| Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:38 pm | |
| Hey everyone! Recently I have been trying to teach my self guitar with an old guitar I bought at a yard sale. Its missing the E string, but I was able to tune the other strings. Any tips? UPDATE: I've been working at guitar for the last couple months and I'v learned a lot. I can play a lot of popular songs, and I have brought my guitar to school on several occasions to play for my friends and others Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone for their advice and helpfulness. Thanks guys!
Last edited by Lonewolf03 on Sat May 04, 2013 7:01 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:30 pm | |
| I play the viola which is basically a violin so the fingering is the same. I'm getting an e string soon... | |
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Guest Guest
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:18 pm | |
| Self teaching is quite a laborious way of learning to be honest. I had a stint at it when I was in my teens and learned bits and bobs from a few songs and then worked at linking them together into a medley but that was as far as I got with it. Don't know if I just gave up trying or simply lost interest (funnily enough around the time I took up paintball actually). Still have it though.
My best friend on the other hand self taught and is a badass on that fret board... If you're serious about not getting a tutor, get your hands on a copy of the "idiots guide to playing guitar" and you could be wailing like Jimi in as little as 6 months depending on how dedicated you are to it. It's how he did it and he can play the rhythm sections of Master of Puppets better than Metallica themselves!
Good luck though bro... what kind of guitar music do you like? |
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DUNK-ALMIGHTY Triarius/Salvo Operator
Posts : 1510 Join date : 2012-04-07 Age : 43 Location : Leeds. UK
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:17 am | |
| PM me dude. What you know so far etc... and what stuff you got with it too. I've been playing for about 5 or 6 years. Bit out of practice recently but can still just pick it up and have a good jam sesh. So I could give you some good pointers on how to start playing. Brock plays too BTW | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:26 pm | |
| - SirMikeofSmeg wrote:
- Self teaching is quite a laborious way of learning to be honest. I had a stint at it when I was in my teens and learned bits and bobs from a few songs and then worked at linking them together into a medley but that was as far as I got with it. Don't know if I just gave up trying or simply lost interest (funnily enough around the time I took up paintball actually). Still have it though.
My best friend on the other hand self taught and is a badass on that fret board... If you're serious about not getting a tutor, get your hands on a copy of the "idiots guide to playing guitar" and you could be wailing like Jimi in as little as 6 months depending on how dedicated you are to it. It's how he did it and he can play the rhythm sections of Master of Puppets better than Metallica themselves!
Good luck though bro... what kind of guitar music do you like? Country in particular. I would also like to play some classic rock and (not auto tuned or rap) pop songs. By the way I accidentally hit report instead of quote so I hope that can get cleaned up. Sorry about that. | |
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StormShadowz Black Ops
Posts : 2438 Join date : 2012-04-06 Age : 55 Location : Springfield,Tn
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:34 pm | |
| I changed it...accidents happen :) | |
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AЯЅфП Mod/Pump/Ninja
Posts : 1379 Join date : 2012-04-08 Age : 35 Location : Van City
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:37 pm | |
| Lol was gonna say..... Nothing there would require a report | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Fri Sep 14, 2012 8:03 pm | |
| - StormShadowz wrote:
- I changed it...accidents happen :)
Thanks. | |
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Brock Admin
Posts : 1287 Join date : 2012-04-06
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sat Sep 15, 2012 1:02 am | |
| been playing for 16 years,.. and im totally self taught.
Well not TOTALLY. I took about 3 months of lessons when i was 7... then quit until i was 14,..
My best advice is to get a chord book, and learn a thru g. Make sure you get really good at the harder ones like b,.. and dont be discouraged by sore fingers, or hand muscles. it will get easier, and less painful as time goes on.
Once you have a firm grasp on your chords, look up songs you know really well. Google the song name followed by 'chords' or 'tab' (i.e. Twinkle twinkle tab/chords). play em as much as you can, until you dont need the paper anymore. WARNING- they are created by other humans, and a lot of times the chords arent exactly where they would be played in the melody. make sure it sounds right to you.
the more you play a style, the more youll find it easier to do. and the less you play, the less tolerance your muscles and fingers have.
it also really helped me to be able to read music. I started singing, and then playing trumpet, now i can do bass, guitar, drums,..
Music is my biggest passion. If i had to choose music or paintball,.. id have to sell my guns.
most of all, HAVE FUN. Pick songs you want to do, and challenge yourself to learn the solos, or do a style you dont usually play. Pick a rap song, and make it an acoustic pop rhythm...
and feel free to ask stupid questions. cause your only stupid until you get answers. | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:40 am | |
| - Brock wrote:
- been playing for 16 years,.. and im totally self taught.
Well not TOTALLY. I took about 3 months of lessons when i was 7... then quit until i was 14,..
My best advice is to get a chord book, and learn a thru g. Make sure you get really good at the harder ones like b,.. and dont be discouraged by sore fingers, or hand muscles. it will get easier, and less painful as time goes on.
Once you have a firm grasp on your chords, look up songs you know really well. Google the song name followed by 'chords' or 'tab' (i.e. Twinkle twinkle tab/chords). play em as much as you can, until you dont need the paper anymore. WARNING- they are created by other humans, and a lot of times the chords arent exactly where they would be played in the melody. make sure it sounds right to you.
the more you play a style, the more youll find it easier to do. and the less you play, the less tolerance your muscles and fingers have.
it also really helped me to be able to read music. I started singing, and then playing trumpet, now i can do bass, guitar, drums,..
Music is my biggest passion. If i had to choose music or paintball,.. id have to sell my guns.
most of all, HAVE FUN. Pick songs you want to do, and challenge yourself to learn the solos, or do a style you dont usually play. Pick a rap song, and make it an acoustic pop rhythm...
and feel free to ask stupid questions. cause your only stupid until you get answers. Thanks! 8th grade is the last year you HAVE to take music, and my class is learning piano and guitar. And the tolerance is like paintball, welts and sore bodies aren't as bad after a few games. Today my dad's taking me to a music store and we're getting a new e string and some picks. I'll probably pick up a chord book as well. Thanks everyone for all the tips! | |
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DUNK-ALMIGHTY Triarius/Salvo Operator
Posts : 1510 Join date : 2012-04-07 Age : 43 Location : Leeds. UK
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sat Sep 15, 2012 1:23 pm | |
| I wouldn't just replace the E string dude. As new strings ring out longer and cleaner than older stretched strings. So your new string may sound a bit out of place when struck. You need to get yourself a new FULL SET of strings. I'd recommend a set that comes with a free extra e-string in-case of snappage (you can get em). Be patient whilst tuning them up too, as new strings take a little while before they'll hold the tuning well cos they'll have lots of "stretch" in em. You'll find yourself re-tuning them every hour or so...lol But they'll soon settle, with lots of use. And a pick is one of your most important tools when learning too. Never practice without it, or your chords and notes won't sound half as clear. Pick control comes with confidence and practice, but will pay off dividends in the long run as it'll really help you play fast once you get chops up. And totally agree with Brock regarding finger pains n that. Just stick with it and your digits will toughen up in no time. Start with the basic chords till they're ingraved in your brain, then have a go at some tunes. Power chords are also very easy and effective to learn too, as most of em can be played with just 2 fingers. but they sound awesome. ULTIMATE GUITAR.COM is by far the best place on the net to get new songs from....FREE!! I personally never learn't to read "sheet music", instead I learnt how to read .... "Guitar tabalature" or "TAB" as it's more commonly called. It's alot easier than sheet music to read & basically tells you where the notes are on the fretboard for that specific song. Reading TAB is a doddle, it's basically guitar sheet music for dummies. But like Brock says, if the music tells you to play a "duff" note that you don't think should be in there, then change it up bro & play it how you think it should sound. Not all TAB's are perfect. Really hope you stick with it Bro...It's one of the most satisfying instruments there is to play. And chicks love a guy who can rock a guitar out. Keep us informed on your progress dude, hope you stick with it | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sat Sep 15, 2012 3:07 pm | |
| - DUNK-ALMIGHTY wrote:
- I wouldn't just replace the E string dude.
As new strings ring out longer and cleaner than older stretched strings. So your new string may sound a bit out of place when struck. You need to get yourself a new FULL SET of strings. I'd recommend a set that comes with a free extra e-string in-case of snappage (you can get em). Be patient whilst tuning them up too, as new strings take a little while before they'll hold the tuning well cos they'll have lots of "stretch" in em. You'll find yourself re-tuning them every hour or so...lol But they'll soon settle, with lots of use. And a pick is one of your most important tools when learning too. Never practice without it, or your chords and notes won't sound half as clear. Pick control comes with confidence and practice, but will pay off dividends in the long run as it'll really help you play fast once you get chops up. And totally agree with Brock regarding finger pains n that. Just stick with it and your digits will toughen up in no time. Start with the basic chords till they're ingraved in your brain, then have a go at some tunes. Power chords are also very easy and effective to learn too, as most of em can be played with just 2 fingers. but they sound awesome. ULTIMATE GUITAR.COM is by far the best place on the net to get new songs from....FREE!!
I personally never learn't to read "sheet music", instead I learnt how to read .... "Guitar tabalature" or "TAB" as it's more commonly called. It's alot easier than sheet music to read & basically tells you where the notes are on the fretboard for that specific song. Reading TAB is a doddle, it's basically guitar sheet music for dummies. But like Brock says, if the music tells you to play a "duff" note that you don't think should be in there, then change it up bro & play it how you think it should sound. Not all TAB's are perfect. Really hope you stick with it Bro...It's one of the most satisfying instruments there is to play. And chicks love a guy who can rock a guitar out. Keep us informed on your progress dude, hope you stick with it
My dad keeps telling me he wished he played the guitar. Now he wants me to teach him after I get good. Lol. I went to the music store today and got just the e string, a case, 10 picks, a chord book and this thing that helps re sting the guitar and turn the knobs faster and whatnot. I'll check out that website too. Thanks! | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sat Sep 15, 2012 3:22 pm | |
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Guest Guest
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sat Sep 15, 2012 8:41 pm | |
| [quote="Lonewolf03"] - SirMikeofSmeg wrote:
- . By the way I accidentally hit report instead of quote so I hope that can get cleaned up. Sorry about that.
thank god im not the only one who does that around here |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sat Sep 15, 2012 8:59 pm | |
| [quote="SuRrEaLNJ"] - Lonewolf03 wrote:
- SirMikeofSmeg wrote:
- . By the way I accidentally hit report instead of quote so I hope that can get cleaned up. Sorry about that.
thank god im not the only one who does that around here Yeah. Accidents happen. | |
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DUNK-ALMIGHTY Triarius/Salvo Operator
Posts : 1510 Join date : 2012-04-07 Age : 43 Location : Leeds. UK
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:53 am | |
| Another little hint for ya. If you get a strap for your guitar, make sure you get a "strap lock" too. You should only need 1 lock looking at your pic. Your music shop should stock em. Basically they replace that strap button at the bottom of your guitar & lock the strap in place. Straps can sometimes slip off the standard strap buttons & if it does your axe will plummet to the ground and cause all sorts of nasty damage. Happened to me on my first or 2nd axe and my heart just sank. Put a massive crack in the bottom of it & I wasn't happy. All for the sake of a £10 strap lock that I should've bought. I'd maybe recommend a capo too, if your planning on playing alot of acoustic/mellower stuff. They raise the whole pitch of the guitar in small incriments (depending on where you place them on the neck) and can really change how your chords sound. There great fun to experiment with and loads of acoustic songs require them. I'd ask your shop about them too and you should be able to get a decent one for about £15-£20. Prepare to welcome some invisible creatures into your home too. Pick fairies. They're always nabbing mine and moving em about. Good job you bought 10. Once you've been playing with em for a bit, you may find yourself going back and trying some picks in different thicknesses too. Most people find thinner picks are better for strumming with & harder ones are better for solo-ing and doing fiddly bits with. It's down to personal preference. Your guitar doesn't look bad BTW Steel strung acoustics will toughen up your digits in no time at all. Give it a month and you'll have fingers made of iron, with a little daily practice | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sun Sep 16, 2012 10:27 am | |
| Thanks! I figured they went missing easily... I learned d chord and a chord last night, and checked the sounds on youtube. Plus "Here Comes the Sun" entirely on the e string and b string. | |
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Brock Admin
Posts : 1287 Join date : 2012-04-06
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:20 pm | |
| careful with that winder,.. its a quick way to snap a string,.. also, when im stringing a guitar,.. i clean it with a dust rag,.. and string it. then before i tune it, i stretch out each string, by pulling it up firmly from the fret board. gives it a good settling.
i use medium picks, and elixir strings mostly.
Ernie Ball Super Slinkys on my electric Elixir Mediums on my acoustic Martin Mediums or Elixir Mediums for my 12 string | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:22 pm | |
| - Brock wrote:
- careful with that winder,.. its a quick way to snap a string,.. also, when im stringing a guitar,.. i clean it with a dust rag,.. and string it. then before i tune it, i stretch out each string, by pulling it up firmly from the fret board. gives it a good settling.
The guy at the music store told me to tune it that way. Thanks for the tips! | |
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DUNK-ALMIGHTY Triarius/Salvo Operator
Posts : 1510 Join date : 2012-04-07 Age : 43 Location : Leeds. UK
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Mon Nov 12, 2012 9:20 pm | |
| Hows the learning going?? | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Tue Nov 13, 2012 8:47 pm | |
| Slow. Kinda busy with school so I can't practice as much. Learned like 3 chords... | |
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DUNK-ALMIGHTY Triarius/Salvo Operator
Posts : 1510 Join date : 2012-04-07 Age : 43 Location : Leeds. UK
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:16 am | |
| C'mon man, You need to get in about an hour a day when your first learning. I used to just grab mine and sit ot in the garden for an hour. Just swapping from one chord to another. If your learnings going abit slow and boring. Why don't you find a nice simple solo to try and learn it. This will really help your pick hand control etc Get the tab for the tune from ultimateguitar.com they have every tune. Or go on youtube and look for some easy pick hand exercises to train yourself up on alternate picking, pick control and string skipping. All these techniques are pretty easy once you've gained some confidence. But you won't gain confidence without practice dude. an hour a day dude or I'm sending the reaper in after ya. I've started playing mine again regulary. Picked it up the other day after 6 months, give it a dust. And was jamming away to metallica and the chilli's for hours...lol It was like being reunited with an old friend. Seriously bro, it WILL pay off, if you put the time in. | |
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Lonewolf03 Private
Posts : 255 Join date : 2012-05-03 Age : 25 Location : South Carolina
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:37 am | |
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Guest Guest
| Subject: Re: Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:33 am | |
| Skimming through the thread someone mentioned ultimate guitar, there is a plethora of information to be had there regarding everything from theory to chord progressions, scales ect and thousands of tab sheets to pick from. Plus its all free! Haha. Along with the fundamentals, I'd recommend learning some songs you enjoy, even if your not able to play them proficiently start slow and work your way toward your goal and never stop pushing yourself to do more. Improving your skill as a guitarist never stops, as there is always something you can learn. Main thing to do is have fun with it!
Sorry one thing I forgot to add, I personally don't recommend teachers. I believe there are enough sources of information out there to guide you with whatever it is you want to accomplish. Moreover it's likely that a teacher would teach you what they want you to learn instead of what your interested in, and subsequently you'll more than likely develope a style of playing similar to them instead of your own. It doesn't always happen that way, but just speaking from experience all of the really good guitarists I know and jam with are self taught. |
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| Teaching myself guitar...UPDATED | |
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