• From: NY
  • Registered: 2007-10-05
  • Posts: 40

Topic: Newbie here

Hi all,
At the age of 43 and after reading "Skydog - the Duane Allman Story", I was inspired to take guitar lessons.  So each Saturday, I joyfully head to the music store in town for my 30 minutes of instruction.

During the week I have been scrolling through the chordie site for tips and tricks that will help me accelerate up the guitar learning. Thanks to all.

Here are some general questions that I am sure you have all answered before, but am hoping you will contribute again.

When can I expect to stop sucking?  (changing chords are frustrating the hell out of me.............)

What are some songs you can recommend that a newbie can play and stay motivated?

Can anoyone provide some tips on picking lottery numbers, so I can quit my job and just practice my guitar? Lol.

Thanks,

P.J. (pjl6364@msn.com)

Acoustic: Yamaha F-310, Washburn WD-32SW
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Newbie here

Hi PJ,

Welcome to chordie. You want to be a guitar player huh? Wel ding, ding, ding, you're at the right site, the best site on the net to help you fullfill your guitar playing aspirations.

Your 'stop-sucking' time span is entirely up to you and how much productive time and effort you put into your quest. It could take 5 months or it could take 5 years. Are you ready for the challenge?

For beginning songs I would recommend that you scan through the artists and available songs here on Chordie and attempt ones you're familiar with. Also, in seeking out these songs of which you wish to learn, attempt only the ones containing chords that you are familiar with.(to start, never let an unfamiliar chord deter you though, learn the chord then try the song) Some songs I give my beginning students are; Bob Dylans' Knockin' On Heavens Door, Marshall Tucker Bands' Can't You See, Tom Pettys' Free Fallin', Dave Masons' Feelin' Alright, just to name a few. Good luck PJ and as far as the lotto numbers go your chances of striking it rich are much greater with that thing held in your hands called the GUITAR.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Newbie here

Hello PJL, it is with great pleasure that we welcome you. My good friend SouthPaw told you already what I wanted to tell (I thank you for that SP41L) smile smile
About guitar lessons: CONTINUE!!!
If I should start it all over, I should follow a guitar course. I am, what they call, an autodidact. I play pretty good, sitting permanent at home since 3 years, and I have the luck to have a friend, a drummer, who plays guitar too. Thanks to him, my rhythm improved a lot. My style, don't know how
to explain, is and on acoustic and on electric very similar. I was told that this was more lead, but don't ask me to play a solo. Like SouthPaw wrote: FOLLOW HIS PROFESSIONAL advise. I don't know what kind of music you play. Changing chords is very important, but if you suffer too much, try to work something out with the teacher. Songs: you find a lot and my suggestion has always been: play songs knowing the melody. If they are written for a "voice" you can transpose songs. The best and most helpful way to learn playing is: play-a-long with an album, or with songs.
SouthPaw is more a professional, so follow his instructions = what he tells you to do.
GOOD LUCK
If you have questions, or answers or you want to share interesting information: we are a big family, and no question is too much.

[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

  • From: Ontario
  • Registered: 2006-11-16
  • Posts: 46

Re: Newbie here

Go into public song books and input,
Easy 3 chord songs.
This should help you get going.
Good luck and remember always why you picked up the guitar.
Cheers
Ron

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Re: Newbie here

Welcome to chordie big_smile
Me I never had lessons, but Im sure thats the right way to go about it. Look under the 'easy' section of the public songbooks for some good suff. Its better to go with songs you know, but here's a few fun ones:

Bad Moon Risin'- CCR
The Joker= Steve Miller Band
All I Can do is write about it- Lynyrd Skynyrd

Then you know a bunch of country stuff, don't know if you're into that. Out of curiosity, what style of music are you learning to play?

All You Need is Love smile

HannahBeth's Website

  • From: NY
  • Registered: 2007-10-05
  • Posts: 40

Re: Newbie here

All,
Thanks for the replies and ALL the constructive comments.  The easy 3 chord search worked like a charm.  Currently my teacher has me practicing to the C - G - C - G chord progression, the A - D  - E - D - A chord progession, the E-minor and A-minor pentatonic scales and just yesteday was introduced to hammers (to use to strenghten my fingers) and pull-offs, which quite frankly are as hard as hell!).

Thanks for the Free Fallin' tips, which is one song that I have actually been working (pure dead brilliance that something so catchy can be written based on those 3 chords.....)

I am playing on a Yamaha F-310.  I was hoping to ask a few more questions to the chordie crew.

My fingertip calluoses develop "flat spots" which make appying the right amount of pressure more difficult.  I have filed them down.  Any suggestions?

Is there a set of strings or a "set-up" I can have done to the guitar to make it easier to learn?

Do those finger exercise machines actually work or are they the equivalent to "extenze male ehnancement pills"? Lol

I am looking forward to reporting my progress back to you all.

Thanks again,

P.J.

Acoustic: Yamaha F-310, Washburn WD-32SW
  • From: Orpington London
  • Registered: 2006-10-22
  • Posts: 390

Re: Newbie here

everybody who plays guitar for however long is still learning and learning is the fun part,  don't rush it

don't file your callouses unless you have very reason, all guitarist get thick skins on the fingertips its not disfiguring or unpleasant but it will help you hold those frets, filing them (Don't know exactly what it will do but not likely to do much good) 

lighter strings will be easier to fret - consider buying a light set when you replace them

my view is that exercise machines are a waste of time  - a good practice regime (half an hour day upwards will provide enough finger exercise)

johncross21's Website

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Re: Newbie here

The best way to get good calluses is just to PLAY. Play through and in spite of pain, peeling, and 'flat spots' (not sure what ur talking about, but for God's sake don't file your fingers off lol). In time they'll come in like thier supposed to, especially with a teacher showing you where your fingers are supposed to be.
  My skin still cracks from time to time, but  I can't really feel it anymore. The skin on my fingertips is noticabely tough, I've been playing around 4 years and my fingers are just now starting to 'reshape' but the toughness has been there a good long while.
I've already saud play through the pain, but when you get to that purple 'Oh my God I can't feel my fingers anymore' place, its a good idea to take a break and let them rest. They'll get purple and shiny and you'll be able to feel your pulse...... i don't miss those days.
Another tip would be to keep your left hand fingernails pretty short, its easy to let them kill the strings.

All You Need is Love smile

HannahBeth's Website

  • Zurf
  • Zurf
  • Blunt but well meaning moderator
  • Offline
  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: Newbie here

All good advice so far.  I'm also new, so my advice should be taken with a grain of salt.  I have a terrible instructor, but he's me so I can't fire him. 

Here are a few things I've done.

For chord changes, write out all the chord changes in a song.  If the progression is G- C- G- D, then you have the following changes
G to C
C to G
G to D
D to G

Once you know all the changes, practice those chords.  Once you know the chords pretty well (meaning you can get them without much delay and without having to think specifically where each finger goes), then think through how you're going to get your fingers from one chord to the other.  I find it helpful to worry about what my index finger is going to do, the others just kind of fall in line from there.  Then, do what you just thought about (i.e., the chord change) over and over and over and over and over.  Then try it with strumming a steady beat.  It doesn't have to be fast, just steady.  Once you feel fairly confident with each chord change, then you're ready to strum the song through.  So go ahead.  Strum the song through.  Sing it in your head or out loud, but bear the melody in mind.  I find it useful to sing out loud, though no one else seems to like it much.

Another thing that I am noticing that I need is the scales work.  I've just ordered a scales book and will begin practicing them.  As of right now, I'm a strummer only.  In a year, I'm hoping to be able to pick out some leads as well.  Playing lead riffs is all about arpeggios (playing the notes of the chord in certain orders) and scales.  Knowing what notes can be played in what "keys" is key to playing the right notes, and I figure that scales are the best way to learn which notes are in which keys. 

- 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: Cincinnati, OH
  • Registered: 2007-07-16
  • Posts: 282

Re: Newbie here

Welcome PJ!
Lot of good advice so far...don't know if I have anything to add....
I tried filing my calluses before--made my fingers slick and they wouldn't hold the strings.  I just wind up cutting off what I don't want with fingernail clippers.  And I think the flatness helps--mine are flat as h.....well, they're flat.
When I started playing (5 yrs ago), I'd pick out a couple chord changes, turn on a hockey game and play the changes the entire game...helped me think about something other than what my fingers were doing too, so the movement sort of started hapening on it's own, if that makes any sense.
I've always just wanted to be a rhythm guy...learned one scale that I play very slowly, and not very clean, but that's ok with me, I'm sort of like that guy in the Dire Straits song: "check out guitar george, he knows all the chords, but he's strictly rhythm he doesn't want to make it cry or sing."
I always liked doing unplugged versions of rock songs--a lot are simple three / four chord patterns.  Sweet Child of Mine is fun, Just Like Heaven by the Cure is fun acousticly,  so is Behind a Wall of Sleep by the Smithereens...
have fun!
Frank.

11 Reply by Kahuna (edited by Kahuna 2007-11-12 16:49:16)

  • Kahuna
  • Kahuna
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-07-12
  • Posts: 290

Re: Newbie here

PJ,

All sound advice from everyone here.  If I may add, try to see if you can make your lesson a 60 minute session, instead of a 30 minute one!  From my experience, 30 minute sessions are too short and do not allow you to ask many questions or actually allow you to practice in front of the instructor.  It felt, to me, like a production line.  Where you sit down, play a few things, then have to leave before the seat is warm!  A longer session gives you time to review what you've learned and allow you to 'decompress' and get you mental ready for new lessons. 

Just my thoughts.

Kahuna