Learning to Play Guitar

[Guest db99wj]

I tried once when I was a kid, didn't get past Smoke on the Water.

I can't sing. I can barely keep a beat and I will mess that up. I think I'm ADD.....what was I saying...Oh, yes, pretty much tone deaf.

Is it possible to learn, just to play basic stuff, even though I don't think I have the ability to learn it, remember it, and to be able to put stuff together to make some resemblance of music.

[Sandman]

I can't sing...I have ADD...but I'm not all the way tone deaf and I can play fairly well. So to answer your question yes, you can learn. Like anything, it will take time and practice.

[Guest jackdm3]

There's an APP for that! Most CAN learn. I can show you if you can get past your frustration.

[Guest db99wj]

I don't even have a guitar at this point. Just something that is on my bucket list, learn to play. Went to a concert this weekend and got me thinking.

[Mike.357]

just for you db

1. Step one: If you don't own a guitar the first step is pretty obvious, your going to have to buy one. Now you don't need to buy anything expensive at this stage because your just learning. Go to your local music store and buy a cheap acoustic or electric guitar for approx. $70 -$150.

2. Step two: Now you will need a simple guitar chord book for beginners, to show you how to place your fingers on the fret board to play some very basic chord patterns. Most popular songs can be played on just three chord shapes believe it or not. Eg. A, D, E. (Learn these three chords first)

3. Step three Ok this is where the fun begins. Open your beginner's chord book and place your fingers on the black dots indicated on the fret board. ( Chords A, D, & E ) This will feel really weird at first if this is your first time. Then strum down the strings and you will hear the first sounds of your first chord.

That's it, it's as simple as one, two three.

Guitar Lessons For Beginners - 3 Easy Steps - Play in One Week

Nothing to it

[Guest db99wj]

My son wants to learn, this might be something we can do together, hmmm, this could be something cool.

[Motasyco]

I've been practicing for about 45 years. Got three chords down pretty good.

[gregintenn]

Yes you can. The key is wanting to.

[Mike.357]

I've been practicing for about 45 years. Got three chords down pretty good.

Grand Funk Railroad did pretty well with three chords.

[Guest Jamie]

Db99wj... here ya go:

If you can follow simple instructions, this guy should be able to help you out.

Three Chord Guitar.com/. Plus, he's funny as hell.

There's also tons of things on YouTube. Just type "Guitar Lesson" into the search bar. Add a song title behind that if you want to look for something specific to learn.

Oh, and you can buy a chord book, or you can just print something off the internet... there's plenty out there.

One last link... it may or may not be of any use to ya... : Guitar Lessons for Beginners

There's even info there on how to go about choosing a guitar, here.

[memphismason]

I have been practicing for 12 years. I enjoy it. I use to play in church. Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I do.

[peejman]

If you really want to learn, particularly with your son, I strongly suggest finding a good teacher and take some lessons.

I was self-taught for nearly 10 yrs. Then I took some lessons and spent 6 months unlearning some bad habits and technique problems that hindered my progression. I learned more in 2 years taking lessons than I did teaching myself with books and such in 10 years. You'll also be far more motivated to practice when you have to go "perform" for your instructor regularly.

If you decide to go it alone, there's a variety of instructional DVD's available now that will get you going much faster than staring at a chord book.

[E4 No More]

Or: Gibson Guitar Lessons: Learn to Play The Guitar With Free Online Guitar Lessons and Guitar Playing Videos and Tabs

[Guest mustangdave]

LOL...I'm going DEAF...and STILL play....my dogs howl at me so I figure I have an appreciative audience

[Guest db99wj]

I mentioned this to my son, that we might learn together and his eyes lit up. Thanks for the replies so far.

[memphismason]

I mentioned this to my son, that we might learn together and his eyes lit up. Thanks for the replies so far.

Hey man, now that I live in a nicer neighborhood and in a nicer house, I am inclined to have more guest over. You guys could come by one day and we can talk and I can show yall some basic chords and what not.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Nowadays the playability of most inexpensive geetars is very good. In the bad old days that was not true. You want something playable enough that finger pain will not initially discourage. After playing some, you will kill off the nerve endings in your fingers and it won't hurt anymore.

Most acoustic guitars are more work to play than electric guitars. With acoustic guitars, there is more space to put your fingers and it is not so crowded to get inexpert fingers to go to the correct places, and it is easier to pluck the string you actually intended to pluck with your picking hand. But it is a lot less work to play fancy on electric guitars.

None of that matters to expert guitarists-- They can play great on any old beat-up geetar regardless of how rotten.

Electric geetars are more pitch-sensitive to how hard you press on the strings. You have to provide a certain amount of finger pressure to get the note to speak, but too much finger pressure bends a note sharp. Inexpert players have trouble with this because the easy-to reach strings get pushed too hard, and the hard-to-reach strings don't get pushed as hard. So even if the geetar is in perfect tune, the chords can speak out of tune from imperfect grip on all the different strings. Acoustic geetars are usually more forgiving of this than electric geetars. From my experience, Strat-type electric necks are easier to play in-tune than Gibson Les Paul type necks. Fret spacing on typical Gibson-style necks gives you more leeway to screw it up.

Am not saying that stuff to discourage. I'm a keyboardist who has been attempting to play guitar (badly) for decades. It is easier for me to play in tune on acoustic guitars or strat-type necks. Just about anybody on the planet has better fine-finger-control and guitar aptitude than I do. I know exactly what notes should be played on a geetar, just can't play them reliably.

Playing piano in bands so many years with expert guitarists, the touch is so important to proficiency. Sometimes not-bad amateur guitarists would sit in on the main guitarist's axe. The guitar would sound horribly out of tune for the amateur sit-in, even though the amateur was playing the correct notes.

Then when the real guitarist gets back on stage, the guitar is magically back in tune without the guitarist having to tweak any tuners. The good guitarists fine-adjust tuning as they play using fine finger pressure adjustment, finger by finger, chord by chord. They do it unconsciously. My expert guitarist buddies look at me like I'm crazy when I describe to them what they are doing. Often guitarists with that level of skill don't know they are doing it, and think it is something natural that anyone can do.

[Guest guardlobo]

I have a friend with very little musical talent who did not play any instruments until he was around 40 years old. He picked up the mandolin, guitar and two or three other instruments and less than 5 years later started touring the country with a gospel group. So there is plenty of hope for you.

Getting a rather nice guitar for starters is usually a good way to motivate yourself. After all you won't want to waste $1000 for nothing.

[jeffmem]

One of the best resources on the net for learning to play:

Free guitar lessons : Complete Beginners Method and loads of Blues, Jazz and rock : Learn how to play Guitar free here!

Also if you have a Mac the lessons built in to garage band are good.

[E4 No More]

I started the guitar a few months ago at 49. I started with a guitar because I thought that was logical, but what I really wanted to learn is the bass guitar. I've had a few lessons, and really like it, but I get frustrated because life gets in the way of practice, and my fingers are so big that I have to cheat: using two fingers for the "A" chord instead of three.I have switched to the bass now, and find it much easier on big hands. If the guitar is the way you want to go then go for it. Doing it with your child is even better. Don't throw away that opportunity.

[Guest Jamie]

I started the guitar a few months ago at 49. I started with a guitar because I thought that was logical, but what I really wanted to learn is the bass guitar. I've had a few lessons, and really like it, but I get frustrated because life gets in the way of practice, and my fingers are so big that I have to cheat: using two fingers for the "A" chord instead of three.I have switched to the bass now, and find it much easier on big hands. If the guitar is the way you want to go then go for it. Doing it with your child is even better. Don't throw away that opportunity.

I started about a year and a half ago at 46. Then life got in the way and I put it down for about 6 months. Currently back to torturing the poor thing.

I've been around guitar players all my life, with 2 family members that have played professionally, so even though I haven't picked one up 'til recently, I know guitars fairly well. Setting up the action on mine to suit myself was no big deal at all.

Speaking of finger space, pay attention to the nut width of whatever you buy. ( The nut is the piece that the strings cross over at the top of the neck. ) Guitar necks vary in width, and a wider one will give you more room between the strings, obviously, but will also cause you to have to reach further. Narrower will be just the opposite.

And if the action is too high, it'll be more work to push down and hold the strings on the frets. This can be lowered by a guitar tech, for a price. Generally an electric is much easier to play due to having a lower action than an acoustic. Best bet all the way around is to go into a music shop and see what you like and what suits you. ( Guitars are sort'a like guns in that regard; best bet is to always handle one before you make a choice. )

Oh, and one last bit of advice:

Don't let learning to play a guitar become work. Keep it fun. Practice often, but don't become a slave to it. Practice for long enough, and study anything and everything that comes your way, and eventually you'll beat it into submission.

[Guest mustangdave]

I actually switched from steel string acoustic guitars (still have em) to a nylon strung classical style guitar...the nylon strings are as bad on your finger tips and the neck is a bit wider....