A learn guitar question that should definitely interest you all this week
Question:I know all the basic chords and have practiced them for awhile. If you could list an easy song to learn on the guitar that would be great. I’ll search tutorials on you tube so don’t worry about that.
Answer:Wonderwall by Oasis. There might be some new chords that u have to learn, but they are not difficult to learn. It is an easy song to play but sounds great. It was one of my first songs I learned.
Keep the guitar lessons questions coming! I liked this one:
Question:Hi everyone, Okay so here the deal. I’m 15, and after playing The drums for 5 years i decided i wanted to learn another instrument. I started learning basic chords on acoustic. Then I heard one of my family friends play Classical/Finger style guitar. It sounded amazing. I know it takes lots of hard work and practice. But i would like to learn. I’m just wondering what it requires. I know i need long nails. and a special guitar ( nylon string ). But whats been on my minds lately is how hard it seems it would be to learn it. I know lessons make learning significantly easier. But i cant afford it due to my family’s current financial situation. I just want to know if its possible to teach yourself. Or all the technique and stuff is something that someone else really should teach you?
Answer:RK: Learning to play Classic Guitar without a teacher is not going to be easy, and is fraught with technique imperfections. Reading classic guitar music from the staff is not the issue, it is starting out with the best finger-style technique….not easily learned from a book alone.
Do not confuse strumming a few chords on an acoustic guitar with learning to play classical music on the classic guitar. The fingering technicalities on the guitar far exceed that of the piano. The piano has more than thirty pieces of hardware between the players fingers and the actual striking of the strings….much subtlety is lost in the action. The guitar is a chromatically tuned instrument, and the fretted fingerboard makes learning the intricacies of harmonic construction much more visual.
The guitarist is in constant touch with the strings, like a harpist, and all of the special effects (chromatic glissando, portamente, pull-offs, hammer-ons, mordents, single-string tremolo, etc) are freely available and make the music come alive. There is no complicated mechanism between his fingers and the beautiful sound production. Transcriptions of the music of Bach, for example, take on a clarity not possible even with the keyboard. But make no mistake, all of these techniques take many years of study and a well-qualified teacher is the best route.
Having said all of the above, and seeing how eager you are to forge ahead, I can at least recommend a self-study book to get you started:
"You Can Teach Yourself Classic Guitar" by Will Bay (a Mel Bay publication for about $12.)
What’s this week’s question? Let’s dive straight in…
Question:Basically, I’m learning guitar and want to know what a guitar tutor what generally teach me. I know the basic chords, major minors etc. What would I get taught in a basic lesson?
Answer:Your first chords are usually
‘E’ ‘A’ and ‘G’
As you can play some nursery rhymes with them, I suggest using youtube and search for ‘Beginners Guitar Tutorial’, that way you can stop the video at parts you’re finding tricky.
Then I’d suggest trying to learn TAB, it’s pretty simple. Here’s a link:
We’ve had a reader question come in on the subject of guitar lessons. Let’s take a look:
Question:I think I’d start out with teaching my friend a G, C, and maybe a D. I don’t wanna go overboard with the chords, though. I plan on showing her 2 or 3 basic chords , names of strings, and how frets work.
Anything else I should show her? Oh yeah, tune a guitar.
Answer:Tuning is a major thing haha. Ummm, teach her what each string is (EADGBE). And briefly show various notes on the bottom E and A strings so she can kind of guess where barre chords are. Dont expect to show her harmonics for a while or hammer ons/pull offs just yet. Teach her the PROPER way of holding a pick and playing. Trust me, bad habits form early.
Question:I have just started to learn guitar in school. I want to learn about more stuff over the summer to get ready for next year. So far, I have learned all the basic chords, a scale on guitar, basic knowledge of PIMA, a few barre chords and a song or two. What should i learn about now? i have no idea what i should do?
Answer:Get a "fake" book or two that contains songs you like. they usually have chord charts and diagrams for the songs. Learn some songs, and you’ll probably come across some new chords.
Since the guitar is such a popular instrument, there’s really no true method to go about it unless you’re involved in taking lessons from a professional. Some guitar stores and music stores provide group lessons at a minimal fee. Private lessons tend to cost more, but are valuable.
This could be a supplement to your classes, and could lead to some learning that you’re not getting at school.
Since you only know a song or two, I think it would be best to build a repertoire.
Well here’s a question I just had to answering straight away:
Question:I started learning to play guitar few months ago, and since then I’ve learned basic chords (+ one or two barres). BTW I am learning it using youtube tutorials and ultimate guitar chords… But now I just stopped going forward! I don’t know what to do next, how to get better… I am not sure what exactly should I practice? Also when I use my own strumming pattern (which problem is not good) I can sing along but when I try to learn other strumming pattern it’s impossible to sing along… Please tell me what should I practice and if possible leave me some links! Thank you so much! I am really trying hard to learn it but past few weeks it seems like I am not going anywhere….
Answer:Maybe it’s time for you to get lessons from a professional guitar teacher.
A tough learn guitar question this week. Let’s dive straight in
Question:Someone gave me their old guitar a long time ago, and I’ve been meaning to learn to play it. What’s the best way to do so? I know I need to learn chords, but is there a good, free site that could get me started?
My long-term goal is to be able to play songs I like, and popular songs (and also sing). One of the first on my list is Mango Tree by Angus & Julia Stone:
Any thoughts on how long I should work on the basics before attempting that song? And what are some good songs with basic chords I could learn early (after working on chords, of course)?
Thanks for any advice.
Answer:Well, unless you want to go and learn from a professional, I would suggest the Hal Leonard book series, so you can teach yourself. My brother learned from it and I’m currently learning from it; it’s pretty good.
Well here’s a question I just had to answering straight away:
Question:I started learning five months back and learnt all the basic chords n bare beginner stuff and i want to get better…. thanks for helping me out
Answer:The only real way to get better is to work at it. DVDs, magazines and books can all be helpful in unlocking new techniques. Play along with the CD when you practice a song. Seek out other players and play with them. You can learn a lot just by playing with others. This is how it gets done, if you are learning on your own. If you need a structured "road map", seek a professional instructor and take lessons.
This week’s question is a good one. Let’s have a look:
Question:Ive been playing for 3 days and I know like 9 or 10 chords(basic chords), the notes of each string, and I know how to play house of the rising sun. I also am getting kind of fast moving from one chord to another. I want to know how long it takes to be able to play some of my favorite songs and be able to compose simple songs on my own???
Answer:For some beginners, three months of dedicated practice, research, and application of theory will result in playing some songs of interest and even compose–provided the guitarist understands chords and their progressions.
Inside of two years the player should be able to provide rhythm in a group, perform some riffs, turnarounds, and some solos. The player should also have a good grasp of music theory and how to use it in the composition process.
The song, "The House of Rising Sun," is a good exercise of chordal harmony and transition. I play it in the key of Dm with the chords of Dm, F, G, Bb, and A7. The song, "Hotel California" is another great composition of chords and their progressions.
With three days of playing and your achievements thus far you are well on your way in building expertise with the guitar. Stay focused, be patient yet persistent in your regimen of playing. With this, you will learn new things just about every day as I have done in my many years of playing.
Guitar playing is a challenge, but it brings immeasurably joy to the player.
