I posted a couple of weeks ago saying that I was interested in buying my first guitar and since then I have bought a guitar. I have been playing with it for a couple of weeks. I was wondering if you guys could give me any advice on the best way to teach yourself how to play. I have tried playing a few songs from tab but I am not doing that well with it. Any suggestions on what I should do.
Learning Guitar
- Thread starter White Cluster
- Start date
Stormwatch
Cock.
I would suggest buying "If You Want Blood" by AC/DC and learning that. It's all easy chords (like ACADACA for Whole Lotta Rosie) and the solos are pretty easy too.
You also have the distinction of owning the best live album ever recorded when you buy that!
Simple, but NEVER bettered!
AC/DC songs like Go Down, Rock N Roll Singer, Dirty Deeds and Hells Bells all teach you simple chords and licks and thats how I started - go for it! AC/DC fucking rock, and once you learn those licks you can try something like Jump In The Fire by Metallica and work your speed up till you can match the real thing!
You also have the distinction of owning the best live album ever recorded when you buy that!
Simple, but NEVER bettered!
AC/DC songs like Go Down, Rock N Roll Singer, Dirty Deeds and Hells Bells all teach you simple chords and licks and thats how I started - go for it! AC/DC fucking rock, and once you learn those licks you can try something like Jump In The Fire by Metallica and work your speed up till you can match the real thing!
i would suggest visiting some of the websites intented for guitar teaching, like
wholenote.com
cyberfret.com
guitar.com
and i'm sure you could find others, also, learn chords, and learn how to switch back and forth between them, it helps, try to have fun though, dont keep it on just practicing "boring" stuff... teaching yourself is pretty tough lol
wholenote.com
cyberfret.com
guitar.com
and i'm sure you could find others, also, learn chords, and learn how to switch back and forth between them, it helps, try to have fun though, dont keep it on just practicing "boring" stuff... teaching yourself is pretty tough lol
I just started learning too, about 2 months ago. I have a teacher, but since you dont i think you should buy a guitar method book. I used Alfred's Guitar Method Book 1, and have moved on to book 2, but you can use any begginner book. It teaches you how to read music, what notes are what on the guitar, and chords as well. Also, pick out some easy songs to learn. The first song i learned was Lifehouse-Love of a Lifetime(my teacher chose the song, its a good song to learn techniques on). Of course, learn SCALES! they are very important to build up dexterity and speed. Im sure you can find a bunch of scales online.
jageorge72
Member
I'm just starting out too. Actually, I bought drums & am taking lessons, and my wife bought a guitar.......but I'm going to learn that as well. She's using "Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 1". It was only like $6.00. Seems pretty good so far. I don't mind playing little things like "Yankee Doodle", as long as I'm learning the right way to play.:Spin:
diospada
Katatonic Opethean
Scourge of Malice
Member
Till Fjalls
¥¤ÆZµ
Teaching yourself can be tough, but I personally think it can be more rewarding thatn having a teacher.
the first thing, I think, is to learn songs you really enjoy and know well, though they should be fairly simple, if you're just starting out. Don't take on some Vai, or Spiral architect if you're just beginning. I began with Gun's and Roses, simple folkish strumming stuff, and Slayer. Looking back, I realize why I could never play the Slayer stuff very good at first...
Practice open chords, it'll stretch your hands, and since you usually change chords fairly slowly, it's a good way to start. Try to get a feel for strumming different rhythms, and later, try and arpeggiate the chord patterns, picking certain notes in the chords instead of strumming them all. To get a feel for your guitar, try closing your eyes, then place a left hand finger on a random fret, then try to hit that string with your pick, with your eyes still closed. I found this to be particularly helpful in getting used to the feel of the guitar, it's string spacing, and so on.
Finally, wherever you are, with a guitar or not, practice! That's how I learned the solo's in "November Rain" by Guns and Roses. I'd sit in class at high school, and pretend I was playing my guitar, just visualizing the frets I had to hit, and moving my fingers along with the solo in my mind. Train yourself mentally as much as you do physically. And listen carefully to your music. Once you get a really good feel for distinguishing rhythms of different instruments in a piece of music, the ability to physically play the piece will come much easier.
Now there are a few, very random ideas I pulled from my own experience. Hope they can help to some degree. Good luck with the guitaring!
the first thing, I think, is to learn songs you really enjoy and know well, though they should be fairly simple, if you're just starting out. Don't take on some Vai, or Spiral architect if you're just beginning. I began with Gun's and Roses, simple folkish strumming stuff, and Slayer. Looking back, I realize why I could never play the Slayer stuff very good at first...
Practice open chords, it'll stretch your hands, and since you usually change chords fairly slowly, it's a good way to start. Try to get a feel for strumming different rhythms, and later, try and arpeggiate the chord patterns, picking certain notes in the chords instead of strumming them all. To get a feel for your guitar, try closing your eyes, then place a left hand finger on a random fret, then try to hit that string with your pick, with your eyes still closed. I found this to be particularly helpful in getting used to the feel of the guitar, it's string spacing, and so on.
Finally, wherever you are, with a guitar or not, practice! That's how I learned the solo's in "November Rain" by Guns and Roses. I'd sit in class at high school, and pretend I was playing my guitar, just visualizing the frets I had to hit, and moving my fingers along with the solo in my mind. Train yourself mentally as much as you do physically. And listen carefully to your music. Once you get a really good feel for distinguishing rhythms of different instruments in a piece of music, the ability to physically play the piece will come much easier.
Now there are a few, very random ideas I pulled from my own experience. Hope they can help to some degree. Good luck with the guitaring!
nergal_S
St. Anger around my neck.
MetalHeadMarc
Dark Lord of the Sith
If you want to learn heavy metal riffage, I suggest 2 songs, from the Old god's of metal, Metallica's 4 hoursemen and Master of Puppets. These songs are a lesson in metal.
fadingessence
All is Lost
diospada said:
You know it sounded silly to me when I started...but anyone serious about it really should do that. Especially if you want to play stuff like Opeth. I just did the self taught deal never took lessons, 3 years later I can pick up almost any opeth song in a few minutes...but always have trouble with the fingerpicking parts or more complex acoustic stuff. Plus you just learn so much more about theory with classical. But really either way works, I can't really play solos because I don't have the patience to learn them note for note. I know people that just work on lead stuff, and thats great but they can't write a song to save their life.
But learn some easy chord type songs for sure, hell Green Day is great beginning stuff. Early metallica is great too, especially Seek and Destroy..thats the first song I played with a band in front of people. Old ozzy/black sabbath is great...Crazy Train (not solos obviously), Iron Man, Sweet Leaf, Paranoid. Of course Zeppelin, gotta get those those bluesy riffs down. When you start getting alternate picking down Slayer is GREAT for building dexterity and speed, Expendable Youth is pretty easy, Angel of Death is a lot more fun. If you want more a speed metal challange try anything off Rust In Peace by Megadeth...when you can play Holy Wars and Tornado of Souls you've got it made.
Keep trying the stuff you really like even if you don't get it when you first try. Hold off a while and try it again when you've gotten better. Honestly playing guitar doesn't even feel like progress at times, then I look back 1 year ago doing Living After Midnight (another great song) and some Pantera for a talent show. This year we (my band) are doing pretty much all of Deliverance (cut a bit for time). So never give up =)
Windom Pearl
HUGGY!!!!
I suggest learing the basic open and barre chords first. You can find them anywhere, from school music books or whatever. Learn to play rhythms for a few easy songs (some Beatles classics or whatever, something easy), maybe sing along. It isn's that wise to start practicing metal stuff first. It can be easy and nice but you'll lack the base of playing.
I just pretty much picked some tabs and started learning whatever i felt like - thats still how i do thing a couple of years later. It hasn't really done wonders for me in terms of good technique but yeah - my technique still works for me.
Theres not much point taking things really seriously - lessons, learning all your chords, etc - if you're going to lose interest. Its much more rewarding to just get out there and try to play whatever you feel like
Theres not much point taking things really seriously - lessons, learning all your chords, etc - if you're going to lose interest. Its much more rewarding to just get out there and try to play whatever you feel like
Lethe78
Expired candle
MetalHeadMarc said:
Puppetz!!!!! But only do it if you are going to do it correctly and only use downstrokes. When I first learned it that way, I was so proud.
As cheesy as it may sound, I started about 10 years ago by ordering a few instruction books. One was "Speed and Thrash Guitar Method". Others were Heavy Metal Guitar Method and I think one called "Heavy Metal Tips and Tricks" by Troy Stetina or something cheesy like that. It worked for me. It also helped that I had years of piano lessons and playing in band (trombone). That helped establish a good musical background and great ear training. Once you learn the basics, just play slow and practive alot. Don't try to play anything up to speed at first.
jageorge72
Member
That would probably be the best, yes. If I had it to do over and had the money back then I would have taken lessons.
illbeleavinnow
Member
Teaching yourself is hard yeah, but you can get good if you practice what you have to. If you want to become really good self taught, the best way to do it is to learn scales, then be able to change through chords really fast, and practice simple songs (Nirvana's Nevermind is excellent for this). But if you really want to be a master I really think you need a good teacher and yo uneed to know theory. 
Thanks for all of the tips guys. I am going to look into some of those sights tonight. I really appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
