SNOWFLAKE
i have always wanted to play guitar,and i just now got my first one. the problem is i know absolutely nothing about playing guitar and reading the music,or even knowing all the proper terms for the parts of the guitar. i can not afford to go take lessons. do you have any advice to give me on where i need to start to learn to play? any learn how cds or books or even websites that break it down easily for a beginner?? i saw a few websites claiming to be free then when you sign up it wants you to pay. i watched some videos on youtube but they go a little fast for me right now. any serious help would be appreciated. thanks
Answer
Hello there,
There is a lot of useful information online. Yes, there are a lot of come on sites that may big offers of free lessons when try to get you to buy their stuff. Here are some of the instructional materials that I like.
Tabs. You should learn to read tabs. Tabs is a shorthand method of writing guitar music. It is easy to use and easy to learn. Tabs are widely used these days, so you really should learn to read tabs.
http://www.howtotuneaguitar.org/lessons/the-basics/how-to-read-guitar-tab/
Chord book. Back in my day, we had to buy a chord book, now you can get one free online. Here is a link to a chord chart in a PDF file. Down load it to your computer. It is handy to look up how to play any chord.
http://www.guitarnotes.com/guitar/notes2/ultimate11.shtml
Video lessons. Someone suggest Justin. He is good and like his lessons. Here is another that I recommend. This guy has a series of 12 video lessons now available at Youtube. You don't need to go to his website. Disregard his comments about going to his website and signing up so he can send you the lessons. That was from back before they were put on Youtube. You used to have to go sign up and he would email the lessons to you. Now you can see them at Youtube without the hassle of him mailing them to you. He covers the basics very well. He uses an electric guitar in the lessons but most of the material translates very well to the acoustic. These lessons are target at absolute beginners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxhxIV0I5T8&feature=related
When you are ready to tackle some songs, do a Google search of the name of the song and the word tabs. That will give you the sites that have the tabs to that song. Places like Ultimate Guitar Tabs, Ttabs, 911 tabs and the like. Then go to Youtube and do a search there using the song name and the words how to play or the word lesson. You will find a lot of good instructional videos there at Youtube.
Later,
Hello there,
There is a lot of useful information online. Yes, there are a lot of come on sites that may big offers of free lessons when try to get you to buy their stuff. Here are some of the instructional materials that I like.
Tabs. You should learn to read tabs. Tabs is a shorthand method of writing guitar music. It is easy to use and easy to learn. Tabs are widely used these days, so you really should learn to read tabs.
http://www.howtotuneaguitar.org/lessons/the-basics/how-to-read-guitar-tab/
Chord book. Back in my day, we had to buy a chord book, now you can get one free online. Here is a link to a chord chart in a PDF file. Down load it to your computer. It is handy to look up how to play any chord.
http://www.guitarnotes.com/guitar/notes2/ultimate11.shtml
Video lessons. Someone suggest Justin. He is good and like his lessons. Here is another that I recommend. This guy has a series of 12 video lessons now available at Youtube. You don't need to go to his website. Disregard his comments about going to his website and signing up so he can send you the lessons. That was from back before they were put on Youtube. You used to have to go sign up and he would email the lessons to you. Now you can see them at Youtube without the hassle of him mailing them to you. He covers the basics very well. He uses an electric guitar in the lessons but most of the material translates very well to the acoustic. These lessons are target at absolute beginners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxhxIV0I5T8&feature=related
When you are ready to tackle some songs, do a Google search of the name of the song and the word tabs. That will give you the sites that have the tabs to that song. Places like Ultimate Guitar Tabs, Ttabs, 911 tabs and the like. Then go to Youtube and do a search there using the song name and the words how to play or the word lesson. You will find a lot of good instructional videos there at Youtube.
Later,
How long does learning guitar take?
Platinum I
I'm not an impatient person.
I'm taking guitar lessons, and have been for a month now (once a week for half an hour), and I practice every day to the upwards of an hour. I'm still plucking on single strings (and I'm only on the bottom two, as well), and I'm sort of wondering how long it will be before I play something actually good? I mean, playing Jingle Bells on the fifth and sixth strings is great, and I realize Rome wasn't built in a day (As I said, I'm not impatient to get to more complex songs, I'm just curious), and I just want to know how long it will be before I can actually be PLAYING the guitar, and not just plucking on a couple strings.
Thanks!
Answer
Hello there,
You have had 4 lessons so far. That is not a lot. I would have thought you teacher would have to doing a little more by now. I don't know your teacher or the teachers lesson plan so I really cannot comment on that.
Please allow me to suggest this. Why not do a little work on your own. Do what you teacher wants and put in the time to practice that. But after you have finished practicing those lessons, spend a little time with this;
First, here is a video lesson on Youtube. This guy has a series of 12 video lessons there. You can find the others in the related videos section. He covers the basics pretty well. You may have already learned some of this, if so, skip over it. He uses an electric in the lessons but most of the material translates well to the acoustic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBBw1MEOMWI
If you have not already done so, you should learn to read tabs. Tabs is a short hand method of writing guitar music and is widely used these days.
http://www.howtotuneaguitar.org/lessons/the-basics/how-to-read-guitar-tab/
Here is a chord chart in a PDF file. Down load it to your computer. It is handy to look up how to finger some chord you do not know.
http://www.guitarnotes.com/guitar/notes2/ultimate11.shtml
When you want to try to learn some songs, first do a google search for the song name and the word tabs. That will give you some sites that have the guitar tabs for that song. Places like T-tabs, Ultimate tabs and 911 tabs. Then go to Youtube and do a search there using the name of the song and either the work lesson or the works how to play. There are a lot of good instructional videos on Youtube.
Every one wants to play songs right away. I think that is natural and good. I encourage that in beginners. After all, that is why we all play guitars, to make music. After you have practiced your lessons, try learning a song or two. Playing a song shows you why you are learning what you have to learn in the lessons. You are learning tools. You need those tools to play songs. When you start playing songs you see that for yourself and the lessons take on more meaning.
When I tackle a new song. I pick out some part of the song I like. Maybe the intro or maybe a chorus. Just some small part. I play that riff over and over. Start very slowly until I can play it precisely. When I have that riff memorized, I work on getting it up to the proper speed of the song. I play that riff many times for a day or so. Then I start adding more riffs around that one until I have the entire song memorized. I cannot sit down and memorize an entire song. So I take it in bits that I can handle.
I don't think any of that should conflict with what your teacher is having you do. I think it should complement those lessons. Not everyone learns at the same speed. Good students sometimes get sort of anxious to move faster than the lesson plan anticipates. That is all right. I would rather see a beginner wanting to learn more than wanting to learn less.
Later,
Hello there,
You have had 4 lessons so far. That is not a lot. I would have thought you teacher would have to doing a little more by now. I don't know your teacher or the teachers lesson plan so I really cannot comment on that.
Please allow me to suggest this. Why not do a little work on your own. Do what you teacher wants and put in the time to practice that. But after you have finished practicing those lessons, spend a little time with this;
First, here is a video lesson on Youtube. This guy has a series of 12 video lessons there. You can find the others in the related videos section. He covers the basics pretty well. You may have already learned some of this, if so, skip over it. He uses an electric in the lessons but most of the material translates well to the acoustic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBBw1MEOMWI
If you have not already done so, you should learn to read tabs. Tabs is a short hand method of writing guitar music and is widely used these days.
http://www.howtotuneaguitar.org/lessons/the-basics/how-to-read-guitar-tab/
Here is a chord chart in a PDF file. Down load it to your computer. It is handy to look up how to finger some chord you do not know.
http://www.guitarnotes.com/guitar/notes2/ultimate11.shtml
When you want to try to learn some songs, first do a google search for the song name and the word tabs. That will give you some sites that have the guitar tabs for that song. Places like T-tabs, Ultimate tabs and 911 tabs. Then go to Youtube and do a search there using the name of the song and either the work lesson or the works how to play. There are a lot of good instructional videos on Youtube.
Every one wants to play songs right away. I think that is natural and good. I encourage that in beginners. After all, that is why we all play guitars, to make music. After you have practiced your lessons, try learning a song or two. Playing a song shows you why you are learning what you have to learn in the lessons. You are learning tools. You need those tools to play songs. When you start playing songs you see that for yourself and the lessons take on more meaning.
When I tackle a new song. I pick out some part of the song I like. Maybe the intro or maybe a chorus. Just some small part. I play that riff over and over. Start very slowly until I can play it precisely. When I have that riff memorized, I work on getting it up to the proper speed of the song. I play that riff many times for a day or so. Then I start adding more riffs around that one until I have the entire song memorized. I cannot sit down and memorize an entire song. So I take it in bits that I can handle.
I don't think any of that should conflict with what your teacher is having you do. I think it should complement those lessons. Not everyone learns at the same speed. Good students sometimes get sort of anxious to move faster than the lesson plan anticipates. That is all right. I would rather see a beginner wanting to learn more than wanting to learn less.
Later,
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