working on the fingering on the low and middle part of the fret board will increase familiarity and help with little runs and licks in between chord changes - which will help immensely down the line. There's certainly no rule against not playing scales within a chord. On top of that, knowing the notes within the chord is a nice tool - scales definitely help with that.

AZ - Regarding the Barre chords - don't give up on them. Alternative versions are great to have in your back pocket - but if you can master the Barre with the E chord configuration, and the Barre with the A minor chord and A chord configurations - you open up the entire fret board.

A decent exercise to strengthen the Barre Finger/Familiarity with Barre Chords.

Make the E chord with your other fingers. I.e. don't use your first finger. Play E in this configuration and just practice sliding the configuration up to the 3rd or 4th fret (i.e. F# or G) and slide that Barre finger in behind it (2nd or 3rd fret respectively). If you can make the chord configuration first and slide the Barre in behind it its a more seamless effort than trying to lay the Barre down first and then finger the chord configuration.

EDIT: Infact, just work on E, A, and Am without using your first finger. Once you can master those with only your 2nd, 3rd, 4th fingers (middle, ring and pinkie) and make your 1st finger redundant - then you'll have an easier time with the fingers reaching once you've then mastered the Barre with the 1st finger.


Seanie - You'll get through the barrier and have shredded fingertips followed by shiny calloused ones soon. Make sure the action isn't too high on the guitar, that can be a real uncomfortable addition to a learner who may have a cheaper/introductory level guitar. The higher the bridge the further the strings sit from the fretboard and the harder you have to press down to make the chord/note.

Finally - What a development YouTube has been for people picking up the guitar or even intermediate players trying to get better. The internet was great, with the advent of tab sites etc... - but YouTube is a game changer. Some great tutorials out there for lessons, theory, gear, set up, styles - and of course learning almost any song you want to. Marty Schwartz' page is definitely a front runner for ease of use/fun.

J70

Quote from: AZOffaly on January 18, 2018, 03:41:54 PM
Lads, I'm just good enough to be called bad, but I enjoy myself. I love strumming along on an acoustic in the study, and singing stuff from Christy Moore, Fureys etc. Easy on the voice, and easy enough (relatively) in the  Chord department.

The one thing that is killing me is the Barre chords. B, Bm etc etc. My fingers just can't form the chords because either the one acting as a 'capo' won't stay down, or the other ones forming the chord can't reach. Is there an easier way to play those chords, or do i just have to keep at it until my auld fingers loosen up enough to do it?

PS, seanie, I agree with All JOG says there. Also I like this url for easy enough songs, and loads of them....

http://www.irish-folk-songs.com/lyrics-and-chords.html

Ive always had a lot of trouble with barre chords, partly due to a twisted index finger on my left hand. F-chords, for example, I have to play using only the bottom four strings and individual fret placements, as I can't hold all the strings down with the barre finger.

Don't even get me started on B-chords! I'll usually just avoid the song!

Puckoon

Quote from: J70 on January 18, 2018, 06:46:36 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on January 18, 2018, 03:41:54 PM
Lads, I'm just good enough to be called bad, but I enjoy myself. I love strumming along on an acoustic in the study, and singing stuff from Christy Moore, Fureys etc. Easy on the voice, and easy enough (relatively) in the  Chord department.

The one thing that is killing me is the Barre chords. B, Bm etc etc. My fingers just can't form the chords because either the one acting as a 'capo' won't stay down, or the other ones forming the chord can't reach. Is there an easier way to play those chords, or do i just have to keep at it until my auld fingers loosen up enough to do it?

PS, seanie, I agree with All JOG says there. Also I like this url for easy enough songs, and loads of them....

http://www.irish-folk-songs.com/lyrics-and-chords.html

Ive always had a lot of trouble with barre chords, partly due to a twisted index finger on my left hand. F-chords, for example, I have to play using only the bottom four strings and individual fret placements, as I can’t hold all the strings down with the barre finger.

Don’t even get me started on B-chords! I’ll usually just avoid the song!

B is a pain in the hole to play - if you want to include the Barre on the High E string.

Can you Barre 2nd fret and then barre the D, G, B strings (The A chord shape configuration) with the flat part of your 3rd or 4th finger so its more of a power chord than a whole B chord? I.E. You are NOT playing the high E string.

JoG2

Quote from: Puckoon on January 18, 2018, 06:26:00 PM
Regarding scale and chord work at the same time, I disagree that you need to stay clear of scales. There's no reason to omit them, and while they are boring - sitting around watching the TV and just having the guitar in your hand and working on the fingering on the low and middle part of the fret board will increase familiarity and help with little runs and licks in between chord changes - which will help immensely down the line. There's certainly no rule against not playing scales within a chord. On top of that, knowing the notes within the chord is a nice tool - scales definitely help with that.

AZ - Regarding the Barre chords - don't give up on them. Alternative versions are great to have in your back pocket - but if you can master the Barre with the E chord configuration, and the Barre with the A minor chord and A chord configurations - you open up the entire fret board.

A decent exercise to strengthen the Barre Finger/Familiarity with Barre Chords.

Make the E chord with your other fingers. I.e. don't use your first finger. Play E in this configuration and just practice sliding the configuration up to the 3rd or 4th fret (i.e. F# or G) and slide that Barre finger in behind it (2nd or 3rd fret respectively). If you can make the chord configuration first and slide the Barre in behind it its a more seamless effort than trying to lay the Barre down first and then finger the chord configuration.

EDIT: Infact, just work on E, A, and Am without using your first finger. Once you can master those with only your 2nd, 3rd, 4th fingers (middle, ring and pinkie) and make your 1st finger redundant - then you'll have an easier time with the fingers reaching once you've then mastered the Barre with the 1st finger.


Seanie - You'll get through the barrier and have shredded fingertips followed by shiny calloused ones soon. Make sure the action isn't too high on the guitar, that can be a real uncomfortable addition to a learner who may have a cheaper/introductory level guitar. The higher the bridge the further the strings sit from the fretboard and the harder you have to press down to make the chord/note.

Finally - What a development YouTube has been for people picking up the guitar or even intermediate players trying to get better. The internet was great, with the advent of tab sites etc... - but YouTube is a game changer. Some great tutorials out there for lessons, theory, gear, set up, styles - and of course learning almost any song you want to. Marty Schwartz' page is definitely a front runner for ease of use/fun.

That's all great stuff there,  but in my experience with friends and family, keep it as simple as possible to start with . Learn a few chords, work on the rhythm arm, play Thunder Road, Wonderwall, Ride On, whatever floats your boat and get the buzz of being able to play a tune. This will reel a person in. The theory, even basic theory, can be looked at later, as imo it turns the vast majority of people off.

J70, any song can be played in another key which will help avoid chord shapes you can't quite get a hold of yet. If you know a man handy enough, send him the tab of the song and they should be able to change the key to suit your needs

Puckoon

Perhaps it's just hindsight on my part. Wish I had have paid attention to scales, arpeggios, runs and licks and picking strokes when I was younger. It's still a concentration exercise for me on some of the scales and runs. I have to think about it.

Definitely Chords and songs will embed the love for the instrument at the start.