Not musically inclined at all (played drums for a year in elementary school and was horrible.) But come form a musically inclined family (dad and uncles.) Have always wanted to learn.
Any advice on best practices, best way to learn, and what type of guitar to start with etc. Thanks in advance!
Get a decent guitar (something that at one point retailed for around $400-$500, Made in Mexico strat/tele, etc). Have it set up by a guitar tech.
Then - and I cannot stress this enough for a beginner - get it professionally set up (patronize an independent store vs Guitar Center). ~$80.
They will, among other things, lower the "action" (space between strings & fretboard) for you which will make it much more playable. A beginner learning bar chords with high action will tear his hair out, get frustrated, and sabotage progress.
Then you suffer through the same 3-6 months all of us suffered through of learning your chords and switching smoothly without thinking between them. Google "Justin Guitar" and "Marty Music" for some good instructional videos. Pick some songs from artists you like (I played a lot of Neil Young when I started out) and it will help you with chords, strumming patterns, tempo, etc.
There's no such thing as "musically inclined". Great musicians got there because they practiced, practiced, practiced. Then when they were done with that, they practiced some more.
Good luck.
L & M Guitar - ( New Window )
I would start by learning some chords...along with some simple skill sets....it will get your fingers moving, and it will enable you to PLAY SONGS QUICKLY.
Name 10 songs you'd like to play...... do you want to play "the song" or The Lead? Do you want to sing or be accompanied by a singer?
As far as lessons, figure out the style that interests you and youtube youtube youtube.
When I started playing I was 23 years old (I'm 29 today), had zero musical ability and never once touched an instrument. I knew going into it that I would never be good by virtually any standard. Well guess what.. I was right lol HOWEVER where I have FAR exceeded any expectation I had for myself especially after being absolutely nowhere a year into it.
I get so much satisfaction coming home, throwing on a backing track and just improvising over it. That's pretty much all i ever wanted to do. I can put on a jam in any key and just play over it endlessly.
The beginning wont always be fun, it will be frustrating as hell at times and you'll look at some things and say jesus christ I'll never be able to do that. If you watch Steve Vai, Frank Zappa, Buckethead etc. yeah you probably wont. But there are plenty of things that you'll see and one day be shocked at how easy it actually is despite how impossibly daunting it seemed through a beginner's lens. It's such a cliche, one that you will surely hear a billion times over but it really is all about sticking to it. You WILL go further than you couldve imagined. Just focus on having fun.
One last thing, something I wish I was told as a beginner: SMALL movements= speed. If you aspire to be a shred god, sit down and pretend like your drawing the worlds smallest "I" just go up and down and up and down, literally like 2 centimeters of range as fast as you can while keeping your forearm completely stationary.
As for your left hand, when your fingers release a note they are naturally gonna want to flare way the fuck out. It's good to try and focus on making sure your fingers are always bent instead of being dead straight and are good position to press the note.
If you remember nothing else, remember this. TINY TINY range of motions is everything. Play as relaxed as possible, limit the tension.
I just wanted to explain that because if you're like most the first thing you will do after you get a guitar is try to learn a simple song you know from a YouTube lesson.. which is perfect, however they will teach you the NOTES but they often leave out the nuances that I wish someone had told me when I first started to really play RIGHT.
Anyway good luck on your journey and most importantly, enjoy!
This is a must have accessory for any new guitar player. See link
Pedal - Link - ( New Window )
^^^ this.
Start on an acoustic. Taylor, Yamaha, Martin, and Gibson make affordable good quality entry-level guitars.
I'm in the start with an acoustic crowd and definitely buy an inexpensive one online-lot's of guitars sitting in people's closets after they purchased good guitars and gave up on learning.
I've been playing for years, what a great choice I happen to make years ago, inspired by Jerry, Duane, Clapton, Carlton, etc., so many opportunities to interact with people I never would have otherwise, and learning music theory is actually fun.
Yes, and the ladies love guitar players...
As for the aspect of difficulty, which we all agree acoustic is much harder on beginner hands.. personally I think no matter what you're trying to learn it's best to start on the lowest difficulty level. Just like you would start by learning nirvana rather than dream theatre. Of course if you learn to ride a motor cycle you'll be able to ride a bicycle with training wheels, but its prob best to start on the latter lol that's just me.
Also, get lessons. I'm a professional musician (not a guitaris) and having someone who knows what they are doing will save you a ton of time and effort in the long run. Even if you just get 5 or 6 to get started it will be invaluable.
The best part, though, is that it absolutely nails the actual tones you hear in the songs you learn. It has a massive amount of very accurate effect and amplifier simulations, and when your tone approximates the real deal as you learn a song I find it much more inspiring.
don't give up and write your own music.
don't be afraid to jam out in your room when nobodys looking. like seriously, pretend you're on stage. this is supposed to be fun
I say start with acoustic. Electric is easier to play but if you can get the fundamentals down on acoustic then you'll have a much better base and skill set.
You want to learn the fundamentals so you know what you're playing and why.
I envy new players today. I WISH there was YouTube and all the awesome digital applications that are now available - I wish the quality of guitars was as good. Back in the 80's, cheap guitars were garbage. Nowadays, you can buy very good instruments under $300, even under $100 if you have a good eye and good luck.
Enjoy!!!
pick a few guitarists that you like an do a lot of listening.
be humble, be very patient, it's a process
You want to learn the fundamentals so you know what you're playing and why.
If memory serves me correct, DaddyM89 is my age (30 - easy to remember the guys my age that were here since when we went to college there weren't many college guys on the board). At this point, getting music lessons or learning the theory behind songs isn't going to help get over the steep learning curve when time is limited in adult life.
Important thing is to have fun, learn songs you enjoy and are going to be 1) motivated to learn, and 2) play over and over again because you're having a good time.
What I WILL say is that definitely do not just learn riffs or parts of songs. Learn the whole thing and play the whole thing through.
I envy new players today. I WISH there was YouTube and all the awesome digital applications that are now available - I wish the quality of guitars was as good. Back in the 80's, cheap guitars were garbage. Nowadays, you can buy very good instruments under $300, even under $100 if you have a good eye and good luck.
Enjoy!!!
Light gauge strings is really in conflict with the vast majority of advice here saying to learn on an acoustic.
But honestly, while learning acoustic is better long term, if you're trying to get up and off the ground, learning on an easy to play electric guitar (low action) with 9 gauge strings is probably a better move.
I also disagree with the advice of buying guitars online. For your first few, and ESPECIALLY you're first one, you need to be in a store and play it in your hands.
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don't just learn songs. Knowing how to play "Blackbird" is not knowing how to play guitar, it's knowing how to play "Blackbird."
You want to learn the fundamentals so you know what you're playing and why.
I really strongly disagree with this, especially at first.
If memory serves me correct, DaddyM89 is my age (30 - easy to remember the guys my age that were here since when we went to college there weren't many college guys on the board). At this point, getting music lessons or learning the theory behind songs isn't going to help get over the steep learning curve when time is limited in adult life.
Important thing is to have fun, learn songs you enjoy and are going to be 1) motivated to learn, and 2) play over and over again because you're having a good time.
What I WILL say is that definitely do not just learn riffs or parts of songs. Learn the whole thing and play the whole thing through.
Oh 100%...I meant don't JUST learn to play songs. You want to get the basics down too. Obviously, one of the most fun and motivating things as a beginner is to play actual songs. I just meant don't go online and go through tutorials without knowing what the guy is talking about and just doing what he does.
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as it’s harder on the fingers. It will strengthen your fingers and create the calluses you’ll need to develop. Lastly, if you can master that, it’ll make playing an electric easier IMHO.
^^^ this.
Start on an acoustic. Taylor, Yamaha, Martin, and Gibson make affordable good quality entry-level guitars.
It's been years since I worked at GC but isn't the lowest level Taylor (110) like already $650? Pricey for a beginner, though I guess you could snag one for $400 used.
I also am not sure about buying cheap just to buy cheap. There definitely have been improvements made in the quality of cheaper instruments, but if you (or yournfriend) try out an entry level Epiphone Les Paul and it just isn't doing it for you nearly as much as the Epiphone Les Paul standard that's 300 dollars more, get the latter. If it doesn't take, sell it.
I also am not sure about buying cheap just to buy cheap. There definitely have been improvements made in the quality of cheaper instruments, but if you (or yournfriend) try out an entry level Epiphone Les Paul and it just isn't doing it for you nearly as much as the Epiphone Les Paul standard that's 300 dollars more, get the latter. If it doesn't take, sell it.
It also makes those first few open chords sound way better, which is inspiring.
Side note: If you go electric, get a cheap modeling amp with a footswitch so you can play around with some effects and get different sounds. You can get one for under $300, hell even under $100 if you go with a really small and used one.
That said, it's hard to find something truly difficult to play these days.
I learned on a nylon stringed Hondo, about the softest strings you could play, and even those left blisters initially.
Here are a few thoughts (mostly echoing others):
1. Get a used acoustic on Craigslist, if possible. Spend about $2-300. The world is filled with guitars no one uses. Get someone you know who knows guitars to help you try it out. If money is not an issue, feel free to spend more of course. If you cannot get someone you know locally to help, consider other options like emailing people on here a link to the ads, going to a music store that has a great reputation, asking around for help.
2. I'd suggest getting something on the smaller side, just for ease of handling. OM or OOO size. OOO has slightly shorter scale length which makes strings easier to fret than an OM. Yamaha, Fender, Breedlove, Ibanez are potentially good brands for this range.
3. It's best to take lessons from someone because it will help motivate and keep you accountable to your goals. You can do a ton of free, extra studying online through YouTube, etc. But only once you have a bit of a foundation and understanding of a bit of musical theory.
4. Find a couple of easy songs that you really love early on. This will go a huge way towards keeping you motivated and falling in love with the instrument. Balance this with your less fun practicing for your lessons.
5. Try to practice daily for 20 minutes. Don't just noodle. Get a solid practice routine (take notes at lessons or ask teacher to clearly write down so you know exactly what to practice). These will be the building blocks to get you to your goals.
6. Don't get an electric guitar until you have gotten a lot better. It's a distraction, too easy to play sloppily (especially with distortion), and will distract you towards making noise rather than playing the guitar properly.
7. Find a great teacher by asking around a lot. They might be able to help with #1.
Good luck !
if low, just enjoy the experience
if serious, avoid advertised methods and shortcuts, learn all the notes on the guitar, learn the major scale forms with index finger, middle, ring, pinky, for every target root on the fingerboard. The rest of the scales are derived from that (pentatonics, minor, melodic minor).
Learn to read rhythms. Learning triads, chords and beyond (intervals). btw chords are scales and vice versa. Learn to play melodies and phase and not play shred exercises. As an example, just learning one beginner piece out of the Jazz real book will teach you more about guitar than 100's of dollars worth method books.
Once you do that you can pretty much pick up just about anything reasonable and play it. Otherwise you will change how you play things so many times. A really good teacher can help with this, but not a guy/gal that is opinionated with their "kung fu" of guitar.
Then - and I cannot stress this enough for a beginner - get it professionally set up (patronize an independent store vs Guitar Center). ~$80.
They will, among other things, lower the "action" (space between strings & fretboard) for you which will make it much more playable. A beginner learning bar chords with high action will tear his hair out, get frustrated, and sabotage progress.
Then you suffer through the same 3-6 months all of us suffered through of learning your chords and switching smoothly without thinking between them. Google "Justin Guitar" and "Marty Music" for some good instructional videos. Pick some songs from artists you like (I played a lot of Neil Young when I started out) and it will help you with chords, strumming patterns, tempo, etc.
There's no such thing as "musically inclined". Great musicians got there because they practiced, practiced, practiced. Then when they were done with that, they practiced some more.
Good luck.
Marty Music is great. He's a fantastic teacher.
if low, just enjoy the experience
if serious, avoid advertised methods and shortcuts, learn all the notes on the guitar, learn the major scale forms with index finger, middle, ring, pinky, for every target root on the fingerboard. The rest of the scales are derived from that (pentatonics, minor, melodic minor).
Learn to read rhythms. Learning triads, chords and beyond (intervals). btw chords are scales and vice versa. Learn to play melodies and phase and not play shred exercises. As an example, just learning one beginner piece out of the Jazz real book will teach you more about guitar than 100's of dollars worth method books.
Once you do that you can pretty much pick up just about anything reasonable and play it. Otherwise you will change how you play things so many times. A really good teacher can help with this, but not a guy/gal that is opinionated with their "kung fu" of guitar.
+1. The 2nd path requires at least two hours per day of practice though (which is what I get during the week with a little more on weekends). Are you still working through Bret Willmott's Harmony and Voicing book? It is in my regular practice rotation. I have picked up so many cool new voicing ideas, but that book has 15 lifetimes worth of material in it.
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know your goals and level of commitment.
if low, just enjoy the experience
if serious, avoid advertised methods and shortcuts, learn all the notes on the guitar, learn the major scale forms with index finger, middle, ring, pinky, for every target root on the fingerboard. The rest of the scales are derived from that (pentatonics, minor, melodic minor).
Learn to read rhythms. Learning triads, chords and beyond (intervals). btw chords are scales and vice versa. Learn to play melodies and phase and not play shred exercises. As an example, just learning one beginner piece out of the Jazz real book will teach you more about guitar than 100's of dollars worth method books.
Once you do that you can pretty much pick up just about anything reasonable and play it. Otherwise you will change how you play things so many times. A really good teacher can help with this, but not a guy/gal that is opinionated with their "kung fu" of guitar.
+1. The 2nd path requires at least two hours per day of practice though (which is what I get during the week with a little more on weekends). Are you still working through Bret Willmott's Harmony and Voicing book? It is in my regular practice rotation. I have picked up so many cool new voicing ideas, but that book has 15 lifetimes worth of material in it.
Yes, that book is a forever book. Good to hear you are working with that one as well. Check some of Garrison Fewells books, good upper extension solo basics and techniques from a melodic perspective to nail those changes with altered and other chord types.
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In comment 14694691 mdc1 said:
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know your goals and level of commitment.
if low, just enjoy the experience
if serious, avoid advertised methods and shortcuts, learn all the notes on the guitar, learn the major scale forms with index finger, middle, ring, pinky, for every target root on the fingerboard. The rest of the scales are derived from that (pentatonics, minor, melodic minor).
Learn to read rhythms. Learning triads, chords and beyond (intervals). btw chords are scales and vice versa. Learn to play melodies and phase and not play shred exercises. As an example, just learning one beginner piece out of the Jazz real book will teach you more about guitar than 100's of dollars worth method books.
Once you do that you can pretty much pick up just about anything reasonable and play it. Otherwise you will change how you play things so many times. A really good teacher can help with this, but not a guy/gal that is opinionated with their "kung fu" of guitar.
+1. The 2nd path requires at least two hours per day of practice though (which is what I get during the week with a little more on weekends). Are you still working through Bret Willmott's Harmony and Voicing book? It is in my regular practice rotation. I have picked up so many cool new voicing ideas, but that book has 15 lifetimes worth of material in it.
Yes, that book is a forever book. Good to hear you are working with that one as well. Check some of Garrison Fewells books, good upper extension solo basics and techniques from a melodic perspective to nail those changes with altered and other chord types.
Yeah. I have a couple of his too. The one I am focusing on the most recently is David Berkman's book on reharmonization (which is really nicely done).