Learning to play guitar
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Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Bert Weedon's 'Play in a Day' tens of thousands of guitarists can't be wrong. Plus an acoustic guitar of course. Plus some pitch pipes for tuning.
https://www.amazon.com/Bert-Weedons-Play-Day-Playing/dp/0571529658
https://www.amazon.com/Bert-Weedons-Play-Day-Playing/dp/0571529658
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further
Guru
- Location
- Glastonbury Somerset
Electronic tuners are cheap as chips now, or an app.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Not really difficult - I have only been learning for 52 years and I have almost mastered my first piece!
(I haven't been taking it very seriously. I made a lot of progress in my first month and then got a bit distracted ...
)If you are not absolutely sure that you will stick at it, why not pick up a cheap guitar to play about on for a month or two? If you are still interested after that then buy something better. (I'm sure that someone will now come on and say that a cheap guitar will be harder to play and will put you off, but I think it is a good way of testing how serious you are.) My local market has a stall once a week with secondhand guitars for sale. I have seen ones that would suit beginner for £30 or so, and quite nice ones for about £75.
I would say so, otherwise 90+% of guitarists would be playing small guitars!
I feel like getting one of my guitars out now and having a quick strum/fingerpick.
Levo-Lon
Guru
Its the hardest thing I've ever tried to do.
I wanted to be Hendrix. . Im not.
Id say have some lessons and at least you will be set on the right track.
I just did the learn myself, i can play 6-8 chords with finger memory and cant read music.
I enjoy an hr just playing my guitar, i will never learn it
I wanted to be Hendrix. . Im not.
Id say have some lessons and at least you will be set on the right track.
I just did the learn myself, i can play 6-8 chords with finger memory and cant read music.
I enjoy an hr just playing my guitar, i will never learn it
OldShep
Veteran
- Location
- South West Scotland
YouTube is your friend. Loads of people showing you how to play. I used a a guy named Siggi Mertens along with a few others discovered by searching 'how to play your song"
I bought a Cort semi acoustic around 12 years ago and still love it. I found a 'low action' makes holding them chords easier.
I bought a Cort semi acoustic around 12 years ago and still love it. I found a 'low action' makes holding them chords easier.
Globalti
Legendary Member
Decide who you want to play like and get the chords for some of their songs. Mine was Joan Baez as I like her style of arpeggio playing. Get a tuning device, buy a Spanish guitar for lower string tensions and easier fingering, get a capo to change the pitch of the guitar to suit your voice and learn the basic chords then practice, practice, practice until your fingers get calluses.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Never mind there's always air guitar
.
Levo-Lon
Guru
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
How much faster do you learn with tuition....and do you benefit from being able to read music ?
My GD is 13 and is already playing in a pit band after about a year, has done a couple of gigs and some studio work at school, but she has had tuition at school...via music as a subject and from a world famous bands guitarist in lessons. But she said learning to read music has helped her to speed up the learning process, I guess that's because you don't have to trial and error your playing and finding the right notes.
I always thought the ability to play guitar was a wonderful thing...shame I'm to lazy/ inept at anything musical. Respect to anyone with the ability.
My GD is 13 and is already playing in a pit band after about a year, has done a couple of gigs and some studio work at school, but she has had tuition at school...via music as a subject and from a world famous bands guitarist in lessons. But she said learning to read music has helped her to speed up the learning process, I guess that's because you don't have to trial and error your playing and finding the right notes.
I always thought the ability to play guitar was a wonderful thing...shame I'm to lazy/ inept at anything musical. Respect to anyone with the ability.
Biff600
Veteran
There are pot loads of instructional videos on You Tube, from the very basics, right through to advanced finger style.
I have been playing for nearly 40 years and now and then, I poke around You Tube and pick up some ideas.
But practice, practice and more practice is the key, the more you play the better you will get. I generally play 2-3 hours every day during the week and sometimes double that at weekends.
As for which guitar, that is personal choice, but you could try a Yamaha F310 or a Fender FA125, both steel strung and both about the same price £140. Also have a look on ebay/gumtree for a used one in your area, you could save quite a few ££ and pick up something nice
I have been playing for nearly 40 years and now and then, I poke around You Tube and pick up some ideas.
But practice, practice and more practice is the key, the more you play the better you will get. I generally play 2-3 hours every day during the week and sometimes double that at weekends.
As for which guitar, that is personal choice, but you could try a Yamaha F310 or a Fender FA125, both steel strung and both about the same price £140. Also have a look on ebay/gumtree for a used one in your area, you could save quite a few ££ and pick up something nice
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
Get yourself to Ultimate Guitar and find a few tabs of songs you like, then have a bash at playing along to them.
Pick one or two songs with 3 chords A,D& E and D,A& G
It’s all very well practicing techniques, but years ago I made loads of progress in my head when I could play through a song in full (Pocahontas by Neil Young). So as well as learning pentatonic scales and hammering on and off get a song under your belt, then you’ll be a guitar player.
What kind of stuff floats your boat @wisdom ?
Pick one or two songs with 3 chords A,D& E and D,A& G
It’s all very well practicing techniques, but years ago I made loads of progress in my head when I could play through a song in full (Pocahontas by Neil Young). So as well as learning pentatonic scales and hammering on and off get a song under your belt, then you’ll be a guitar player.
What kind of stuff floats your boat @wisdom ?
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
And how long/chunky are your fingers?
My main guitar is a Tanglewood TW45 NSB. The width and thickness of the neck is narrower than most, which helps my stumpy fingers.
Go to a guitar shop, try to forget your self consciousness, nobody will laugh.
My main guitar is a Tanglewood TW45 NSB. The width and thickness of the neck is narrower than most, which helps my stumpy fingers.
Go to a guitar shop, try to forget your self consciousness, nobody will laugh.
