Guitar players...best way to learn?

[----]

Just thought i'd ask on here as i know there's quite a few players on here.

Just bought myself a cheap one to mess about with (acoustic)and i'm struggling to get the basic chords right!

I cant seem to hold down a few strings without touching another string at the same time.
Is this the way everyone starts?

Are electric guitars easier to learn on than acoustic?

Also,any ideas how much the lessons are on average,and how often i would need to have them.

Thanks
Dave
____________________
DRZ-400sm

[NinjaLee]

hi ya, i'm by no means an "accomplished" player ... Not yet anyway.

But that is how i started out, kept accidentally leaving my fingers on some strings etc. My advice on that mate is just to practice... a lot, it's the only way you'll get good at it. Try playing a chord slowly, whilst listening for any "blunt" notes, then adjust your fingers so they all ring out.
You'll need to build the dexterity and strength up in your hand, which will obviously come over time.

I have only been playing an acoustic for about 10 months now but what i can do now, to when i first started is a big improvement.

I've also heard that electric is easier to learn on, but i dont think it's that much of a big difference.

So to end this ramble, remember this: " repetition is the mother of skill"

I'm sure someone more skilled than me will be along shortly to give some more helpful advice.
____________________
Current bike: 2006 zx636 C6F
Previous bike: 2000 zx6r J1, 1990 cbr400rr nc29
Restriction ended: 17th november 2010

[----]

Thanks for the reply

I'm glad it's not just me who started off struggling

Are you doing pro lessons,or self teaching?

After 10 month you must be getting pretty damn good by now?How long does it take


____________________
DRZ-400sm

[Flip]

Electrics are easier to play because the action is lower but learning acoustic first will give you amazing finger strength. (The missus will thank you ). No-one plays chords right at first.

Download guitar pro 5.4. (May actually be 5.2 doh!)

Years ago lessons were about £10 for 45 mins. Don't know what it's like now though.

[----]

Cheers flip!

I'll just persevere with it for now,and try again on monday to find a teacher.

I dont mind paying 20+/hour for lessons just to get me started,just waiting for an email back from them to tell me prices and dates e.t.c.

Will continue searching for a torrent for guitar pro 5.4. What is it? just like a begginers tutorial?

Again thanks for the reply's .
____________________
DRZ-400sm

[NinjaLee]

[GhostRider]

I think learning on an acoustic will definitely benefit you in the long run, if you can hold barre chords on an acoustic for a extended period of time, you will have no problems when switching to electric. Also, sometimes an acoustic just sounds better than an electric for some styles.

Practice. Practice. Practice until you want to end your mortal life. Then practice a tad more. A tad cliché I know, but it really is true, it just takes time to develop your muscle memory and dexterity, t might be a bit slow at first but eventually when switching chords you'll just notice that it rings nice and clean rather than with a blunted sound on some strings. Practice switching between chords frequently, but also work individually on your fingering technique (fnarr fnarr) in terms of going up and down frets and alternative string picking. It wont be too long before you're able to play the basics of a song you like that's pleasing to the ear.

There is an army of books out there, but use google for some interesting websites as well. There are tons of video lessons for all styles on www.ultimate-guitar.com so that once you understand what you are doing you can work on little techniques here and there.

Using Guitar pro will allow you to see the TAB for songs that you know, but I'd use them sparingly to begin with as they wont really teach you much about playing/learning, merely you will jsut be able to copy someone elses shit.

GhostRider
____________________
I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

[Flip]

Guitar pro allows you to see tab on screen but also plays for you, so you don't even have to know the songs to learn them. You can write your own stuff on it, use it for scale practice and sh1t like that. I'm currently messing with Death magnetic. \m/

Anyway, back to fitting my Beowulfs.

[----]

Karatelee

That youtube link pretty good.I was looking on their for ages and didn't see that

(As far as youtube guitar vids go,this is the best i've come across so far...Must take a LONG time to get this good..clicky...

ghostrider

Every bit of advice i hear about it is constant practising .
It's a bit hard practising over and over when the sound you're making sounds shit but i'll get there in the end no doubt..


flip

Getting that guitar pro will be a while off for me yet at my current level.
I just bought an electric guitar and amp:
https://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x13/fronterapics/240x360prodtemplate.jpg

I know it's not a good one,but for £100 quid it's worth a go to see if i find it easier than the acoustic just till i'm able to play a song,then i'll switch between the two...

Anyone on here got any sound/vid clips of them playing?
____________________
DRZ-400sm

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[Flip]

You'll be needing this then.

https://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/flip_/Fretboardmap.jpg

[Moonie]

Very, very boring I know, but try just changing between two chords until you don't have to think about it. Then three, then another set and so on.

Eventually you will be able to just do it without thinking. I spent a couple of years trying to find substitues for practice when I was about 10 or 11, and then discovered there is no substitute.
____________________
Don't practice it until you get it right, practice it until you don't get it wrong.
Presenting the one and only Chinkmobile

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[Catalyst]

I've got a cheapo electric guitar (Squire) as i played for about 3 years from 13-16 years old, now it's sitting in my garage and havn't played since. I was self-teaching but because i started on electric i found it hard to play chords as it just felt off, really want to get back into it though.

Is it worth buying an acoustic? Or just getting my electric out and learning on that? (Sorry for thread hi-jack).

When i was self teaching i found watching vids on youtube helped quite a bit, but as i was young i think i lost interest as most kids do.
____________________
|--Previous--|:2007 Aprilia SX50...--Current--|: 2007 Kawasaki ER-6N
SlimRick - I can cook really well - but it's a useless skill, as I'm not a woman and it's their fucking job!

[Moonie]

I started on an acoustic and absolutely hated the thing, IMO electrics are so much easier to play and get a good sound from.
____________________
Don't practice it until you get it right, practice it until you don't get it wrong.
Presenting the one and only Chinkmobile

[Catalyst]

[chrismeister]

ive been playing for about 2 1/2 years now, all self taught, although i havent played much recently.

i just started out with a squier strat, standard beginner guitar really but alot better quality then most of the cheapish ones.

Practice is key, just play until you want to throw it at the wall and the next day youll notice youre getting better (avoid bleeding fingers though) lol.

i started with chords E A D G, you can muck about with them, then learned the pentatonic scale which helped alot with lead stuff etc.

when you get better then palm mutes, tremolo, tapping sweep picking etc.

just my bit of a ramble.

[Suitor_Stu]

basically the way I did it was to learn a few chords (I had a Beatles 'Red Album' piano book which had the guitar chords for the songs written above the sheet music - but that was before I had the Internet, so you might be easier to look online) and get them pretty much down. Then just listen to some songs you know very well and try to play along (you'll be surprised how many of them consist of jut a few chords like A,C,G,D and E. That's really it tbh! If you aren't getting one or two changes right or smooth then just practice them over and over again till you do. It's boring yes, but this is still the way I do things when I need to learn something more complicated nowadays!

I personally would say go for a semi decent solid top acoustic guitar (you can get them for as low as £150-200 on ebay second hand - and if you hate it/dont play it, then you can usually sell it for around the same amount) over a similarly priced electric since it will sound much nicer by it's self and you can play many different styles on it. If you do buy an electric, there's the added cost of the amp (or amp modulation device if you're gona be gay ) and if you scrimp on the amp, then you're decent guitar will sound wank. Plus there's the whole 'finding your sound' thing with electrics - takes a while to find an amp&guitar combo which sounds good to you, which if you are just starting out is an added complication you don't need!

Stu

[The Shaggy D.A.]

There's always going to be the Acoustic V Electric debate. It largely boils down to the type of music you want to play.

One definate advantage of electric over acoustic - headphones. No-one wants to hear anyone practicing for a few hours, and in the early days, you ARE going to sound crap. A lot of simple effects boxes and amps have headphone sockets, some amps have a line/CD in, so you can play along to stuff without bugging other people.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[Munday]

I started on an Electric and then switched to an Acoustic. I started off using a book then taught myself a whole heap of chords. Nowadays YouTube is the perfect way to learn! The videos are great but make sure you find a teacher online who is easy to understand.
The video posted above is good but check out this guy: https://uk.youtube.com/user/ThreeChordGuitar

His Wonderful Tonight tutorial video (https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JJGZrkgM05o) is great for a beginner as it only had 3 chords

[steppen22]

try
https://www.justinguitar.com/

beginners course to the left.
____________________
no regrets, no retreat, no apology.
I've made mistakes in the past, and I apologise for FUCK ALL.

[cal91]

SOD THAT! Do what i did, get a bass
____________________
We are the Patriots! Love your country.

[----]

The electric guitar is completely different to the acoustic.
I can get on the chords quite easily without touching other strings that i shouldn't be.

The whole thing just feels better

I'm doing 3 chords now and just constantly switching between the three (E,A,C)

Downloaded guitar pro,along with a shit load of tabs.So what's the most basic song on tab with the fewest chords?
____________________
DRZ-400sm

[----]

Oh btw,i booked my first lesson today.It's gonna be expensive at £30 / hour .

First lesson next week.Just gonna try and get as much in as i can before the lesson.
____________________
DRZ-400sm

[Rowey]

www.Fenderplayersclub.com great load of lessons all arrangeable by skill level.
____________________
ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.