So, i'm learning guitar.

[Dogstile]

Its really fun. I can't strum fast, i know how to play like the opening riff of seven nation army (because thats like, super hard and like, WHOA, EXTREME, EXTREEEEEME MAN) and i can read tabs.

So, do you guys have any hints, tips or whatever for starting out. And if anyone took that seven nation army thing seriously, please, turn your humour on.

 

[theincurabletragedy]

Give up six-string, play bass. worked for me.

 

[randomsix]

FREEBIRD!

OT: practice?

 

[BonsaiK]

I'm a guitar teacher and I'm here in a guitar thread telling you to practice a whole lot, and that's really all you need to worry about. Also, get a guitar teacher if you haven't got one - preferably me, so I can make some money.

 

[ethaninja]

When you do barre chords, it's about the straightness of your finger, rather then the tightness of your grip. Also, check out Elmore Music. They do tutorials and such.

 

[Dogstile]

I'm a guitar teacher and I'm here in a guitar thread telling you to practice a whole lot, and that's really all you need to worry about. Also, get a guitar teacher if you haven't got one - preferably me, so I can make some money.

if you live local to farnborough i'd definately give you a try, alas, i have my doubts

I am managing to practise a hell of a lot though. I kinda keep my guitar in sight so i can pick it up and play around whenever i fancy a go at killing music

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

The best thing I ever did was learn how to improvise. I'm hardly knowledgable of theory, but I have a working understanding of blues music...and it's a joy, basically.

 

[BonsaiK]

I'm a guitar teacher and I'm here in a guitar thread telling you to practice a whole lot, and that's really all you need to worry about. Also, get a guitar teacher if you haven't got one - preferably me, so I can make some money.

if you live local to farnborough i'd definately give you a try, alas, i have my doubts

I am managing to practise a hell of a lot though. I kinda keep my guitar in sight so i can pick it up and play around whenever i fancy a go at killing music

I have no idea where Farmborough is but since I don't know where it is I can only assume it's at least a few thousand miles and a vast expanse of water away from where I am.

Keeping your guitar in sight (and always out of its case) is a good strategy. Preferably have it somewhere that you can pick up and play it in an instant (near the computer chair is good for game addicts), and you can practice shit while waiting for something to load or whatever. Make sure you play a little every day but you're better off doing 10 minutes in short bursts per day than big hour-length sessions once or twice a week. Daily reinforcement is what will make you better, big slog-sessions will just make you hate the thing.

 

[Sazaranthran]

Just play all the time. Never give up and always try new things. Worked for me and it could not have been more satisfying. And seven nation army...dude...that stumped me for 6 months, I mean...like...woah...

 

[Dogstile]

The best thing I ever did was learn how to improvise. I'm hardly knowledgable of theory, but I have a working understanding of blues music...and it's a joy, basically.

Improvisation is one of the biggest yays of guitaring for me. I had a friend over and we just took turns playing whatever we came up with. My guitar was (and still is, need to buy a damn tuner) out of tune so we ended up just playing loud and fast. It was hilarious.

I'm a guitar teacher and I'm here in a guitar thread telling you to practice a whole lot, and that's really all you need to worry about. Also, get a guitar teacher if you haven't got one - preferably me, so I can make some money.

if you live local to farnborough i'd definately give you a try, alas, i have my doubts

I am managing to practise a hell of a lot though. I kinda keep my guitar in sight so i can pick it up and play around whenever i fancy a go at killing music

I have no idea where Farmborough is but since I don't know where it is I can only assume it's at least a few thousand miles and a vast expanse of water away from where I am.

Keeping your guitar in sight (and always out of its case) is a good strategy. Preferably have it somewhere that you can pick up and play it in an instant (near the computer chair is good for game addicts), and you can practice shit while waiting for something to load or whatever. Make sure you play a little every day but you're better off doing 10 minutes in short bursts per day than big hour-length sessions once or twice a week. Daily reinforcement is what will make you better, big slog-sessions will just make you hate the thing.

Cheers. I've actually found i've had the time lately to do an hour session a day, and any time i get bored, i've got COD or something to remind me that guitar is indeed the more rewarding option.

I've had it for three weeks and i've not yet found a reason to put it down yet aside from "DAMN FINGERS, MOVE FASTER".

also, I'm guessing the trick to switching chords is practise?

Just play all the time. Never give up and always try new things. Worked for me and it could not have been more satisfying. And seven nation army...dude...that stumped me for 6 months, I mean...like...woah...

Its only the opening riff, i'm working on the next part now, then i'm going to try to connect it all up. I expect success a few months down the line.

 

[D-Mc-G]

Like most of the others said, playing everyday with practise and just a mess around for yourself helps a lot. I usually would end up playing for a couple of hours with just my own thing after doing whatever exercises I was given.

Also having your guitar somewhere in the house where you can pick up and play easily without other people getting in your way/interrupting you is pretty important.

Learning to tune your guitar is also pretty important, getting a nice sound out of it helps the enthusiasm

And change the strings on your guitar at least once every 2 months if not 1 month!

 

[BonsaiK]

I've had it for three weeks and i've not yet found a reason to put it down yet aside from "DAMN FINGERS, MOVE FASTER".

also, I'm guessing the trick to switching chords is practise?

Yes, that is correct. It's like driving a manual car. At first you have to tax your brain and think about it carefully all the time, then after a while the "muscle memory" part of the brain takes over and does it all for you. Eventually it gets to the point where you can talk on a mobile phone, perv at someone across the street and do it all at the same time.

 

[Sazaranthran]

[quote="dogstile" post="18.231243.8086524"
Its only the opening riff, i'm working on the next part now, then i'm going to try to connect it all up. I expect success a few months down the line.[/quote]

Nah, I was joking again, I never had the interest to learn the whole song...but the chorus is pretty much the riff on power chords...and it's done on a really odd tuning on a seven-string guitar...so yeah...Good luck!

 

[Dogstile]

Nah, I was joking again, I never had the interest to learn the whole song...but the chorus is pretty much the riff on power chords...and it's done on a really odd tuning on a seven-string guitar...so yeah...Good luck!

Luckily i found 6 string tabs. It won't sound the same, but i don't really mind, the songs not to hard and it'll help get me switching notes without having to think so much.

Like most of the others said, playing everyday with practise and just a mess around for yourself helps a lot. I usually would end up playing for a couple of hours with just my own thing after doing whatever exercises I was given.

Also having your guitar somewhere in the house where you can pick up and play easily without other people getting in your way/interrupting you is pretty important.

Learning to tune your guitar is also pretty important, getting a nice sound out of it helps the enthusiasm

And change the strings on your guitar at least once every 2 months if not 1 month!

Yeah, i've been asking my brother if he can give me 15 minutes to myself every time i want to play. Of course he might be interpreting that differently, because immaturity is everywhere XD

What's the reasoning behind changing the strings so often anyway? I can do it but i'd rather be saving my money until December first but if the reasonings "they'll be more likely to snap" or something then i suppose i can spare some cash XD

I've had it for three weeks and i've not yet found a reason to put it down yet aside from "DAMN FINGERS, MOVE FASTER".

also, I'm guessing the trick to switching chords is practise?

Yes, that is correct. It's like driving a manual car. At first you have to tax your brain and think about it carefully all the time, then after a while the "muscle memory" part of the brain takes over and does it all for you. Eventually it gets to the point where you can talk on a mobile phone, perv at someone across the street and do it all at the same time.

Heh, i thought so XD I suppose that makes sense, or i can't imagine the amount of concentration someone like, lets go for someone well known ish...

synyster gates has to play

Edit: slow response means not here for awhile

 

[Outright Villainy]

I've had it for three weeks and i've not yet found a reason to put it down yet aside from "DAMN FINGERS, MOVE FASTER".

also, I'm guessing the trick to switching chords is practise?

Yes, that is correct. It's like driving a manual car. At first you have to tax your brain and think about it carefully all the time, then after a while the "muscle memory" part of the brain takes over and does it all for you. Eventually it gets to the point where you can talk on a mobile phone, perv at someone across the street and do it all at the same time.

Except, I can play guitar, ogle people, even eat a biscuit while playing, but I can't talk at all, let alone sing. Something about talking just completely throws me off. It's pretty annoying. Oh, and I've been playing for 5 years, so it's gonna be hard to fix that...

 

[Superior Mind]

Best tip I can give is to keep finding things to challenge yourself.

After a while you can get tired with the same thing so move it up a notch when you do and learn some more challenging tunes like Nothing Else Matters or some simple-ish solos like Comfortably Numb, (which is really just a pentatonic despite it being one of the most awesome solos ever.)

I've been playing for eight or nine years now and I still love it. I put that down to always setting myself seemingly impossible tasks, (for my skill level at the time.) My first song I set myself was 'Supersystem' by The Feelers, from there "Nothing Else Matters' and 'Comfortably Numb' and "Signe" and so on and so on.

Spoiler: At the moment my set task is to learn this.

The guitar is a fantastically versitile instrument and thre's always something new and challenging to learn.

 

[BonsaiK]

I've had it for three weeks and i've not yet found a reason to put it down yet aside from "DAMN FINGERS, MOVE FASTER".

also, I'm guessing the trick to switching chords is practise?

Yes, that is correct. It's like driving a manual car. At first you have to tax your brain and think about it carefully all the time, then after a while the "muscle memory" part of the brain takes over and does it all for you. Eventually it gets to the point where you can talk on a mobile phone, perv at someone across the street and do it all at the same time.

Except, I can play guitar, ogle people, even eat a biscuit while playing, but I can't talk at all, let alone sing. Something about talking just completely throws me off. It's pretty annoying. Oh, and I've been playing for 5 years, so it's gonna be hard to fix that...

It's the polyrhythms. What you're experiencing is normal, it's the same reason why some people struggle with patting their head and rubbing their stomach at the same time. Practice is all it takes, in small steps. I was just like you in that respect, until one day I decided to be a singer-songwriter (fuck it, everyone else does it so why not me). I started by trying to play the most rhythmically basic song I possibly could find that I actually liked (in my case "Failure" by Swans), and sing at the same time. I struggled for months but eventually I got it. Then I gradually moved onto slightly harder stuff, and writing my own stuff.

If you want to start down this road yourself, here you go:


If you haven't got Gira's vocal range, transpose it, or find some other similar dirgy song, the slower and simpler, the better.