Learning Guitar

[Douchebag Listener]

I've tried to pick up guitar before but never really committed to it or gotten lesons from anyone other than a buddy of mine who probably isn't the best player or teacher out there. Now, I'd like to really commit to it and I'm wondering if anyone has ever tried to teach themself. Does anyone know any good books or anything? Anyone found any methods that just plain didn't work for them? I might just go get lessons, but I've got a lot of free time on my hands and I'd like to see what I can do on my own. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. Thanks.

[Chimpo]

I tried lessons, but the thing is, a good teacher can be hard to come by. More often than not you basically just get some guy that can play well, and he teaches you how to play some song you want to play, or something he thinks you should know. And then there's the guys that will just basically steal your money while they play complicated jazz in front of you and try and explain it as more of a history lesson.

If you want real lessons about methods and modes, take a music class at a real school.

Otherwise, get Mel Bay's Encyclopedia of Chords, a tuner, and put albums on and learn by ear. You may develop your strum hand technique better that way, and you might get a good sense of being able to pick up songs on the fly. That always helps in a band situation when trying to learn new original material, or if trying to improvise jam.

Tough to say, really.

I've known guys who were just naturals from the moment they touched six strings, and guys like me who put a Sex Pistols or Ramones album on and just slugged it out until I got it right.

[Chimpo]

Oh yeah, one more thing.

Learn the blues scale. It's the easiest thing to get down.



It's all about the box method.

[ol' Cabey leg]

Also for a simple way to just learn songs seach online for some guitar tabs. As long as you have the strum technique and learn how to play the main chords it is a good way to learn some songs quickly.

[ChimneyFish]

I can play guitar, but by no means would i say i'm good. Decent at best.
I mainly play bass and have taught myself.
I can only tell you what I did.
I taught my self by getting all the tab to "BloodSugarSexMagic" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It really taught me strong techniques, as well as being able to feel the basses part in certain riffs.
Someone else could probably give you some good songs to learn. Something challenging but not really complicated.
Or just pick out your favorite group, and find their tabs online.
:smarty: :smarty: :smarty: :smarty:

[khemystri]

Alot of people dont know this, but I played guitars on "Steve The Bear"

Im awful........ Blech. :action-sm

[Guitarzan]

Mel Bay rules, and you have to have the right finger type. Short, fat fingers? Forget it, take up the drums.

[ChimneyFish]

Alot of people dont know this, but I played guitars on "Steve The Bear"

Im awful........ Blech. :action-sm

They haven't played that in awhile(past couple of days). I can't remeber the guitars.
Don't sweat it, though. Your stuff for the show has been brilliant.
I love the "hybrid song".

[Mindriot]

Get a Chord Book and learn all the basic chords. Then learn to read tabliture (which is easy as shit). Then start learning songs off Tab sites. Guitar takes time. Your not going to learn it overnight. Not that you were implying that but.

Just saying

[NightStalker3]

Yeah, my dad played, had a band growing up. I tried to learn once I got to college and fooled with learning over the past 10 years. I just don't have the patience. I can play chords and a few things from Tab, putting it together is another story. I need to stick with it for a longer period of time.

[tattered]

Mel Bay rules, and you have to have the right finger type. Short, fat fingers? Forget it, take up the drums.

not true 100% of the time...i had taken up bass...and well i have kinda stubby fat fingers and i found it alot easier to play then guitar because well the strings have more spacing...hardest part is the long jumps but eh u get used to it...


on the question at hand...my friend frank is pretty much self taught....he can sweep pick....which if u seen it done and know what it is you know how freakin hard it is...not to mention he is an incredible jam musician and can learn any song in about the time it takes to play the song thru 2 times

[whoisisthis]

Get a Chord Book and learn all the basic chords. Then learn to read tabliture (which is easy as shit). Then start learning songs off Tab sites. Guitar takes time. Your not going to learn it overnight. Not that you were implying that but.

Just saying


there it is...just like that



and do yourself a favor and start on an acoustic...prefereably one with pretty high action. It'll build up your fingers and coordination and you'll be kicking ass when you switch to electric.

[Detox]

I have been playing for 14 years and I still suck.

[whoisisthis]

I have been playing for 14 years and I still suck.


hey....you working on anything new for the show?


good shit :)

[Detox]

hey....you working on anything new for the show?


good shit :)


I have had a lack of inspiration show related stuff, however some of my personal projects are gaining speed.

[tysonpunchinguterus]

I play. I started out trying to teach myself, but I found that lessons worked better for me. I actually had a good teacher who taught me based on what I wanted to play and what bands I like instead of trying to turn me into Joe Satriani or something, so it worked out well for me. After a while, though, you can't learn much more without going into the complicated stuff like modes with names nobody can pronounce. I think the best thing about lessons is that there's someone there to give you advice on proper technique for things like bends (which seem easy, but I've seen plenty of people not be able to stop at the right note because they either weren't taught how or didn't pay attention).

A good way to improve your playing once you've gotten pretty good is to try to figure out songs on your own. For me, it helped a lot in terms of not just playing the same minor scale over everything all the time and finding variations of chords besides the usual open and barre chords.