Learning to play guitar...

[axeman90210]

Interesting, I'd rather play a full F barre chord at the first fret than the open F chord on the top four strings. The dream though is just being able to play an Fmaj7 instead

[Architeuthis]

Interesting, I'd rather play a full F barre chord at the first fret than the open F chord on the top four strings.

I completely agree, plus it sounds better that way!   

[DoctorAction]

I'd rather too but my hands are too small/weak/whatever for it to be comfortable for more than a few seconds. 😁

[Architeuthis]

I'd rather too but my hands are too small/weak/whatever for it to be comfortable for more than a few seconds. 😁

It's actually quite a bit easier to play the full barred version.

[Volante99]

In regards to the acoustic vs electric-

What type of music do YOU want to play?

If you’re a strumming folk music, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Beatles, swooning girls with romantic songs kinda guy then get an acoustic.

If you want to jam out to Metallica, learn the Stairway solo, impress your bros then get an electric.

If you think you want to do both then get an electric because you can at least get away with playing acoustic songs on electric and still sound okay. The opposite isn’t always true with an acoustic.

Guitar playing is fun and if you play music/songs you like the more you’ll play, the better you’ll get, and the more likely you are to stick with it.

[DoctorAction]

I'd rather too but my hands are too small/weak/whatever for it to be comfortable for more than a few seconds. 😁

It's actually quite a bit easier to play the full barred version.

Depends on your hands, I guess. My 30 years of playing Fs has lead me to 3 alternatives to the full barre. Usually I play the 4 lowest strings, often i don't play the root but play the middle 4, and less usually i play the top four. Just depends on the context and what is the least significant loss for me.

[T-ski]

I've decided to go electric.  it seems more affordable and a slightly easier way to learn.

Surprisingly, the first place I looked locally that had a used Squier for $200 has now dropped the price to $159... http://jerrysmusic.com/squier-affinity-stratocaster-left-handed-brown-sunburst.html#!prettyPhoto

My Dad suggested getting a "starter" package on Amazon like this.... https://www.amazon.com/Handed-Davison-Electric-Guitar-Package/dp/B082S3LHRC/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=davison+electric+guitar&qid=1579551584&sr=8-11 and after researching it, it may not be as bad a deal as it looks, as some reviews of this guitar say for the price its actually pretty decent.

[DoctorAction]

Nah. Go with the Squier and a little amp. Squier have a good name and reputation.

[bosk1]

Nah. Go with the Squier and a little amp. Squier have a good name and reputation.

This.  The amp alone makes it worthwhile.  The package may feel "fine" for the first six months or so.  And then one day, you'll realize just how limiting they are.  I also just wouldn't buy a guitar without being able to physically hold it in your hands and feel it before handing over your money.  Granted, you may not know what to look for and may just feel awkward publicly plinking on a guitar you have no idea how to play.  But you will probably notice after trying a few that there are some that just don't feel right for you, for whatever reason.  You can't do that by ordering online.

[DoctorAction]

And if you find it's not for you or you want to upgrade in the future, someone will buy the Squier from you. You'll get pretty much zilch for the unknown brand package guitar.

[T-ski]

had a purchase ready to go and it fell through which wasn't the Squier.

thankfully the Squier is still available and it appears its really my last option at this point.  Left handed electric guitars are hard to find under $200.

[Lax]

And after spending money, gather reasons to play regularly and improve, because it's easy to get lazy or stuck !
I'm not in the same boat since I began guitar at 4-5 years old and am now 38
But I know it's hard to stay motivated without a teacher/band/whatever.
Last time I felt unmotivated, I created the guitar discord server chatroom and now we are the biggest one and it's just a maelström of informations and motivation
Cheers !

I hope more and more people will play music, with no age or any limit !

[T-ski]

it has begun....

picked up a Fender Frontman 10G amp, 10ft. Fender cable, Snark tuner, and a guitar stand....



as far as the guitar, it'll be here by the weekend.  with a highly limited supply of lefty electrics in my area I went to the internet to see what I could find.  I went budget, but feel confident after researching that this will be a very adequate beginner guitar for the price.  Its an Indio Cali Classic from Monoprice....



can't wait to start to fiddle around and see what I can do!

[Lonk]

Remember to be patient! 

[Dublagent66]

I've been playing on and off since 1973 (7 years old).  Learning chords is rather simple.  Achieving coordination between chord changes and conditioning the finger tips is the hard part.  I just started picking up my acoustic after a long hiatus and man does it fucking hurt!  Bar chords are the worst when your fingers hurt.  Can't get a clean sound without super low action.  Electric guitar is a little easier but your fingers still have to be in shape.  That takes a lot of patience.

[T-ski]

one week in and yes, my fingers hurt.   

I'm understanding concepts fairly well, but getting the fingers to do the work is most definitely challenging. I'm trying to play something at least 15 minutes a day.  I've at least mastered the one string/one finger Smoke on the Water riff, so I have that going for me.

[T-ski]

two weeks in, if you're on twitter you can check out my progress...

https://twitter.com/MarkIsOld/status/1237833218637905921

[T-ski]

I've done about two weeks of just single finger fretting and feel okay with most of it, but I've now decided to learn some chords.

currently working on E, Em, and Am.  Having a really difficult time with dead strings as I strum and my fingers are really getting sore much quicker.  any tips?

[max_security]

I've done about two weeks of just single finger fretting and feel okay with most of it, but I've now decided to learn some chords.

currently working on E, Em, and Am.  Having a really difficult time with dead strings as I strum and my fingers are really getting sore much quicker.  any tips?

Play through it. Do the routine stuff . Vinnie Moore had an instructional video in the late 80's that had some really good general purpose dexterity and hand strength routines , as well as the entire video being a fantastic musical resource. But at least play through the pain for a session ( you determine what that is ) every day.

[Lonk]

That's pretty cool T-Ski, keep up the good work. Honestly, I don't remember being where you are 2 weeks into playing.

Assuming you mean your picking hand is getting sore? If so it could be the way you are holding the pick. It's hard to tell from your video, but remember you are not using your fingertip to hold the pick (at least for a comfortable position). Also keep your hands relaxed, if you start tensing up, just take a step back, slow it down and relax your hands.

[T-ski]

That's pretty cool T-Ski, keep up the good work. Honestly, I don't remember being where you are 2 weeks into playing.

Assuming you mean your picking hand is getting sore? If so it could be the way you are holding the pick. It's hard to tell from your video, but remember you are not using your fingertip to hold the pick (at least for a comfortable position). Also keep your hands relaxed, if you start tensing up, just take a step back, slow it down and relax your hands.

Thanks! I haven’t really made much progress since then, but it’s good to hear feedback! I’m starting to get impatient and took a couple days off to regroup this week.  I’ve been jumping around to different teaching videos and I think it’s messing me up.  I started with Marty Music on YouTube, jumped over to the Yousician app and now am on Justin Guitars website. 

[DoctorAction]

Don't worry too much about hand pain with chords. It takes a while for your body to get used to what is quite an odd practice. Concentrate on the one or two you're most comfy with, get those better and come back to the awkward fellas.

Re dead strings, you mean you're choking off notes that should be ringing out clear with your other fretting fingers, right? You just have to pay attention to how your finger tips are coming in over the top of the strings. There's no easy way around it but you'll get there! 

[Stadler]

This corona virus thing is the best thing to happen to my playing in over a decade.   

[HOF]

So I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for several years now, had some beginner lessons which got me on my way and I have gotten to the point where I can play fairly confidently with basic open chords (which allows you to play a surprising number of songs), but I just can’t play a decent bar or power chord to save my life, and I really need to find a way to get out of first position. I like playing and enjoy just messing around, but it’s really frustrating feeling like there is nowhere else to go from here. Any thoughts?

Also, pet peeve with YouTube tutorials. It would help me (I think) if these were shot from the player’s perspective (looking down at the neck from the same angle I have as I’m playing). My brain just can’t translate seeing things from the opposite direction.

[wolfking]

Also, pet peeve with YouTube tutorials. It would help me (I think) if these were shot from the player’s perspective (looking down at the neck from the same angle I have as I’m playing). My brain just can’t translate seeing things from the opposite direction.

Kind of the same if you are having a one on one lessons with a teacher in person though.  I understand what you mean, but never had a issue with it.  Back when I was learning youtube lessons weren't a thing.  Paying 20 bucks a lesson was brutal on my parents.  What there is today for free on youtube is absolutely unbelievable.

[Stadler]

So I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for several years now, had some beginner lessons which got me on my way and I have gotten to the point where I can play fairly confidently with basic open chords (which allows you to play a surprising number of songs), but I just can’t play a decent bar or power chord to save my life, and I really need to find a way to get out of first position. I like playing and enjoy just messing around, but it’s really frustrating feeling like there is nowhere else to go from here. Any thoughts?

Also, pet peeve with YouTube tutorials. It would help me (I think) if these were shot from the player’s perspective (looking down at the neck from the same angle I have as I’m playing). My brain just can’t translate seeing things from the opposite direction.

I'm not a teacher, and I don't pretend to have any supreme knowledge here, just what seemed to break ice for me, but...

While I still practice the full monty, to get it right, if I'm playing a song, I will break down the bar chords to manageable chunks.  If you're playing an "F" chord, for example, don't go for baroque (Steve Morse joke) and go for all six strings, but play the bottom three; or the top three; or, what I do sometimes, the middle three or four.  All of those - but especially with that last one (the middle three or four) - you can then slide that shape up the neck and smooth some of your transitions.   The choice you make will depend on the music you're playing - if you're playing Sabbath, go for the bottom three first; if you're playing Hank Williams, Jr., try the top three.  Oasis, the middle. 

[Elite]

This corona virus thing is the best thing to happen to my playing in over a decade.   

Can definitely relate. Even though I kind of play a lot already, I have even more time to do so right now. It's fantastic.

[DoctorAction]

This corona virus thing is the best thing to happen to my playing in over a decade.

Haha. Totally

@HOF Learn a basic scale that you can move around the neck so you can noodle over things. If you're playing things in major keys, learn a major one, if minor, do minor, but just learn one simple one. Anything with the word "pentatonic" is your friend. It's a cool word but just means five notes)

[Lonk]

This corona virus thing is the best thing to happen to my playing in over a decade.

Haha. Totally

@HOF Learn a basic scale that you can move around the neck so you can noodle over things. If you're playing things in major keys, learn a major one, if minor, do minor, but just learn one simple one. Anything with the word "pentatonic" is your friend. It's a cool word but just means five notes)

Agree on the Scale part. In terms on barred chords and power chords, I remember it was hard to generate a good sounding chord at first. I would recommend holding down the chord but playing arpeggios (one note at the time), to make sure each note sounds clean and clear. Once you do that then move on to playing full chords.

[HOF]

I appreciate the tips. I tried to spend some time working on some pentatonic scales tonight. Have practiced some of these before but they don’t feel very “musical” for lack of a better word, which makes it hard to really work at them.

[DoctorAction]

I appreciate the tips. I tried to spend some time working on some pentatonic scales tonight. Have practiced some of these before but they don’t feel very “musical” for lack of a better word, which makes it hard to really work at them.

Or just learn the minor blues scale. You can just noodle about in it over any blues backing track and it very quickly starts sounding like music! https://www.leadguitarlessons.com/guitar-lessons/scales/the-blues-scale.htm

[Lowdz]

This corona virus thing is the best thing to happen to my playing in over a decade.   

Can definitely relate. Even though I kind of play a lot already, I have even more time to do so right now. It's fantastic.

Do you mind? Some of us still have to work 

 

[T-ski]

I decided to start uploading some practice stuff onto Youtube.  Here I am after six weeks, learning this one for the wife....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51XgHtRsSxc

[Lonk]

I decided to start uploading some practice stuff onto Youtube.  Here I am after six weeks, learning this one for the wife....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51XgHtRsSxc

The reaction at 0:04 lol the accidental note, we all been there.

one suggestion: try not to have your pinky resting on the guitar. It's best to eliminate bad habits early.

[axeman90210]

I decided to start uploading some practice stuff onto Youtube.  Here I am after six weeks, learning this one for the wife....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51XgHtRsSxc

The reaction at 0:04 lol the accidental note, we all been there.

one suggestion: try not to have your pinky resting on the guitar. It's best to eliminate bad habits early.

I didn't realize the pinky thing is actually a bad habit. I know I've seen some pros talk about "anchoring" their hand on the guitar when they're not strumming, always figured it was more of a personal preference kind of thing.