Learn guitar

[stickybackbob]

I've been given a classical guitar and would like to learn to play it. I'm not going to be the next Jimi Hendrix but would like to be able to pick a tune out of it.

Has anyone learned by themselves/off the internet/from books that could give me a point in the right direction?

By the way, I can't play any other musical instruments and the last time I 'read' music was over 30 years ago

Thanks

[S1417]

If you just want to learn a few simple tunes I'd suggest learning to read TAB music and then search for tabs here.

Then if you want to start improvising it comes down to learning scales etc

I'm not self taught so no clue how difficult it is. They'd be my starting points though

[dydey90]

I found rocksmith on Xbox 360/PS3 to be quite helpful. You will need an actual electric guitar though, I borrowed one. Has lots of mini games to help with finger placement and chords.
____________________
This post is probably not serious and shouldn't be taken literally.
Past: CBR125,ER6f NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750

[stickybackbob]

Thanks Peeps. Looks like the TAB thing may be a way forward. Will look into the xbox thing too (if I can sneak on it without the kids)

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

I started off on a classical guitar....playing acoustic punk. Used a 2p coin to strum it. Spent hundreds of £'s getting it restored when I realised it's value as an instrument...blah-blah...etc etc

Choose the tool for the job is what I'm advising, you'll enjoy playing more and learning is easier.
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[chickenstrip]

The fact that it's a classical guitar made me pause in answering this. I suppose you can learn to play anything on any guitar, but (having never played one myself) the classical may be a little difficult for some things.

Try this site:

https://www.justinguitar.com/

All free (you can pay for extra stuff, as you'll see if you go through the site, but plenty to get you started on here), and well presented lessons.

From the outset, learn to play the kind of music you'd most like to play (apart from learning chords, scales etc - you'll need that stuff), not what folks say you should learn. If you start by playing stuff that you don't enjoy or like, you won't keep it up for long in my experience.

I learned the basic chords from a mate who gave me my first guitar. Then I learned to read tab (very easy), then I plunged in the deep end with tab books of my favourite artists - listening to the music will help you to understand the tab better. I did use a guitar teacher for a short while, who's music taste was similar to mine, and he filled in a few gaps for me, but mostly, I've done it on my own. Now and again, I'll go to somewhere like Justin's site, above, to pick up something new or learn a new scale or whatever. But I only really look at stuff I think I'll enjoy playing, not really interested in learning styles for the sake of it.

Good luck!
____________________
Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[daisychain]

Try YouTube, I bought myself an acoustic guitar and I'm learning to play songs off there. I'm never going to rock the world with my guitar playing, but I'm finding learning fun!

[daisychain]

Try YouTube, I bought myself an acoustic guitar and I'm learning to play songs off there. I'm never going to rock the world with my guitar playing, but I'm finding learning fun!

[RhynoCZ]

When you say classical guitar, you mean it's got nylon strings on it? Not that it matters really, well. I learned how to play in 1 week. Get the tabs for these chords: G, C, D, A, E, F, and also Emi and Ami. That'll improve your fingers flexibility and also put the right positions/deployment of fingers into your brain.

Then it's time for you to find a song simple enough yet it must be something you like. For me, (very early 2000's + plus there was a girl that liked that song and I tried to, anyway) Nothing else matters by Metallica. The first bits of the song are very simple, and you're gonna find yourself soon enough using the chords I gave you earlier. Not the same ones, but the same/similar positions of your fingers on the strings.

The last bit of advice is, sit on your arse and play until your fingers hurt. This gets me quite back, to be honest, playing my guitar with headphones till 4am, jamming with the old RP50, 40min long solos etc. Watching Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai and others, trying to get as fast as they were (never got there, really).

TL; DR: Start with chords, it'll teach your mind to put fingers on the strings in the right order. Then, if you won't give up, try pentatonic and scales, that'll teach you what string and where should sound like. It is cool to know how to read music sheets, but it's pointless really, so no need to bother. Also, the best way how to start with any guitar, is to buy an electric one. It's quiet and the necks tend to be way thinner and strings way closer than what you get on a acoustic guitars, especially the classical (spanish) ones.
____________________
'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[andy_uk]

[chickenstrip]

[stickybackbob]

Thanks for the info so far. Only had the thing a few days and found a good few youtube videos that have given me some practice steps to be going on with.

Good news (for me) that the concensus seems to be that I don't have to read proper music. The TAB system seems to be a lot simpler.

[S1417]

[i.p.phrealy]

The way I got friends to learn how to play guitar was find a song they like that has only 3 chords, there's loads of them.
then find one with 4.
then teach them "House of the rising sun" by the animals.
this is the song that will help you more than any other when starting to learn, because you are picking individual notes in the chords you will spot if your fingering is a bit out.
pain in the arse song to learn in the first month of playing, But you will be a better player for it.

Am, C, D, F
Am, C, Em, Em
Am, C, D, F
Am, Em, Am, Em

and if i can play that on an electric with my sausage fingers you can too.
____________________
it is impossible to lick your own elbow...
and if you just tried you need professional help.
Finally allowed a big bike 19/03/14!

[DrDonnyBrago]

Is power tabs still around?

I found that incredibly helpful.

It played the tabs out so you can hear what that particular part is supposed to sound like.

[Poseidon]

Slight thread hijack...

Long story short. I've had a guitar for a number of years, only really noodled around with it picking up the basics. It spent a year or two doing nothing and the strings went funky (and not the good kind of funkaye). Bought some super slinkys (on the recommendation of a very talented guitarist I know) and started playing again, although I found they made the tone a bit too tinny for my liking. I've just snapped a string, so I'm going to change them. Not sure what to though. Given my guitar is mahoosive (tanglewood tw170 AS), it tends to be a bit "booming" with strings towards heavier gauge, so I'd like something in-between the stock strings it came with and the super slinkys. Any ideas?

Also, to the OP...

I spend around 15 minutes a night going through the chords I know, strumming a few different songs and rattling up and down scales. Over the last month or so (since I started picking it up regularly) I've been able to mimic the strumming I hear on some songs. I'll then spend 30-60min one day a week learning a new chord or a song or something to add to my repertoire. The very first song I learnt and was able to sing along with was Bob Dylan's "Knocking on Heavens Door". 4 chords, although you could get away with using just 3.

It's weird, the more you practise, the more you seem to pick it up. I'm not trying to be a musician (and I'm certainly nowhere near being classed as such, I think beginner would be a stretch!), I just want to be able to strum a few chords and sing along to some of the stuff I listened to as a kid (mostly 90s alternative rock/trad rock - Ocean Colour Scene, Oasis, Shed 7 and the like, which thankfully features a lot of acoustic guitar).
____________________
1977 Honda CG125
2002 Ducati Monster S4 (currently restoring)

[monkeybiker]

My neighbours are learning to play guitar. I hate them.

[andym]

I've had my guitars for a couple of years now, and even though I know a few chords I'm still not getting the hang of it.... I've tried watching videos on youtube (and Justinguitar) on strumming and it's all well and good when they start of with the "o-n-e and t-w-o and t-h-r-e-e and f-o-u-r" then they say to play it a bit faster..... which I try and to me it's like trying to play tremolos with the chords

Although I would agree with the comments about Rocksmith (you could just buy the cable then download it for the PC as you can get the complete DLC (probably close to 200 songs) depending on where you search.

Poseidon, I think the first strings I bought were Slinkys (regular) and found they were a lot kinder to my fingers in the first few days, when I went to replace them again the shop only had D'Addario (again regular) and for some reason I just didn't like them.

[Rogue_Shadow]

[stinkwheel]

I can't play my guitar. It's in the loft mouldering

Here's why.

It's because I didn't pick it up every day and practice.

This goes for any musical instrument.

So my tip is, make sure it's somewhere you can easily see it, pick it up and play it and try to do so every day. Put it on a stand infront of the TV.

Bored, auto TV/gaming. Oh, look. My Guitar. Practice for half an hour first.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[andym]

[chickenstrip]

[Triton Thrasher]

[chickenstrip]

[Suntan Sid]