I Love Guitar » learning the guitar http://iloveguitar.net A guitar lover Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:02:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 How to Go About Learning the Guitar? http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-to-go-about-learning-the-guitar/ http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-to-go-about-learning-the-guitar/#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:02:46 +0000 Guitar God http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-to-go-about-learning-the-guitar/ What a great learn guitar question:

Question: I have a guitar – acoustic – and I really want to start learning without having to pay for lessons or having someone else personally teach me.

Are there any websites that have good beginner’s tutorials on learning all the notes and chords, and going from there?

Thanks :) x

Answer: You can youtube simple guitar chords, guitar warm-ups, how to get started, etc. A website that I use to help me learn song is ultimate-guitar.com

This website has a database of guitar tabs. Tabs are not guitar music but it tells you where to put each finger on each fret of the guitar so it is easier for people to learn their favorite songs. Forgot to mention that on ultimate-guitar.com you can searched whatever song you want and it will come up with a guitar tab for that song that you will be able to read so you can learn how to play.

Also, if you know anyone who does play guitar, ask them if you can hang out with them and get some basic beginner lessons. It will help a lot if you do it in person instead of watching a youtube video, but both worked for me.

Finally, don’t get frustrated and quit if you do not get it right away! You will eventually get the hang of it :)

]]> http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-to-go-about-learning-the-guitar/feed/ 4 How to Tell My Parents I Want to Learn the Guitar? http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-to-tell-my-parents-i-want-to-learn-the-guitar/ http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-to-tell-my-parents-i-want-to-learn-the-guitar/#comments Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:03:30 +0000 Guitar God http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-to-tell-my-parents-i-want-to-learn-the-guitar/ We’ve had a reader question come in on the subject of learn guitar. Let’s take a look:

Question: Ok so when I tell them I want to plan something to do they always taking me that im joking. Ok im might come up with crazy ideas sometimes but recently i was thinking of learning the guitar ( one of my goals in the future) seriously and don’t know how to tell them =/ Im thinking they’ll tell me " No ". I can’t wait to learn the guitar when i move out.

How can i tell them? Thanks in advance.
@sauce money is not the problem. The problem is their house their rules. =/

Answer: Just approach them seriously but casually and tell them you truly want to learn to play the guitar and that you’re not messing around or anything. Make yourself convincing but don’t yell at them or anything, of course. If they don’t believe you, try asking around school or looking online for places near you where you could learn guitar and write them down, show your parents you really want to learn this. Don’t give up!

Good luck!

]]> http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-to-tell-my-parents-i-want-to-learn-the-guitar/feed/ 10 Learning the Guitar???? http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/learning-the-guitar-2/ http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/learning-the-guitar-2/#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:02:24 +0000 Guitar God http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/learning-the-guitar-2/ I just love answering these learn guitar questions. Here’s another:

Question: Ive had my guitar for 2 days, and had about an hour a day practice. I know chords A.D,E,G,Em. I can change pretty quickly however i think my playing sounds awful. How long before I actually sound decent????????
Answer: Get a plastic gallon jug, and every time you practice put a pinny into it. When your jug is full, you will be good. But you will start to sound good long before that. Also, is your guitar in tune? One of the first things to learn is how to tune a guitar. There are hundreds of ways to play a guitar, and hundreds of styles to practice. fond one song, and play it over and over until that song becomes your song, other songs will come. One more then, play to please yourself. Pleasuring others will come with practice and as you learn. The key word is love it.
]]> http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/learning-the-guitar-2/feed/ 2 I Have a Little Bit of a Learning Disablty Should I Smoke Pot to Learn the Guitar ? http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/i-have-a-little-bit-of-a-learning-disablty-should-i-smoke-pot-to-learn-the-guitar/ http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/i-have-a-little-bit-of-a-learning-disablty-should-i-smoke-pot-to-learn-the-guitar/#comments Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:02:39 +0000 Guitar God http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/i-have-a-little-bit-of-a-learning-disablty-should-i-smoke-pot-to-learn-the-guitar/ Keep the learn guitar questions coming! I liked this one:

Question: i was told by my friends friend that smoking pot is a great way of learning the guitar or taking meds i mean i am not really bad at learning just takes me a little more time then every body else should i try pot just to learn the guitar
Answer: Dude, pot is never the answer
If u wanna get messed up then go right ahead
Seriously I’d rather learn without drugs even if it takes years longer
How do u know u won’t get addicted?
Seriously this shouldn’t even be a question!
]]> http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/i-have-a-little-bit-of-a-learning-disablty-should-i-smoke-pot-to-learn-the-guitar/feed/ 4 What Do They Mean when People Say "enjoy the Jouney" of Learning the Guitar? http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/what-do-they-mean-when-people-say-enjoy-the-jouney-of-learning-the-guitar/ http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/what-do-they-mean-when-people-say-enjoy-the-jouney-of-learning-the-guitar/#comments Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:02:42 +0000 Guitar God http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/what-do-they-mean-when-people-say-enjoy-the-jouney-of-learning-the-guitar/ What’s this week’s question? Let’s dive straight in…

Question: people say it a lot
Answer: While learning guitar can be hard work and frustrating at times, when you make the little breakthroughs that beginners make it can be very rewarding. Like the first time you play a song all the way through, the first time you make a barre chord properly, the first lead lick you learn, etc. These are all little breakthroughs that are exciting for new players.
]]> http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/what-do-they-mean-when-people-say-enjoy-the-jouney-of-learning-the-guitar/feed/ 2 How Hard Would It Be for Me to Learn the Guitar? http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-hard-would-it-be-for-me-to-learn-the-guitar/ http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-hard-would-it-be-for-me-to-learn-the-guitar/#comments Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:02:00 +0000 Guitar God http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-hard-would-it-be-for-me-to-learn-the-guitar/ What a great learn guitar question:

Question: Hi all, I’ve been seriously considering learning the guitar (acoustic). I have some musical experience.

Seven years with piano,
Four years with violin,
Two years with harp.

Based on personal experience, or from a friend, how hard is guitar compared to piano/violin/harp?

For me….piano was REALLY, REALLY easy. It just came naturally, and I immediately LOVED playing/practicing (still do :D )

Violin was…okay. The first few months, everything sounded terrible and I was a bit discouraged, but then as I learned more and more things, I got so much better, in fact, I’m now first chair at my school orchestra! :)

Harp was even easier than piano. It looks hard, but to me, it wasn’t. It’s VERY similar to the piano, so I took everything I learned from piano and I can now play most of my piano pieces on harp.

Also, all of my music teachers/instructors said I have a really ”good ear”: I can tell if things are in tune and i can play in tune (particularly useful while playing violin, because I know some people think violin is harder than guitar because guitars have frets, so it’s easier to play in tune.)

Thanks all!

Answer: So, you already know how to read music, music theory, scale and chord structure and have some good calluses on your left hand, good ones on your right hand too from the harp, understand physically how to handle frets.

These are all useful in picking up guitar.
And on top of that have a really good ear- WOW
What are you waiting for???
Yes, there will be new skills, strumming for one, and different position and posture, but it sounds as if you are already quite adept at flexibility and adaptation.

I can’t see anything that would be an impediment to your adding another instrument to your repertoire.

]]> http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/how-hard-would-it-be-for-me-to-learn-the-guitar/feed/ 2 Why Am I Getting Discouraged Learning the Guitar when I've Been Doing It for 5 Months Already? http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/why-am-i-getting-discouraged-learning-the-guitar-when-ive-been-doing-it-for-5-months-already/ http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/why-am-i-getting-discouraged-learning-the-guitar-when-ive-been-doing-it-for-5-months-already/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:02:35 +0000 Guitar God http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/why-am-i-getting-discouraged-learning-the-guitar-when-ive-been-doing-it-for-5-months-already/ What’s this week’s learn guitar question? Let’s dive straight in…

Question: I’ve been practicing 1 hour daily for the past 5 months, and suddenly I am playing songs with all barre chords. I’m getting discouraged -not wanting to practice, or wanting to practice less, etc

What is happening to me?

Answer: You are trying to go too fast!
Some folks have a great guitar aptitude and learn quickly. Most folks who have the talent to play do take time to REALLY learn how to play. I didn’t do barre chords for years when I started to play
(I started at 8 yrs old and did not have the resources that people today have. I played "folk" songs for about 4 years before "rock n roll" got into my blood and I got an electric guitar when I was 13-14 or so)
As a result of that I learned all the basic chords so well that any chord was easy to play and did not take any effort at all. Barre chords are not hard, because once you know the "form" of the chord, it is played the same way up an down the fingerboard. Once you know the "root" placement, the fingering is the same, just played in a different fret.
However, you should not rush yourself. Go at an easy pace. I know the temptation to play advanced songs is great, especially in this era, what with Guitar Hero and stuff. But you will find success with a little patience. Find one or two songs you really like and play them over and over. I used to play one side of a vinyl record over and over and over every day. Sometimes I had a chord sheet, but a lot of times I just sounded it out until it was right (Of course I was playing a lot of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Zeppelin type stuff using "power" chords)
Basic knowledge of your fretboard notes, Barre chord patterns for major, minor, and minor 7th’s and a few basic solo scales (major, minor, blues and pentatonic)
goes a long way!
http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/ is a great resource for guitarists of any level. I use it myself to keep on learning. Playing guitar is a life long learning process. The more you play, the more you learn.
Stick to a few things at a time until repetition makes you able to play whatever without real conscious thought. (Also don’t try to sing along and play….it’s hard enough to just play guitar without trying to sing, too….once you get good at playing, then see if you can sing as well…Personally, I can sing or I can play, but have a hard time doing both at the same time. And I’ve played guitar and/or sung lead vocals professionally. Some people can do both great, but I admit my limitations.
You may want to shred like a fancy metal shredder, but you may have to accept you may not be able to play that style. I was a fantastic classic rock lead guitarist, But I will NEVER be able to play "metal" shredding solos.

So I suggest you back off a little from the songs that discourage you and stick with your current knowledge level. Eventually you will be able to move up the ladder.

good luck and most of all HAVE FUN

]]> http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/why-am-i-getting-discouraged-learning-the-guitar-when-ive-been-doing-it-for-5-months-already/feed/ 2 Can Anyone Help Me with Learning the Guitar? http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/can-anyone-help-me-with-learning-the-guitar/ http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/can-anyone-help-me-with-learning-the-guitar/#comments Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:02:23 +0000 Guitar God http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/can-anyone-help-me-with-learning-the-guitar/ What’s this week’s question? Let’s dive straight in…

Question: hav been playin since a year now,,but dunno how to proceed ahead..
I request some experienced guitarist to pls provide his/her id n help me out..
M i dire need of help…
Answer: You also need help in grammar, or possibly a new keyboard.

Hire a teacher. We can’t help you anymore than anything else you can find on the internet, or watching youtube vids.

]]> http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/can-anyone-help-me-with-learning-the-guitar/feed/ 2 I Just Started Learning the Guitar and I Can't Play Simple Songs? http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/i-just-started-learning-the-guitar-and-i-cant-play-simple-songs/ http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/i-just-started-learning-the-guitar-and-i-cant-play-simple-songs/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:03:58 +0000 Guitar God http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/i-just-started-learning-the-guitar-and-i-cant-play-simple-songs/ A tough learn guitar question this week. Let’s dive straight in

Question: Not even No love by simple plan. The intro is so easy ( i thought) 9,9,9,9,9,9,9,9 10,9,10,9,10,9,10,9 something like that on the last 2 strings. But when i played them i don’t have enough strength to hold the chords even though i pressed as hard as i could. Any advice.
Why do people have to be so stupid because someone likes a band that others don’t
Answer: Maybe get the action on your guitar checked out? If the strings are too high off the fret board, it will take extra strength to fret a note. If this is not the problem, keep practicing and the finger stength will come
]]> http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/i-just-started-learning-the-guitar-and-i-cant-play-simple-songs/feed/ 11 Does It Get Easier or Harder Learning the Guitar As Time Passes By? http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/does-it-get-easier-or-harder-learning-the-guitar-as-time-passes-by/ http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/does-it-get-easier-or-harder-learning-the-guitar-as-time-passes-by/#comments Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:03:36 +0000 Guitar God http://iloveguitar.net/learn-guitar/does-it-get-easier-or-harder-learning-the-guitar-as-time-passes-by/ What’s this week’s question? Let’s dive straight in…

Question: I’m learning beginner stuff E B G F A D , etc

will it get harder?

Answer: It gets much easier, ive only been playing for five years but, your fingers will calus, youll start making music and its so easy to enjoy. but there are a couple difficult things like memorizing scales and soloing in the beginning. but soon playing guitar will be fun and practicing will be less of a chore, and more of a joy.
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