Learning to play guitar
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: Music and Musicians Exchange
Forum Description: Talk with and get feedback from other musicians on the site
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=30014
Printed Date: November 22 2024 at 05:46
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Learning to play guitar
Posted By: andu
Subject: Learning to play guitar
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 12:09
I recently got an acoustic guitar as a present. Wow! I always dreamed to own and play one (the secret dream was to become Jimmy Page  ). The problem is I don't know what to do with it, so it's been hangin'on the wall for the last weeks. I'm tabula rasa: I have no idea about the notes, the cords, reading scores or tabs... And as at the moment I can't afford lessons (10 euros for two hours), I went for online help; I found some sites, and I tried the one that said on it's home page that is meant for total begginers. Well, after the lesson where you learn how to take it in your arms I ceased to understand. It was talking chinese to me, whilst assuring me this really was for begginers. 
Do you have any suggestions please? Btw, i'm left handed and that makes it a little more difficult... ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!" 
|
Replies:
Posted By: Angelo
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 12:56
|
I play right handed, even while I am left handed. It's awkward in the beginning, but not that difficult to get used to. If you want to learn easily and cheap, try this site: http://www.torvund.net/guitar/lessons.asp It also contains some links to other sites and books in case you don't want to spend too much money on lessons. (BTW: prices differ I guess, for 10 euro's you get about 30 minutes worth of lessons over here....) ------------- http://www.iskcrocks.com" rel="nofollow - ISKC Rock Radio I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected] |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 13:12
|
^ I'm also left handed and play right handed ... don't be concerned about it. Actually I even think that it's better that way ... the left hand is the "leading" one on the guitar. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to: 
|
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 13:23
|
thanks a lot for the site adress. my hands are like this - the left one does the hard work, the simple tasks that need force; the right one does the tricky, complex tasks, that need mobility; it also lacks strenght. for example, i couldn't throw a rock with my right arm for over 20 meters, that i can easily do with the left; opposite, i just can't use the screwdriver with the left hand, and i can easily do it with the right. that's why i feel my right arm would not stand the extensive usage and would get tired very rapid, and my left couldn't handle the chords on the griff because it totally lacks mobility. ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!"
|
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 14:50
You'll need strength and agility in both hands ... don't bother thinking about it too much. Most right handed players would say they could never write using their left hand, yet they're playing guitar so that the left hand does most of the really complex parts.
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Mike" rel="nofollow">Recently listened to:
|
Posted By: N Ellingworth
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 15:27
|
Weird isn't it? I rarely see anyone who's left handed who plays guitar in the right handed way, now you get 4 lefties in a thread and 3 of them play right handed (including myself). The best advice I can give you is to take a few lessons to learn the basics of the instrument; how to hold it, tune it and play a few chords, I also recommend that you try to learn a few scales, one thing I've never done and to be honest it does limit me on occassions. But I generally play in a very dissonant and dark way so scales are thrown out of the window anyway.  |
Posted By: Angelo
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 15:31
|
That's amazingly right, Mike... Good luck Andu - let me know when you're ready to join my new band, which I'll start once you let me know ... ------------- http://www.iskcrocks.com" rel="nofollow - ISKC Rock Radio I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected] |
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: December 05 2006 at 14:01
|
well, if this is the proper way to start a career in guitar playing, then i should better quit it (before i even start ): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDKFaZsnIU8  ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!"
|
Posted By: paulindigo
Date Posted: December 07 2006 at 05:24
| have you tried www.guitarnoise.com? it has lots of articles and songs for beginners. |
Posted By: ailgun
Date Posted: December 07 2006 at 13:39
| Well..Experiment :D |
Posted By: eddietrooper
Date Posted: December 07 2006 at 17:42
| I started to learn guitar with some books, there are thousands of them for beginners. I think that's the easier way to learn the basic chords. I can't reccommend any book in particular to you because the ones I read were written in Spanish. |
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: December 07 2006 at 17:51
| http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Handbook-Ralph-Denyer/dp/0679742751 - The Guitar Handbook by Ralph Denyer is a great book for beginners. |
Posted By: martinprog77
Date Posted: December 08 2006 at 04:54
|
try http://www.vGuitarLessons.com - www.vGuitarLessons.com this is a free 12 video guitar lessons .this guy ben lowry send a video every 2 to 3 days of different lessons[chords,tab,blues scale,improvise.....] and is free and pretty good ------------- Nothing can last there are no second chances. Never give a day away. Always live for today. |
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: December 09 2006 at 11:09
|
thanks a lot guys for the advices... i still haven't recovered after watching the video i've linked ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!"
|
Posted By: Chus
Date Posted: December 11 2006 at 22:08
Don't focus on playing like that in one blow... start playing the chords and then practice chord switches, between C,D; D,E; E;F... then go C,G; D,A; and try possible chord progressions... then try playing songs using those chords... once you've mastered that you start with finger picking, making arpeggios, plucking, that sort of thing... baby steps  it takes time, but it's worth it  ------------- Jesus Gabriel |
andu wrote:Posted By: coleio
Date Posted: March 30 2007 at 08:33
|
www.ultimate-guitar.com Go on the lessons on that site. ------------- Eat heartily at breakfast, for tonight, we dine in Hell!! |
Posted By: toolis
Date Posted: March 30 2007 at 08:41
|
www.myguitarsolo.com ------------- -music is like pornography... sometimes amateurs turn us on, even more... -sometimes you are the pigeon and sometimes you are the statue... |
Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: March 30 2007 at 08:42
Well Andu, I can read only a little bit music so I started to read 'tablature' a few years ago, that is a great opportunity, I have worked on Mood For A Day and Horizons by Hackett, Dust In The Wind by Kansas, etc. it was fun because of world has opened for me, after all those years I make more progress than ever before  , you should give it a try, perhaps to start with playing chords and then simple pieces.
|
Posted By: kazansky
Date Posted: March 30 2007 at 08:53
|
maybe this could help:
http://www.geocities.com/jubing/ - http://www.geocities.com/jubing/ ------------- The devil we blame our atrocities on is really just each one of us. |
Posted By: magnus
Date Posted: April 03 2007 at 14:56
indeed, lots of nice lessons for both advanced players and newbies there! ------------- The scattered jigsaw of my redemption laid out before my eyes Each piece as amorphous as the other - Each piece in its lack of shape a lie 
|
Posted By: cherokee
Date Posted: April 06 2007 at 08:47
|
hello! it's really great 4u to have a guitar for ur present. well, practice makes perfect. so i suggest u to install a software "guitar pro". sure it'll help u lots, believe me!!
------------- cherokee |
Posted By: clarke2001
Date Posted: April 06 2007 at 20:01
I suggest you to turn the string upside-down as on lefty guitar; I'm left-handed myself and I did it so. Otherwise you will progress up to one point and stuck there. Of course it dependents what do you want to do with the guitar playing? Play and compose your own songs, play in a band, technically improve, sing-along on parties with friends? You don't need any software, you even don't need books...of course, it easier with them, because they are (or rather, they could be) helping tools. You need a little bit of theory and lots of practice...you're clever enough to develop on your own...and when you reach a certain level, you may help yourself with some advanced read - if you feel inclined towards jazz, for example. And then back to the developing on your own again... Just never, never, give up the practice. Your will got blisters on your fingers, and you will cry the first time you'll try to hold the F major chord - for the next 30 days. Keep up the spirits. Essential tip 1: you're Led Zeppelin fan, right? Get a violin bow. Essential tip 2: Beware of the misleading advices of quasi-guitarists. Such is me ------------- |
Posted By: FruMp
Date Posted: April 07 2007 at 02:17
Yeah apparently the limiting factor for speed for the majority of guitarists is the right hand (or picking hand), my right hand is so dominant though that my right hand can pick pretty much as fast as you want but left hand is just like =/ Co-ordination between both hands is the key and that's why it doesn't really matter too much if you're a lefty playing a right handed guitar. In fact I'd like to try learning to play guitar LEFT handed because my right hand has so much more fine motor control and strength, it'd be interesting. ------------- 
|
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: April 09 2007 at 06:11
|
Thanks for reviving the thread, Erik. The fact is that after I gave self learning a few tries last year, I quit. Both because I felt like an idiot (even the most beginner friendly learning materials were talking Chinese to me) and because important personal stuff was going on for me. Now, those latter issues have been solved () and I need something to fill some emptyness () here, so I'm thinking about giving the guitar another chance. Thanks for the advice, btw how would that bow sound on an acoustic guitar? I'm not the most creative guy so if I manage to get somewhere with the guitar, the first thing would be to learn songs. Then, if I progress enough, my goal would be to write songs for one guitar. The local scene here have only indie bands as emerging acts, nobody would join a progressive band. Maybe I should pick up the bass instead and set up a band with Rico on keys and Uroboros on drums. That would kick serious ass  . However we three live in extremely opposite corners of the country - the odds so are against Romania's first modern breakthrough prog act!  ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!"
|
Posted By: purplepiper
Date Posted: June 20 2007 at 16:46
|
don't mess with all the notes and sheet music and chords right away...you could get discouraged! The very first thing you should do is get used to holding and playing it. Just mess with it untill it feels somewhat natural. After that, learn the string names (eadgbe from thickest string to lightest). After that, learn the major scale, minor scale and blues scale! For heaven's sake, the faster you know those, the better! Look it up on the web, should be easy to find. Find a picture of how they look on the fretboard. Just keep trying...eventually you'll 'get it'. I learned on my own and 6 years later, I can compose in my sleep! Just depends on how much you practice. ------------- for those about to prog, we salute you. |
Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: June 20 2007 at 16:54
|
^ I agree. One of the most valuable things you can do in the beginning is to just pick it up and experiment. Push your finger down on a string and then pluck it. Seee what it sounds ike, then try another until it's easy. You can learn about sheet music and tab and music theory from a book, but to really understand the instrument the best thing to do is just play.
------------- 
|
Posted By: mystic fred
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 07:21
|
this is the best starter book for left handed players - or players of left handed guitar should i say!  -------------  Prog Archives Tour Van 
|
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 07:35
It doesn't matter which hand you play with, as long as you don't look like a complete t
 t http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duTK74IExV4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duTK74IExV4 ------------- What? |
Posted By: Slayertplsko
Date Posted: July 23 2007 at 17:13
| I got several good books. If you are interested just send me a PM. I can send it via ICQ or MSN. |
Posted By: sheeves
Date Posted: July 24 2007 at 00:05
|
actually
i know nothing about guitar, but the fact that you alluded to John Locke makes me very happy for some reason blank slate love it |
Posted By: Dim
Date Posted: July 24 2007 at 00:08
|
well, I dont want to brag...
But I am good enough to play gigs lead  ------------- 
|