Learning to play guitar

[ghosstt]

where is a good place to learn guitar? a good CD or book perhaps? please do not suggest a teacher.. Cheap price please

[cowsgoquack101]

I have the book the ultimate acoustic guitarist thats about 20 years old. It's not bad, but just look around on the net, you should find something or another.

[Electric Rain]

My mother bought me a guitar "package," if you will. Ever heard of a guy named Esteban? He's a Spanish guitar type guy, and he made a begginers instructional DVD type thing. *is horrible with words right now...* The thing comes with 5 instructional DVDs, an electric-acoustic guitar, an amp, a nice case, an electronic tuner... and a whole bunch of other little goodies. Anyway, I watched the first DVD, played along... whatever. I learned a few songs, got my calluses built up a bit on my fingers... but ultimately, I now just learn on my own. I plan to get back to the DVDs eventually, but what I like to do is look up tabs to my favorite songs and just try to learn them. (Or I'll just play it by ear... which is actually what I usually do...) I usually get a few measures into a song, then hit a chord that I just CAN NOT pull of... usually ones that require me to bar. That's not easy to do. (I hate you, F chord!) Then I just move on to a new song. I'm getting better, though. I can actually pull off an F chord, though it's very hard to do still. Oh, and trust me, it WILL HURT YOUR FINGERS at first, probably for the first few weeks. But it doesn't take too very long before the tips of your fingers start toughening up. So just stick it out for a while, 'kay?

[ganonbanned]

My mother bought me a guitar "package," if you will. Ever heard of a guy named Esteban? He's a Spanish guitar type guy, and he made a begginers instructional DVD type thing. *is horrible with words right now...* The thing comes with 5 instructional DVDs, an electric-acoustic guitar, an amp, a nice case, an electronic tuner... and a whole bunch of other little goodies. Anyway, I watched the first DVD, played along... whatever. I learned a few songs, got my calluses built up a bit on my fingers... but ultimately, I now just learn on my own. I plan to get back to the DVDs eventually, but what I like to do is look up tabs to my favorite songs and just try to learn them. (Or I'll just play it by ear... which is actually what I usually do...) I usually get a few measures into a song, then hit a chord that I just CAN NOT pull of... usually ones that require me to bar. That's not easy to do. (I hate you, F chord!) Then I just move on to a new song. I'm getting better, though. I can actually pull off an F chord, though it's very hard to do still. Oh, and trust me, it WILL HURT YOUR FINGERS at first, probably for the first few weeks. But it doesn't take too very long before the tips of your fingers start toughening up. So just stick it out for a while, 'kay?

ESTEBAN!! the only reason I know him is cuz he looks like the hamburglar.

[Electric Rain]

ESTEBAN!! the only reason I know him is cuz he looks like the hamburglar.

[blackbox_dev]

I first started learning from lessons on the net. It wasn't for me though, so it wasn't long until I plunked down some cash for "Guitar for Dummies". It's a good book, and includes a CD to play along to. Obviously it doesn't go beyond beginner techniques, but you'll know enough after to just learn yourself and go your own route.

That's how I did it, maybe it'll work for you too.

@Electric rain, until I was able to play a real F major chord, this is how I did it, and it sounds good:

Code: Select all

E---
B---
G-2-
D-3
A-3-
E-1-

That chord is also movable because it doesn't use any open strings. If you want to, go ahead and try it.

[Electric Rain]

@Electric rain, until I was able to play a real F major chord, this is how I did it, and it sounds good:

Code: Select all

E---
B---
G-2-
D-3
A-3-
E-1-

That chord is also movable because it doesn't use any open strings. If you want to, go ahead and try it.

Interesting. I'll have to try that when I get home. When I play House of the Rising Sun (AWESOME SONG!!!), I play the version of F Esteban tought me. It's basically like a standard F chord, just without the bottom two strings.

Code: Select all

e-1-
B-1-
G-2-
D-3
A---
E---

*imagines holding his guitar* I... think that's it...

[blackbox_dev]

Code: Select all

e-1-
B-1-
G-2-
D-3
A---
E---

*imagines holding his guitar* I... think that's it...

I just tried that on my Dad's guitar. It sounds good to me!
but its buzzy because my Dad uses extremely heavy strings... I think he uses 13s or 14... and I use 10s.

[ghosstt]

I first started learning from lessons on the net. It wasn't for me though, so it wasn't long until I plunked down some cash for "Guitar for Dummies". It's a good book, and includes a CD to play along to. Obviously it doesn't go beyond beginner techniques, but you'll know enough after to just learn yourself and go your own route.

That's how I did it, maybe it'll work for you too.

@Electric rain, until I was able to play a real F major chord, this is how I did it, and it sounds good:

Code: Select all

E---
B---
G-2-
D-3
A-3-
E-1-

That chord is also movable because it doesn't use any open strings. If you want to, go ahead and try it.

so the book is worth it? i just want to learn the basic chords and stuff.. what is actually on the CD?

[timmeh87]

an E chord looks like this (using previous notation)

0
0
1
2
2
0

there is no "first principles" way to play an F chord (that I know of), so you just move the whole E chord up one fret:

1
1
2
3
3
1

Its a barre chord in its full form, but beginners are usually only taught part of it. If you go look at the two different versions of the chord above, you can see that they overlap to make the full version.

Any combination of 3 or more of these strings should sound basically like an F chord.

[Electric Rain]

an E chord looks like this (using previous notation)

0
0
1
2
2
0

there is no "first principles" way to play an F chord (that I know of), so you just move the whole E chord up one fret:

1
1
2
3
3
1

Its a barre chord in its full form, but beginners are usually only taught part of it. If you go look at the two different versions of the chord above, you can see that they overlap to make the full version.

Any combination of 3 or more of these strings should sound basically like an F chord.

Yeah, what he said. Good post. If you think about it, on a piano, an F chord only consists of F, A, and C anyway.

[twilightprincess]

ive used to have lessons from a book, but then i gave up. now i learn from a teacher and i really enjoy it, teachers are way better than books you can ask them questions and learn what you wanna learn. but thats just IMO

[timmeh87]

Back on topic (sorry if im repeating again), but if you are a cheap kinda guy like me (as I believe you said you were) why not try just going some search engine (google comes to mind ) and looking up some tabs for your favorite songs.

The best way to get a kid bored with an instrument is to show him pages of sheet music. (or at least in my opinion). Tabs are way easier to read, and although they teach you almost no guitar theory they will eventually teach you the basics of fingering and picking so you can then go learn some more advanced stuff and not have to think about where your hands are. Not having to think about your hands is key.

I learned to play exclusively with tabs and articles on the internet, and I didnt turn out half bad.

Try to pick songs that are just outside your skill level.

[Electric Rain]

Again, what he^ said... *cough* although I mentioned tabs first... *cough*

[Metallica Man X]

Hm...WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER. That's how I learned! I taught myself how to play by playing along with the songs. WMP is really helpful cause you can slow the songs down so you can keep up with them WAY easier!