Learning to play guitar

[Dansiph]

Hi,

I recently got the urge to learn to play. Do any guitar players here have advice for me? For the mean time I'd prefer to self learn, with written and online resources. If you play another instrument feel free to respond also.

My main concerns are staying motivated and which type of guitar to get so, acoustic, classical or a mixture of electric and acoustic. I'm less interested in electric but it's nice to have a guitar capable of both I assume?

btw I'm 25 and will get a guitar after Christmas.

I have no experience playing instruments.

 

[royal priest]

There are so many helpful online resources, but I recommend you get an actual teacher to observe you. The feedback you'd receive will be infinitely more helpful than any Youtube videos.

 

[Kenny'sID]

I'd go with just an acoustic for now, see how it goes then add and electric. Having both has always been a must for me, as you just can't get the sounds you might like out of just an acoustic, while your electric, not matter how hard they might try with affects, is never going to sound like the acoustic.

I didn't have this when I was a kid but if it were me, I'd do a little work getting your chops down/the feel of the guitar and how things are done, as in hammer ons/offs, rhythm and such, then go to youtube and just start learning songs you like. Even if you might think you aren't ready for that, remember "hands on" is the best teacher. That will help to keep you interested instead of just theory/scales. Also know that there are likely more musicians out there that can't read music over those who can, and while reading it can't hurt at all, don't worry about it if you cannot. I can see people dropping it altogether because of having to learn all that theory, when they may well have excelled without it. However, I would still look into theory, it may come easy to you.

If you like playing lead, when I first started out I got frustrated with that, and at least had the wherewithal to ask what scale I can use to get started, something that I can play with most any piece of basic music, and fortunately there was such a thing. It was very simple, so simple I can't honestly say I had to learn it. If you would like to buy my book you can find out the secret of how to play Bach or rock in a single day. Just kidding, lol, but not about the scale. I added natural feel, something I think most of us have, and was off to the races. I'll try to find that for you.

What acoustic did you have in mind?

 

[maintenance man]

I'd prefer to self learn, with written and online resources. If you play another instrument feel free to respond also.

I'm not a guitar player, I'm a woodwind player for decades. I can tell you that learning an instrument on your own using online resources is entirely possible. There is an enormous abundance of guitar lessons online - much of it is free. Some of the greatest musicians in the world - especially guitar players - are self taught. The question is do you have the talent of some of the greatest musicians in the world? If not, you would do well to take a few lessons from a good teacher. A good teacher sitting next to you, demonstrating what you are learning, will move you forward much quicker and prevent you from developing bad habits you will need to unlearn later.

Music is a great way to get both sides of your brain working at the same time.

May you be greatly blessed in your journey.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Dansiph]

I'd go with just an acoustic for now, see how it goes then add and electric. Having both has always been a must for me, as you just can't get the sounds you might like out of just an acoustic, while your electric, not matter how hard they might try with affects, is never going to sound like the acoustic.

I didn't have this when I was a kid but if it were me, I'd do a little work getting your chops down/the feel of the guitar and how things are done, as in hammer ons/offs, rhythm and such, then go to youtube and just start learning songs you like. Even if you might think you aren't ready for that, remember "hands on" is the best teacher. That will help to keep you interested instead of just theory/scales. Also know that there are likely more musicians out there that can't read music over those who can, and while reading it can't hurt at all, don't worry about it if you cannot. I can see people dropping it altogether because of having to learn all that theory, when they may well have excelled without it. However, I would still look into theory, it may come easy to you.

If you like playing lead, when I first started out I got frustrated with that, and at least had the wherewithal to ask what scale I can use to get started, something that I can play with most any piece of basic music, and fortunately there was such a thing. It was very simple, so simple I can't honestly say I had to learn it. If you would like to buy my book you can find out the secret of how to play Bach or rock in a single day. Just kidding, lol, but not about the scale. I added natural feel, something I think most of us have, and was off to the races. I'll try to find that for you.

What acoustic did you have in mind?

by "what acoustic did you have in mind?" do you mean a specific guitar? I was looking at the beginners section on Dawsons (UK) there's a few well reviewed beginners guitars on there

 

[Kenny'sID]

The question is do you have the talent of some of the greatest musicians in the world?

Yep, some are a natural, and some not, and working at it can make it come naturally at least to a point, even if nothing will make us Genius if we are not, if you are, well... I'm very jealous. . Whatever end of that you are on, and I suppose there are different degrees of it, there are plenty of popular musicians out there that weren't naturals, that did quite well.

 

[Kenny'sID]

by "what acoustic did you have in mind?" do you mean a specific guitar? I was looking at the beginners section on Dawsons (UK) there's a few well reviewed beginners guitars on there

Definitely get other opinions, but another option I didn't have was the China copies, I hear they are rather good and can even be brought up to par of the original with a bit of inexpensive upgrading. I'm not professional so I have always gone cheap, as in Yamaha for acoustic, and Ibanez Lespaul copy for electric.

EDIT: You will also need to decide if you want to go Spanish/picking a lot, or with chords and such. You can actually do both with a thin or wide neck, but the wider ones are more for picking, and tend to be difficult to play other things on, things that you will likely want to do, especially for a beginner. So, wide or not so wide neck, that is the question, and one you will need to answer before you mistakenly get a guitar that you hate.

 

[Dansiph]

I'm not a guitar player, I'm a woodwind player for decades. I can tell you that learning an instrument on your own using online resources is entirely possible. There is an enormous abundance of guitar lessons online - much of it is free. Some of the greatest musicians in the world - especially guitar players - are self taught. The question is do you have the talent of some of the greatest musicians in the world? If not, you would do well to take a few lessons from a good teacher. A good teacher sitting next to you, demonstrating what you are learning, will move you forward much quicker and prevent you from developing bad habits you will need to unlearn later.

Music is a great way to get both sides of your brain working at the same time.

May you be greatly blessed in your journey.

Thank you, I agree a teacher will be a good idea especially with the bad habit thing. As for talent I'd say probably not. I'm probably going to have to work at it

 

[Dansiph]

Definitely get other opinions, but another option I didn't have was the China copies, I hear they are rather good and can even be brought up to par of the original with a bit of inexpensive upgrading. I'm not professional so I have always gone cheap, as in Yamaha for acoustic, and Ibanez Lespaul copy for electric.

The acoustic I was looking at is Yamaha, it's £105. Yamaha F310 in natural.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Dansiph]

My suggestion is decide if you want a classical guitar to learn with first, because of the nylon strings.
steel strings are not easy on your hands

I read most people get a classical for this reason but few people stick with classical in the long run? I like the sound of the nylon strings but I don't enjoy a lot of the music associated with classical guitars. I could be ingorant but I associate it with fast Spanish sounding music for the most part

 

[Kenny'sID]

The acoustic I was looking at is Yamaha, it's £105. Yamaha F310 in natural.

Thin neck, inexpensive but good sounding.

Now there are folks that will swear you have to spend 6/8 hundred and up to thousands on a guitar, but I wouldn't. I'd go with the China knock offs before I did that, then upgrade if I wanted to. Still, the Yamaha is a good choice as far as I'm concerned. Do a youtube search on what's a good guitar, and does price mean that much, something you may have already done.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Dansiph]

Thin neck, inexpensive but good sounding.

Now there are folks that will swear you have to spend 6/8 hundred and up to thousands on a guitar, but I wouldn't. I'd go with the China knock offs before I did that, then upgrade if I wanted to. Still, the Yamaha is a good choice as far as I'm concerned. Do a youtube search on what's a good guitar, and does price mean that much, something you may have already done.

Defnitely agree. Also the phrase "all the gear no idea" comes to mind here lol. You don't want all the fancy stuff and not be able to play very well

 

[Dansiph]

I was just kind of warning you that the strings will cut into your fingers. Mine took a lot of cuts as I was learning, but I had that goal of being good enough to accompany others at camp as we sang.
I also suggest that if you are going to carry it around to other places, then get at least a nylon type of case to keep it in. You want to protect it, so you don't have to keep tuning it ever time you go somewhere.
Get one with a handle on it. Get a comfortable guitar strap. too.

Ah I didn't realise it would actually cut your fingers over time. I don't have delicate hands imo but neither do I have the hands of a seasoned bricklayer. My grandad was a bricklayer, his hands are like sandpaper. Is there anything you can do to prevent the damage to fingers?

 

[Kenny'sID]

Yep sore fingers will happen. FWIW, I use electric guitar strings on my acoustic, the sound is a little less full but the thinner strings allow me to bend the strings further, among other things. So, though sore fingers aren't a problem for me, it might be a good idea to start with thinner strings because I'm thinking they give easier, and they may not hurt as bad for the beginner. You may want to try both, at least until you start building callouses.

I'm sure you know you can get acoustic electrics, so I won't get into that unless you ask, except to say they are basically acoustics with a pick up.

My fingers never actually cut, they just got sore for a time.

 

[Dansiph]

Yep sore fingers will happen. FWIW, I use electric guitar strings on my acoustic, the sound is a little less full but the thinner strings allow me to bend the strings further, among other things. So, though sore fingers aren't a problem for me, it might be a good idea to start with thinner strings because I'm thinking they give easier, and they may not hurt as bad for the beginner. You may want to try both, at least until you start building callouses.

I'm sure you know you can get acoustic electrics, so I won't get into that unless you ask, except to say they are basically acoustics with a pick up.

the first guitar lesson I watched was (I think?) with an acoustic electric.

it sounds nice.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm