Guitar tips

[tenebrose]

Yes, you read that correctly. I'm asking for tips on guitars, but not just any kind of tips...

...as the only metal head in town who doesn't pump iron or play the guitar, I have decided I need to pick one of them up, and while a quite eccentric metal head in town keeps asking to feel my biceps , I have decided I'd probably have more luck in the guitar department . To be honest, the real truth is that I know a lot of people who play the guitar. It seems relaxing enough (I used to play the piano, but it's not for me. I found there is very little of my type of music out there for the piano, plus I had a bad teacher who over the course of four years kept mistaking me for another student, which resulted in him always expecting much more from me than I could possibly, at that time, produce ).

So, from a fresh start, what advice would you give anyone considering picking up guitar playing.

Why do you like playing the guitar?
What should one think about when looking for a guitar?
What is a good guitar for beginners? (both price and quality wise. as we all know, unless you're 100% sure you want to continue playing for the rest of your life, you don't want to spend a LOT).
Other tips?

 

[RogueSpirit]

Glad to hear it.

I like playing guitar simply because it's a creative outlet. Once you start getting good and playing songs you love and making your own stuff you get a sense of accomplishment. It's like: "Wow! Did I really do that?" when you play a power chord...

As for guitars for beginners, my bias is towards Mexican Fenders since they are very well made for their price. Pretty easy to work and its built like a tank too. Mr. Akerfeldt also plays a strat (I think) so if you're looking for his sound get the strat (although his is much better than the mexican...but you have to pay at least $1000 more). Ibanez also makes pretty good cheap guitars.

The only other recommendation for guitar buying is learn the guitar by taking lessons and renting a guitar. Then when you have a decent idea how to play the guitar you can stop by the guitar shop and try them all out. There is no such thing as a "best" guitar, only what feels best.

Learn your theory, try to learn as few cover songs as you can. I made this mistake as I started off by playing lots of rock/punk covers. They were fun to play but never got me any better. So if you learn a cover make sure its somewhat difficult. Only now am I beginning to catch up on theory. Your piano training should have helped quite a bit too.

 

[TheMindzI]

i think u should give it a try.. however i don't know any girl who's really good on electric guitar or drums.. so i didn't vote..
but good luck there.. i wish u do better than them

Originally posted by tenebrose
Why do you like playing the guitar?
What should one think about when looking for a guitar?
What is a good guitar for beginners? (both price and quality wise. as we all know, unless you're 100% sure you want to continue playing for the rest of your life, you don't want to spend a LOT).
Other tips?

Well I started playing the guitar because I loved that MetallicA riffs Moreover u can have a pretty fair guitar and amp without spending a lot of money, u don't need any extra space for it and u can use your headphones in order not to get annoying
I always suggest the Ibanez RG-270 model because it's a cheap but pretty good guitar (relatively to its price) and I've been testing it for a few years. I think it's just great for a beginner.. another tip? yeah.. get a teacher and spend at least an hour/day practicing

 

[Blackspirit]

Yay! Come on! Pick up the guitar
and start playing!! )))

Then, when you get really good
you can start teaching me! >)

Good luck! )

 

[Downfall]

I started playing guitar when I was about 8, but got tired to the theory after 5 years. I skipped a year and started playing electric guitar when I got into Nirvana and other punk/rock bands. The reason why I'm still playing after those years, is that music is a great way to express your feelings and thoughts. Ferocious. Guitar is relatively easy to get started with and has lots of possibilities.

When buying guitar, you should not buy too cheap guitar. If you can, take someone who knows something of guitars with you. Check that the guitar feels good to play and that it stays in tune etc.

What comes to playing, I could say that do what you like. If you don't like theory, don't feed yourself with too much of it. On the other hand, the better you get, the better it feels to play. Go with your own pace.

 

[RETIREDTrapped]

I started playing when i was eight, too. I know a fair bit of theory, but i never apply it to writing music for my band...

I've been playin' for a damn long time, and its my life.

I reccomend that you IGNORE all this crap about 'learn on an acoustic' that some people seem to beleive, and you don't need to bother with theory either, trust me, i studied music (not just guitar... also jazz, opera, classical... etc.) and i never refer to theory for writing or playing.

Don't take lessons straight away, it is best to find your own way of playing, DESPITE what teachers and 'elders' will say. Everyone has different abilities and different ways of acheiving this, and it is best to learn for a few months or so but your ears and thru tab, THEN go and get lessons.

Edit: Just for reference, i play guitar for about eight or so hours a day...

 

[bleed for me]

i realized that i love music and it was the only thing that i was motivated to work hard for...
so i quit piano and took up bass guitar (i thought it would be easier to start off with because it only had four strings...boy was i wrong)

tips:
1. don't start this unless you know that you're willing to work hard and that you know you have enough time to play at least half an hour everyday.
2. get a teacher...make sure he's good (ask for qualifications, or get a reccomendation from a friend)...make sure he's able to play all styles of music...jazz, blues, spanish, and of course he should know how to play METAL very well

3. when you buy a guitar, feel is maybe the most important thing...play the guitar in the shop...make sure that when you press down on the string, you don't need to press to hard...if so, ask the salesman to set it up so you don't.

4. i think the best brand for begginers is ibanez..it has great values...if you know you'll be playing for a while you should spend about $350-400 (US dollars)

5. ask a friend who plays guitar to come to the store with you.

good luck

i've been playing for about 5 years

 

[Rusty]

1. BE PATIENT! I'm sure you know this from learning the piano, but I'll remind you anyway.

2. NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER buy a cheap distortion pedal. NEVER!

 

[tenebrose]

Originally posted by Blackspirit
Yay! Come on! Pick up the guitar
and start playing!! )))

Then, when you get really good
you can start teaching me! >)

You've got a deal there, Blackspirit.


Thank you for all the advice, people. Thankfully, I know a lot of people who play the guitar (in fact, one of the reasons I'm getting more and more interested is because of the numerous offers from people to teach me). That and I miss playing an instrument, but I got tired of only being able to play the kinds music I like on the piano (with the exception of Beethoven).

 

[Malaclypse]

on the last rehearsal of our band there were only the guitarist and me, and he told me some chords since i have a dusty acoustic guitar and can't play anything. i think this will be a great improvement for our band (i'm teaching him drums on the other hand), so i can finally explain ideas i have on old and new songs. but this will take a lot of time since my fingers are so stiff... i think i will practise once a day or so, someday it will get better.
so i would encourage you to learn it as well. it's great to have an creative outlet. and for me... i just can't write songs on my drumset

 

[Lakestream]

I love playing guitar since it's a great creative outlet, and I get really relaxed when I play. I started playing on an acousitc guitar, and I think that's an easier way to start. I also like the fact that it's easier moving around an acoustic guitar....no amp and cables and stuff.

 

[Misanthrope]

Hehe i started playing guitar for 1 main reason: Easy. Its an easy instrument to figure out on your own, you have your frets each one produces a different sound. And yet it takes a bit of dedication to get off the ground, well actually a hell of a lot. Anyone can hear a song in the tv and play the main theme on a keyboard by just pressing the keys, but its a bit harder to take a guitar and play those songs. But only on the mechanical part in the musical part its very easy.

I started playing guitar because after a few basic pointers by my dad i acomplished alot, it really paid off well in my starting years, after i got my first electric and some pointers on electric guitar i was playing Metallica songs and even Metallica leads after just 2 years of playing and i found it very rewarding, and since im self taught guitar player i learn extremely slow a good trained newbie can play those metallica songs in 4 months or so if he dedicates to it. Of course i have my downside in my life when i was in high school and it reflected on my guitar skill but as soon as i dedicated again i moved foward pretty quickly.

I recomend that you start playing the guitar only if you think you have what it takes: dedication. If you are not gonna pick your guitar and practice for 1-4 hours each day is not worth it. If you play for 5 minute each second day you will give it up cause you are still trying to get those legatto exercises right or you still cant make a decent palm muting sound or you cannot get anything thats even close to rythm going on. I was a special case, because i pick it up for 5 minutes at day most of the time and never loose my skill and even move foward, but i guess im just a weird kid who can play decent lead without ever practicing for more than 20 minutes in a row or more than 4 hours at day total. From my experience with other people i am lucky to even play decent stuff most of my friends could never play a damn thing, you have to be prepared to practice your ass off and to avoid being frustrated by people like me.

I did not knew this when i first started playing and i definitely wouldnt had start in the first place if i knew this...

 

[tenebrose]

Originally posted by Misanthrope
I recomend that you start playing the guitar only if you think you have what it takes: dedication. If you are not gonna pick your guitar and practice for 1-4 hours each day is not worth it. If you play for 5 minute each second day you will give it up cause you are still trying to get those legatto exercises right or you still cant make a decent palm muting sound or you cannot get anything thats even close to rythm going on.

Ay, ay, I remember that from learning to play the piano... you start out with one hand... three keys, and then you continue... three or four months later, lets try playing with two hands... and the coordination there is definitely not an easy thing in the beginning (at least that's how I remember it. I was seven at the time. Ten years have passed since then so my recollection may be slightly distorted).

you have to be prepared to practice your ass off and to avoid being frustrated by people like me.

If there's one thing knowing so many guitar players has taught me it's the importance of practice. Many of them are practically married to their instruments. They eat and sleep, and sit on bulletin boards like this, those few hours they aren't playing... and when they actually get out it's to go to band rehersals or record their demo.

And thank you, Misanthrope... I will avoid being frustrated by people like you.

 

[BillowOfZeal]

chicks who play guitar rule....me if they want