• From: Portsmouth, UK
  • Registered: 2008-07-29
  • Posts: 95

Topic: Next Step

Morning all, Still on my first coffee so bear with me!

Right, Well I started playing guitar about five and a bit months ago. Total beginner, no previous music intelligence what so ever.

Bought myself a £60 guitar and rang up a local teacher and started having lessons once a week. Picked everything up pretty quickly (if i do say so myself), including your basic open's like G and C etc, and a few m's like Em and Am etc, and a few 7's A7 Am7 and so on.

Anyway, I had lessons for about three months in the end, and then I moved out of home and into the local city. My Guitar teacher wanted to charge a quite extraordinary rate for the extra travelling (about 20mins from previous address). So I kind of gaev up learning for about a month or so. About two weeks ago It was starting to nag me, so I decided to carry on. With no teacher or anything i turned my hand to the internet to learn Barre Chords (as we never got into those). I think i've done okey in the two weeks, My fingers know the shapes now, and its just the case of speed in getting into and out of them.

Basically what i want to know is where to go next. Obviously i need to master the barre chords. Anyone know of any good books or the such to help me progress? Or do you think i should find another teacher, and have lessons, say once every other week?

Wow what a wall of text!

sorry! smile

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◥☼▲⊙▲⊙▲⊙▲⊙▲☼◤ -Mr T says: Quit yo jibba Jabba! You Ain't hurt!
  • Registered: 2008-10-04
  • Posts: 3

Re: Next Step

Really, what's next is to find someone to play with!  There's just no substitute!

  • From: cornwall
  • Registered: 2008-07-21
  • Posts: 42

Re: Next Step

i was once in the same position as you,

i have been playing for 10 years and i had lessons for 1,
now you have the basics is just a case of perfecting the basic techniques WELL!!!! (dont slip into bad bar chord habbits!!!)

this site is brilliant to help you progress quickly throughout the rest of your musical life
if you have trouble with a song youtube is a saviour!!!!!!!

just whatever you do dont stop playing,

(cheap guitars you may have trouble with bar chords due to the hight of the action (distance from string to fret board) dont let this phase you bedcause when it comes to upgrading to a new guitar your fingers will be strong as hell !!!!!!!)

There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and alcohol!
  • From: Renfrewshire, Scotland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 1,359

Re: Next Step

You've probably heard folk on here talking about Justin Sandercoe. He does a great website with loads of videos and video lessons. From complete beginners up. The site works on an honour system. That is, you pay what you can. If you're broke you don't need to pay, if you're a little better off pay what you feel. It's great site and well worth a look. Lots of technique and finger excercise videos. Find it at.....


www.justinguitar.com

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

alvee33's Website

  • From: Portsmouth, UK
  • Registered: 2008-07-29
  • Posts: 95

Re: Next Step

Thanks chaps. Will give that website a look!

I'm actually thinking of upgrading my guitar now. Been looking and playing a few Tanglewoods. TH502 in particular.

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◥☼▲⊙▲⊙▲⊙▲⊙▲☼◤ -Mr T says: Quit yo jibba Jabba! You Ain't hurt!
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Next Step

ApeDoctor,

Here's a good resource to help expand your chord knowledge;
http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/

And another all around good site for free, very helpful information;
http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/melody/73/tab.html#

Yet another very helpful site;
http://www.chordbook.com/

Finally, my favorite and most challenging site( be patient and go slow at first)
http://www.myguitarsolo.com/

Good luck,
Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • From: Glasgow
  • Registered: 2007-02-27
  • Posts: 143

Re: Next Step

Hi im finding this site very helpful with a variety of stuff check it out http://spytunes.co.uk/

Also the S-EPR section is great as you can work your way through the levels!!

Don't Cry because it is over...

    smile because it happened.    Gabriel García Marquez

weedjie's Website

  • From: Portsmouth, UK
  • Registered: 2008-07-29
  • Posts: 95

Re: Next Step

Back in may / june when I first started learning, my old guitar teacher, taught me to use fingers 1, 2 & 3 for chords E, D, G, A.

I had my first lesson with a new teacher last night, and as we were discussing Barre Chords and Power chords, I realised how much easier it is to use fingers 2, 3 & 4. Especially for an E, then slidding to make barre chords (And Power chords on the E string).

I've found with the guitar, your taught the easy way first, then have to radically change everything at a later point, I just wondered why some teachers don't just teach you the hard way? I mean I was not looking forward to barre chords, but in about two or three weeks of learning them myself, I've got the shapes, and nearly the speed, but not quite the accuracy and speed in one!

I've found I actually really enjoy the power chords. Is there a special way to translate normal chords for songs into power chords? For example, If the chord sequance is A, Bm, G, Bm, A, Would that change to A, A#, G, A#, A On power chords?

Also, thanks to everyone who posted helpful sites above smile

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█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █►
◥☼▲⊙▲⊙▲⊙▲⊙▲☼◤ -Mr T says: Quit yo jibba Jabba! You Ain't hurt!
  • Zurf
  • Zurf
  • Blunt but well meaning moderator
  • Offline
  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: Next Step

Arpeggios and scales.  Plenty of books, or you can check out the theory forum here in Chordie.

- 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: Texas
  • Registered: 2008-08-05
  • Posts: 256

Re: Next Step

Ape

I play a lot of powerchord stuff ... so far the only thing I've been able to do with any conversion is changing open chords to powerchords ... for acoustic stuff it's rare that doing that type of switch works ... as for your minors, 7th's, etc. I haven't been able to convert those to powerchords

Aside from powerchords, I often use cheater chords when I can't barre something ... for example on an Iron Maiden song called Prodigal Son, the chord progression during one section goes like this:  A / B / C / B / E and then A / B / C/ B / D ... I do the A chord open then instead of doing a Barre B and C, I slide the open A formation down two frets (4th fret) and do the open B version then slide the same A pattern down one fret to the 5th fret for another open C ... technically it's a barre but I don't barre it ... it's still close enough in pitch that it works

When I can finally do barre chords on acoustic without it sounding like crap, I'll make the switch .. but in the mean time, you go with what works for you smile

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