Learning guitar.
Discussion
Nothing is a good as one to one teaching by a competent teachers. Not all good players are good teachers, though. The problem with other methods is that you can react to the method, but it can't react to you.
One good piece of advice, when seeking information about a broad subject, is to provide information as well as ask for it. All we know so far about your requirements is that you want to 'learn guitar'. Say a bit more about what sort of guitar, and whether you already know anything about the subject, and if so what.
One good piece of advice, when seeking information about a broad subject, is to provide information as well as ask for it. All we know so far about your requirements is that you want to 'learn guitar'. Say a bit more about what sort of guitar, and whether you already know anything about the subject, and if so what.
depends on your age mate...but if you are a young 'un and have the time try picking up some rudiments and just running with it.i was totally self taught from the a very early age.i learned a lot watching the older kids in the music block at lunchtimes in school.
this was before the dawn of the internet so i didn't have all these websites to dip in and out of so you would most likely pick it up and run with it a lot quicker than i did.
i started by my old man showing me E,D and G chords and just scraped it all together after that.
the beauty of it all is you never really "learn" it.it's an ongoing process.i first picked up a guitar just on 30 years ago and by the time i had a full head of steam on was doing multi tracking on 3 different tape recorders(i hadn't heard of tascams then!!) when i should have been revising for these new fangled exams called GCSE's!!
fast forward to now and i've got a renewed vigour because there is always something new to try , new styles emerge and you always love fiddling about.
the most important thing is have fun wirth it.if you aren't enjoying the process then you are flogging a dead horse.good luck!!
this was before the dawn of the internet so i didn't have all these websites to dip in and out of so you would most likely pick it up and run with it a lot quicker than i did.
i started by my old man showing me E,D and G chords and just scraped it all together after that.
the beauty of it all is you never really "learn" it.it's an ongoing process.i first picked up a guitar just on 30 years ago and by the time i had a full head of steam on was doing multi tracking on 3 different tape recorders(i hadn't heard of tascams then!!) when i should have been revising for these new fangled exams called GCSE's!!
fast forward to now and i've got a renewed vigour because there is always something new to try , new styles emerge and you always love fiddling about.
the most important thing is have fun wirth it.if you aren't enjoying the process then you are flogging a dead horse.good luck!!
I learned exactly the same way as Tuscaneer. My Dad showed me some chords and I just went and bought a load of tab books. I would call myself a competent player but I have a lot of time on my hands and always have - I was practicing 5 hours a day some days. It's best to have someone who can analyse your playing though and I never had that. I'm still suffering from some bad habits. If you can afford it get a teacher, although you won't get the satisfaction of telling people you're self-taught.
http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-000-BeginnersCou...
is all you need.
There are videos there that explain everything from what guitar to buy, to how to choose a tutor.
I'd recommend a few weeks following those videos, then a few 'real' lessons, ( just to spot any bad habits ), then follow the beginners course, it's all you really need.
Then just take lessons for bits you are struggling with, or want to concentrate on.
Playing the guitar is easy, it just takes time and practice, lots,and lots and lots of practice
is all you need.
There are videos there that explain everything from what guitar to buy, to how to choose a tutor.
I'd recommend a few weeks following those videos, then a few 'real' lessons, ( just to spot any bad habits ), then follow the beginners course, it's all you really need.
Then just take lessons for bits you are struggling with, or want to concentrate on.
Playing the guitar is easy, it just takes time and practice, lots,and lots and lots of practice
It's not easy though. Maybe it is if you play another instrument, but you're going to have to put up with pain and weeks of getting nowhere. That's why so many people give up after a few weeks. Easy to get to a level where you can strum a few chords... maybe. Easy to get to a level where someone gives you sheet music in a live situation and expects you to play it, or spontaneously improvise well? No.
It's easier for some than it is for others, until you try you just don't know. For an illuminating and demotivational experience, have a look on YouTube for the many younsters, many of them female, who can play amazingly well and who simply aren't old enough to have put in a lot of practice.
There's no such thing as a natural musician, given that it's an unnatural pastime. However, it's clear that some have more empathy for learning instruments than others. I've played for twenty years, can play lead, rhythmn, solo, whatever. At the height of my learning, I was putting two hours a day - not much in the sheme of things, but I have a good ear borne of working out what was going on in the days before internet tab sites.
However, the rhythmn guitarist in my last band wasn't up to much & under criticism, was practising up to five hours a day & still not really getting it. Some do, some don't.
Incidentally, the kids on youtube thing isn't demotivating once you consider that kids are effectively balnk slates without preconceptions, experience or bad habits. They can learn at a much faster rate than adults.
At home, I have a book called this is your brain on music, which is an academic study of playing music. The central point is that working backwards, on Hendrix, Mozart and many others, the author has worked out that to become a world class musician, takes 10,000 hours of practise, minimum. Now sitting down and playing for 10,000 hours won't make you Beethove or Jimmy Page, but if you have the pre-existing disposition and motor skills, then that is the shortest amount of time that you will need in order to get to the highest levels. Allegedly.
However, the rhythmn guitarist in my last band wasn't up to much & under criticism, was practising up to five hours a day & still not really getting it. Some do, some don't.
Incidentally, the kids on youtube thing isn't demotivating once you consider that kids are effectively balnk slates without preconceptions, experience or bad habits. They can learn at a much faster rate than adults.
At home, I have a book called this is your brain on music, which is an academic study of playing music. The central point is that working backwards, on Hendrix, Mozart and many others, the author has worked out that to become a world class musician, takes 10,000 hours of practise, minimum. Now sitting down and playing for 10,000 hours won't make you Beethove or Jimmy Page, but if you have the pre-existing disposition and motor skills, then that is the shortest amount of time that you will need in order to get to the highest levels. Allegedly.
Justin Cyder said:
Incidentally, the kids on youtube thing isn't demotivating once you consider that kids are effectively balnk slates without preconceptions, experience or bad habits. They can learn at a much faster rate than adults.
That remark was intended primarily as humour, but as is often the case, it has more than a grain of truth in it. As for the rest of it, some kids can learn a lot faster than some adults, but that's basically what talent means. Some have got lots, which was why Mozart was giving recitals and writing music as a child. Not because he was a blank slate, but because he had (lots of) talent.Mozart is an extreme example, evidenced by the fact there's only ever been one Mozart. Talent is an altogether mercurial concept that is 1 part inspiration, 1 part predisposition, 98 parts hard work & anyome picking up a guitar for the first time would do well to keep that equation in mind. You will get nowhere for weeks & repeatedly consider giving up. Don't. It comes in the end.
Ahh, I was being a bit 'unclear' when I said easy.... 
I agree, its not 'easy' judging by my still lack of ability after 10+ years of constant trying...
What I meant was that for most people, to get to a 'reasonable' standard, ie being able to knock out a (rehearsed )song around the campfire etc, is entirely acheiveable, given time and effort, and hence 'easy'...
The mechanics of playing, ( you stick your fingers on the frets, and move your hand up and down ), are fairly 'easy' to understand and reproduce, however actually doing that to achieve something musical isnt quite so easy...
The amount of time and practice to get there is way more than most people appreciate, the biggest factor is practice, practice, practice..
So what I mean, is, just playing the guitar is 'easy' but playing it 'well' most definately isnt !
Not sure if that makes sense really !
Oh, and of course, most of the 'kids' on youtube can spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, they dont have jobs, partners, or other distractions..
Jealous ? Me ? You bet !! But it gives me something to aspire too
I agree, its not 'easy' judging by my still lack of ability after 10+ years of constant trying...
What I meant was that for most people, to get to a 'reasonable' standard, ie being able to knock out a (rehearsed )song around the campfire etc, is entirely acheiveable, given time and effort, and hence 'easy'...
The mechanics of playing, ( you stick your fingers on the frets, and move your hand up and down ), are fairly 'easy' to understand and reproduce, however actually doing that to achieve something musical isnt quite so easy...
The amount of time and practice to get there is way more than most people appreciate, the biggest factor is practice, practice, practice..
So what I mean, is, just playing the guitar is 'easy' but playing it 'well' most definately isnt !
Not sure if that makes sense really !
Oh, and of course, most of the 'kids' on youtube can spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, they dont have jobs, partners, or other distractions..
Jealous ? Me ? You bet !! But it gives me something to aspire too
Justin Cyder said:
Mozart is an extreme example, evidenced by the fact there's only ever been one Mozart. Talent is an altogether mercurial concept that is 1 part inspiration, 1 part predisposition, 98 parts hard work & anyome picking up a guitar for the first time would do well to keep that equation in mind. You will get nowhere for weeks & repeatedly consider giving up. Don't. It comes in the end.
That's good advice for someone who wishes to learn to play the guitar, but the proportions quoted are hopelessly wrong. I've seen examples, I remember when I was at school showing another kid how to play some stuff on the guitar, and in less than a week he was showing me stuff, and had already left me far behind.Having said that, the OP should definitely give it a go. I would suggest he get a decent acoustic guitar, get someone else to check it to make sure it's actually playable, and get an electronic tuner. Then learn some simple songs, strum the chords, sing the words, then take it from there in whatever direction he wants to go in.
I would definitely say one-on-one tuition is the best: provided of course you find a good teacher. I taught myself years ago in the days before t'internet and online tabs. I picked up loads of bad habits, and although I got to the point where I could play a guitar, I would never have claimed to be a guitarist.
Having been taking lessons now for a couple of years, I have improved more in months than I did in years before.
Admittedly the WonderWeb has made life an awful lot easier what with sites like Justin's and YouTube, but in my view you can't beat sitting down with someone and learning face to face.
Having been taking lessons now for a couple of years, I have improved more in months than I did in years before.
Admittedly the WonderWeb has made life an awful lot easier what with sites like Justin's and YouTube, but in my view you can't beat sitting down with someone and learning face to face.
do you know what, i think it's a good idea to have to repeatedly tune your guitar by ear yourself.you know the one, tune your open E to a record you know.turn off the cd.
then tune the A string by hitting the E string on the fifth fret and matching the note
.now hit the A string on the fifth fret to tune in the D string in the same manner
.now hit the D string on the fifth fret to tune the G string the same way
.now hit the B string on the fifth fret and match the note to the open high E string.
by doing your tuning this way regularly you are subconsciously listening harder to the notes you play and at the same time giving your brain a better grasp of where to move around the fret board.you get to know your guitar more intimately.it's that simple.
then tune the A string by hitting the E string on the fifth fret and matching the note
.now hit the A string on the fifth fret to tune in the D string in the same manner
.now hit the D string on the fifth fret to tune the G string the same way
- ******don't get this next bit wrong!**********************
.now hit the B string on the fifth fret and match the note to the open high E string.
by doing your tuning this way regularly you are subconsciously listening harder to the notes you play and at the same time giving your brain a better grasp of where to move around the fret board.you get to know your guitar more intimately.it's that simple.
The 10,000 hours to get good at something is often used in NLP to help people understand that although one can do anything if one puts one's mind to it, that usually means an awful lot of dedication is required.
'Natural talent', whatever that is, will take you so far, but you still need to practice. Guys like Page, Hendrix, Vai and Knopfler all spoke about playing their guitars all day every day for years.
'Natural talent', whatever that is, will take you so far, but you still need to practice. Guys like Page, Hendrix, Vai and Knopfler all spoke about playing their guitars all day every day for years.
singlecoil said:
Justin Cyder said:
Mozart is an extreme example, evidenced by the fact there's only ever been one Mozart. Talent is an altogether mercurial concept that is 1 part inspiration, 1 part predisposition, 98 parts hard work & anyome picking up a guitar for the first time would do well to keep that equation in mind. You will get nowhere for weeks & repeatedly consider giving up. Don't. It comes in the end.
That's good advice for someone who wishes to learn to play the guitar, but the proportions quoted are hopelessly wrong. I've seen examples, I remember when I was at school showing another kid how to play some stuff on the guitar, and in less than a week he was showing me stuff, and had already left me far behind.Having said that, the OP should definitely give it a go. I would suggest he get a decent acoustic guitar, get someone else to check it to make sure it's actually playable, and get an electronic tuner. Then learn some simple songs, strum the chords, sing the words, then take it from there in whatever direction he wants to go in.
when i was in my mid teens i was playing a few hours a day and writing incredibly complex songs for my age.by my late 20's it had all gone a bit stale and i wasn't really enjoying playing too much as i felt i wasn't progressing.
i spent the next 8 or 9 years not playing a lot but "keeping my hand in" and then in the last couple of years(i'm 37 now)i have really got the bug back.i'm writing again.both acoustically and electrically...
so i suppose my rambling point is...stick at it, even if you get to a level and feel you've plateaued because something somewhere will suddenly click and a wave of joy will come flooding through.!
Thanks folks for the input.
A little background on me. I'm 38, so no young whippersnapper.
I've had a couple of guitars in the past and can play your basic open chords(still struggle with B's and F's). Don't really know the extra variants except for ones that I've tried myself by adding and removing fingers.
In the past I've given up or not been too dedicated due to both seemingly getting nowhere and the pain. But I'm determined this time to get through the pain barrier and the learning barrier.
I have a basic Yamaha F340 acoustic, which is more than likely in need of a setup. There is a Tele copy by Xaviere that i have my eye on, well thought of and cheap. (both good points for me at the moment)
A little background on me. I'm 38, so no young whippersnapper.
I've had a couple of guitars in the past and can play your basic open chords(still struggle with B's and F's). Don't really know the extra variants except for ones that I've tried myself by adding and removing fingers.
In the past I've given up or not been too dedicated due to both seemingly getting nowhere and the pain. But I'm determined this time to get through the pain barrier and the learning barrier.
I have a basic Yamaha F340 acoustic, which is more than likely in need of a setup. There is a Tele copy by Xaviere that i have my eye on, well thought of and cheap. (both good points for me at the moment)
tuscaneer said:
so i suppose my rambling point is...stick at it, even if you get to a level and feel you've plateaued because something somewhere will suddenly click and a wave of joy will come flooding through.!
This is very, very true. I always call them eureka moments. At the start, I couldn't play an F chord, just couldn't do it, then one day, somehow, I just could. Then a world of barre chord tunes with all kinds of weird sharps & flats opened up to me. It's just a question of sticking at it. I'll stand by what I said, for every genius going at 100 mph, there's a battalion of worker bees wading through it at walking pace. Just recognise that you can't learn it all overnight (actually, you can't learn it all, ever) and you'll be ok. Cherish the breakthrough moments though, they're worth their weight in gold. 
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