• Registered: 2007-03-13
  • Posts: 23

Topic: some feed back on this please

Hello my name is Gus

I have been trying to play guitar for the past 30 months,, 2 and 1/2 years sounds too much.:-)
well , at this time let me say that I'm not a very good player, but I can figure out the time of the song , and I know some strumming patterns . and some finger picking
I still don't play very clean , specially on bar chords. the singing is another story ...
well I don't intend to be a guitar god ,, but I want to became a decent player,,
in the beginning  I used to practices 2 to 3 hours every single day now maybe about an hour

the question is : am I on the right path or what can I do beside practice to advance as a a player?


any feed back will be apreciated

_________________________________________________________
Pardon my English since is my second lenguage

  • Registered: 2009-11-16
  • Posts: 605

Re: some feed back on this please

BB the best thing to do is to find some one to jam with, hopefully some one better then you

  • From: Alabama Gulf Coast
  • Registered: 2008-06-24
  • Posts: 1,819

Re: some feed back on this please

Hi Gus,
All you have to do is play enough guitar to accompany your voice doing songs you really like a bunch. Select tunes you would really like to share with friends and family.
Keep it simple at first and then jump on more complex stuff but keep it fun.

We pronounce it "Guf Coast".
Ya'll wanna go down to the Guf?

tubatooter1940's Website

  • From: Louisiana
  • Registered: 2008-11-06
  • Posts: 863

Re: some feed back on this please

Hi Gus,
  I have been been learning for a very long time(off and on) and I have come to realize that not everyone that wants to be a guitar player will become a great one. I still get my fingers in the wrong positions and mute strings and such quite often but I have a heck of a lot of fun doing it.Bifocals are the pits!
    Most of my time has been spent doing old Gospel (3chord) Hymns but a little over a year ago I joined "chordie" and started learning how to play songs that I have heard most of my life.They use more and different chords and I have progressed more this past year than any other.
    Yes I think you are on the right track. Practice and "chordie".
    I'm still not good but I'm 67 and learning.
   By the way, the 3 chord Hymns are quite easy now.

When the Power of Love overcomes The Love of Power the world will be a better place.

deadstring's Website

  • zguitar
  • Don't call me Sir
  • Offline
  • From: Mentone, Ca
  • Registered: 2009-01-10
  • Posts: 1,367

Re: some feed back on this please

Hello there Gus,


My advice would be to pick a song or 2 and learn those till you can play them really well. You can't advance in your playing if you don't establish a foundation. I know it's way more fun too learn new stuff all the time, but what good is it if what you learn doesn't sound like it could. At this point you should strive for consistency. Pick songs that you know and like. When I am learning a new song I strum it too death until I can strum without thinking about it, then I add in the singing. If it's a new strum pattern for you it will take a while but you will get it. After 2 1/2 years it shouldn't take long for you to go back to basics and strengthen your foundation.

Practice IS the only way to get better.

Don't get discouraged, you've stuck with it this long. We are all here for your support.


Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!
  • wonk
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-07-06
  • Posts: 5

Re: some feed back on this please

I like zguitar's advice, but I might take it a step further.  Rather than picking 2 or 3 songs and polishing them you might be well served by choosing 2 or 3 chords and nailing them down flawlessly.  Then find several songs (via Chordie, of course) that use these chords exclusively.  If barre chords are killing your playing (like they kill mine) then just avoid them for a long while.  Play the song in a different key, cheating and playing an Fmaj7 instead of a regular F chord if it sounds OK, etc.  Using this philosophy I've been able to put together a songbook of over 150 tunes that really sound better than I deserve since I've only been playing 7 months and am 44 years old.

  • Registered: 2007-06-08
  • Posts: 16

Re: some feed back on this please

I'd agree.  First, find the five major chords in one key, and learn them cold. Pick a key.  I start my students in the key of G:  G, C, D, Em, Am.  With those 5, you have the key of g down.  Without going into theory, a song will mostly be in a single KEY, a set of notes in sequence.  the chords that start on each of those steps of that key are the major accompaniment you'll use.  The main chords in a major key are the chords based on steps 1, 4, and 5, with the 2 and 6 also used.  So, in our example, in the key of G, the notes are G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, and back to G.  So the #1 is G, #2 is A, etc.  So if you know G, C, and D (#1, #4, #5) you can play a lot of songs.  And the Am (#2) and #6 (Em), and you've got most of what you need to get started.

Be able to finger them, and CHANGE the chords in tempo.  Don't forget your right hand, and practice strumming as well as picking each string one at a time, up and down.  When you can do THAT.  You can play simple versions of many modern songs with these chords.  So you'll feel accomplishment, and get a bit of variety.  Also, then adding more chords will be easier, and so try another key. 

Here are most of the primary chords you'll ever need, in several good "guitar" keys:

G:   G, C, D are the main chords, then minors Em and Am

C:  C, F, G are the main chords, then the minors Dm and Am (only 3 new chords, since you'll already know C, G, and Am from your work above in G)

D:  D, G, A are the main chords, then the minors Em and Bm (only 2 new chords, A and Bm)

A:  A, D, E are the main chords, then minors Bm and F#m (2 new chords, E and F#m).


So, again, start in the key of G, and work that up.  Then add a few new chords over time.  By the time you have these 12 chords, you'll be able to play nearly anything you want.  Strum, sing, and have fun!!


Steve