I want to learn guitar and stuff...

[Jesterarts]

Hey,

I've decided that I'm going to try and learn guitar. Not to join a band or anything, but to just strum along to songs and as a pass time.

I've got a guitar, amp, picks and tuner on the way and I've found a ucnh of online resources and video lessons on beginner guitart stuff.

I'm going to attempt this as a "self-taught" exercise.

Anyone have any tips they can give me in regards to how I should approach this?

I am 100% noob when it comes to playing any instrument. In high school I had breif stints playing Drums and Bass but I didn't really take anything away from that.

And I sucked at bass because I wasn't motivated to learn it.

I've been reading up on different chords and all that. What confuses me is that a chord can be played in like 3 or so different spots going down the neck. A big more reading is to be done on my part I think.

I've also decided to document my progress on a blog, just so if I actually succeed at this, I can see how I developed my ability. Plus I think it will be good if I lose motivation to look back through it and see where I've come from.. so long as I actually make progress...

blog link

So yeah, anyone play on here? Any tips?

[immortality]

LOL, i read your blog yesterday. good to see you giving it a go.

my little boy wants to learn as well, he was given a acoustic guitar by a friend but he wants a electric guitar so he can play along to Metallica

[elmaso]

really depends on what you want to play most. only advice i can give you (being self taught myself) is most of those online thing can be hard so get. so start with some simple tabs (ULTIMATE GUITAR TABS ARCHIVE | 300,000+ Guitar Tabs, Bass Tabs, Chords and Guitar Pro Tabs! is good for 'em) and get the hang of it first, then learn some scales and what not.

[Jesterarts]

Yeah thanks mate.

I've always wanted to learn guitar but I've just been really busy with either VCE or Uni or working 2 jobs.

Now I've found myself with spare time on weekend (OMG!) and figure it's something I could do.

Call it an 1/4 life crisis...

Good luck you your boy! Metallica FTW.

I want to be able to play along to Floyd, ACDC and eventually Guns'n'Roses...

[elmaso]

good luck mate. also a quick heads up, if you sign up to the forum on that site there will be plenty of good guitarist to help you with any problems

[Jesterarts]

Yeah, thanks for the info elmaso. I might have to sign up to that forum.

Just hoping there won't be too many smart arse peeps on there telling me I should get a better guitar to start with.

One thing though, is there a "how to" on reading music in that format of the tabs?

lol.

[Grennan]

I found it good when I started playing years ago to try sounds that I could quickly recognise the tune to. Enter Sandman is a great choice, its a easy song - one of the beginner songs - and its tune is something you can play and immediately hear because it has a distinctive tune. I would try and avoid songs that just use power chords (mostly punk and newish rock songs) because you play it and you dont really feel any sense of achievement because it doesnt have much of a tune.

Smoke on the Water is probably the easiest song in the world to play, Enter Sandman a couple of ACDC songs are quite basic and have an easily recognisable tune.

Its really important for a self taught beginner to be able to hear what they are playing and say hey I can recognise that and can play it. I tried picking up those books, and as a self taught player they are horrible because they are so bland and dont give you any motivation.

[elmaso]

reading a tab is simple, im really shit at explaining things so i wont try, so here ya go! Reading Tablature | Lessons @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

(if you need help with Technics there is a lessons section at the top of the page)

[MasterOfReality]

I had a go years ago when I was 13 or 14, lost interest but am starting to think about it again.

Smoke On The Water, Paranoid, Iron Man, Symptom of the Universe, Zero The Hero and Enter Sandman were all pretty standard.

[Chrispy]

Pick up a guitar for beginners book from a local music, it'll teach you how to hold your guitar, picking, the frets, notes, and some of the basic chords.

ive been playing guitar for 9 years or so now, main tip is dont try and play something too hard when u first start, pick something easy and gradually work up.

[50LTRv8]

Try this site, it is pretty good

Free guitar lessons : Complete Beginners Method and loads of Blues, Jazz and rock : Learn how to play Guitar free here!

[thewheeldeal com au]

Try this site, it is pretty good

Free guitar lessons : Complete Beginners Method and loads of Blues, Jazz and rock : Learn how to play Guitar free here!

Just as I was about to post - Excellent site!

[immortality]

i'm liking this thread. i think my boy will be looking at it with interest (and as long as a 10year old attention span will allow)

edit: we should have a permanent sub section under the pub for music

[Jesterarts]

I found it good when I started playing years ago to try sounds that I could quickly recognise the tune to. Enter Sandman is a great choice, its a easy song - one of the beginner songs - and its tune is something you can play and immediately hear because it has a distinctive tune. I would try and avoid songs that just use power chords (mostly punk and newish rock songs) because you play it and you dont really feel any sense of achievement because it doesnt have much of a tune.

Smoke on the Water is probably the easiest song in the world to play, Enter Sandman a couple of ACDC songs are quite basic and have an easily recognisable tune.

Its really important for a self taught beginner to be able to hear what they are playing and say hey I can recognise that and can play it. I tried picking up those books, and as a self taught player they are horrible because they are so bland and dont give you any motivation.

Yeah, those are my thoughts exactly. It'll be good to play (or try to play) something recognisable using the tabs once in a while to keep the motivation up.

I'm hoping my guitar arrives by the weekend, I jsut received shipping details... it's coming from Melbourne to Somerville (60km) via Australia Air express...

Fingers crossed it arrives soon... and in one piece.

Can't wait to start fiddling around with it!

Might even do some videos in my blog of me trying to tune it and play it...

[Jesterarts]

Just checked the tracking site... IT'S BEEN DELIVERED!!!!

It's going to be a LOOOOOONG work day from here on and I also have dinner at the folks place as the old man is down from WA.

That's ok though, you can expect pictures and blog update tonight either way...

[HamaTime™]

Omg we are all now best friends.

Metallica used to be my all time favorite band! Still rocks my socks off but I listen to more contemporary music a bit more now.

Jester, start off with learning all the chords A,B,C,D,E,F,G....then learn the scales and practice picking, timing techniques...then start to learn some simple songs and then everything will fall into place.

[Jesterarts]

Yeah, that's the plan.

Just to learn the chords, maybe just have a play around with giving tabs a go now and then for fun.

But I want to learn the chords and stuff properly long term.

Plus I'm going to do some finger excercises, like the spider thing on justinguitar.

I go to gym, but I don't think that's going to help the type of finger strength required for playing guitar so it'll be a whole new ball game.

[HamaTime™]

Learn good technique early. My number 1 piece of advice.

[Jesterarts]

I managed to tune the guitar...

I want to learn Guitar and stuff...: It's all I ever dreamed

Time to see about some chords.

[Verynice]

hahaha you mean stairway to heaven by led zep? or knocking on heavens door by guns'n'roses lol

Anyway, depending on how far you want to go, i would recommend some cheap guitar effects.

I started off about 12 yrs old, when i got back into it at 15, i was lent a ZOOM GFX-707 which is a small pedal board/effects processor etc... Really got a decent sound out of the guitar, even with a practice amp (i was using a big amp when i was using it).

But having the effects there, like a decent distortion, a nice ambient clean, really enticed me to keep playing cos it sounded good. I used to use it late at night with just headphones and crank it. Didn't matter what i played, just messing around with some sweet sounds on there for hours.

And from there on it was good learning loads of songs on and have since upgraded etc etc...

Well thats my 2c, i went through the whole learning notes and stuff at school, but rather stick with tabs. Still got the chords going though.

[Jesterarts]

Yeah, I've got a program that simulates effect pedals and amps.

Tell you what though. I've discovered I have absolutely no control over my middle finger... well... limited control anyway...

And after only trying 3 chords and giving the intro to Smoke on the Water intro a go a few times, my fretting fingers are sore as!

This could be interesting.

[edals]

I Always wanted to play, My brother can play anything perfectly & nothing is to hard for him, but i have fingers that dont work smoothly in the position, either they stay on the string or a km away from them lol, only time it ever happens, same goes for pianos. fml

[Jesterarts]

Some pictures of the instrument...







Not bad for $150 with an amp, 2 picks, tuner, bag and stand I think...

FYI, the bubbles on the white bit, the pickguard, are a clear plastic that I removed. So no bubbles now...

[elmaso]

looks like a fair starter guitar, and that was an alright price.

[old mate]

looks alright for a starter, no point going all out with an american strat as a first guitar.