Starting the guitar- yes? Maybe?

[In The Woods]

I've become interested in learning guitar, to the point of actually going down to the local music store and trying one out. The issue isn't which guitar to buy, but where to start? I would like to learn the basics with the idea of moving on to trying out different styles of playing, but I don't really want to commit to any particular style and learn that to the exclusion of others, at least not right away. Can any of you guitar players give me some suggestions about what I should be looking for in a teacher, for a complete beginner? How long would you recommend I take lessons? (I guess this is a question comparable to, "How long is a piece of string?") Do you have any stories about what to avoid as well? I do play Highland pipes, some pennywhistle, and flute, and I can read music. But I'm a complete tyro when it comes to where to begin with a guitar.

I play all of these instruments because it's fun!!!!

Thanks to all who reply.

With best regards,

Steve Mack

PS: The guitar I've determined to buy if I start is a Taylor Big Baby.

[Screeeech!!!]

My advice...

Determine what style you want to play and what you want to sound like.

Find a teacher who can teach this. Guitar forums will probably be a good place to find info on teachers near you.

Buy the guitar that can give you that sound in that style. A good teacher will be able to advise on this.

Stick with it, it can be very painful until the callouses build up. The guitar is a very difficult instrument to play properly and takes a long time to learn.

[missy]

my advice?

Get a mountain dulcimer instead!!
No wrapping your hand around something.....
You can be playing a recognizable song in 5 minutes.....
A lot of dulcimers play in the key of D....... (no F chord to learn).
You can play it as simple or as complicated as you want.......

Take a look around our site, listen to our MP3s (Tom's playing "regular" dulcimer, I'm playing bass dulcimer). Or get on:
http://www.everythingdulcimer.com

[tschuler]

Learn your basic chords and strumming patterns as well as some scales. That should give you a solid foundation to move on to any type of music you like. Any teacher that is worth talking to should be able to get you going on the basics. If they just teach you how to play Smoke On the Water, go find another teacher

[Martin Milner]

Learn your basic chords and strumming patterns as well as some scales. That should give you a solid foundation to move on to any type of music you like. Any teacher that is worth talking to should be able to get you going on the basics. If they just teach you how to play Smoke On the Water, go find another teacher

To extend what tschuler rightly says, start learning your chords. The basics are A, C, D, E, G. B and F chords require you to learn to Bar (or Barre) your index finder across the strings, and are harder, but worth practising.

Get a capo for your guitar.

Once you can hold all the basic chords and strum them cleanly, you can start shifting from one to another and back, then one to a second to a third. G-C-D-G, D-G-A-D are useful progressions that occur a million times in songs and tunes. The progression is I-IV-V-I.

Once you can shift chords cleanly and in rhythm (at this point, just strumming the strings with your fingers or a pick or plectrum), learn the 7th chords, A7, C7, E7 etc, which are useful, and minors.

On top of this, you can practise right hand fingerpicking techniques, such as T-I-M-R-M-I (Thumb, Index, Middle, Ring, Middle, Index), and alternating basses with the thumb, usually the 6th and 4th or 5th and 4th string, depending on the chords. You can also practise this pattern with a pick. You shouldn't be resting your right hand on the guitar for picking, either with fingers or plectrum, though many people do and still play brilliantly, but it can choke up wrist movement.

Keep your left hand nails short (if you're right handed). For the right hand, you can use long nails, or if you prefer, finger and thumbpicks are possible. I never got comfortable with them, and prefer the immediate contact of nail on string.

Try a bunch of different thicknesses of plectrum to see what you prefer.

Be prepared to have sore pads and, later, calluses on your left hand (I'm assuming you're right handed). Guitar, especially steel string, is hard on the fingers until you're used to it. Keep practise time to 1/2 hour a day until your fingers toughen up.

Get a songbook of favourite tunes with not too many difficult chords, so you can sing & play - even a basic song accompanied by a I-IV-V progression is more interesting than just strumming away.

Once you can do all this, and it could take a year to 18 months, then I'd suggest looking for a teacher, either a group class or individual if you can afford it. I don't think a teacher is necessary until you've mastered at the very least the basic, 7th and minor chords, and have a good rhythmic strum in all the standard regular rhythms.

Oh, and get your left hand pinky working on those chords - you'll need it for many things, and it'll be weak.

[brianormond]

-I had good luck at a Michigan "Y" with small group lessons (5-8 people) to get started. Inexpensive, supportive, and fun with a wide range of styles shown and taught by a skilled musician.

-Its a little early (IMHO) to concentrate on just one style, but basics learned well now will serve you well in any style you like later. Pick up the basics (some music theory, transposition, common chords,tunings, arpeggios, hammering on/off, fingerpicking, strumming, melody/backup basics, etc.) to make any style possible.

[Miwokhill]

Consider taking a group class at a community college. This will give you some time as well to learn chords and develop some strumming rhythm and technique which is just as challanging, if not more so, than changing chords. Then when you get some coordination after a couple of months or so you could get into some private lessons.

Alot of people probably learned some basics from just playing with their friends who play and learning chords to some popular tunes.

One other starting point might be to get a chord chart or look up how to make the most commen basic chords- G C D A E D and practice just going from one to another while just giving the strings a single strum with a pick. This will get you used to changing chords and strumming will give you a feel for that but more than that you can hear if you're fretting the chords cleanly i.e. not hitting any adjacent strings and deadening the notes. ...This changing from one chord to another is probably the first hurdle to overcome, so just form the G chord and slowly strum to make sure you're sounding the notes cleanly (with the fingertips and not laying the fingers down where they hit adjacent strings) then go to the C chord and now back to the G...and of course mix it up going from one chord to another. ...then if you go and take lessons, private or otherwise, you won't be so spastic when it comes to the all important chord changing.

(sorry, I'm sort of repeating some of what Martin and Brian just suggested)

[Kar]

I started learning the guitar and once I could fiddle my way thru most basic songs, I discovered something MORE fun and much EASIER - the ukulele.

I know - don't laugh. It's a sweet little instrument with the portability almost of a whistle (well, not quite). Only four strings make it not very intimidating and it's a gentle sound even when you do play. You can sit on any session and never offend anyone because no one will hear you but you.

I try to champion the uke whenever I can!

[Uilleann915]

Come teach me Highland pipes (or Uilleann?) and I'll teach you to play guitar.

But really....just get yourself a few chord books, maybe some scales....and make it fun. You can play a million songs with just 3 chords, and when you're learning songs and having fun, practicing doesn't feel like work. I've been playing 12 years, and can't even remember the progression from beginner to solid player....my interest was held. Hopefully it will be the same for you. As a beginner, I do suggest light strings. Sets are labeled by the gauge of the high E string....for a beginner I would go with .009 if you're playing electric, .010 or .011 for an acoustic. This will minimize pain in your fingertips as you develop calluses. Good luck!

[Ro3b]

A group class is an excellent idea. That way you have a little group of "comrades in arms" rather than plinking away in loneliness.

That Talyor looks like a good choice to me. Just make sure it's set up properly. Most reputable retailers (e.g., Elderly Instruments will take care of that as a matter of course, but some of the big online retailers (e.g., Musician's Friend) don't.

I'd also suggest you use silk-and-steel strings till your calluses have built up.

[Wormdiet]

Get a good accoustic that has good intonation and can be set up for a good action.

Get some picks.

Learn how to hold it and fret a string.

Learn how to tune it.

and then PLAY with it.

Play melodies you already know

Make up melodies.

Play two notes at once.

Figure out when two notes sound good or bad together. Then add some more.



All of the formal training and concepts, IMO, are secondary to just messing around with a guitar and getting a good, visceral sense of how the instrument works. Guitars are fantastic for this, unlike, say, UP's. Guitas are incredibly conducive to experimentation and self teaching.

And get some lessons, too, but my primary point is that you have a better sense of how the instrument works if you learn how to have fun with it from the beginning.

[Jason Paul]

I know this thread was kind of resurrected from a few months ago, but I'd put in a vote for the ukulele as well. Despite the outward appearance, they're not toys, very portable, and fun! They're a bit easier to play than a guitar, and can give a sort of mandolin-like tone to what you're playing at times.

I've played guitar on and off for several years, but I seem to be having more fun with the uke since picking it up less than two months ago.

If you have a hard time taking the ukulele seriously, watch some videos on Youtube. Of course, something by Jake Shimabukuro is probably the most impressive, although not really an appropriate style. It will at least show you what the "lowly" uke is capable of.

For playing, you just play the same chords as a guitar (but the chord shapes are different).

Jason

[In The Woods]

To bring things up to date: I bought the Taylor Big Baby, and I'm starting to work on the recommendations I've gotten here, and from my son-in-law, who's beeen playing for about 30 years. I'm having a grand time with the guitar, even though I can't really play any tunes, yet. But I will keep playing and having fun.

Which is the name of the game, I think.

And yes, I'm still playing my Highland pipes. I even had my interested perked up in getting back to them after a lay-off of some months.

And I still struggle with the flute.

Not so hard to play the whistle. Less embouchuratic...

Thanks to all who replied.

With best regards,

Steve Mack