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#279430 - 28/08/10 12:40 PM
Newbie
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james21170
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 28/08/10
Posts: 3
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Hello to all on the forum.
guitar list is small as i'm fairly new to guitar i guess.
Been trying to play the acoustic for about two years now and have got a few tunes together, basic stuff really as this is just a hobby to me. A super jumbo Tanglewood signed by Newton Faulkner which is really nice. An Epiphone Dot in cherry red too fed to a Fender deluxe VM which i recently bought off Ebay.
The only trouble is, that i'm trying, as most guitar players do, to self teach and this is where the problem is..
I'm a lousey teacher and an even worse pupil....
I'm after as much advice as possible to try and over come giving it up...
I can fully understand that its a lot easier to get the information i need from the internet as in days gone by but even then i think that this might be a burden as now there's to much choice....!!!!
How did you start on guitar..??
Are you like most self taught or did you get some lessons to boost your knowledge..
I'm kind of really frustrated right now as everything that i try to do just doesn't seem possible for me to play, especially on the electric. The acoustic is a bit more friendly to me but any advice on playing the electric would be great..
I'm 40 and these fingers are aging and don't want to move fast..
I've just bought my son an Epiphone Les Paul in translucent blue ( his choice ) and this gets pumped through a lovely Marshall MA50c and any help you can give the pair of us would be great.
I try most evenings to play or more is the point to tinker around on the guitar but don't seem to be getting anywhere.
Am i just not born to play guitar..!!!
Thanks in advance, James..
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#279431 - 28/08/10 01:53 PM
Re: Newbie
[Re: james21170]
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Noise_Maker
Old Timer
Registered: 23/10/07
Posts: 1154
Loc: Usually on the Sofa
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Hi James, welcome to the forums!
Much like yourself I feel I'm just not "made" for guitar. I have no rhythm, crap coordination but damn I love guitars and guitar music. Learning has been slow going for me over the years and I'm just starting to get to grips with it now (I'm 32).
My dad bought me my first guitar when I was around 13 if I recall. It was a natural Kimbara Strat copy, I still have it due to its sentimental value. Unfortunately at that age I thought I'd just be able to play...without practising.
Guitars have come and gone over the past 19 years (god that's scary), I never really took it seriously until last November. It was one of those it's now or never moments.
Historically I taught myself the basics and could strum a few chords. I couldn't really play any songs though. Back in November I loaded myself up with a few books to refresh myself with. I now take a couple lessons a month but these tend to consist of theory and technique as opposed to learning to play in the real sense.
I think Doug Mark's Metal Method DVDs have probably been most useful to me as they're lessons at home; targets to meet each week...very enjoyable. Even more so as he reminds me of Garth from Waynes World which adds to the enjoyment factor.
I've also got more interested in the instrument itself. I went a little wild earlier in the year when I started lusting for a Les Paul. However I didn't want to spend the money and was a little concerned over what I'd heard about QC. SO...I commissioned a bespoke build. Based on a LP but with my own twists. I opened a thread on it here http://guitars.co.uk/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/277824#Post277824
I've now also started to collect components to build up a "partsocaster" based strat. I'd like to be confident in maintaining and understanding the instrument.
I guess I've digressed a little but that's my story...hopefully there's something useful in there!
Cheers
Martin
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Guitars: Cort Earth Grand, Cort G250 RMS, Kimbara Strat Copy, Vester Strat Copy (Stage Series), Custom Build LP Style (By Steve Benford), 'Podcaster' Custom Build prize! (tele Style), Variax 600
Mac based recording and VOX AC4TV
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#279437 - 29/08/10 05:33 AM
Re: Newbie
[Re: Lurcher]
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james21170
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 28/08/10
Posts: 3
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Thank for the replies.
At the moment i'm kind of just "copying" guitarists right now which is kind of OK as it does inspire confidence but i still dont feel like i'm playing guitar.
Its all there full open chords, minors 9ths etc.. strumming to the tune but i still feel like i dont know what i'm doing...
I think i'm kind of dispondant right now after picking up the electric which is a different kind of beast.
I'll never be able to play lead thats for sure, older fingers like i say just can't move fast enough for the fast licks but thats not the style i want to play anyway but even the rhythm sounds poor.
I think i'll have to dig deep and get some lessons for a bit more "structure".
Did the likes of The Edge, Jimmy page etc take lessons to be as good as they are. I can't for one moment imagine Jimi Hendrix sitting down with his music teacher but he's a completly different bread anyway..
Practise practise practise is the mantra but i've got to one of those walls right now and doubting i can actually do it. Practising poorly just makes you a poorer player.
I remember asking one guitarist i saw about how long it took him to learn to play guitar and he answered with " you never stop learning to play " which kind of sums it up really...
PS to... i cant abide people or mores the point some guitarists i've met that say the Edge is a crap guitarist. To make the sounds that he makes is what its all about. The end result of what we hear.... But in saying that its each to there own.. I'm trying where the streets have no name right now, trying to get the strummimg just right to emulate the tones and delay is a challenge.. As Justin Saundercoe says though " you know its possible because you can see me doing it "
Thanks for your thoughts all and i'll catch you a bit further down, James.
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#279446 - 29/08/10 11:24 AM
Re: Newbie
[Re: mikemandolin]
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james21170
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 28/08/10
Posts: 3
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Thanks for the last two comments.
You do sometimes have to remind yourself that even the greatest guitarist or even musicians started out somewhere.
The edges sound is awesome and after trying to emulate the sound of where the streets have no name, even the strumming is more than a challenge for most id say let alone getting the desired effect.
It looks like the lessons are the way to go i think.
I've kind of been trying something today that i forgot about a while ago and that is to practise the things that i'm bad at rather than just keep strumming the stuff that i can play..
I've set up the electronic metronome and started to get my timing right and strumming accuracy better, both are something that i've never really focused on. Not very exciting but nessesary all the same.. Infact,essential really..
Back to basics.
Oh and looking for a good guitar tutor too...
Cheers all.. And thank you again..
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#279463 - 30/08/10 12:59 PM
Re: Newbie
[Re: james21170]
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jack.plug
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 18/08/10
Posts: 35
Loc: UK
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guitar playing is a bit like golf !!??? "What", I hear you say.....I see it like this; I tried to play golf for a year or more and I was terrible, I lost ball after ball (nearly killed a few players). Eventually i invested in some lessons and the "Pro" immediately saw where he could help and almost over night I had made a few steps in the right direction. The same is with guitar playing, there is nothing better than sitting opposite someone who has played for many years who can watch your hands, listen and anticipate the next move. Ask at your nearest guitar shop for some recommendations and don't be frightened to tell the tutour what you want to achieve i.e you don't want to learn to sight read score, you just want enough knowlege to play some of your favourite songs etc. Good luck...and don't give up, percevere and you will play.
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jack.plug
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#279479 - 31/08/10 04:25 AM
Re: Newbie
[Re: jack.plug]
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deanoet
One of the Regulars
Registered: 08/07/10
Posts: 92
Loc: Cleveleys, Nr. Blackpool
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IMO get a couple of lessons
I started out like you teaching myself. Jumped in the deep end and drowned
As my head was disappearing under the waves i seem to recall uttering the words "how hard can it be?"
Took stock, got a couple of books, then a few weeks later took the plunge for a lesson. Learnt so much on that first lesson. Just get a tutor that teaches what you want to know. I dont care about the theory or the technical names, I just wanna play songs and tunes. My current tutor teaches this. Chords, bars, rytham, picking patterns whilst bleeding in a bit of theory. Just started bar chords and damn they are difficult. 
Have a look for some easy songs on youtube. Look for Free Falling by Tom Petty. Can be played with just 3 chords. Dead easy. There are a couple of versions, find the one that starts with D Chord
Wonderwall by Oasis isnt too bad either and will start introducing strumming patterns with up and down strokes
Buddy Holly songs tend to just be a few chords played quite fast.
It is a verticle climb to start with, but once you have a few chords nailed down there are a lot of tunes that can be done using them. Learn CAGED chords and away you go.
EDIT
CAGED = C Major, A Major, G Major, etc etc
Edited by deanoet (31/08/10 04:27 AM)
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Just learning... slowly... need more focus... oh look a squirrel
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