1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Learning Guitar

Discussion in 'TV, Music and Movies' started by Jt0323, Sep 29, 2008.

  1. Jt0323

    Jt0323 Fins Up! Luxury Box

    12,967
    7,293
    113
    Dec 7, 2007
    Las Vegas
    I really want to learn how to play the guitar. Any tips on sites that may be able to help me out? any other tips, im planing on learning acoustic guitars, im hopefully going to get one this week...any tips on what guitar i should get also
     
    2k5 likes this.
  2. rafael

    rafael Well-Known Member

    27,364
    31,261
    113
    Apr 6, 2008
    Whether you get a book or take lessons the key is that you practice everyday. It could be just 15 minutes but practice everyday. That's the best tip I have.
     
    texasPHINSfan and Jt0323 like this.
  3. anlgp

    anlgp ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A

    Agree ^

    here's something to work on your fretting fingers (the ones that hold the notes)

    *1 = first finger 2=second 3=ring 4=pinky
    12 all the way up and back (all six strings forward and then backward, while going backward continue with the 12)
    13 all the way up and back
    14 all the way up and back
    1234 etc

    then do it in reverse.

    21 = etc.
    follow previous example.

    it helps strengthen your fingers. especially your pinky.

    EDIT

    whatever you try and do start slow. i mean really slow. buy a metronome. or go to http://www.metronomeonline.com/
     
    Jt0323 likes this.
  4. DevilFin13

    DevilFin13 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    9,713
    6,282
    113
    Mar 22, 2008
    My first tip is the do away with the accoustic and get an electric with a big *** amp. Guitars are best utilized when playing hard rock and metal.

    Just kidding. The accoustic will probably help train your fingers better than an electric would. That was a big obstacle for me, just getting my fingers strong and stretched out enough to being playing things. That example that anlgp described is the way I learned to warm up. It seemed to help. I think he is also right to start out really slow and with a metronome. This is something I still struggle with. I start learning a Maiden song and I want to begin with it at warp speed. But its best to go slow with things until you feel comfortable and just gradually build your speed.

    Overall I'd just say be patient. If you stick with it it will reward you. I've had times where I've been frustrated and didn't know what to do. But I kept working at it and the light eventually went off in my head.
     
    Jt0323 likes this.
  5. HysterikiLL

    HysterikiLL Member

    256
    91
    0
    Nov 26, 2007
    Yeah, patience is the key. I've been playing for not quite a year now. Trust me, if you have never played before, and you're kind of teaching yourself, you will be pretty awful for the first few months, In the beginning, it is important to understand the fundamentals - e.g. exactly what and why you're doing things with your fingers, etc. Once you understand the logic behind it, the sound will start to make sense.

    I found that I kind of clicked after about two months. All of a sudden, the most basic two chord riffs were coming together so naturally and I was able to pick up thing svery quickly. But you need to keep at it, even when it seems impossible.

    As for websites, etc, I really taught myself through just listening to music and finding simple tabs online. You can find just about any tab sheet by searching "SONG TITLE tab"...and basically play around with it. Maybe a teacher or what-not can help you with a lot of **** you'd never pick up by yourself, but I like to teach myself. I think you find things within yourself that way, that really help you develop your own sense of awareness.

    For a guitar, I have a really basic Fender DG-8s. It is like the cheapest Fender you can buy, but it comes with a bunch of stuff - picks, a tuning fork, a carry bag, an instructional dvd, etc...I found that it's a good buy for learning. Here is a link: DG-8S Review | Fender | Reviews @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com
     
  6. texasPHINSfan

    texasPHINSfan New Member

    6,363
    3,740
    0
    Dec 14, 2007
    Bellevue, WA
    patience & practice.

    fortunately there is tablature available for most kinds of music you might want to play, which is a lot easier than the limited resources that were available 15+ years ago when i tried. i was thinking about trying again as well, Jt, let me know how it goes. :)

    I'm more of a metal-head, so i'd focus on the harder stuff.... i heard that they were working on a guitar hero version that uses a real-style guitar with strings that you plug into the xbox.... so instead of hitting just the green/red/yellow/blue buttons you actually hit the notes on the strings where they would really be. i don't know how they'd work the interface on that, but it sounds intriguing.

    if i could learn & practice while having fun playing, that would be awesome. what a great idea.
     
    Jt0323 likes this.
  7. m ino

    m ino New Member

    1,142
    441
    0
    Jul 20, 2008
    they also make a great little gadget that u can find at any decent instrument store but i can't recall the actual term for the thing.

    it is a grip thing that fits in your hand and it has 4 spring activated finger buttons that is used to help with flexibility and coordination. it comes in handy say if your somewhere without your guitar u can still work on finger exercises. and they are cheap probly $10 at the most(like everything else that is sold they will have diff. styles ranging diff.prices).
    good luck and play,play,play.
     
  8. HysterikiLL

    HysterikiLL Member

    256
    91
    0
    Nov 26, 2007
    If you were picking real strings, wouldn't that just be playing the real music anyway :lol: That sounds so Xbox....maybe next they'll invent virtual Nikes, in which you go for a run on a virtual treadmill!
     
    texasPHINSfan likes this.
  9. Marciano49-0

    Marciano49-0 World Champion

    8
    2
    0
    Nov 12, 2009
    Ft Lauderdale
    .....practice practice practice .... just like i did before I fought Louis!
     
  10. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

    13,500
    4,315
    113
    Dec 9, 2007
    I agree with everyone's comments above, the other thing I'd say is if you're not going to take any lessons is to sit down with someone you know plays the guitar and play a little with him/her. That way they can see what you're doing and how you're playing and maybe offer you some tips/pointers. That's what really helped me out, I sat with one of my friends for an hour or so a few weeks after I started and it really helped. But basically it's all in the practice. Playing is hard so it's going to be frustrating the first couple of weeks/months you start to play.

    Also I wouldn't go too overboard in buying your first guitar, I'd recommend buying one that's somewhat cheap but good (around 200-250 bucks or so) at first. The guitar centers around me usually have some pretty good deals/packages around Christmas time. When I got mine it was around 250 bucks it was an electric Fender Squire with a small amp. Very good start up guitar, but I know you're looking for acoustic.

    EDIT: Just saw thsi thread was started in September, oops.
     

Share This Page