[reflux]

Hi all,

I've finally decided to get around to learning the guitar. My Mom gave me her old acoustic Gibson, I had it fixed, and now I'm sitting here clueless. Lessons aren't my first preference right now, as I've heard from a friend that I should focus on chords and finger placement (and dexterity?) for the first month or so. Back to my main question, where do you think I should start? Lessons? Private or group? A book? DVD? Any input is much appreciated. thanks.

 

[robdamanii]

I started with a book and a desire to try to learn licks and such.

 

[irishMonkey]

You should defenetly go with lessons. Ask them to write watever you learn down so you can practice at home. Or a book that has tab wich is really easy to read.

 

[Ciaran]

I took 4 or 5 lessons and then decided to go on my own. I am a crappy guitar player. I would recommend lessons and then practicing till your fingers bleed. Then duct tape them and keep playing. After the callouses develop take off the duct tape and you'll finally be able to finger the dang thing correctly. Then keep going to your lessons and play till your fingers fall off.

 

[ihateyonton228]

Ernie ball books are pretty good, cheap too. like 8 bucks, easy to understand. find in music store.

 

[brungeman]

I would recomend lessons. that goes for any instrument you want to learn. A good teacher will make sure that you don't start developing bad habits!!! there are many ways to put your fingers on a fret board to create chords, but there is usually a "right" way, and several wrong ways. It is hard down the road to get out of a bad habit to start correctly fingering chords once you have started and gotten into the wrong fingering. (that comes from experience)

but since you are here on the net, you can search for lessons and tabs online!!!

 

[SK6]

The "Guitar Method" is a start. If you have no concept for music whatsoever, I recommend lessons.

 

[peter6061]

Why not try...

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/

They have tab to virtually any song and lessons to get you some of the music theory you'll want if you want to know why certain notes make up certain chords and so on...

 

[bluebug32]

I started when I was 12, so lessons were a good fit for me.

I helped Rob learn how to play a couple of years ago and he picked it up quickly just using a book and having me correct him/answer questions from time to time, but he also had a lot of experience and could read music. It's cheasy, but Mel Bay's books are a good way to learn the chords and progressions.

I would definitely start with books and not internet sites with tab. Many of these are wrong and there's nothing worse than learning something only to have to re-learn it.

If you have a friend who plays and can teach you how to tune it and some basic chord positions, that's the best way and then you can decide how far you want to go and whether a book or an actual teacher is the best means of getting there.

Good luck!

 

[blt2ride]

I'm in the same boat. My wife bought a guitar, and I had no idea how to play. I started with the books and interactive DVDs. If you go to your local book store or music store, they should have a ton of starter books.

 

[GumbaFish]

Learn as many chords as you can, just make sure you are fingering them correctly. I found videos really helpful because you can watch somebody play something, see the music for it, and hear how it is supposed to sound.

 

[Angus]

I have been teaching myself Guitar the past two years, I am in sales and my schedule is goofy so I really can't be consistent enough to take lessons, , I did buy a program called "teach yourself guitar" it was great for the basics, I have it on Mac but I think its also available on PC to, another great resource is the Fenders Player's Club

http://www.fenderplayersclub.com/

lots of good stuff on this site.

 

[reflux]

Thanks for all of the help guys. I'm not a complete n00b to music. I used to play the trumpet through high school, so time signatures and keeping a beat is like riding a bike.

I think I'll stick to the basics for about a month, and then go for a few lessons. I'd like to know the basic chords and read basic sheet music before said lesson, but you guys are right about the bad habits.

Thanks again for yo help.

 

[H8R]

Just go into Guitar Center and try to play Rush's "The Trees" at 117db like every other new guitarist.




Anyhoo -

Take a few lessons, just to get a foundation for chords and finger placement, then park yourself in front of a stereo (or iPod) and practice till you barf. Then practice some more.

Hang out with other people that play too. It helps.

 

[robdamanii]

Just go into Guitar Center and try to play Rush's "The Trees" at 117db like every other new guitarist.




Anyhoo -

Take a few lessons, just to get a foundation for chords and finger placement, then park yourself in front of a stereo (or iPod) and practice till you barf. Then practice some more.

Hang out with other people that play too. It helps.

Every place I go into tends to have Guns 'N Roses licks blaring out of it.

 

[Echo]

Lessons would be a good place to start just so you don't get any really bad habits from the get-go. But as soon as you get the basics, I'd recommend going on your own and having fun with it.

 

[TreeSaw]

I would recomend lessons. that goes for any instrument you want to learn. A good teacher will make sure that you don't start developing bad habits!!! there are many ways to put your fingers on a fret board to create chords, but there is usually a "right" way, and several wrong ways. It is hard down the road to get out of a bad habit to start correctly fingering chords once you have started and gotten into the wrong fingering. (that comes from experience)

but since you are here on the net, you can search for lessons and tabs online!!!

THANK YOU!!! That is excellent advice! Yes, I am biased as I am a music teacher, but you definitely hit the nail on the head. I would go with lessons right away. Definitely shop around for a teacher too...some of them are great and some are crappy and you really need to like them and be comfortable with your instructor in order to make real progress. Good luck!

 

[Echo]

Oh and whatever you do, don't get involved with MIDI :mumble:

 

[TreeSaw]

Oh and whatever you do, don't get involved with MIDI :mumble:

LOL! Frustrated with Midi are we neaky:

 

[SK6]

LOL! Frustrated with Midi are we neaky:

LOL!!!! Iwas thinking the SAME exact thing!

 

[bluebug32]

THANK YOU!!! That is excellent advice! Yes, I am biased as I am a music teacher, but you definitely hit the nail on the head. I would go with lessons right away. Definitely shop around for a teacher too...some of them are great and some are crappy and you really need to like them and be comfortable with your instructor in order to make real progress. Good luck!

I'm really glad to have taken lessons for all the instruments I play. There's something to be said for learning it the right way right off the bat and also for being pushed to practice.

 

[brungeman]

Treesaw, I am a drummer that fumbles around on guitar. as for bad habits I read in some books where on the fretboard my fingers should be, but not which fingers should be where!!! so for years I played a D chord, barred instead of with individual fingers... makes it hard to play D minor etc.

 

[TreeSaw]

Treesaw, I am a drummer that fumbles around on guitar. as for bad habits I read in some books where on the fretboard my fingers should be, but not which fingers should be where!!! so for years I played a D chord, barred instead of with individual fingers... makes it hard to play D minor etc.

Sweet! I am not a great drummer or guitar player, but I made sure to learn the right ways to do chords, rolls etc. as I have to teach my kids the right way!

 

[brungeman]

Hey Reflux, here is a site that has the fretboard and where the strings should be depressed to accomplish the chord, but it will not tell you with which fingers you should use.
http://chordfind.com/

 

[SK6]

THE best possible lesson you will ever get is from me right now.

This advise will serve you well.


Slow is fast.

Meaning, if you learn it sloppy, you will be sloppy. If you learn it clean, the speed will come.


Slow is fast.

 

[Echo]

LOL! Frustrated with Midi are we neaky:

Well I have a pro soundcard in my computer. And Cubase software which is supposed to be tits. And a freakin' monster keyboard workstation (Roland Fantom X6). So I buy a MIDI cable and string it from the "MIDI Out" of the keyboard to the "MIDI In" on the computer. Open Cubase software. No go. Keyboard owner's manual is useless. Soundcard owner's manual is useless. Cubase owner's manual is useless. I'll probably just go back to doing everything on the keyboard but it pisses me off that it doesn't work :mumble:

 

[H8R]

Well I have a pro soundcard in my computer. And Cubase software which is supposed to be tits. And a freakin' monster keyboard workstation (Roland Fantom X6). So I buy a MIDI cable and string it from the "MIDI Out" of the keyboard to the "MIDI In" on the computer. Open Cubase software. No go. Keyboard owner's manual is useless. Soundcard owner's manual is useless. Cubase owner's manual is useless. I'll probably just go back to doing everything on the keyboard but it pisses me off that it doesn't work :mumble:

You know that MIDI is just a controller interface and not an actual sound data transfer right?

I'm just asking.

 

[Echo]

You know that MIDI is just a controller interface and not an actual sound data transfer right?

I'm just asking.

Yeah. There is more to the story and I'm starting to think there's a hardware problem of some sort. I loaded the instrument definitions for the Fantom and all that. It just doesn't talk. I'm talking to some peeps on synth forums, it'll get worked out.

 

[Capt. Jack Sparrow]

I played guitar/bass for 15+ years and here's what I'd suggest:

Try buying a basic beginner's chord book (of "open" chords) and another book about basic guitar scales, then practice, practice, practice. Also, buy a tuner and learn to use it. You'll get discouraged if your guitar sounds like crap. After you feel like you've got basic chords and some basic scales down, consider taking a few lessons. Once you've had some lessons, you can tell if you are compatible with more lessons or if you'd do better on your own.

If you have the natural ability to "play by ear" you'll have a huge advantage. If you can play along to songs and figure out what notes are being played, you'll go further quicker.

Good luck!

 

[S.K.C.]

Say - what year is that Gibson acoustic? Is it a Hummingbird? It's probably worth a lot of money so be careful with it.

If I were you I would start with getting a lesson book. Any of Mel Bay's instructional books are a great way to start. I've been playing for over 10 years now, and it's still a challenge if you don't practice every day.

Get used to holding the guitar, placing your hand on the bridge when picking, finding the most comfortable way to fret notes and chords, etc. Then start taking some lessons. The benefit of this is improved mechanics (you'll learn the economy of picking techniques, the most efficient way to fret chords, finger placment and transitions, etc) In addition you'll also pick up some music theory: (modes-mixolydian, dorian, etc. - 12-bar blues scales, pentatonic scales, minor, major, flatted fifths, circle of fifths, triads, etc.)

 

[narlus]

just get one of these sweet mamma-jammas and let the good times roll:

 

[spectaculardark]

yeh ive been palyin guitar for 4 years know...i started take lessons when i started playing...and im still taking them...i got a new guitar teacher about 2 yrs ago and he is awesome! i dont regret taking lessons and probably never will..as to books i deffenetly recomend the Hal Lenard Guitar Method book 1 (u could go throught it in like a weekend) then switch to the 2nd book (another weekend) the guitar method book is well guitar method and learning how to read music.

all of u that do play what kinda guitars do you have i have:
electrics: a brand new fender 05 stratocaster, a ibanez gax30, yahmaha erg 121
acoustics: eh acoustic (dont remember #)

 

[brungeman]

Guitar, Martin SPD16 gloss top back and sides... it made me a better player just picking up the thing, and I sold my Strat to pay for my dog! one of the best things I ever did!!!

Drums, I have 2 kits 1- 1965 Ludwig pink champagne (silver and gold mixed sparkels) that I retired from touring with back in the early 90's, and 1-Slingerland red woodgrain laquer kit that I bought so I didn't have to beat up my vintage kit when I used to tour.

 

[spectaculardark]

yeh my dad has a martin d28 and he never lets me play it but when he isnt home ill sneak in a few licks

 

[H8R]

Guitar, Martin SPD16 gloss top back and sides... it made me a better player just picking up the thing, and I sold my Strat to pay for my dog! one of the best things I ever did!!!

Drums, I have 2 kits 1- 1965 Ludwig pink champagne (silver and gold mixed sparkels) that I retired from touring with back in the early 90's, and 1-Slingerland red woodgrain laquer kit that I bought so I didn't have to beat up my vintage kit when I used to tour.

I have a sweet 2003 vintage Epi Les Paul base model. Cost me $150.



I also have an old Epi 12 string acoustic that's falling apart.


My touring drumkit is Tama Granstar Custom from the late 80's. Built like a birch tank. I love it.

 

[MMike]

lessons lessons lesson! scales! scales! scales!

 

[wingman24]

I went to school for jazz guitar and played professionaly for 12 years. In my experiance, lessons are a waste of money in the begining till you know the basics, which I'm sure you could teach yourself if you already have a musical background. Once you have the basics down the only book you will ever need is called "THE ADVANCING GUITARIST by Mick Goodrick. Its the best ever, and there is enough info in there to keep you going till you die.

 

[peter6061]

Gibson Les Paul Standard (Mmmmmm......)
Washburn KC 44 Electric
Ovation Celebrity 12 string Acoustic Electric
Old no-name Classical

Oh, and I took lessons right off the bat and would have to blame my suggestions of looking elsewhere on a poor instructor. I took them through the local guitar store for about a year and came out with the ability to 'play' any song I wanted to, but knew nothing of theory. I took classical guitar in college a few years later and learned a hell of a lot.

The Internet may have misleading information, but there is so much good information there for free, you can easily begin to learn for very little money.

The only advice, as others have said, practice good technique.

 

[reflux]

Thanks for all of your help. I think I'll stick with my original plan for the timebeing. I've picked up the Mel Bay Grade 1 book, and will probably use it for about a month (or so...) before taking a lesson. Btw, can anyone recommend a good tuner???

The Gibson I'm using definitely has a few years on it; I'd say it's at least 30 years old. As for its worth, who knows.