Learning to play the guitar..

[DGRIFF24]

Okay so i started to teach myself to play the guitar a coulple days ago (been using youtube) and was just wondering if anyone on here plays and any suggestions? tips or trick..

Thanks!

[Zeppelin]

oh yeah, since I was 13!

I started out with Bass, believe it or not. which I'm thankful for, because it developed my calluses faster.

you're doing the right thing, learning from YouTube. I wish YouTube existed when I started. lol. it's free, and you get a visual representation of what you're doing.

my Mother taught me actually. she played Blues in the 70's in a band called "The Greensleeves".

so I went from playing Blues, to Classic Rock thanks to my a good friend of mine:

ZMethqQrsJE
(not me, my buddy. lol) check this one out too, if you want. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7WKi5aBPlk

I really wish I had more time to play...school is sucking the life out of me right now...

anyway, enough from me, what genre were you looking to get into? also, what guitar do you have?

[DGRIFF24]

Well as Genre Goes i want to get into anything really, ive been learning some of Adele's songs, but i want to eventually work my way up to harder thing, i would liek to be able to play whatever, whenever!

As for the guitar, its an acoustic gibson, very basic, i need to buy new strings cause it sounds knda bad, even in tune...

I do want to play acoustic though first and for a wile.. so..

ALSO, wouldnt mind being to play some Zeppelin..

[bradley]

A few simple song recommendations:

Simple Man - (Lynard Skynard original,) but listen to the shinedown acoustic version. Very clear, crisp sound, and will help you learn cords + individual picking at the same time.

Cavalier Eternal - Against Me!, mostly chords but it will give you a good feel for power chords if you can find good tablature.


As far as gear goes, I myself have a Fender Sonoran (SCE) acoustic-electric (Single cutaway with Strat Neck, cheap but nice..)
And a Modified American Highway 1 Fender Stratocaster. It is upgraded with Texas Specials w/ cloth wiring, some orange drop capacitors, upgraded pots, and a toggle switch (potentiometer) that lets me do 7 way switching.

I like fender myself, have owned a few Gibson SGs. a few Ibanez Artcores, etc, but I always fall back to the fender when I pick up the electric, I guess I just built it to be versatile.

[DGRIFF24]

Alright, ill fore sure check those out, and look into the gear.

One thing i gotta do is build up some calluses on my fingers cause they hurt like bitch! haha

[bradley]

If you're not comfortable changing out strings, take it somewhere local to do it.

For acoustic, I like Ernie Ball - Earthwood. They feel really good and sound great for the $$.
Strings are all a feel/preference for sound though, so feel free to experiment with a lot.

They could check the action and make sure the nut doesn't have to be filed down on your acoustic.

I didn't read you had a Gibson acoustic at first, it should be nice. I like those. How new / what model?

[DGRIFF24]

Well i mean i wouldn't have a problem changing the stings myself, i'm pretty confident, so..

As for what kind, im not real sure, it was my girlfriends step dads, and i have it in the case right now and im too lay to get up haha..

[cnpayne]

I also am trying to teach myself. I already know alot of chords but I want to learn to pick more. I have a peavy acoustic/electric and a peavy electric. Had an alvarez acoustic but it was stolen awhile back.

Sent from my Thunderbolt because iPhags suck

[Zeppelin]

this is the song that made me want to learn.

wrvfMSYNqBg

I promised myself I wouldn't give up until I could play this.

it took 6 years, but now I can play it in it's entirety using muscle memory.

[DGRIFF24]

^ Hell yea!

[supraman]

I play!! It is the best thing to do to end your day!

[boostiswhatsfordinnerNWH]

I play a Washburn acoustic/electric. It's a D10SCE single cut and black in color. It's a great playing guitar. I also play mandolin, it's also a Washburn and dark sunburst in color.

My first song in 02 was Tears in Heaven, good song to start with.

[DGRIFF24]

My main problem that im having is switching in between chords, like going from say a G to C... i guess this will get better with time and practice?

[usafdarkhorse]

Yeah it's all muscle memory. I think the hardest for new players is to go from anything to an F chord haha.

I took lessons on acoustic as a kid and then my parents bought me an entry level Epiphone Les Paul for my 14th birthday. From then on, I started playing stuff I liked and I got better and better. I enjoyed lessons after I got good at playing classical stuff, but you get burnt out fast. It's easier to learn when you're playing stuff you like to play (like Zeppelin above).

I have a 2003 Epiphone Les Paul classic which was the first big purchase I ever made for myself, and I just bought a 2002 Gibson Les Paul studio from an old friend. Crappy pics I know, but I really like them:

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/397937_10100561608668615_9427817_52558841_98842387 8_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/389519_10100561609377195_9427817_52558850_18201216 72_n.jpg

I also pick around on mandolin, took some violin lessons for awhile, and can play flute better than I can guitar:

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/380998_10100561609536875_9427817_52558853_10166014 93_n.jpg

Just gotta stay motivated. You'll find that you waste hours playing guitar when you get good and like what you're playing.

[supraman]

I have a taylor 110. love the thing!

[DGRIFF24]

i'll say this, my fingers are hurting like a BITCH..

[cnpayne]

Yeah dude that happens. Oct had a guitar since I was 8 but never had lessons. I'm not really good but its a hobby and I plan on playing a lot more now that I got another acoustic. http://img.tapatalk.com/a6f88b7a-931c-167e.jpg
Got this for Christmas already had the case. It came with my alvarez that got stolen

Sent from my Thunderbolt because iPhags suck

[Zeppelin]

My main problem that im having is switching in between chords, like going from say a G to C... i guess this will get better with time and practice?
yes sir. just like when you first learned to drive.

i'll say this, my fingers are hurting like a BITCH..
it'll feel like that for at least 6 months...until you develop some calluses.

no pain, no gain!

[DGRIFF24]

it'll feel like that for at least 6 months...until you develop some calluses.

no pain, no gain!

Thats right! It's sooooo worth it so far! I can't get enough!

Aside from blisters forming i dont plan on taking a break!

[Zeppelin]

oh, one more thing I wanted to add.

a MAJOR mistake rookie (no offense) guitarists make, is that they don't exercise their pinky finger.

I know it feels really awkward, but use it as often as possible, trust me.

[DGRIFF24]

oh, one more thing I wanted to add.

a MAJOR mistake rookie (no offense) guitarists make, is that they don't exercise their pinky finger.

I know it feels really awkward, but use it as often as possible, trust me.

Ah this is true, my pinky isn't getting used hardly ever... what can i exactly do to work with it?

[cnpayne]

Use it when you do a g chord. And d you can hammer on and pull off the e string

Sent from my Thunderbolt because iPhags suck

[DGRIFF24]

G chord is my favorite! haha

But i will do, ive been playing stuff with mostly g chords in it so.

[generaltaco]

ghs strings = AMAZING
I dont play but I build mandolins along with my grandpa who can play anything and if he cant give him a month and he'll be playing it like its nothing

Pics of one of said mandolins were on number 17

http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/63/1d1597344e889c0f2ceb557bd1d12394/l.jpg

http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/57/1eeec2f43222159b1c2c81a8348f1aa4/l.jpghttp://i42.tinypic.com/1zbtqbn.jpg

[cnpayne]

Nice work. I like d addario strings

Sent from my Thunderbolt because iPhags suck

[DGRIFF24]

Very nice stuff!