Learning the guitar

[ardchieftain]

www.actiontab.com

[el_cuervo_fc]

Is it normal to want to throw the thing out the f**king window a few times with a bloodied hand??!!

Played for an hour yesterday and half an hour today and in pain! Can't get my pinkie to hold down that shitty bottom string. AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Learning to play the tin whistle was 20 times easier, why can't learning music just be like that?!

It takes a while for your fingers to toughen up. It's great when you can finally get a few chords of a song put together though. Gets very addictive but can be brutally frustrating at times

[Puckoon]

Just keep practicing screen, you'll need calloused finger tips eventually.

Merry Christmas

[muppet]

Downloaded an App (iPhone 4) called Lick of the day.

Absolutely class for those of us stuck between beginner and nowhere in particular.

It is free to download with a few free lessons already on it. I downloaded a pack of 20 lessons for €3.99 which will keep me going for weeks. Well worth a look if you are not already taking lessons or like me you can't commit to regular practice/lessons.

[ziggysego]

Any ukulele apps?

[muppet]

Any ukulele apps?

At first glance there are 10!

[muppet]

I am finally revealing myself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vms_6_TSQuc

[aontroim abu]

have been trying on and off for a few years to learn this blasted instrument, I'm having serious trouble with the "F" chord - any tips??

[J OGorman]

have been trying on and off for a few years to learn this blasted instrument, I'm having serious trouble with the "F" chord - any tips??

yes, avoid barre F to begin with. Even a good guitarist playing a guitar were the action isnt great will struggle with the 'b' string using barre F. I'm currently teaching my wee girl. you can get away with the following 'F' until you are ready to barre or even go with all strings except the bass e string. put your index finger on the wee e and b strings 1st fret (or initially leave out the wee e string), middle finger on the g string 2nd fret and ring finger on the d string on the third fret (you introduce the a string later on down the line).

Stick with it as 4 chord trick of choice is C F G Am

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-161-F-chord.php

[aontroim abu]

have been trying on and off for a few years to learn this blasted instrument, I'm having serious trouble with the "F" chord - any tips??

yes, avoid barre F to begin with. Even a good guitarist playing a guitar were the action isnt great will struggle with the 'b' string using barre F. I'm currently teaching my wee girl. you can get away with the following 'F' until you are ready to barre or even go with all strings except the bass e string. put your index finger on the wee e and b strings 1st fret (or initially leave out the wee e string), middle finger on the g string 2nd fret and ring finger on the d string on the third fret (you introduce the a string later on down the line).

Stick with it as 4 chord trick of choice is C F G Am

Thanks J, i'll give this a lash later

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-161-F-chord.php

[AQMP]

Yes the F barre (and Bb played at the first fret) are feckers.  So the guy on the link says it'll take about a month to master?!?! I'd be too embarrassed to tell you how long it took me.  For a long time I played the 5 string F chord and simply muted the bass E string (the thick one) with my thumb to avoid unwanted E notes.  One technique he does mention that I used is to roll your index finger slightly so that you're almost pressing with the side of your finger on the strings.  That helped me but you just have to stick with it and one day it will be there!

[muppet]

For beginner/intermediate players here is a great (as in relatively easy but sounds difficult) version of Romeo & Juliet: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/d/dire_straits/romeo_and_juliet_ver5_tab.htm

[CD]

have been trying on and off for a few years to learn this blasted instrument, I'm having serious trouble with the "F" chord - any tips??

Stop strumming and sing a wee bit louder  - I've been getting away with it for years! Can't play it 6 times out of 10 - broken fingers from old war wounds don't help

[Puckoon]

I'd recommend the F chord a few posts back (modified C shape with everything shifted over a string) myself. The barred F chord has too much potential to lose the contact of the barre on the B string and the low E string can get a bit rattley depending on the action.

[Gaffer]

Starting to learn guitar and reading on web that it's better to learn on an electric rather then acoustic.

Would this be accurate and if so what type of electric would be best?