Teach myself guitar Help?

Sophi Y

I have a guitar and I am planning on going to buy a music book soon and I have a chord sheet for reference. What are some pointers for me to learn easier? I already know how to play piano (again self taught) and played saxaphone for 2 years. I also have a few questions for acoustic guitar players.

Do you use a pick?
How do you use a capo and how much are they (can you go without one)?
What are some simple country or pop songs to play?
About how long did it take you?

Thanks in advance!

Answer
Welcome to the wonderful world of guitars! :D

I've been playing acoustic guitar for about 8 years. At this point, I still consider myself a "beginner"... although perhaps I'm a more advanced beginner at that.

It took me just one day to learn a few basic open chords and a very basic strumming pattern. But then again, I spent that whole day in my room just learning those. (I can get a little obsessive when I learn things). Five hours into that, I was already strumming and singing along to a couple of very easy songs. But I would not recommend spending too much time playing acoustic guitar when you're first starting out. It can hurt... especially if you're playing with a steel-string. It took me about a year to get familiar with most of the commonly used chords. It took me about four more years to get to the point where I could figure out how to play songs by ear. But perhaps, if I'd practiced more regularly, it would've taken me less time to get to there - I was often too busy with school.

Since you already have experience with other instruments, guitar will probably come easier to you... :)

Also, are you learning guitar from sheet music/standard notation? I learned the "informal" way... through tablature, chord sheets, shapes and patterns. I can't read music at all.. lol. That's another factor that could affect how long it takes to learn.

On picks:
I use one. But it depends on what song I want to play. I think using a pick gives a clearer, crisp and "chunkier" sound. Also, strumming a steel-string guitar just kills my fingernails. So, if I'm going to play a song that requires a louder, aggressive sound, or a lot of strumming, I am definitely going to use a pick. If a song sounds better with fingerpicking, or if it's easier to play it that way, then I'll put down the pick and use my fingers. For other songs, I use a combination- I'll use the pick in parts that are strummed, and then I'll hold it in a certain way to free up my other fingers so I can fingerpick on other parts. It's a bit tricky, but it can be done. ;) There are also thumbpicks and fingerpicks available, but I haven't tried them yet.

On capos:
How do you use a capo? It depends on what capo you want to use. So far, I have used two kinds: the "strip capo" and the "clamp capo". The strip capo is kind of like a belt. It has a nylon strip attached to a metal bar with a piece of rubber on top. You wrap it around the neck of the guitar (like a belt) at the fret you want to capo, with the rubber piece face down on the strings, and fasten it... With the "clamp capo", you "clamp" it on as the name suggests.. It's difficult for me to describe in words.. haha.. Perhaps if you do a websearch, you'll find pictures and detailed instructions. :)

I live in the Philippines, and I believe I got my strip capo for the equivalent of about $4 US. The clamp capo was like $10.

Can you go without a capo? Yes. But without a capo, depending on the key of the songs you play in, you may have to rely more on barre chords. Barre chords can be a bit more difficult to play than "open chords". Open chords are chords that are played by leaving at least one string unfretted (or "open"), and they're usually the first/basic chords you learn when starting out on guitar. With a capo, you can play these open-stringed chords higher up the neck of the guitar, instead of barring them. That makes playing a bit easier...

Personally, I use a capo only because I like the sound of open chords. Open chords ring out longer. Without a capo, I could play the same songs with barre chords, and it would sound just fine.... but it would definitely have a different sound to it.

Simple songs to play:
- I wish I could recommend some pop and country songs for you, but I don't really know which songs you like specifically. The first songs I started playing were "Zombie" by The Cranberries, and "Leaving on a Jet Plane". From there, I looked up the chords of songs from my favorite artists. If a particular song looked too complicated for me, I'd just save that for later and try to find an easier song from that artist. If I couldn't find any songs from that artist easy enough for me to play at the time... I'd just move on to another artist.. :)) Then I'd come back for them later.

Once you have the basics down... try learning one song every week. That's what a teacher once told me...

Best wishes.. :)

How much are Acoustic Guitars?

rawr

Hi.I've been really wanting to learn something to play and I found the Guitar rather interesting. I really dont have anything thing to do this summer (I just moved here) so I decieded using that time to learn the Acoustic Guitar.How much do they cost?

Answer
Hello rawr, and welcome to the wonderful world of guitar playing!

Here's a link to a great acoustic guitar for less than $200.

http://riffmyguitar.weebly.com/yamaha-guitar-offer.html

Learning to play the guitar should be easy and fun. One of the best ways to learn today is with online lessons. You really can learn how to play the guitar in just 15 minutes a day.

You probably could spend hours and hours of time online searching for "free" guitar lessons. On the other hand, you might just as well check out websites that offer lessons at very reasonable rates (compared to private lessons).

Visit: http://www.BestOnlineGuitarCourse.com or

http://19836lklokiz7ueye5tiolopc2.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=ACEGUITARLESSONS or

http://8ea82pehqhgycmd6na769q4wek.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=ADULTGUITARLESSONS

Do your homework. Do your due diligence. Have Fun.
 
Also you might want to look at:
 
http://goarticles.com/article/Best-online-guitar-course-Fact-or-Fantasy/4057915/
 
http://www.squidoo.com/i-was-a-closet-guitarist

If you play electric guitar, having a good guitar to play helps with motivation.
 
Hereâs a great electric guitar for under $500: Epiphone LP Standard Plain-Top Les Paul Collection Electric Guitar, Heritage Cherryburst. You can see this guitar at:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Epiphone-Standard-Plain-Top-Collection-Cherryburst/dp/B000VTH1MU/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1297771134&sr=1-2
 
or (for just over $500) the Epiphone LP Standard Plus-Top Les Paul Collection Electric Guitar, Trans Blue. You can see this guitar at:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Epiphone-Standard-Plus-Top-Collection-Electric/dp/B0002H06JG/ref=sr_1_11?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1297771134&sr=1-11

Best of luck in learning how to play the guitar!

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acoustic guitars....?

Louise S

okay so im looking for a new acoustic guitar:
quite cheap
full size
right handed
6 string



...anyone know of any useful sites ... thanks in advance x

Answer
Mandolin Brothers (www.mandoweb.com) offers the best guitars in the world.

Electric or Acoustic Guitar?

Q. I'm a beginner at buying guitars. I don't have one but, I've been playing family and friends guitars. I've asked them about some guitars, but they're not professionals themselves. I could play both, electric and acoustic guitars and I'm an amateur at both and still learning. I've been looking at some Epiphone and Fender guitars, at the price range around $300-$400 or lower. I'm looking for a guitar that can help me with my song writing (Pop/Rock) and don't know which guitar is better for me, electric or acoustic? So if you know any specific models at my price range and if Epiphone and Fender please tell me, I would really appreciate it. Even if it's a little higher than my price range it's okay.

Answer
Martin and Taylor are my acoustic guitars of choice. Get the dreadnought size to begin with. Martin and Taylor cost more but they will give you less headaches than the others and you can spend more time on your songwriting and less time on guitar maintenance. Also they retain their resell value better than others. If you have to means I suggest the Martin D-28. In the $300 - $400 range I would purchase a Yamaha or Alvarez. Please don't buy an Epiphone or Fender. Fender makes some of the best electric guitars in the world but their acoustic models are less than stellar. Epiphone used to be a good guitar builder but when Gibson bought them they turned Epiphone into a poor product.

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Strum pattern for Joy to the World on the Acoustic Guitar?

best acoustic guitars world image

Robert Mat

What is the strum pattern for Joy to the World on the Acoustic Guitar? And if possible, on which strings. Thanks.

Answer
It's whatever you want it to be.

Strum the chords and sing the song. The rhythm you strum really doesn't make any difference. People will still recognize the song regardless.

Which strings you play depends on what chords you're using.

What do I need to tune my Acoustic guitar to for Your Guardian Angels by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus?

Searcher15

I want to learn how to play Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, but I don't know how I need to tune my guitar to sound just like or close to what the acoustic part sounds like on the actual song.

Also, If you know where to tune an acoustic guitar for Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World, please tell me.

Answer
You need to tune your guitar to Drop C. If you don't know how to do that then best stay away from the song and learn something else sorry.

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Who makes the best acoustic guitars?

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Devin

I have a guitar right now but its kinda a piece of junk. Picked it up at a thrift store for 30 bucks, I dont even know who makes it.

So what brand makes the best acoustic guitars? I dont mean the best in the whole world, just really really good. Something that sounds really nice and beautiful.

Answer
What you have cannot really be called a guitar. ;) Below $100 new you'll find mainly junk or toys for kids, and a used guitar runs about half the price of a new one.

There are lots of good high-end brands ($1000 and up). Martin and Taylor are well known, and there are also many boutique and custom builders. Companies that are good in one price range are not necessarily good in another, so answering your question won't really help you.

If you want something better than your $30 guitar, but want to stay within an entry level price range (about $150-300), I would suggest the Yamaha FG-700S for $200. It's a great guitar for the money and has a solid spruce top, something ordinarily found on more expensive instruments.

What type of acoustic guitar should I get?

delbert050

I'm looking to get a new acoustic guitar for a price range that only goes up to about $400ish.
Whats a some good acoustic guitars that fit into that price range?
and just a typical acoustic guitar

Answer
Your budget is a realistic one- you can get a very good instrument for under $400. Here are some guidelines that may help:

TYPE- Chances are, you are most likely to want a steel-string guitar- nylon strings are easier on your fingers, but the necks are wide, which makes reaching the top-most strings difficult.

BODY SIZE Most acoustic guitars sold have a "dreadnaught" sized body, with a large body (particularly the "lower bout,") which makes for a bassy sound, and can be hard to reach around for smaller folks. A better balanced sound comes from a smaller body, such as Seagull's "Folk" sized guitars, or Martin's 00 size.

FRET BOARD WIDTH Again, classical/nylon strings have rather wide fretboards, Dreadnaughts have quite narrow ones. Again, the Folk or OO has a good balance.

NECK THICKNESS Not usually an issue for acoustic guitars, most necks are of around the same thickness and "profile," so don't worry about it- if a guitar feels good when you wrap your fretting hand around the neck, and you don't have trouble reaching all six strings, that's good enough.

EXTRAS It seems many acoustic guitars have electronics added to them, so that you can play them though an amplifier or PA. You will see a small (2" x 2" or so) panel on the side of the guitar, facing you as you play it, that has bass, treble, etc. controls on it. Really, this is an expense you can easily do without- you may never "plug it in," this being your first guitar. There is one benefit to this, though- these days, this often includes a built-in tuner. In my opinion, a pickup/preamp (what this assembly is called) is pointless UNLESS it includes a tuner, but perhaps worth the little extra money if it does have a tuner.
A plain-top guitar will cost you far less than a fancy, dolled-up one, and will play just as well, sound just as good- maybe even better.

BRANDS/MAKES Godin makes some excellent guitars, and terrific values. Art & Luthier, and Norman are their least-expensive brands, Seagull just a bit pricier. You should be able to stay within your $400 budget. Alvarez and Ibanez (not at all related, in spite of the association the "z's" inplies) are good brands, too, although I think Seagulls are, in most cases, better values. Epiphone makes some good guitars, but their lower-priced stuff (under $200 or 300) is suspect, avoid Epi's unless you are serious about spending $400 or more. Martins and Taylors are usually excellent guitars, but beware: if you find those examples of either in your price range, you are getting things like HPL (high pressure laminate- a manufactured product, only distantly related to wood), and "Made in China." Yup, a Martin made in China. What HAS the world come to?? Fender makes some good electric guitars, but AVOID their acoustics- Fender only makes acoustics because people know the name; their acoustics are not good values, nor are the particularly good guitars. A possible exception: Fender makes some very cool thin-body "Telecoustics," which are cool guitars, but be warned- they sound thin when played just acoustic- probably not what you are looking for.

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID: Almost ANYTHING made in China. probably Indonesia and Korea, too. Too much a crap shoot as to quality and even playability. Fortunately, most of the MIC "guitar-shaped objects" are aimed at the low-end market.

BEST PLACE TO BUY: Locally-owned, acoustic-orientated shop. If they have dozens or even hundreds of acoustic guitars hanging on the walls, and fewer electrics, AND your eyes bug out when you look at the first three or four price tags, YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. They will have less expensive guitars, and 99% of the time, know their stuff plenty well enough to make sure you buy the right guitar. Yes, you will pay a bit more, but you get much more. You can do okay at places like Guitar Center, but the chances are far greater that you will walk out with a guitar that is not quite "right" for you.

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