What kind of guitar is recommended for beginners?

simply me

I'm starting college next month, so it'd be nice to attain a new hobby during stressful nights and dull days.
I want to start learning how to play a guitar, but im not sure what to get!
I'm a beginner, i want an acoustic guitar thats not too costly (below 200$).
The nearest place that sells musical instruments to my residence is guitar center.

Answer
The first thing you have to do is to decide how you plan to play
the guitar. Playing just chords or primarily melodies?

Melody lines are mostly played one note at a time with very
few chord fingering involved in the playing.
Players that only use chords prefer the steel-string acoustic guitar
since it is set up with a slimmer neck than the nylon string guitars
where the neck is approx.2 inches wide and the string a little
more separated. The closer strings are easier for "chord" playing.

The nylon string guitar is also called the "classical" guitar.
This is the preferred instrument for guitarist that play classical
guitar music. Both types of acoustic guitars - nylon or steel strings -
can play any kind of musical style.

Steel(metal)strings are much harder in the fingers than
nylon strings and the majority of steel string players use a
"pick" to play instead of the bare finger/nail tips.
Nylon string players very rarely use a "pick" to play.
The strings are much easier to respond to finger-picking
without any 'soreness" to the fingers.

Steel-string bring out a brighter "metal-like" sound while
the nylon strings bring out a more "mellower" sound.

You should try both types and decide which will be the best for YOU
Don't go by other "players" opinion on this matter.
You will be the one playing the strings of your guitar not them.

In the USA steel-strings acoustic outsell nylon string guitars
by a large number. In Europe and South America nylon strings
guitars sells more.
Be aware that the vast majority of the guitars sold in USA with
a price tag under $900. are manufactured overseas.
They may carry well-known USA brands but they are not
"Made in USA".Similar instruments may carry a different "brand"
but very likely were made by the same machinery overseas.
Example:Takamine-Jasmine-Montana are made for the same
company with different labels-
Jasmine and Montana are identical instruments and carry
different price tags. Difference is Advertisement.

What then to do? Go by sound and overall playability not by
brand name. One last advice: Pick a guitar size like you buy a
pair of shoes. Not One-Size Fits All.
I know of many first time guitar buyers that "give-up" trying to
learn to play because the size of the guitar is either to large
(in scale length) or too big (in overall size in relation to their
physical body and arm size).
Scale-length is the distance between the Nut of the guitar
and the top of the saddle -little white piece inserted into the
bridge of the guitar- Simply this is the length of the part of the
strings that you will pluck when you play. Not the entire length
of the string. The longer the size the more separation
between the frets.
Pleople with a finger spread (form pinky to thumb)
of less than 9 inches should benefit from a short-scale-length.

Many companies describe their instrument is sizes such as 4/4 ,
7/8,3/4, 5/8/ 1/2 but except for the 4/4 that almost always have
a 25.6"scale length the other figures don't mean much until
you try two 3/4 size guitars as an example.
Their scale length will be shorter than "standard "25.6" but one
could be 24.0" and the other 24.5" inches.
Hope this information will be of help in choosing your 1st guitar.

SImple and easy guitar (acoustic) melody for beginner? 10 Pts to best answer?

Jacques

SOme simple tune i cant play that many notes yet. Preferably without chords just the note.

Answer
Try Green Day's Good Riddance as an easy song.

Wild Thing is also very easy to play with a couple of easy chords. (You have to learn chords sooner or later)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1224569391699185492#


Also try "Smoke on the water"
http://www.heartwoodguitar.com/blog/2009/02/03/easy-guitar-songs-for-kids/

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help with finding acoustic guitars?

me

i want to get an acoustic guitar to so i can learn how to play. alot of people have been telling me that i should start off with a really cheap guitar and then once i get better and actually want to keep playing invest in a better guitar. any advice? anyone have any ideas of brands/types of guitars i should look into?

Answer
The acoustic guitars (either nylon strings or steel strings) are the recommended instrument for beginner guitar players to learn how to play.

The electric guitar is most often use to play chords exclusively and first-time players that start with an electric guitar seldom progress into learning the guitar musical staff or develope skills to play the melody line.

Most all good electric guitar players can do well when playing an acoustic guitar because they started to learn with that instrument.

As to price-be aware that regardless of labels most guitars in the "cheap" price range of Under
$200. are made overseas.

I learned from my son who travels often to China for his company manufacturing business that "brands" mean very little in the lower price range since the
same machinery made exactly the same instrument
with the only difference being the "label".

With that in mind your choice could be determined by the seller return warranty if you buy via internet and the "sound" of the guitars you have a chance to play at the local store. "Playability" and "sound" should be your criteria.Choose Sound over Looks

I have bought guitars via internet with good
results and excellent service.
In the "cheap" price range of Under $200.
I could recommend two web stores:
Rondo Music (www.rondomusic.com) and
West Music Co. (www.westmusic.com)

What Type: As a beginner I recommend a nylon string guitar (also called "classical guitar").
You can play any kind of music other guitars play.

Only difference is the sound is "mellower" than a steel-string instrument and less volume than an electric one.

Learning Acoustic Guitar.?

hEY

I wanna learn to play acoustic guitar. (:
Should I get a teacher/instructor, and what kind of acoustic should I buy?
I have no musical experience whatsoever and know nothing about acoustic guitars and stuff. D:
If I learned acoustic, would it be easier learning other instruments like piano?
Don't say start off with piano or any other instrument, because piano doesn't interest me as much, and I'd rather like to learn acoustic. :3

Answer
Nice one! Playing acoustic guitar is great. I would suggest getting a teacher even if it's online. My friend Antonio has a great Free Quick Start Guide for beginners along with 14 video lessons which you can get over here.

http://rhythmguitarzero2hero.com/free-quick-start-guide/

Here's a cool chord guide as well. http://rhythmguitarzero2hero.com/learn-guitar-chords

Learning to play acoustic will definitely help you to play other instruments because you'll be learning about, Rhythm, Harmony and Melody which forms the basis of all music. So if you have an understanding of these concepts it will surely help you when playing piano etc. Techniques will be different but the fundamentals are the same.

Playing acoustic is really great and I filmed a bunch of answers to common questions as well which you can have a look at here. http://rhythmguitarzero2hero.com/resources/frequently-asked-questions/

Feel free to get in touch if you have any more questions.

Cheers and Good Luck!

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How can i improve my guitar licks and the cool acoustic guitar solos?

acoustic guitar melodies for beginners image

Bhanu Shre

I've been playing guitar for over 3 years now and my knowledge of rhythm is all right but i just can't get the licks and solos right. I play the acoustic guitar!

Answer
Finger exercise. you must do it to play solos and licks. Then play a scale through out the fretboard, for example cmaj7 and get familiar with every notes through out the fretboard, and get flexible with your fingers. To play licks go to any guitar teacher, who can show you a lot of licks otherwise download videos of licks. there are thousand of them. But you must know at least these scales, let it be the starter. E minor, A minor , B minor , C maj , D maj , E maj....go through the scales and practice real hard and listen to lot of songs. After being familiar about those scales and licks, try to frame melodies in your mind and play it. go slowly. at first make simple melody lines. Then try to add a lick into it. Then play a progression of chords (you can arpeggio or you can just play with rhythm)and record it.for example play this progression Amaj Dmaj Emaj. Then try to play solo with it . for this progression you can play with Amaj7 scale/E7 scale/D lydian scale....but as a beginner play with A maj7 scale.

there is a lot of things to say. I can't tell everything here. Practice hard bro. Real hard.

What is the best type of acoustic guitar to get?

Aleksander

i want to get an acoustic guitar for x mas and i dont know which one would be the best and not too expensive

Answer
Acoustic guitars come in two basic types.
Nylon strings (also known as "classical") and
Steel strings (also known as "dreadnaught").

Many guitar teachers recommend the nylon string guitar for beginners primarily because they are not
hard on the fingers. They only need 2-4 lbs of pressure
to make a great sound.
Their softer,"mellow" sound is played with the fingers instead of a pick.

Drednought (folk) guitars are good for experience players that have developed greater hand strngth.
They require 6-12 lbs of pressure to produce a good sound.
They have a "crisper" louder sound and are usually played with a pick.-maybe because steel strings are
"hard" on the fingers-.
Both instruments can be used to play all types of music
but for melody lines in music most players prefer the
nylon string guitar, and for back-up and just chord playing they tend to prefer the steel string guitar.

Either instrument can be found at local music stores and internet music sellers at prices ranging from $100 and up for a playable (Not a toy) beginner's guitar.
Anything under $200 will have a "laminated" top which is like a plastic-like film over a thin piece of wood.
This type wil take more "rough-handling" that solid-top guitars. The down-side is that the sound projected will never improved with age (unlik solid-top guitars).
What is sound like when new will be the same years later.
Solid-top guitars will start around $200.and up and they most likely will have either ceder or spruce as the solid-top.
The wood will "age" with playing and the sound will be superior than the "laminated" top guitars.
Because is a solid-top they are more delicate and subject to be affected by temperature changes.

Be aware that most guitars sold in USA under $800. are manufactured overseas.
Many factories made large volume of guitars that end up with different "Labels" yet they are all made at the same time out of the same machinery.
For this reason it is best to try several guitars in you
budget-range and don't pay much atention to the label.
Go For Sound over Looks and "Brand".

You could also check with Harmony Central (www.harmonycentral.com) the Users Review for the
specific guitar you found to your liking to check what
actual owner/players say aabout the instrument.

There are many reliable web music stores that will probably sell the instrument with good warranties.
Most have 800 phone No. and they could answer any question.
There is seldon charges for shipping and no sales tax if their store is not in your own state

If you go via the internet stay away from e-bay sellers.
Too many complaints from buyers about "shady sellers" and poor return polices.

I hope this help- Enjoy your guitar.

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What is the difference between scales and chords????

acoustic guitar melodies for beginners image

Q. should I learn scales? (beginner at acoustic guitar)

are scales used in music like chords are?
what are scales used for?

Answer
Scales are sequences of consecutive notes, usually one of each letter name, modified by flats and sharps. In most music, they're the main source set of the piece -- all the notes in that key (not counting accidentals).
Chords are superimpositions of pitches that sound good together, usually in 3rds but sometimes 4ths. They can be played sequentially as well (as arpeggios, one note at a time).

Every melody, guitar solo etc. uses scales. Think of scales as being the horizontal element of music, chords the vertical. You have to do both to finish the crossword puzzle of music.

What is the best electric guitar and amp for a beginner?

gamerdude9

I started playing acoustic guitar a few weeks ago and I'm looking for an electric guitar. My price range is between $800-$1000. I also need a good amp too but i don't have a clue what the best brand names are. I love Van Halen and Joe Satriani type of guitar style. Please help! THANKS!!!!

Answer
Hmm theres a loooot between 800 and 1k. you can get a gibson les paul junior with 1 pickup thats a p90. you can get a good esp. you can get a gretech eletromatic which is a hollow body for about $700. you can get a very nice jackson randy rhodes with gold hardware from about 700-1k. if you feel like spending 1500 you can get a parker fly which weighs like 5 pounds and plays like a beast. you can get fender telecaster, stratocaster, jazzmaster, for like 700-1200 for a usa. i wouldnt buy a MIM strat or japan. as they cost about 300 and will not be what ur looking for. you can get a vintage gibson melody make for about 1k. you can get a niceee gibson sg standard for about 900. you can get a faded sg special for about 600. you can get an epiphone black beauty for about 800, its very nice 3 pickups, all gold hardware.
for amps you can get a combo amp, a tube amp. if you want to buy a $200 guitar and get an orange amp a 15 watt head and 15 wat cab will run you about 1k but it is around the nicest amp on the market. i have an ibanez tone blaster 50r.i payed $50 on craigslist, but in stores there like 200. its very nice and can bpleasea crowd of about 1000 people on volume 5 of 10. if you want a good amp that you wont eve need to change, just get a marcial halfstack. hope i helped.

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