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The Beginner’s Guide To Unlocking The Guitar – Learn How to Easily Play The Guitar in Just One Weekend.
Unlock The Guitar In One Weekend.
The Beginner’s Guide To Unlocking The Guitar – Learn How to Easily Play The Guitar in Just One Weekend.
Unlock The Guitar In One Weekend.
Hi there,
I started learning guitar in Feburary 2006 and I started with an acoustic. I was self taught pretty much until I started taking lessons in May. First, I learned the basic chords (can be found at http://www.learnguitarmusic.com/images/g… ) Then I found this great website, www.nextlevelguitar.com , They taught me popular songs but they got shut down from teaching people songs due to copyright reasons. They have a youtube page too where they teach songs inspired by popular artists. That page is http://youtube.com/rockongoodpeople…… .
A site that I use ALL the time is www.ultimate-guitar.com , this is a website that provides tabulatures (tabs ) and chords for popular songs ABSOLUTELY free. I got a lot better once I started playing popular songs.
At first my fingers hurt SO BAD but once you play for a month or too, you will start to notice that you’re developing callouses on your fingers (hard patches of skin) you won’t feel it at all. If you don’t practice for a week or so the callouses will go away then you’re back to square one.
Once I started playing, I thought it was really hard. As rediculous as it sounds, I started playing pieces like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” etc. after a few weeks, I advanced to playing popular songs
Once my playing started to get better, in June, I bought a Squier Beginner pack, it’s a package that is made by Fender (Squier is a lower end of Fender guitars) that comes with an electric guitar (the quality isn’t so great but its good for beginners), an amp, picks, straps, cables, tuner etc. I got it for a great price, about $230 dollars.
I have to admit electric guitar is more fun than acoustic but you’re supposed to start with acoustic. If you keep practicing your acoustic, after a while, you could get an electric. In my opinion, electric guitars are more versitile because you could play softer stuff on it, as well as rock stuff like AC/DC, soloing etc.
I started out with an Ibanez acoustic guitar (Feburary 2006)
In late June I purchased the Squier Beginner Pack ( http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/s… )
Then in Late October I bought an Ibanez bass guitar (it plays great and it was really cheap)
Then in Feburary 2007 I purchased a Epiphone Les Paul.
As for some guitars you could start with, here are some models that are great beginner acoustic guitars for affordable prices:
Yamaha F310
Seagull S6
Takamine G-240
Fender DG-7
Epiphone DR-100
Washburn D10S
Blueridge BR-40
Ibanez AC100NT
Taylor Baby Taylor
Martin LXI
And here are some good beginner electric guitars:
Squier Stratocaster
Epiphone G-310 SG
Yamaha Pacifica 112
Epiphone Les Paul Special II
Danelectro 56-U2
After you become good and you love guitar, here are a couple nice guitars (expensive though) :
Gibson SG
Gibson Les Paul
Fender Telecaster
Fender Stratocaster
If you have any further questions, by all means email me at mnmz93@hotmail.com
I hope that helps you out,
Jason
P.S. – I know you asked less than what I answered but I just thought it would be helpful to you.
I bought a guitar because I’ve always wanted to learn and very dedicated to following this through. I can’t seem to understand the finger positioning or exactly how it all comes together. I have a book “idiots guide to playing guitar” but I’m wondering if i should take a couple “in person” lessons with a teacher. Has anyone actually learned on their own? How long until you got the hang of it? I’m not expecting a fast transition into being amazing, just some helpful thoughts. Is it too hard once you get the hang of it? Lessons?
I’m interested in learning how to play the guitar, I want to know the basic requirements (if there are any) and what kind and size of guitar is appropriate for beginners. Any additional information is greatly appreciated.
well the only thing u would rele need is a guitar! haha
but no rele i would get these things:
a stand
a case (if you are going to be taking it places)
tons of picks cause youll loose them! o and get the good thick kinds. dunbar or something like that is a good brand!
a capo you’ll use it
i would personally try to get a teacher, rather than just a book
but if you can only get a book thats fine
and as far as guitar sizes go… its just a matter of what you like
go to a guitar store and try some out. definitely ask the people there for any additional help!
alright, so im getting like a 170 dollar guitar at costco for my bro and im wondering if they suck cus they are cheap or something. do they?
also, is there a website where he can get free guitar lessons?
I’ll be honest with you, and there’s two points I’d like to make here.
1) NEVER get a guitar from a place like costco. Always get them from a proper music store.
2) If you want to learn properly, you’ll need patience and proper technique, neither of which free online lessons will teach you.
I’ll explain in detail.
A 170$ guitar is unlikely to be much, this is true. But at a proper music store, you’re likely to at least get instruments of some standard, whereas at costco, God knows where they get their stuff from. Although it’s no guarantee of quality, a proper music store guitar is likely to suck less than a costco one.
If it isn’t a surprise, I strongly recommend letting him choose the guitar himself, because the best way, and perhaps the only way to properly choose a guitar is to TRY it beforehand.
If it is a surprise, then you’ll have to go to a music store and try them yourself.
At $170 dollars, I don’t know what exactly you can get, but start going to proper music stores and asking about guitars in your price range. Squiers and yamaha guitars are fairly popular amongst beginners, although if you can, I would suggest you avoid getting a pack. Part of what you’re paying for isn’t for the guitar, and stuff like the strap you can probably live without.
one thing to watch out for is the string action, or how low the strings. The higher they are, the harder to press, and the more painful it is for a beginner. Try pressing down on them and compare them with more expensive ones. If the difference is extremely great, don’t get it. It’s likely to bust your fingers.
However, when it comes down to selection I’m afraid you’re going to have to try them. there simply is no other way. I know you probably can’t play yet, but it’s still important you hear and test them. Do NOT get the first instrument you see that you can afford, or the nicest looking one, too many people make that mistake.
First, have someone play it for you, and see if you like the sound it produces. Also, strum the strings yourself, and see if you like it. Pluck individual notes and take notice of how long the note holds. It’s generally a rule that better guitars have better sustain, meaning that the note will ring longer. Next, hold down the strings. Notice how hard you have to push to get them down. A better guitar shouldn’t hurt you too much. If it feels like it’ll bust your fingers if you hold on for longer than a few seconds, it’s probably not the ideal choice. Also, check the tuning pegs, turn them and the should offer some resistance, but not too much. Finally, check for overall construction, make sure it’s all in good shape.
Do this, and decide on what is best. Try not to look at the brand names, because honestly, at entry level they’re usually all made in China and of similar materials, and sometimes even in the same factory. So, get the one that sounds and feels best regardless of brand.
On the point of online lessons, the fact is, they may be cheap, but if you can afford a proper tutor, you’re probably doing your brother a big favour. A proper instructor can identify mistakes with technique, and adapt the pace and methods of learning to suit the person, whereas free online lessons tend to take shortcuts and basically aim to keep the learner satisfied with mediocre progress.
If you want him to learn properly, it’s a good idea to consider an instructor.
I wish you and your brother all the best =)
ok I know all the basic notes ont the guitar and chords C, D7, G, G7. What songs can I play with that? videos are helpful, too.
Ok all you need is to learn another 2 chords for this song; E minor and A minor. They are very simple.
E minor
0
0
0
2
2
0
A minor
0
1
2
2
0
x
The song is “Make some noise by Hannah montana”.
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/h/hannah_montana/make_some_noise_ver4_crd.htm
oh and you need to know D also
2
3
2
0
x
x
do u play the guitar? or if ur a girl do u like guys who can play? or if ur a guy do u like gurls who can play guitar?
i play and build guitars have been playing for about 8 years or so now LOVEEEEEEE guitars even dream about guitars and im arround them pretty much all day first god created the universe and then he did an air guitar solo lol but yeah cant really think of anything better then guitars oh and girls who play guitars ROCK
ahh im hyper
ok so yesterday i got a Epiphone special II les paul from guitar center and it came with an amp and i have been playing it a bit this morning ive been trying 3 chords ( E, A, D) and they all sound the same when i strum. can some one please help me!!!!
no, im not tone deaf, trust me i play loads of other instruments perfectly fine. and in the video thing it came with, it shows u show to fret (partially) and strum (some what). and when the demonstrator plays it i can hear the difference clearly.
PLZ HELP!
also i just tuned it to near perfection and i dont believe im playing it wrong but i prob. am
i play guitar and am about to get a new guitar from their, you may be playing them wrong, your guitair may be out of tune, or you may not be presing the frets all the way down. heres another cord g, really simple. bottom string (top 4 a lefty) 3rd fret strum three to five strings
hope this helps
btw if you are new it will all sound the same til you get a keen ear for it
What are the factors that make one guitar easier to play than another? I play guitar and I’ve noticed that some guitars are just easier to play. The pick seems to glide through the strings more fluidly and it seems to make a nice sound without much effort on some guitars, but on others it is hard to strum and it just sounds bad. My guitar is like this. I have a Gibson Epiphone and it sounds bad and I have trouble strumming on it. When I play someone else’s guitar or another guitar at a music store, I can play effortlessy. There are other guitars that sound bad and are hard to play, but it always seems like the one that I have is hard to play. Does it have to do with the strings? Does it have to do with how the strings are mounted? I was recently playing my roommate’s Schecter guitar, and the strings felt so firm, yet it was easy to play and it sounded good. I took the strings off of mine and put them on his. So the same strings that were on my bad sounding guitar, sounded good on his.
His guitar was also easier to play. The same exact strings that were on mine were used, yet his guitar was easier for me to play. I must be cursed.
Alright, factors are:
Woods and materials- Some woods, (ussually the heavier, more expensive ones) make a guitar sound better than one with a cheaper, lighter wood. High-end guitars tend to use woods such as mahogany or rosewood, light fast guitars have basswood or maple, while cheaper poor quality guitars have plywood or agathis.
Pickups- The pickups on a guitar make up the tone by about 70 percent. There are two basic types of pickups: Humbuckers and Singlecoils. Singlecoils are thin single pickups that produce a twangy, thin tone. Guitars such as stratocasters have these. Humbuckers were invented later, and were initially made to cancel feedback and unwanted noise (hence humbucker-cancel the hum) these make a fatter, warmer sound, and are more common for metal and heavy riffs. I beleive your gibson explorer has these.
Some cheap guitars come with…cheap pickups. You can change the pickups of a guitar and change the way it sounds completely. Good pickup manufacturers are EMG, Seymour Duncan and D’Marzzio (spelling anyone?)
Action- This is the space between the strings and the frets. Although the action determines feel and speed rather than tone, it still has something to do with the way your guitar sounds. A guitar with lower action will feel easier to play than a guitar with higher action.
Neck Thickness- Guitars with thicker necks, such as Gibsons, may be harder to play than ones with thinner necks, e.g Ibanez RG’s or Fender Stratocasters. But neck thickness doesn’t have much to do with sound. People with bigger hands may get tired on thin necks quickly, but think necks mean more speed, in most cases. Nuff said.
Amp settings- Very, very “duh” A good guitar through a bad amp will most likely sound bad. It’s just the way it is.
Strings- You’ve already talked about strings, but I thought I’d give you more insight. Strings can change both the feel and the sound of a guitar. There is a huge gauge and brand range. I use Ernie Ball Super Slinkies because I’m able to play faster on thinner strings, and yet they retain a full sound. This is all down to prefference. Strings however, wear out quicker than you think. If you practice two hours every day for two weeks, your strings will already be too old.
Change your strings. It may be the most annoying job in the world (not to mention expensive) but I’ll guarantee you you’ll play a lot better on newer strings than worn out ones.
Pickup height- I forgot about this. Your pickups have two small screws on the sides, loosening or tightening them change the height of your pickup, higher and closer to the strings gives you more tone and more crunch, while lower and closer to the body mellows it out and makes it cleaner. If you’re willing to try this I suggest the following: Don’t. Unless you know what you’re doing, don’t mess with a guitar’s electronics. But if you really really really want to, then unplug your guitar from the amp. Always disconnect it before making any changes to the electronics. Try to use a screwdriver which doesn’t have a magnetised tip, for obvious reasons. Keep a phone with a luthier’s number handy. Make equal turns on both sides and remember, smaaaall turns, the slightest nudge can change the tone completely. Too far or too in can kill your sound. And try to measure with a modeller’s ruler before you make any changes so you know how to get back to what you were like before just incase.
Frets- Better quality guitars have better polished frets. They’re a lot easier to play on. Higher frets and jumbo frets also add to feel. These frets are taller than frets like, say an acoustic guitar. This means you don’t have to press so hard to get a sound out, but it also means you have to play light or you’ll go out of tune. A scallopped fingerboard has the wood scooped out inbetween the frets, and it maximises this effect by quite a lot. However, it can sound really bad if you don’t play light.
And at the end of the day, it’s not the guitar that makes the music, it’s you.
Quote: “Nobody can make a $10 guitar sound good, but lots of people can make pleasant music on a $1,000 guitar. This is one commodity where price does make a difference”
I dissagree, a good musician can make pleasant music on a 10 dollar guitar, it just requires more effort. The great thing about music is that it doesn’t have to be perfect.
I am planning on becoming really good at playing the guitar but i love playing guitar hero too…would that be weird if i was really good at the guitar and played guitar hero still?
i think tey would its great to help learn rhtym
This is really just out of curiosity that me and a friend have been wondering. Not such as taking a bass pickup and slapping it on a guitar. More like taking a guitar and adding a bass bridge, or nut made for guitar string but with only four slots like a bass, and then stringing in only four strings. I love playion guitar more, but i love bass guitar tone. Im just wondering if this could be a good idea, bad idea, or could go either way.
It will sound terrible. Try getting an amp where you can boost the low end, and buy a bassier guitar, like a baritone guitar.
Hi! I actually have 3 Questions:
What is the guitar capo used for?
When do you know when to use it in a song?
Do Electric Guitars Use Capos?
I’ve never seen a Electric guitar with a capo.
A capo is used to change (raise) the key of your open chords.
A capo is most commonly used by guitar players that aren’t good at barre chords, or for guitar riffs that require open strings in a key other than where open strings are available.
(In a barre chord you use your fore-finger as a capo)
A capo can be used on an electric as well. Even though it’s electric, it’s still a guitar (same rules). Most famous people you see performing with electric guitars know barre chords and don’t need a capo.