• yordo
  • Junior Member
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  • Registered: 2006-05-15
  • Posts: 3

Topic: I know nothing.

<b></b>Hello all. I am new to playing the guitar and I started just messing around and learned to play "Memory" by Sugarcult and now I am attempting to learn "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zepplin. Well, I know that is a difficult song. I learned the entire intro, but I have a problem. I know where each note falls on every string, but I can't get the notes to come out. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and I'm not sure how to make the song flow, ya know? I just started when my g-ma gave me this old guitar. It's like a C.F. Martin D-28 or something, so I think it's an ok guitar and has good sound--- i don't know what other guitars sound like, but it sounds good. anyway, can someone please help me?? I love the guitar so I don't want to give up.. lol.. Thanks!


Jordan

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 174

Re: I know nothing.

the best advice i can give you is to get a good teacher

that way you can learn the rythm techniques and little easier ways to do things that you dont get from a website


just my 1/2 a penny

  • yordo
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  • Registered: 2006-05-15
  • Posts: 3

Re: I know nothing.

Yeah.. I thought about a teacher-- but I don't have the time to fit one into my schedule...  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_sad.gif" border=0 alt="Sad"> so I thought maybe I could teach myself, but this is really hard. lol

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 174

Re: I know nothing.

i tried to teach myself for years beofre i got a teacher and it finally works

personally i thought it was worth leaving out other things to get one.


plus almost all of the tabs online are wrong and a teacher can teach you the right way to do something

  • Guitco
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  • Registered: 2006-05-16
  • Posts: 1

Re: I know nothing.

If you don't have money or time to take lessons, try hooking up with someone that is better than you. You can learn alot by seeing them play, and copying what they do. It will give you a start then later on you take lessons. Don't do what I did as a kid and learn only "cool" songs. Learn the theory and chord progression..... and keep practicing. PERFECT practice makes perfect, not half a#*ed practice. That's all I got for now, don't get discouraged, if you get frustrated, set it down, and come back later. It's supposed to be fun. Keep it that way. <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_smile.gif" border=0 alt="Smile">

  • Registered: 2006-05-16
  • Posts: 1

Re: I know nothing.

<img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_sad.gif" border=0 alt="Sad"> You poor thing. you have to play one of those CF Martins.

I feel for yu.I to have to struggle along playing one.

Sometimes it seems you just can't get ahead in life.

Just keep pickin away. After a while it will play it self.

  • yordo
  • Junior Member
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  • Registered: 2006-05-15
  • Posts: 3

Re: I know nothing.

lol... is it really that bad of a guitar?? :0) i'm just impatient i guess. I know how to practice. I start slow and then gradually speed up each note and stuff, but I guess I just need to watch someone because I can't get my fingers to hold the strings down good enough to pop out a sound. AHH. But I will keep working at it. Thanks for the advice guys!! I really really appreciate it :0) take care


Jordan

  • From: NW England
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 8

Re: I know nothing.

Hi Yordo,

I tought myself and have been playing for about 20 years now. Get yourself a good book of chord charts and start off with the 'three chord trick', this is where you use the 1st 4th and 5th chords to strum out a tune. Try learning CFG or DGA and play them in sequence and then use them to find your way around a song you know well. Stick at it until the penny drops. Oh, don't hand onto knackered strings- they sound bad and make your fingers sore!!!

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 174

Re: I know nothing.

<table border="0" align="center" width="90%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td class="SmallText"><b>swordfish wrote on Sat, 20 May 2006 03&#58;38</b></td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
Hi Yordo,

I tought myself and have been playing for about 20 years now. Get yourself a good book of chord charts and start off with the 'three chord trick', this is where you use the 1st 4th and 5th chords to strum out a tune. Try learning CFG or DGA and play them in sequence and then use them to find your way around a song you know well. Stick at it until the penny drops. Oh, don't hand onto knackered strings- they sound bad and make your fingers sore!!!
</td></tr></table>


another good one is EAB

you can play that then you got the verse to Peaceful Easy feeling

  • From: Nebraska
  • Registered: 2006-04-30
  • Posts: 183

Re: I know nothing.

i my self have been only playing for 3 years wich pales in comparison to some. but from what i know martins are generaly known to be good instruments but i dont know. you can get a chart of what each string plays at what fret i.e low E string F  F#  G  G#. or you could try playing some one elses to see the

difference

              Best of luck

So Red Delicious
  • Registered: 2007-07-29
  • Posts: 12

Re: I know nothing.

pretty much you just really need to learn the basics, then you can go from there teaching yourself the rest, thats what i did

  • From: North Europe
  • Registered: 2007-08-20
  • Posts: 135

Re: I know nothing.

Start with the basic open chords in major minor and seventh and learn them - A C D E G - thats only 15 to remember. Visualise them as shapes on the fret board. Finger each one carefully and play them in four strums (1,2,3,4) and change to another, and so on until you don't delay - use a metronome. I recommend changing back and forth between pairs over and over again in the morning. Muscles learn - next day you will have improved. Think about which fingers need to move - you don't have to take all your fingers off all the time to change chords.  This will take weeks of hard work .....

Do go to a guitar shop and look at well set up guitars or have your guitar looked at. Check you are in tune to concert pitch. If you are badly set up, it will make life harder. If you are tuned too high it will make life harder. If your strings are too old it will make life harder. If the guitar doesn't suit your hand size it will - you get the picture!

At least - do buy an instructional DVD or check out
http://www.justinguitar.com/html/beginners.html
and
http://www.chordbook.com/guitarchords.php

Stick at it and in a years time you'll be a star!

I am playing all the right notes - but not necessarily in the right order! [Eric Morecombe]
  • Zurf
  • Zurf
  • Blunt but well meaning moderator
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: I know nothing.

You're biting off more than you can chew if you think you can emulate one of rock's most famous guitarists on your first attempt. 

There are some instructional materials on the web.  Not very good ones that I've found yet, but some.  Mostly they let you pick up tips or something.  There are very good instructional materials available in book and video form.  Many of the books come with CDs or DVDs that demonstrate soundwise or visually what has been described in detail in the book.  This is a good route.  Learn a few things, then put them to use in a song.  Learn a few more things, put those to use in more songs.  Take "Stairway" or any other song you like well as a GOAL.  Let it direct your learning.  To play Stairway, you really need to understand chord arpeggios and inversions.  So, take that as your first thing to learn.  What is a chord?  What notes are in it?  What are different ways to strike those notes?  Next you'll need to know how to switch between chords.  There are some good lessons on-line to teach that, but it's really just a matter of practice.  Write down all the chords in the song, then make a chart of each change.  C to G.  G to Em.  etc.  (I don't know if those chords are in Stairway because I'm not interested in learning that particular song, chords are just used as an illustration).  Then do each chord change several hundred times a day for a week or two.  You'll get more and more proficient.  Pretty soon, when a chord change confronts you in a song, you'll already know how to do it and won't need to even think about it.  Keep picking up little bits like that, mastering them along the way, and eventually (or sooner) you'll reach your goal of playing "Stairway" flawlessly.

The guitar you've been given is a treasure.  Martin D-28 is one of the most well-used and famous models of acoustic guitar for good reason.  It's an excellent instrument. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: I know nothing.

Yordo, nice to meet you.
This an always "coming back" problem. Do you need a teacher? If I was younger and I could play about 10 chords, it might be really interesting to follow for some time a guitar course.
You see, my biggest problem was and still is: I didn't and don't like studying music, and now I have the opportunity, I still don't go.
I play about 30 years now, and since a few months, with the help of chordie, and the fact that my best friend, who is a drummer in fact but also really good in playing guitar, teached me a lot. I am able to play a kind of lead/rhythm guitar, using licks, riffs and a few seconds solo, and my drummer friend teached me a lot: KEEPING THE RHYTHM, and also not to play as if you have a cramp in your wrist. Have some videos, learned a lot about scales on chordie, and in my case the problem, learning to play with a teacher, can be difficult because I am too used to play the guitar using my style. I am also able to play within a minute, with a lot of songs on CD.
But I am still open to follow private guitar courses. Is there a fellow chordian who has the same problem? Playing since years and having developed an own style?
I tried to follow 10 videos recorded by professionals, it helped me a little. If I could go back in time, I would probably follow guitar class. So my question is:
WHO HAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM, AND WOULD IT BE STILL INTERESTING TO FOLLOW CLASS?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: I know nothing.

Hey fellas,
I think your advice and suggestions are 'fallen on deaf ears'. Yordo hasn't posted for over a year and a half. Good stuff though, I'm sure others will benefit from the helpful hints.

Give everything but up.