Learning to play the guitar

[Rebel Angler]

anybody that plays the guitar, think you could give me some advice?

I've been wantin to learn how to play the guitar for some time an never got around to it this semester. So I've been thinkin about gettin one an try to learn to play over the summer since I won't have school to worry about. Any of yall think I could learn to play well enough by the end of the summer to say that I know how to play the guitar? Like knowing the basics and maybe a few songs?

Also what would be a good beginners guitar, one that's not to expensive, but at least decent quality. Oh and I'm left handed.

thanks for the help an advice!

[CanalStalkin]

Cool that you are doin it man! My best friend of 14 yrs and ex roommate was lead guitarist in a few signed death metal bands (he can shred). My only advice is even though it seems lame, learn on an acoustic. Then when you make the transition to electric it will be butter. And about learning over summer. I think if you stick with it there shouldn't be an issue learning a few licks in that time period. I was in a guitar class in highschool with my buddy and goofed off the entire time. Well little did I know I had to play a few chords for the teacher before I could pass the class. I went into a panic and had my buddy who was in the class teach me them in about half a day haha. You can do it man.

[bigfruits]

do yourself a favor, start by learning to read tablature (tabs). there plenty of tabs you can find online and start playing right away.

http://www.howtoreadguitartabs.net/

if you dont know if you'll stick with the hobby get an acoustic.

electric is easier to play but can be a bit more expensive

[Stringjam]

Any of yall think I could learn to play well enough by the end of the summer to say that I know how to play the guitar? Like knowing the basics and maybe a few songs?

Realistically - no. Most people, unless they're extremely musically gifted, would not be able to say they "play guitar" by the end of a summer, or even learn the fundamentals.

That said, if I were you, and wanted to learn how to play the guitar, I wouldn't worry about the time frames for getting to a certain skill level. Just get started and enjoy the ride! It's something you can work on and enjoy for the rest of your life.

If you get an acoustic, get it set up with light-guage strings. Buy the best instrument you can afford. If you know any guitar players, ask them to come with you to play the instruments and evaluate the playability.

A well set-up, good sounding guitar will make a HUGE difference in how enjoyable your learning experience will be.

[Rebel Angler]

thanks for all the tips so far guys, helps a lot.

There's a lot of people at my church that play the guitar and I know for sure that any of them would give me lessons for free. I could also get just about any of them to go w/ me to the music shop to help me pick one out.

To be completely honest though, the main reason I wana learn to play is because I feel like learning how to play the guitar would help me later on learn to play the banjo. I actually already have a banjo, but I just don't understand music enough to be able to teach myself and there's just not that many people that play the banjo to get lessons from. I know that the banjo and guitar are completely different instruments, but I feel like after a few years of playing the guitar I might be able to get to where I could learn the banjo.

The other reason I wana start to learn to play this summer, is because my dad used to play the guitar growing up, but he quit playin when he was in his early 20s an now doesn't remember how to play. So I was thinkin it would be cool for me to get a guitar an he bust out his old one an me an him start to learn together. Then he can learn again an also be able to help me out. It's a win-win.

[CanalStalkin]

I'd love to buckle down and actually learn. I don't have the passion for it though I guess. I have a cheapie acoustic in my closet ill mess around with every once in a while, but just cant stick with it. Post some pics when ya get one!

[bigfruits]

if you want to play the banjo get id get a decent acoustic guitar. check to make sure the strings stay close to the neck even near the bottom.

[THEbassmaster]

i just started learning about 3 months ago and it is very fun once you get the basic chords down and finger strength. even just 10-15 min a day will help alot. good luck.

[Bass XL]

Good for you for wanting to learn how to play! I've only been playing for about 3 years, but I'll tell you that it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I started out like this: My sister got a strat for Christmas one year and she never played it. She would always catch me messing around with it and be mad at me for it. Finally, I realized all she was using it for was a decoration piece for her bedroom  :. I stole it, locked my door, and taught myself a Blink-182 song in just a few hours.

I forced myself to play and locked myself in my room,  and then it all just kind-of came to me. After that I updated to an acoustic (Ibanez AEG), and it was great. I still love playing it just because it has such a crisp sound. Since then, I've updated my inventory with a Hamer, PRS, and a 12-string.

In summing it up, just force yourself to learn (there are lots of websites that can help you with this process), learn how to read tabs, and get a good guitar (why would anyone want a cheap one?).

[Hammer 4]

I've been playing about 10 yrs..mostly blues..I play acuostic and electric..

There are some things best left to having a Teacher show you. IMHO, you learn faster, and Better than trying on your own.

I do agree on buying the best insterment you can. Having it set up is nice, but if your buying a 120.00 geetar, I don't know if I'd go through the expense, oth, if it were a more expensive insterment, I would definitly recomend having a pro set it up for you.

Also do get lighter strings, people cringe when they play my acoustic and find out I have 13's on there..lol

Oh, one other thing, you can sometimes find good lessons on youtube.  Have fun playing..

[aut0]

+1 to getting an acoustic before electric... Although, it CAN be frustrating learning on an acoustic, as they can be a bit harder on the fingers. Eventually you get the callouses going and the tendons/muscles up to speed, and it's all downhill from there.

That being said, I learned on an electric. I was 13, though, but I think mom had about $150 in the whole thing. small portable amp, and a strat replica kinda deal. I now have 4 electrics, 1 acoustic, a rack, 3 practice amps, a dozen effects pedals, and 2 halfstacks. (Guitarists get Gear Acquisition Syndrome as well. ;-)

I'd just go to a music store and pick one out you like/afford. Don't forget that you may decide later that guitar is not your thing. Don't be afraid to get your hands on one and mess around with it... Just to see which one you like better. I've been playing for 14 years, and honestly, there are some guitars out there I would never buy, just because I'd hate to play them.

Now, as far as being left-handed, just learn right-handed anyways. Trust me, it's cheaper, and easier when it comes to learning. When I first started out, I was dead-set on learning left-handed. It just felt better. I was forced to learn right-handed guitar, and kept it that way. Definitely glad I did. (I'm kind of a mix-up though. fish lefty, kick lefty, write righty, play guitar righty.) I can't tell you how many traditional left-handed people I know who play guitar.......NONE of them play guitar Left-handed.

I play more metal than anything else, and I, too, have played in a few Death bands... But here's a more traditional acoustic riff I wrote/messed around with this winter. Never finished it though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AytvbqUabiU

[frogtog]

Learning to play the guitar = homework you have got to do your homework, then in about 25 years remember to do your homework.

[bass or bass ?]

I've been a pro/semipro musician most of my life. If you seriously want to learn to play well, invest in lessons. I assure you, you won't regret proper instruction including proper instrument holding, hand positioning, reading music, etc.

[aut0]

Agreed. PROPER technique is something you'll get a lot easier/faster with an instructor. But few of them will teach you how to play Arsis or Blind Guardian stuff. ;-)

[WanderLust]

I've been a pro/semipro musician most of my life. If you seriously want to learn to play well, invest in lessons. I assure you, you won't regret proper instruction including proper instrument holding, hand positioning, reading music, etc.

My 2 cents.

Solid advice. I've played guitar for 20+ years. I didn't take lessons until I was almost 30 though... 

As for people saying acoustic or electric. I say buy the best value, quality instrument that you can afford and play music that you want to play, not what people want you to play. If you have the passion and drive to learn a particular style than make sure your studies and practice reflect that choice.

[torsten329]

I hated lessons personally. If you invest your own time in learning to play and the theory behind music and a guitar you'll enjoy what you're doing a lot more. Without wasting extra money. I've been playing and writing since I was about 11 (now 19). Most songs are comprised of 3-4 basic chords and are relatively easy to figure out. Tablature is nothing except the listing of chords which shouldn't take you very long to understand. I taught myself most of what I know and I just recently went to Nashville to record an album. Check out my purevolume page... http://www.purevolume.com/TorstenHallman

Some of my older stuff is also on iTunes if anyone is interesting.

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[dman]

Depending on what you want to be able to do at least a few lessons in the beginning will help immensely!

I would say start out with a decent guitar, even borrow one if you dont want to spend a lot of money right away...I would stay away from an acoustic in the beginning unless that is really the kind of music you are interested in...they are harder to play - harder to press the strings - to a beginner with no finger callouses this can be pretty painful and you end up not sticking with it because its just not enjoyable. Same thing with a cheaper electric guitar - they are usually setup incorrectly and have high strings..>A good guitar is very important, a poorly setup guitar that is hard to play will just make you want to put it down.

[Stringjam]

One thing to note about lessons: Choose your teacher carefully!!!

I started taking music lessons when I was 6 years old, and have taken years worth of them for piano and least 4 years of guitar. 

If you don't get a good teacher, they can be pretty worthless, and you could actually harm your technique and knowledge base with lame instruction. 

With teachers charging anywhere from $40-$80 an hour you can really rack up some money.  Some music stores will hire just about anybody to teach. 

Don't overlook the internet......it's been the most valuable learning tool I've ever used. 

Download "Guitar Pro" or/and "PowerTabs" and get yourself over to www.ultimate-guitar.com

These programs are a big step above plain old tabs.  The format includes audio (each note lights up as it plays through the piece) and both standard notation and tabs.   

Download all of all your favorite songs and start playing. 

I would do this along with learning your technique and theory (scales, arpeggios, chords, reading, etc...). 

If all you work on is the mechanics and theory, you will burn out and you won't enjoy playing (I practiced that stuff up to 8 hours a day for a couple of years). You have to play music, too!    

[tholmes]

One thing to note about lessons: Choose your teacher carefully!!!

I started taking music lessons when I was 6 years old, and have taken years worth of them for piano and least 4 years of guitar.

If you don't get a good teacher, they can be pretty worthless, and you could actually harm your technique and knowledge base with lame instruction.

With teachers charging anywhere from $40-$80 an hour you can really rack up some money. Some music stores will hire just about anybody to teach.

Don't overlook the internet......it's been the most valuable learning tool I've ever used.

Download "Guitar Pro" or/and "PowerTabs" and get yourself over to www.ultimate-guitar.com

These programs are a big step above plain old tabs. The format includes audio (each note lights up as it plays through the piece) and both standard notation and tabs.

Download all of all your favorite songs and start playing.

I would do this along with learning your technique and theory (scales, arpeggios, chords, reading, etc...).

If all you work on is the mechanics and theory, you will burn out and you won't enjoy playing (I practiced that stuff up to 8 hours a day for a couple of years). You have to play music, too!

That's some good advice there. Finding a teacher that will teach you what you enjoy and want to learn makes a world of difference. I wish that I would have had a good teacher 50 years ago when I started playing. I wouldn't have picked up all those bad techniques that I had to un-learn later.

Tom

[Hammer 4]

One thing to note about lessons: Choose your teacher carefully!!!

I started taking music lessons when I was 6 years old, and have taken years worth of them for piano and least 4 years of guitar.

If you don't get a good teacher, they can be pretty worthless, and you could actually harm your technique and knowledge base with lame instruction.

With teachers charging anywhere from $40-$80 an hour you can really rack up some money. Some music stores will hire just about anybody to teach.

Don't overlook the internet......it's been the most valuable learning tool I've ever used.

Download "Guitar Pro" or/and "PowerTabs" and get yourself over to www.ultimate-guitar.com

These programs are a big step above plain old tabs. The format includes audio (each note lights up as it plays through the piece) and both standard notation and tabs.

Download all of all your favorite songs and start playing.

I would do this along with learning your technique and theory (scales, arpeggios, chords, reading, etc...).

If all you work on is the mechanics and theory, you will burn out and you won't enjoy playing (I practiced that stuff up to 8 hours a day for a couple of years). You have to play music, too!

That's some good advice there. Finding a teacher that will teach you what you enjoy and want to learn makes a world of difference. I wish that I would have had a good teacher 50 years ago when I started playing. I wouldn't have picked up all those bad techniques that I had to un-learn later.

Tom

Yup, sorta like learning how to swing a golf club..bad habits are hard to break...

[Rebel Angler]

thanks for all the great tips guys, it helps a lot!

I've got several adult friends at church that have been playing for years, and all of them play acoustic, electric, an bass guitar. So I feel pretty confident any of them would be a solid bet as far as being a good instructor. Plus I know for certain that they'd do it for free. So that helps a lot too.

An two of them have a connection with a guy that works at a music shop that said he might be able to cut me a deal on a guitar.

so after 2 or 3 weeks of working this summer I should have enough money to buy a decent guitar, or that's the plan at least. Only thing that sucks about buying my first guitar is, all the money I'm gonna spend on it is money I won't have to spend on fishin stuff

[Top]

I have been trying to learn to play the guitar for the past year or so... I truly SUCK at it.. but I have a lot of fun being so crappy... PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE is all I can say... I took lessons until last week... I had to quit because I am moving for my job and can't take my teacher with me... my biggest problem was finding time to practice... I KNOW if I had more time to practice I would be so much better... but when you work from 5 am until 8 PM and you are married with two kids.. something has to give and of course my priority isn't practice when my family is involved... having said that.... PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE... I am actually pleased with what I do know... just now I need to incorporate and relearn some things that I learned a while back but need to refresh... good luck.. and guitar gear is like fishing gear.. its an addiction.. just luckily I had all the fishing gear I could need for 3 lifetimes

AL

[tnbassfisher]

Both of my brothers have played for a good amount of time now. I've tried to pick it up a few times, but I don't have to drive to really learn.

Some of the best memories have come from sitting on the back porch listening to them play.

[Hammer 4]

IMHO..the best part is when you get good enough to jam with friends. Sit around playing for hours and hours..

[guitarkid]

IMHO..the best part is when you get good enough to jam with friends. Sit around playing for hours and hours..

X2, also the guitar in my signature is a real cheapy, check it out. Besides it can really be fixed up to play really good, plus when you add new pick ups it really sounds good.

                      -gk