Learning the guitar

[Spiff]

Two years or so ago I bought a guitar. I've decided that once I get back from my FOUR WEEK HOLIDAY IN EUROPE I'll start learning how to play it.

Some questions:

1. What's the best way to learn, especially for a gumby like me who gets annoyed when he can't master the solo from Mr Crowley in five minutes, without getting lessons from a guitar teacher? I do have a book which goes through chords, but it's not very good, ie I still can't play the guitar.

2. How do you get past the fact that your chubby fingertips muffle the other strings when you're trying to play a chord or whatever?

3. Is putting new strings on the guitar relatively easy? I have no idea how to go about doing this.

4. Should I even bother?

Thanks a bunch, peeps.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Should I even bother?

With that attitude, probably not.

In the beginning it can take a LOT of clumsy practice before you start getting anywhere you will be happy with. If you are willing to put some time in, then go for it, but if you want results without spending much time and without a lot of frustration, and without lessons, then you might be in for a hard ride.

 

[Shannow]

Spiff,
I've been learning the guitar for 25 years now, and have decided that I can't be taught...or won't learn...by/from people who insist that I play scales and simple songs over and over and fucking over.

(bear in mind that this is exactly how I tutor chemistry and physics, until I realise the student is bored, and then go mix some vinegar and baking soda toi show exactly what we're talking about).

So what I do, is find something that I really like ("Tears of the dragon", "classical gas", and dare I say it "stairway to heaven") and get the tab off the net.

Then I play it until someone in the house says "is that........", and I say "yeah" feeling really good that I've played recognisable "music".

I SHOULD be a better guitar player. I'm a friggin' mathematically minded engineer who can build a wind chime based on an octave of the Pentatonic scale on first principals, using derived formula.

WHY CAN"T I PLAY THE FUCKING GUITAR ?..."H" makes it look so easy.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

You don't need to take lessons, especially if you just want to strum some tunes at home, but if you take the self teaching path, you will likely require more patience.

 

[Goreripper]

You can't play the guitar because you'd need to give up everything else and just play the guitar for about six hours a day at least to really get anywhere. Spiff, if you wanna learn, take a few lessons. Interview the teachers until you find one who will teach you the way you want to learn. Then practice for about six hours a day, every day.

 

[Spiff]

I SHOULD be a better guitar player. I'm a friggin' mathematically minded engineer who can build a wind chime based on an octave of the Pentatonic scale on first principals, using derived formula.

I can do that.

 

[Shannow]

I share your pain and "the look" that people give you.

 

[Spiff]

Don't even start on "the look", Shannow, I'm telling ya! *shakes head*

 

[Icarus]

Engineers

 

[Southy]

are wankers??

 

[The Amazer]

I've been playing for about 5 years and I'd call myself competent, ie. I can play some of my favourite solos. (Jump, Sultans of Swing, Ride the Lightning and others).

I had 2 years of lessons because I had to 'have lessons' to be in the music class at school. Most pointless lessons I ever had. Each week the teacher would put Metallica tabs in front of me, try and learn them himself for the lesson and then send me home with the tabs to learn them myself. So that's how I got playing. I just learnt songs. Theory-wise I know jack shit - but from playing lots of different solos, I started to work out where my fingers could go and it still sounding good.

I had 1 year with a very very VERY good guitarist/teacher named Andy Redhead. I wish I'd put more time into that (although it was my year 12 and I had other things going on), but he did teach me a lot to refine my technique and make me tighter.

I say just learn to play the rhythm parts of your favourite songs. That's what my mrs' brother is doing - and he's better than I was at the stage he's up to. Hasn't been playing a year and he's jamming along to Tornado of Souls and Master of Puppets.

 

[Lord Tim]

I recommend getting a teacher to get you over the initial hump of "oh shit I have a guitar, what do I do with it" phase and setting you on the path to using good technique with a bit of knowledge.

After that, and as much as I'm not a fan of them, learn how to read tab and check around a lot of the tab sites for songs to learn - or better yet, find a teacher who will help you develop your ear and try to figure stuff out from CDs. A lot of Maiden songs are fairly easy for someone who is just past the beginner stage.

Then the best bit of advice after that, after you can play enough to hammer out a song - even if it's not great - is to start jamming with other people. You'll learn 10 times as fast as working on it alone and it's a lot more fun than locking yourself away in a room for 6 to 18 hours at a time working on sweep-picking and fucking up your wrists! (Trust me, I know this )

 

[phlogiston]

Also, hurry up about getting some tabs you like saved away. Rumour is that online tab sites are on the "next-to-get-sued" list by the big record labels and the RIAA. (They're in the process of trying to shut down some lyric sites at the moment.)

 

[Spiff]

I do have some tabs downloaded but once I realise I can't put two notes together without it sounding lousy I give up.

Next year (when I get back from my holiday) I'll go at it in earnest, maybe using a different way of going about it, perhaps by trying to be as bad as possible and then giving up when I get good at it. Knowing my luck that will work a treat.

 

[dreamwatch]

You can solve the chubby finger problem in one of two ways - either have them surgically removed and replaced with fine metal sticks or do what I did and learn bass instead.

 

[Icarus]

What about thingy from symphony x. He is quite large (and therefore I aussume has fat fingers) and he copes just fine.

 

[Spiff]

I've actually thought about learning the bass. Would be a lot easier, and as I said shortly after I bought my guitar, more of my rock and metal idols play bass (Geddy Lee, Glenn Hughes, Steve Harris, someone else and the other bloke I'm forgetting) than the six-string. So why did I buy a normal guitar?

Perhaps in the new year I'll buy a bass then.

 

[The Amazer]

And look at Timo Tolkki - one of the best guitarists in the world.

Fat. Fingers.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I have small fingers. Not fat, just short. It is annoying.

 

[Spiff]

My fingertips aren't really fat, I think I'm just really bad at putting the fingers on the strings correctly.