Learning to play Guitar?

[aKaShia]

I'm thinking about learning to play guitar. I'm just wondering, what's the learning curve like? I understand it will take time and practice. I plan to teach myself/internet tutorials etc.

[Tugoro]

I'll be the piano man :DDD

[Jaketheclonetrooper]

Get a classical guitar first. After that, get an electric guitar. It will be much easier.

[chiefindomer]

If you have any friends that play guitar you should get them to help you out, you'll definitely learn faster that way. I learned guitar in school, they had Guitar l and ll that I took in 11th and 12th grade. But playing with friends helped me learn even more.

[HourglassStudios]

Hey, awesome! Yeah, the guitar is a pretty sweet instrument. Well, the curve isn't TOO bad...first, you have to break in your fingertips (they will hurt you the 1st bunch of times you play, but after awhile it won't hurt). It will take a while until you can do intermediate songs, but stuff like "Smoke on the water" and "Iron Man" shouldn't be too tough.

[MadBoi]

aah learning the guitar good choice =P

I usually use the ultimate guitar site!
I think someone else mentioned using acoustic first and then moving on to electric..this is a good idea, I first learnt on eletric and shredded my fingers on the steel strings O_O

Using a program like GuitarPro 5 will be handy, will time and practice the learning curve shouldn't be hard, unless you feel like learning Dragonforce xD

[ihatetoasters]

Yeah after a few months of playing you'll be playing quite well. That's how long I've been playing and I've already got a song on the Audio Portal!

[chiefindomer]

The way I learned was by learning a few chords and then playing sons that use only those chords that I know. Then when I had that down I learned some more chords and played songs that were all chords that I knew well. Reading tabs is pretty easy just some of the tabs for songs can be difficult to play, but it's easy to read. Make sure you start off with easier songs and keep working your way up. Also, learn power chords before barre chords, and make sure you have built up the strength in your fingers needed to play barre chords, especially if you are playing an accoustic.

Guitar is not hard to learn songs on if you're playing the songs appropriate for your skill level. There are millions of easy songs to learn and you can make up your own by improvising. Just learn some scales and improvise using the notes on those scales. It doesn't take very long to get pretty good. I've never heard of anybody that tried to learn guitar and stuck with it but didn't get any good.

[ihatetoasters]

At 6/18/08 05:45 AM, chiefindomer wrote: The way I learned was by learning a few chords and then playing sons that use only those chords that I know. Then when I had that down I learned some more chords and played songs that were all chords that I knew well. Reading tabs is pretty easy just some of the tabs for songs can be difficult to play, but it's easy to read. Make sure you start off with easier songs and keep working your way up. Also, learn power chords before barre chords, and make sure you have built up the strength in your fingers needed to play barre chords, especially if you are playing an accoustic.

Guitar is not hard to learn songs on if you're playing the songs appropriate for your skill level. There are millions of easy songs to learn and you can make up your own by improvising. Just learn some scales and improvise using the notes on those scales. It doesn't take very long to get pretty good. I've never heard of anybody that tried to learn guitar and stuck with it but didn't get any good.

Yeah I would agree with you 100%. The minor pentatonic scale is the ONLY scale I use for my soloing. You should learn that scale after you've learned some basic chords and solo along to a friend or a CD playing.

[White-Rhyno]

At 6/18/08 05:24 AM, aKaShia wrote: I'm thinking about learning to play guitar. I'm just wondering, what's the learning curve like? I understand it will take time and practice. I plan to teach myself/internet tutorials etc.

The best way to get good fast is to get professional lessons from a decent teacher. It really helps to be able to ask questions, and have someone answer by showing you, rather than just reading it.

I also keep this site handy as a quick reference.

[ManMadeKing]

It's gonna suck hard at first and you'll be tempted to quit, but don't. It'll pay off.

not in money, but it'll pay off.

[White-Rhyno]

At 6/18/08 05:53 AM, ihatetoasters wrote: Yeah I would agree with you 100%. The minor pentatonic scale is the ONLY scale I use for my soloing. You should learn that scale after you've learned some basic chords and solo along to a friend or a CD playing.

Oh man, you are missing out. I used to be like that, because the pentatonic makes it easy to sound cool, then I discovered phrygian, lydian, locrian, and a whole bunch of other scales. Let's not forget arpeggios, too. Check out the link in my previous post, you won't be disappointed.

[Jaketheclonetrooper]

Also, it will be extremely difficult and painful at the start. Just keep practicing,eventually your fingers will get used to it and get callouses.

[infernocpf]

At 6/18/08 05:24 AM, aKaShia wrote: I'm thinking about learning to play guitar. I'm just wondering, what's the learning curve like? I understand it will take time and practice. I plan to teach myself/internet tutorials etc.

Long time its very slow as ur fingers and mucles will not be used to the positons they will be forced into to play certain notes and chords so be warned it will hurt it will be hard but after u will be like a italin guy with a pony tail who know how to say the right things

[butterman27]

im just starting to learn the eletric guitar now! in fact, itshould be coming into the store today!

[UltraPulse]

~First month: You're going to sound like shit, and your fingers will hurt.
~Third Months: You'll probably know most of the basic chords (ABCDEFG/Minors)
~I'm too lazy to remember but, for at least 7 month's you'll sound like shit so just don't give up and practice everyday.

[acez0spad3s]

At 6/18/08 05:27 AM, Jaketheclonetrooper wrote: Get a classical guitar first. After that, get an electric guitar. It will be much easier.

its called accustic

and if you really want to get good, practice every day

[chaw]

do what I do - I taught myself the guitar, and over the past year, just from sitting at my computer and twiddling away, I've actually gotten pretty good. just sit down and whenever you get the urge or get a bit bored, visit a tab site and try to learn one of the easier songs. just take it slowly, and while you may not notice it, you'll improve very quickly.

[evil-clown-12]

I started learning guitar years ago and now I play acoustic, electric and as of last year bass. It's really fun and easy to just print off what ever you want.

[tehsloth]

This will tell you everything you need to know.

[Armissea]

Play guitar hero :P

[Kalibur]

I've been trying to learn, but it's damned hard to remember tabs when your short term memory is shit. I can get the song memorized, but it just takes me a whole deal longer.

[4Doctodragon]

Don't go in for lessons, I went for a year and learned nothing. So I quit and now I want to teach myself synthesizers instead.

[CowBoyKyle]

At 6/18/08 06:40 PM, acez0spad3s wrote:

At 6/18/08 05:27 AM, Jaketheclonetrooper wrote: Get a classical guitar first. After that, get an electric guitar. It will be much easier.

its called accustic

and if you really want to get good, practice every day

Its called Acoustic.
and practice. I play guitar.

[holy-schat]

get a teacher, but make sure to let them know you actually want to learn things besides how to play songs. many teachers seem to like just sticking to teaching all the same classic rock songs over and over. learning songs is a great way to get started with guitar and get used to the fretboard and everything, but after a month or so you will want to move on to actual technique.

[chiefindomer]

At 6/18/08 07:15 PM, Kalibur wrote: I've been trying to learn, but it's damned hard to remember tabs when your short term memory is shit. I can get the song memorized, but it just takes me a whole deal longer.

After a while of playing, you won't even really need to think about the tabs of a song you can play, you just know how it sounds and your hands do the rest. Kind of like typing, I couldn't tell you the order the keys are in without looking but I can type fast without looking or thinking about where the keys are at. It's really weird how it happens. There are some songs that when I try to think of what the notes are, I can't remember, but when I try playing the song it comes out perfect.

[TheSilverGuitar]

At 6/18/08 05:27 AM, Jaketheclonetrooper wrote: Get a classical guitar first. After that, get an electric guitar. It will be much easier.

That's how I learned. Good method because the sudden change gives you more finger room.

[TheSilverGuitar]

At 6/18/08 06:40 PM, acez0spad3s wrote:

At 6/18/08 05:27 AM, Jaketheclonetrooper wrote: Get a classical guitar first. After that, get an electric guitar. It will be much easier.

its called accustic

Classical and acoustic are different. Classicals are typically smaller and have nylon strings.

[chiefindomer]

Another important thing is learning to tune a guitar, if your guitar is out of tune and you can't tune it, you're fucked and everything you play will sound like shit.

[Valjylmyr]

Acoustic guitars are much harder to play than electric, the strings are thicker and harder to press(unless you use nylon, which I don't reccomend). Start with an acoustic and it will come more natural faster.