I Want to Learn to Play the Guitar, but I Know Close to Nothing About It, What Should I Know?
Posted in learn guitar on 19. May, 2010
We’ve had a reader question come in on the subject of learn guitar. Let’s take a look:
Question: before I begin taking up this hobby? Acoustic, by the way. All I know is that it hurts my fingers in the beginning and I have really soft hands so is there any way to minimize the pain while still getting great sound from the strings?
Answer: Start off by using Elixer strings, they are softer than most other strings, so it won’t hurt as bad. also, if you usually lotion your hands, stop that for a while. You can tell you really start building up callouses when you can start peeling the excess dead skin from your finger tips. Next, take lessons. Learning from a person who can give you feedback is way better than using a book or learning online. Good Luck!
you can really minimize the pain. youll get used to it, your fingers will get blisters and everytime they heal they will become rougher and eventually they wont hurt anymore. you can learn the way i did just take a couple of classes untill you know the basics, and then youtube will teach you the rest
first of all saying you know nothing about it is okay because we all learn secondly guitar is a great hobby and boys really like it when girls can play guitar and thirdly about it hurting you fingers i play guitar and after about two weeks i got calluses dont worry their not gross and also it onlys toughens your fingertips so you hands arent gonna be like really tough like a boys hand those are all the things you wanted to know and also you get really minimize the pain and first but once you learn its gonna be great so i really hope this helps
There is nothing you can do about the pain, you need this, and then you may even receive a blister like finger tip, this is a sign of over-doing it. But then if you are not willing to keep going untill you get the callous’s, an acoustic guitar may not be your weapon of choice. An electric guitar is much easier to fret, you only have to touch the strings and not really press them between the bars. And then there is the piano….my advice is to suck up that pain and keep going. There is nothing in the world that will take the place of an acoustic guitar. If you need any more help, e mail me dawguar@yahoo.com……
Since you’re a beginner, you’ll probably have an easier time playing a guitar that has a thin neck and low action (strings close to the fretboard), since those things make it much more comfortable to form chords and move smoothly between them. I’m female and have short fingers, so I’ve always required thin-necked guitars.
Ibanez guitars are built like rocks, sound great and are often nicer than guitars costing twice as much. They’re also known for having incredibly thin necks and low action, which makes them ideal for most beginners, females and players with small hands. Jasmine by Takamine guitars are also priced great and really user-friendly. If I were you, I’d avoid guitars made by Epiphone. They’re well-made guitars and all, but the necks tend to be really chunky, which make them challenging to play.
There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all guitar, so the best thing you could do is go to a guitar store and test drive a bunch of different brands. Each brand tends to have its own feel. Be sure to try them while you’re sitting, since that’s probably how you’ll practice. Some guitars have gigantic bodies that are great for playing concerts, but which are cumbersome to play while sitting. But there are plenty of guitars with medium-sized bodies that will serve you well for years.
I’ll post some links to guitars worth considering, all of which have thin necks, low action, and favorable reviews.
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-SGT120NT-SAGE-SERIES-Acoustic-Guitar-?sku=512326 (This is one of the nicest guitars I’ve ever played. Beautiful thin neck, great resonance, and it would be a bargain at twice the price.)
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Jasmine-by-Takamine-S35-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=516451 (A great guitar at an unbelievable price.)
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Jasmine-by-Takamine-S34C-NEX-Cutaway-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=516458 (This body style is really comfortable for most players.)
As for your fingers hurting when you first start playing, you can minimize the pain by limiting the time you play to a half hour or an hour every other day. If you take a day (or two if necessary) off between practices, you’ll give your fingers a chance to heal and that will speed the callus-building process. People who play every day when they’re beginners usually take longer to develop calluses, since the skin on their fingertips becomes inflamed and peels. But if you give yourself a day off to heal between practices, you should be close to pain free within a couple weeks. And guitar players’ calluses aren’t awful or noticeable. The skin looks the same as it did before they started playing, but happens to be a little tougher.