Learning To Play The Acoustic Guitar

[ms51ves3]

Unless I'm at work I find myself being bored to death. I'd like to learn how to play the acoustic guitar.

Does anyone have any recommendations for books/websites/YouTubers that are good for a total newbie to learn from?

Also, what guitar would be good for a beginner? Maximum I'd like to spend is £100, is that a realistic budget?

[-Savage-]

Website - Ultimate guitar
Program - Guitar Pro

Sorted. lol
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[deleted111]

£100 is perfectly reasonable budget for an acoustic mate.

Argos wouldn't be too much of a bad bet if it's your first, 'cos who knows, you might not like it after spending x amount of time learning, so it'd be money wasted, yes?

Get an acoustic, and the only website I can really recommend is Ultimate Guitar.

Pick some acoustic songs you know, then learn them off that site.

Tablature is easy enough to read.

6 lines, top line is top (thinnest) string, bottom line is bottom (thickest) string.

numbers on the lines are the Fret.

I.e bottom line number 3 would signify 3rd fret on thickest string etc.

plenty of theory sites on the net aswell fella, won't take you that long to get familiar with basic chord structures and patterns etc.

HTH

Steve

[Flip]

£100 will get you a Yamaha. Think you can buy them at Argos.

Download Guitar Pro 5 from the torrent sites.

I have an chord finder prog on my PC, I'll try and find you the link.

https://www.online-guitar-tuner.net/ May be useful.

I'll post again in a bit with stuff you if I can find it mate.

[Flip]

https://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/flip_/Fretboardmap-1.jpg

[ms51ves3]

[Flip]

The chord prog I was talking about.

https://www.subjectmusic.com/easychord/

If you have an Android phone there is free tuners available. I think I even have a chord prog on Android.

Edit: I do. Guitar Chordz 1.1

and

gStrings.

Edit 2:

Guitar tab books can be found as pdf's on torrent sites.

[Flip]

That's the one Chives. Won best in class apparently. Yamaha are brilliant.

[BenR]

Good guitar tutorial site www.justinguitar.com if you type justinsandercoesongs into youtube you'll find him on there, he's a really good teacher.
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[ms51ves3]

[Flip]

HTH. (Apologies and don't worry too much about the blurred bits).

[Flip]

Don't forget your pentatonic scales (if you decide to go electric).

https://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4015102018060625907#

[ms51ves3]

I've just watched a video of a guy going on about minor, major and flat, I haven't a clue what he means

Maybe I should get a book first, read up on it, then buy a guitar.

[Itchy]

Hey chives you can borrow my guitar and book if you want. It is gathering dust, if you like it you can buy your own and give it me back...

Just needs a £5 guitar tuner to make it sound nice again.
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[ms51ves3]

[Flip]

[KLR600]

Best advice I can give you is learn songs that you like and keep at it. You won't get fluid chord changes in a week and you need to keep practising. The books are all well and good but I'd recommend a few lessons with a teacher as it's hard to pick up the correct hand positions etc from the books. Take a few lessons to learn the basics and then look into some song books for the songs you want to learn.

Trouble with guitar is if you teach yourself bad form (like I did) it makes it harder to improve later on.

Get the best guitar you can afford, the cheaper you go the worse it'll be to play and the quicker you'll end up just leaving it in the corner unplayed. I'm not up on acoustic guitars these days but Flip knows what he's talking about.

You're welcome to come to mine to mess with some of my guitars if you like.
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[pinkyfloyd]

Youtube is a great teacher at times. As someone else has already mentioned Ultimate guitar website is a must.

I've been playing years now and still wouldnt class myself as a good player. I can play around 40 songs or so all the way through.

The best thing I have found is to get a folder. Print off the songs you want to play using ultimateguitar.com and with the aid of youtube or the origonal song learn it that way. I find cover versions are better as they are single shot and you can see the chord changes clearly.

Learn the play simple songs. There are a load of songs that use 4 chords in the songs. Bob dylan's knocking on heavens door uses G D Am and C and thats pretty much the whole song. Bad moon rising is even easier at 3 chords.

Learn your chord structures first and changes, Especially to and from the basics. C D G Am Em E A and when you can manage them work on the barre chords like B and F.

Practice and practice and be prepared for frustration and sore fingers.
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[ms51ves3]

[Suntan Sid]

Ok, I’ve got a bit of spare time so I’m going to ramble, a bit.

I come from a musical background, I played in a brass band from the age of six, I was taught by my Dad, (Now in his 70’s but still plays in three different bands).
Totally mashed my left shoulder, a few years ago, in a very low speed off. Physio told me to exercise fingers and wrist regularly. Always had a guitar hanging around so I thought I‘d give it a go.

For what it’s worth, here’s my two penny’s worth!

Are you musical, can you play another instrument?
If you’re not, then teaching yourself is very difficult, if you want to play properly take lessons!
Learning to play the guitar is the same as learning to play any other instrument, practice, practice and more practice, when you’re sick of practicing, practise some more.
Learning in isolation is difficult, and requires a huge amount of discipline.
You will learn a few chords, maybe a scale or two, you now know it all and Eric Clapton will be on the phone asking you to stand in for him, next time he’s got a blister on his little finger.
The good thing about taking lessons is that your tutor, if they’re any good, will force you to do the things you don’t want to do.
I have a friend who can play very well, up to a point, he is self taught. His repertoire is, somewhat, limited, because he chose not to learn to play certain chords, that he perceived to be difficult. Had he taken lessons his teacher would have forced him to play those, “difficult”, chords.
Do you have friends who play, if you have, try and play along with them, it’s all very well playing along to backing tracks or CD’s but you can’t beat playing live with other musicians.
I was fortunate; my teacher had me playing at jam sessions and gigs within a couple of months!
Playing the guitar is not a natural thing to do; it hurts your fingers, a lot, to begin with.
Barre chords will make your fingers ache and your wrist will hurt like a bastard when you start.
Eventually your finger tips will develop pads of hard skin. Your wrist will stop aching, (quite as much), after a few months.
Learn on an acoustic, if you can master that playing an electric is so, so, easy, in comparison.
I know there are different views on this but I would go for a steel string, this will strengthen your fingers and wrist, it will hurt like hell, but no pain, no gain!

So in summary:-
Take lessons.
Practice, (every single day & night).
Play along with other musicians.
The one most important thing, enjoy it, if you’re not enjoying it there’s no point.

It is fantastic knowing that you can create music, and entertain people.

Give it a go, you have nothing to lose.

Hope that’s been of some help and I haven’t put you off.

[Vin]

Youtube is helpful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5QCs3PnQBc

[oldpink]

for £100 you can get a fender, Ibanez, yamaha or a load of other nice guitars
but go to a shop and try before you buy, not all guitars are good right out the box

find a few easy songs to learn with 2 - 3 chords, theres lots of them
as said practice as often as possible
esp when you start as your fingers Will get sore and will need toughening up

play with others if you can, a Jam is a great way to learn new stuff

but don't give up after a couple of days it will come to you
I took up guitar seriously 4 years ago and have never looked back
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[GhostRider]

[pinkyfloyd]

[ajbsmirnoff]

.....and above all - have fun.

Don't fret about getting it wrong, or not sounding good, it'll come in time. As everyone has said, the internet is full of guides, guitar lessons, etc. Its so much better than when I was a lad, and we had to press our noses against the window of the piano shop to see the overpriced tab books.

As well as Argos, and dedicated music shops (which often have b-grade stock), there are a fair few guitars on ebay, both from ebay shops and individuals.

I got a new (old) guitar at the weekend, I bought a body to go with the contents my spare parts box. Still waiting on some pickups though. Its mainly my birthday present to myself. The explanation to wife as to why I need yet another guitar has yet to be perfected however.
https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/ajbsmirnoff/190920101420.jpg