A learn guitar question that should definitely interest you all this week
Question: I want to learn how to play an acoustic guitar but is going to guitar class or taking lessons a ‘necessity’ or just a bonus? can anyone be self-taught, i’m sure theres video links on youtube i can watch to learn how to read music tabs, thats all i need to know right?
Answer: Guitar is among the easiest instruments to learn on your own. This is one reason for its popularity. Get a book, learn some chords, go from there.
Of course if you know people who play, who will come over and show you a few pointers, that would also be good. Much of guitar ‘lore’ is passed on from one guitarist to the next.
If you take lessons (I did for a while) the teacher will teach you to keep your left thumb on the middle of the back of the neck, which gives you more freedom to move your fingers over the fingerboard. But self-taught guitarists wrap their thumb over the top of the neck to get a tighter grip. Watch guitarists on TV, even famous ones, and you see most of them wrapping their thumbs! These people are self-taught.
The hardest thing in starting to learn is that you have to develop strength in your left hand to hold down the strings against the fingerboard. At first your hand gets sore after only ten minutes or so. So you can’t practice longer than 10 or 15 minutes (but you can do this several times a day). It takes a few weeks to build up strength in your hand. So be patient. If it’s a steel-string guitar you also build up callouses on your fingertips.
What a great learn guitar question:
Question: Hi. I’m looking for a place (possibly on the web) to learn blues rock. I’ve been self-teaching myself guitar for a year now, and I basically know a few riffs and some chords.
I have a crappy amp right now, but I’m upgrading soon to this one,
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey-Vypyr-15-15W-1×8-Guitar-Combo-Amp-104922851-i1413605.gc
Unless anyone here can recommend something better and affordable…. :]
Right now, I can’t afford to take a guitar class, so I want to just learn as much as I can before I do. The entire year I’ve been teaching myself, I’ve sort of developed an ear in music with a guitar (Own a Strat and Acoustic). I also have pretty strong callouses now too.
Please lend some support, thanks~
@adam: I currently have a Squier/Fender SP-10. it is crap, at least it’s more crap compared to the peavey. You could at least recommend a better amp than the peavey….
Answer: Adam and GuitarPicker gave you some good technique suggestions and resources to seek out.
But it is also important to develop and ear for what style and kinds of arrangements you enjoy listening to, besides learning to play it your way.
I suggest you get a hold of some recordings or videos of performers as the late Stevie Ray Vaughan and today’s, Joe Bonamassa. These guys are just few of the modern leaders in Blues/Rock and Jazz soloists that really express what a guitar can do. Even good ol’ Joe Satriani (one of his students, Steve Vai).
Good to listen and watch the masters in order to get the real feel for the music in time.
Oh, and having a Peavey amp (75 watts at least) of that model series is okay, but recommend you get a Vox or Mesa instead for the circuitry. And too, think about going Ibanez for the guitar.
Never go too cheap if you are well into playing, and are serious about the sound you can express.
Keep the learn guitar questions coming! I liked this one:
Question: I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the guitar or similar instruments like a ukulele but it always seemed too complex to learn of the fingerings and strings and stuff. I already play piano and trombone, which I thought were fairly easy to learn, but guitar has always left me wondering about how difficult it is. I think I really want to try guitar so I have two main questions:
1. How hard is it to learn how to play decently?
2. Should I take my school’s guitar class (they offer guitar 1 and 2) or take private lessons?
Answer: 1. It is really dependent on the person. People who are musically inclined will find it easier. Since you know how to play other instruments, it may allow you to have an easier time learning guitar. I think people don’t find guitar terribly hard to learn if you stick with it. It’s mastering it that makes guitar so hard. There is always more to learn. Just be desciplined to practice every day. So many people say it is impossible to learn guitar, but that is cause they play for a week and are not experts but expect to be. Push through the early stages of struggling, and once you get by that, it is so much fun an enjoyable to practice and learn new things. With some lessons, it should not take too long to get started and being able to play songs for someone with your musical background.
2. Definitely take private lessons if your deciding between the two. One-on-one sessions is what will really help you learn, not so much group classes. I would take both though if I were you. Why not?
I just love answering these guitar lessons questions. Here’s another:
Question: I teach a class of guitarists that have never played before. They have all the stuff i just need some lesson plans, links, exercises, ebooks, pdfs, etc
Thanks
Answer: Do not think that I am picking on YOU – because you can read my Profile – but, if you have to ASK how to structure a class or lessons, then your NOT QUALIFIED to teach. We get kids here who flat out state that want to make some *easy money* by teaching kids younger than them; this is criminal. I spend countless hours every year as a master teacher, undoing DAMAGE done by poor teaching, or trying to make up for all the time that was WASTED by so-called *lessons* from some kid or stoner at the local music store.
You ask us to give you all kinds of materials – you clearly do not know where to get them and are too clueless or lazy to do your own research. Do all these kids a big favor – get a REAL teacher to tkae over your "class".
Added – I just read a few of your other questions – you have been playing for ONE MONTH!!!!!!!!!! You know NOTHING – this is all SO ARROGANT of you, to attempt to teach others, when you do not have a teacher YOURSELF, either. SHAME on you!!!!!
This week’s question is a good one. Let’s have a look:
Question: and why do some people say they learned to play by mimicking other people like their favorite musicians? (fyi im learning to play classically right in a guitar class at my jc) I wonder about this because I sing and play a little piano and am more interested in being a musician than a classical player so am I better off with tabs or should I learn to play notes?
thank you!
Answer: A musician and classical player are the same thing, for one. I would say since you already have a headstart in classical training, forget about tabs completely. Standard notation is better in the long run, and if you want to be a musician, you pretty much must know it.
A guitar lessons question that should definitely interest you all this week
Question: I jus purchased my first guitar,but i dont have time for guitar class../
so please suggest me some sites from where i can easily download guitar tutorial/lesson videos easily..
please guys help me out on this.suggest me some sites from where i can easily download those videos..
:D
Answer: You have free options and paid ones. The best free site is http://justinguitar.com
The challenge/problem with these free options (even though there are heaps of great information available) is that you will lack a suitable structure, from A, to B, to C – designed to take you from the level where you’re at today.
The worst thing you can possibly do is to go to youtube and just start to wander through everything and anyhthing. That is indeed an option when you have reached a certain level and you can pick the stuff that A. you know is of good standard, and B. which suites your current needs as well as wants.
At least with Justin, you can be 100% sure his quality is top notch.
The paid courses (which are a lot cheaper than you might think) tend to be the perfect step between the free unfocused, and the highly focused – yet somewhat expensive – private classes or tuitions. Make no mistake about it, the latter is the way to go if you want to become proficient as fast as possible.
The best course in my opinion is Guitar Superstars: http://learnelectricguitarnow.net/guitar-superstars
What’s this week’s question? Let’s dive straight in…
Question: i have been attending guitar class for over 1 year now, it gets frustrating,but i wont give up, but how long will it take?
Answer: yeah!!!–don,t ever give it up—–i been playin for 30 years—there,s always gonna be something to learn—-alot of people out there wish they knew what you already know—–the word basic is relative—-personally i think that i am a pretty basic player–but when i go out to jams and stuff–i blow alot of guys away—-its gonna take you a few years to get even a little comfortable with your playing—but it,s worth it!!!—you,ll never forget what you have already learned—so you can only get better—keep it up!!!!—if you want to learn faster–lock yourself in a room for about 8 hours a day (or as much as you can–not as much as you want)—-practice –practice–practice—-=forget the outside world for a while—your instrument is all consuming right now!!!—its a lot of work
