Guitarists - How hard is it?

[ywouldi]

I'm trying to learn guitar though I'm not putting much effort in tbh. Been watching the Jools Holland Guitar Heroes thing and it strikes me that the guys barely seem to be touching the strings when holding chords. In contrast, my knuckles are going white with the strain.

I have a real cheap guitar, would that be a cause? Or am I just a poof?

Ben

[smiller]

What do you want to play?

Acoustic guitar, or electric?

[Papoo]

ywouldi said:

I'm trying to learn guitar though I'm not putting much effort in tbh. Been watching the Jools Holland Guitar Heroes thing and it strikes me that the guys barely seem to be touching the strings when holding chords. In contrast, my knuckles are going white with the strain.

I have a real cheap guitar, would that be a cause? Or am I just a poof?

Ben

The guitar's value is probably the least concern at this point. I was the same when starting out, because you're creating foreign shapes with you're hand, which you're muscle has no memory of. I used to apply more force than necessary, along with being adament that my hands were too small (they're actually like shovels!)..

Just play a single note, and see how little pressure is required. Certain guitars require more than others, but they're all within boundaries. Now, when I play a cheaper guitar, I don't notice having to apply extra pressure.

What makes some of these guitarists so awesome is the suppleness that comes with light fingertips. Youtube Stevie Ray Vaughan, and watch him go. He's certainly not a strongman!

Keep plugging away, you'll get there..

[timbob]

Have you had any lessons off a local guitar teacher? Even just one or two to help you out initially, get you going and put any bad habits to rest would be a great idea.

[Twit]

timbob said:

Have you had any lessons off a local guitar teacher? Even just one or two to help you out initially, get you going and put any bad habits to rest would be a great idea.

Exactly what I was going to say, I don't play guitar - play the drums instead, when I started I had lessons and now I still take the odd one if I feel the need to have a bit of an overhaul! Lessons will speed up the time it takes to learn the basics massively; as with all instuments it doesnt take long to become OK but can take years to get from 'ok' to really good!

[White-Noise]

Papoo said:

ywouldi said:

I'm trying to learn guitar though I'm not putting much effort in tbh. Been watching the Jools Holland Guitar Heroes thing and it strikes me that the guys barely seem to be touching the strings when holding chords. In contrast, my knuckles are going white with the strain.

I have a real cheap guitar, would that be a cause? Or am I just a poof?

Ben

The guitar's value is probably the least concern at this point. I was the same when starting out, because you're creating foreign shapes with you're hand, which you're muscle has no memory of. I used to apply more force than necessary, along with being adament that my hands were too small (they're actually like shovels!)..

Just play a single note, and see how little pressure is required. Certain guitars require more than others, but they're all within boundaries. Now, when I play a cheaper guitar, I don't notice having to apply extra pressure.

What makes some of these guitarists so awesome is the suppleness that comes with light fingertips. Youtube Stevie Ray Vaughan, and watch him go. He's certainly not a strongman!

Keep plugging away, you'll get there..

SRV played on 12's!! Surely his fingers must have been very strong! Or was that your point?

[Nimbus]

ywouldi said:

I'm trying to learn guitar though I'm not putting much effort in tbh.

Might be part of the problem...

Learning the guitar, like most things, is a series of hurdles..
You work really hard to get over one, and a month later you can't believe you found it hard.

If you're just starting, its more likely to be your technique, than the guitar, most modern guitars, even cheap ones, actually play fairly well.

I'd get a few private lessons, and then build from there. That way you'll get over the first few hurdles, not develop any bad habits, and you'll hopefully want to make the 'effort', as it won't be effort anymore, it will be pleasure

Alternatively there are some good www resources for begineers, like this one..
http://tinyurl.com/4pblpf

Out of interest, what guitar/amp have you got ?

And remember, the guys in real bands, do it for a job, day in, day out.. That's how much work and practice it takes to be that good !

[AL...Ease]

to everything that Nimbus said. The biggest problem you'll have when you start playing quitar is that you might not realise how strong your fingers have to be to play chords properly, but once you get the technique you don't forget it.

[paulmurr]

ywouldi said:

I'm trying to learn guitar though I'm not putting much effort in tbh

There's your problem...

Get some lessons and practice for at least a half hour every night. An hour would be better.

[Papoo]

White-Noise said:

Papoo said:

ywouldi said:

I'm trying to learn guitar though I'm not putting much effort in tbh. Been watching the Jools Holland Guitar Heroes thing and it strikes me that the guys barely seem to be touching the strings when holding chords. In contrast, my knuckles are going white with the strain.

I have a real cheap guitar, would that be a cause? Or am I just a poof?

Ben

The guitar's value is probably the least concern at this point. I was the same when starting out, because you're creating foreign shapes with you're hand, which you're muscle has no memory of. I used to apply more force than necessary, along with being adament that my hands were too small (they're actually like shovels!)..

Just play a single note, and see how little pressure is required. Certain guitars require more than others, but they're all within boundaries. Now, when I play a cheaper guitar, I don't notice having to apply extra pressure.

What makes some of these guitarists so awesome is the suppleness that comes with light fingertips. Youtube Stevie Ray Vaughan, and watch him go. He's certainly not a strongman!

Keep plugging away, you'll get there..

SRV played on 12's!! Surely his fingers must have been very strong! Or was that your point?

No, Sir! Perhaps not the best example in the world!

My point mostly being that force isn't the name of the game. For each individual note, be it on 9's or 14's doesn't need much force, nowhere near enough to cause white knuckles!

Being as supple, and exerting all effort into moving your fingers and wrist around the fretboard, rather than jamming your individual fingers against the wood, is the order of the day!

There, spoken like a true expert! I'm off to practice incase any PHer has the misfortune of hearing me try to play SRV!

[White-Noise]

Papoo said:

White-Noise said:

Papoo said:

ywouldi said:

I'm trying to learn guitar though I'm not putting much effort in tbh. Been watching the Jools Holland Guitar Heroes thing and it strikes me that the guys barely seem to be touching the strings when holding chords. In contrast, my knuckles are going white with the strain.

I have a real cheap guitar, would that be a cause? Or am I just a poof?

Ben

The guitar's value is probably the least concern at this point. I was the same when starting out, because you're creating foreign shapes with you're hand, which you're muscle has no memory of. I used to apply more force than necessary, along with being adament that my hands were too small (they're actually like shovels!)..

Just play a single note, and see how little pressure is required. Certain guitars require more than others, but they're all within boundaries. Now, when I play a cheaper guitar, I don't notice having to apply extra pressure.

What makes some of these guitarists so awesome is the suppleness that comes with light fingertips. Youtube Stevie Ray Vaughan, and watch him go. He's certainly not a strongman!

Keep plugging away, you'll get there..

SRV played on 12's!! Surely his fingers must have been very strong! Or was that your point?

No, Sir! Perhaps not the best example in the world!

My point mostly being that force isn't the name of the game. For each individual note, be it on 9's or 14's doesn't need much force, nowhere near enough to cause white knuckles!

Being as supple, and exerting all effort into moving your fingers and wrist around the fretboard, rather than jamming your individual fingers against the wood, is the order of the day!

There, spoken like a true expert! I'm off to practice incase any PHer has the misfortune of hearing me try to play SRV!

Funny you bring up SRV though as I have suddenly been sucked back into his music the last few weeks. I must have listened to Texas Flood each day!

Got a severe hankering for a strat and GAK were doing 0% finance must-resist-getting-one!!!

[Don1]

Like everything (unless God-given talent), you have to practice. Practice like Mrs Doyle says 'go on'.

Build the calluses, strengthen the fingers and grip, and try new things when practicing the scales and strumming along to tunes...

[ywouldi]

Nimbus said:

ywouldi said:

I'm trying to learn guitar though I'm not putting much effort in tbh.

Might be part of the problem...

Learning the guitar, like most things, is a series of hurdles..
You work really hard to get over one, and a month later you can't believe you found it hard.

If you're just starting, its more likely to
be your technique, than the guitar, most modern guitars, even cheap ones, actually play fairly well.

I'd get a few private lessons, and then build from there. That way you'll get over the first few hurdles, not develop any bad habits, and you'll hopefully want to make the 'effort', as it won't be effort anymore, it will be pleasure

Alternatively there are some good www resources for begineers, like this one..
http://tinyurl.com/4pblpf

Out of interest, what guitar/amp have you got ?

And remember, the guys in real bands, do it for a job, day in, day out.. That's how much work and practic it takes to be that good !

Absolutley, I really should spend more time on it.

I bought an ebuyer special! Sounds OK to my ear and if I do keep on with it I'll upgrade to something nicer.

I know practice is the key, just wondered if there was something fundamental with my technique.

Thanks all.

[satchbot]

And make sure you have a guitar with the action just right.

[Animal]

Guitar + easy to learn, impossible to master.

By all means learn technique: there's not much that's more annoying than hearing something in your head and not having the skill to get it out, but the most important thing is to listen to music. Tehcnique is just the toolkit to express yourself.

You know you're on to a good thing when practicing doesn't feel like work!

PS - Legend has it that SRV glued his fingers to his arm and ripped them off, taking a layer of skin off his arm. Apparently made it easier for him to use the heavy gauge strings he wanted to use to get his tone...

[Nimbus]

ywouldi said:

Absolutley, I really should spend more time on it.

I bought an ebuyer special! Sounds OK to my ear and if I do keep on with it I'll upgrade to something nicer.

I know practice is the key, just wondered if there was something fundamental with my technique.

Thanks all.

I'd invest in a few lessons, just to be sure you have the basic technique, and get you over that first hump.

Sure you can learn from books, videos and the internet, but you'll get there faster with a bit of personal tuition. After all, I assume you didn't teach yourself to drive from a book ?

Remember, the first hurdle is always the hardest. Then there will be no stopping you

[aidb]

I started playing when I was pretty young. Dad brought home a knackered acoustic, after I told him I wanted to play the guitar. It was steel strung with a high action. He was a pro sax/clarinet player in Irish show bands in the 30's. He said if I could knock a tune out of it, he'd get me something better. I seemed to have a natural ability. Though difficult to play physically I grasped the basics quickly. I'm of the firm belief that you'll only progress if you really want it. The finger pain puts most peeps off. Starting on such an awful instrument made me appreciate the difference when I progressed to better guitars. Think my dad had a plan?

I know practice is important, but don't become obsessed by it. Impressing the girls, I mean the music, is the most important thing.

[joesnow]

Using a nylon strung or electric guitar will reduce the pressure you have to exert on the strings to make them ring, also the electric will have a narrower fretboard, so less stretching, but more likeihood of touching strings that should be open.

The key to learning chord shapes is to get to the 'muscle memory' stage. I've been playing around 14 years, and lately have been learning some Jerry Reed tunes with totally new chord shapes. It has been tricky, as I'm use to picking up fingerstyle tunes and calibrating my right hand, not the left, but I'm at the stage now where between chords my fingers will form the chord shapes before they arrive at their position on the neck. Once you have this down, you can play more consistantly.

Keep practicing, it's a great instrument.

[satchbot]

joesnow said:

Keep practicing, it's a great instrument.

And plenty of lesson vids on youtube. When you get to a comfortable ability you'll feel glad of all the work you've put in.

[White-Noise]

satchbot said:

joesnow said:

Keep practicing, it's a great instrument.

And plenty of lesson vids on youtube. When you get to a comfortable ability you'll feel glad of all the work you've put in.

And when you pick it up 2 years after stopping you will be even more frustrated than you are now