Advice for new players

I agree. When I 1st begin playing after a 40+ year layoff I spent a whole year doing nothing but practicing chords and chord changes. I would take a basic 3 chord progression and I would strum, change chords & strum, change chords & strum - over and over - until I could make the changes. As I learned the chords and how to change between them I would add minors & "7" chords. Only when I was able to  change chords with comfort and reasonable speed did I try to play songs. There are thousands and thousands of songs you can play by only knowing 3 chords. Now with just a little over 5 years of playing I am able to take a song I hear, (some songs). write them out. sit down with my guitar and work out the chords. My wife (she is the one singing) and I have MANY songs we play and are able to play twice a month with a group. We get our turn at the "mic" and get to do 4 or 2 songs each time we get together. I took my time, never tried to push things, read everything I gould find, asked for help and took advice anytime I could get it and practiced at least 2 hours each night. I even practice strum patterns while I'm driving and listening to songs. Just this week I have learned 3 new songs and can play them along with the CD, chord for chord. I will be 59 years old this summer so it's never too late.

Nela

I knew I wasn't just going to be able to pick the guitar and practice consistently every day without a little help or motivation. So I signed up for a high school beginner guitar class. I learned exactly what every one here has suggested we had a sheet where we played several 1 4 5 patterns of chords where the forth was the dominate seventh chord, we also had chord progressions and picking patterns. I don't like learning a lot of songs, but I still practice and a year later from that class I'm about to graduate high school and I'm taking the intermediate class 
: D->-<

Hi to all i know its an old thread but it was related so i posted in this one,  i am new to this forum looks quite interesting, i have just started learning some notes, i wanted some suggestions so that i can learn in far better way or fast.

Thanks a lot jerome i will definitely keep that in mind and keep you updated regarding my progress, thanks again...

Best I can add is once you have learned the above advice find someone who is a better player to jam with. Jamming has helped me. I'm still no good but it has helped.

I would agree learning to play guitar should start from the basic. Learning the chords, shifting from 1 chord to another. You should also learn by way of listening (play by ear). Once you develop these you can now start learning new songs. There are also free software like audacity

I've been playing guitar since i was 15 yrs old and i learned a lot from school, forums and even from friends too.
And it was good! But when my friend introduced some software it made a lot easier when learning some fast and tricky riffs. I'm in to Jazz

I like eggs with my Spam Russ.

Then lemme break the trend... If you are a beginner you need emotional rewards. And songs give you these. Sooo: yes practice chords, but look for songs to play with them. I propably never would have gotten the very fast Am - G change without Oasis looking back over my shoulder in Anger...

Cheers, Tom

I already edited that one removing the link to the website, in the hope that our first poster was legitimate.

I'm not convinced. 

I ,went for years trying to play songs & couldn't find the right chords. I took a few leasons a few years ago  & the thing that helped the most was learning the 1 4 5 sequence. I'm 75 ,so you can teach an old dog new tricks