Question:
Re-Learning Guitar (again)?
Dan The Man
2013-12-08 22:08:08 UTC
Howdy, i'm picking up guitar once again, but really want to stick with it for good. Before i knew some basic chords and one or two intros but that was kind of it. This time around i got the ultimate guitar app from itunes which has been a huge help and great resource, and i've just been trying to learn various songs to build up muscle memory. (Sticking to mostly chord charts for songs because i feel trying to learn riffs and multiple intros is a tad much this early on) I was wondering if any body had any tips to help me really learn this beautiful instrument as best as possible. Techniques, resources, guitars to buy (want to stick with either acoustic or acoustic-electric for now) and other really helpful accessories. Could anyone lend a hand?
Six answers:
Max
2013-12-09 01:46:41 UTC
Firstly, let's talk about the guitar itself.

When it comes to choosing between acoustic and electro-acoustic, there really is no difference in playability, save for (of course) that electro-acoustics can be directly plugged into an amp. And even then, sometimes you get better quality just by putting an acoustic up next to a mic. Now choosing an acoustic and electric are somewhat different, because in the end an electric is mostly controlled by external controls (amps, pedals, etc.) while acoustics/EAs (for electro-acoustics) actually require a certain shape in order to properly make sound. You have to decide what sound you feel is best for you - mellow and soft? Bright and bitey? Or somewhere in between? A lot of this is based on going into your store and just playing (for this, just play a G chord - Google it), and getting a good feel for the instrument. My personal favorite guitars are Guild guitars and Taylor guitars. I find that Taylor makes guitars more in the middle, and Guild makes guitars more on the bright and bitey end.



In terms of accessories, you'll definitely want to get a tuner. Get a clip-on tuner, because they're usually the smallest and they clip directly onto the instrument, giving the most accurate reading. Of course, if you have a smartphone, you can probably get a free tuner (though not as effective).

Also, buy a trigger capo. The ones where you screw in manually are generally cheaper, but they're a pain to put on and take off. Trigger capos are just put on/put off, and when not in use you can clip them on to the headstock. In case you didn't know, capos basically change the relative position of the nut, so you don't have to play barre chords.

Of course you'll want to get a few picks. As a beginner, choose thinner ones - not as good for intros and riffs, but good to get started on strumming.

Get a guitar cleaning cloth, for obvious reasons. Note that you can also use this to clean your strings.

Get a peg winder when you need to change strings. You don't need one, but I can tell you from experience that it's a HUGE pain if you don't have one. Try to find one with a built-in wire cutter.

You could get guitar polish, but you probably won't need it for a while.



One more thing that's nice, but not required:

A slide is essentially a metal or glass tube that goes on your finger, allowing for an entirely different style of play. It's generally more difficult, so don't bother getting one now.



Resources:

Use songsterr.com and ultimate-guitar.com for tabs - UG is good for quick tabs, and Songsterr is good for tabs with rhythm. Of course there are other out there, but these are (I think) two of the most extensive databases.

Marty Schwartz on YouTube has a bunch of good beginner videos. He's on like three different channels, so check them all out.



Techniques:

Barre chords, which are chord shapes that can be played anywhere on the fretboard

Scales, which are also shapes that can be played anywhere

Improvising, which is linked to learning scales. This will not come quickly nor easily, so be patient

Fingerpicking/fingerstyle, which allows for more solo-type songs (Nothing Else Matters, Blackbird, Tears in Heaven...)

Slap style (usually meant for bass). For guitar, this is kind of a subset of fingerstyle, but whatever. If you can learn this, you have a skill that many guitarists do not.



Also, I'm gonna guess you follow AH? :D
2013-12-08 23:52:34 UTC
I went through the same exact situation. when I picked up the guitar again after a few years, it was really challenging at first.



I mostly started by getting chords to easy songs from my favorite bands. YouTube is a good place to start. Just look up tutorial on songs that have simple chord progressions that you enjoy. once you get used to it, you can move on to more advanced songs and eventually branch out and create your own stuff...



Guitars: it depends on the sound you want. But Martin, Taylor, Epiphone, Takamine, and Seagull make good acoustics. you can look up these guitars on YouTube and you choose whichever one sounds best to you (although some are more expensive than others)



Hope this helps!!
Miss Led
2013-12-08 23:15:55 UTC
Buy yourself a Mel Bay music theory book (yes, a BOOK). I always liked Mel Bay the best. Something for beginners, would be good.

Buy a capo. A lot of songs require one, or the ability to play in higher keys, using bar chords. As a beginner, that will be too much for your hand to take (don't want to give yourself tendonitis). The capo will help you a great deal.

Buy a good tuner. I like the standard Korg tuner, for acoustic guitar. For electric, I like the Boss Chromatic tuner.

Learn your keys! Its really easy to memorize your keys. That way, when you find a song that you feel is too low or too high for you, you can transpose to a higher or lower key.
2014-09-02 10:26:54 UTC
Hi, I've followed many online guitar courses. Without a shadow of doubt the best online training course (for all levels: beginners/intermediates/advanced) is this one http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=554. It's by far the most complete online course available on earth.



For more information click here: http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=554

Bye Bye
Awkward Nerd
2013-12-09 01:38:04 UTC
Guitar is a boring instrument. I've had way more fun playing accordion.
Arthur
2013-12-08 23:47:18 UTC
If you'll type into google "guitar basics for beginners", "learning guitar basics", etc. I'm sure, you'll find good courses, books, examples and theory to start learning.


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