Learning Guitar?

[the_scotsman]

Hey,

I've just started learning guitar. I have a couple of mates who have a band, and im going to get help from the guitarist, but I wanted to know if anyone can recommend any websites for free lessons and help.

Cheers

[BlueKoop]

Hey mate. I play in a Band and i was self tought the same way you are learning. I learnt the basics off my mates, just about chord progression and power chords. basically download some tabs for the music you like and get your mates to show you..... then practice practice and then go back to your mates.

[Kenaz]

That's what I'm doing. One of my mates is really good and he is teaching me. I've got some books, which are pretty helpful as well. I haven't really looked to the net for info yet.

Ash

[4.9 EF Futura]

Only need to know three letters my friend.

Tab

Basically instead of sheet music, it shows you what fret to press each string onto... it lacks the ability to teach you timing, so you have to know the music you are playing pretty well...

Pick a song (for example, "ant-manifesto"), hit google and search for it with tab... i.e. "Anti-manifesto tab".

Whilst considered cheating, it's the easiest way to start playing a song... you can learn the theory as you progress with the tab.

As for technique etc. - sites with that info are a dime-a-dozen...

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=e...G=Search&meta=

[the_scotsman]

Thanks fro the replies....yea my mate uses tabs and nothing else...he makes it look bloody easy :/

Sounds like the way to go might be just getting the basics done, then getting straight into tabs ad learning as I go...

[b2tf]

Tab is 99% of the time inaccurate and wrong. I play all my music by ear and I guarantee you it will sound better than someone following tab.

My recommendation is to buy a book called "Ernie Ball How To Play Guitar". Its a funny looking book, has a drawn cover with a big eagle on it. There are 2 of them, beginner then the next one, and they are bloody good. Easy to read and understand.

If you get those books and get your basics downpacked, you should be able to literally just pick up a guitar, start playing and get it pretty close by ear. It's really not that hard.

And occasionally pick it up and just have a bash of your own making, just play whatever you can think of and what sounds good to you!

[4.9 EF Futura]

Originally Posted by the_scotsman

Thanks fro the replies....yea my mate uses tabs and nothing else...he makes it look bloody easy :/

Sounds like the way to go might be just getting the basics done, then getting straight into tabs ad learning as I go...

Yeah you wanna get the techniques right - position of hands etc.... if you get into bad habits when starting, it's almost impossible to break them...

[Work Horse]

The key is practice, practice, practice then practice some more he he. It will take several weeks for your finger tips to firm up. And if you put the axe down for a few weeks you have to go through it all again.
The key is practice, practice, practice then practice some more he he

Oh and have fun!

[JPFS1]

Tabs is the easy way out Scotsman.

I would recommend that you atleast learn the fundamentals of playing guitar, it will make your life allot easier in the long run, then you can use tab all you want. Learning the different types of notes, time signatures and chord positions (and how you construct chords) would be a good start. Really try to train your 'ear' for the music also.

For tab references, there are quite a few great programs that enable you to read/write tabs. Have a look at www.powertabs.net, download the app and install first, then go ahead and search for tabs. Another good program is guitar pro, search for this and download the latest version. A site for guitar pro files is www.mysongbook.com.

Good luck mate.

ps.. what axe have you got?

Jem

[bindi]

The musician in me says go get at least a couple of lessons, to show you how to hold the guitar, where to position your fingers, and basics - and LEARN TO READ MUSIC! Tabs are blasphemy Do you think Malmsteen learned using Tabs? :voldar02:

There is no use practicing until you have the positioning right, otherwise as others have said you'll end up with bad habits that not only could stuff up what the music is meant to sound like, but may also stuff up your hands, shoulders, neck and back.

Believe me, one of my clients is a violinist and her muscles are like knots - she's gonna have a hump on her shoulder soon enough.

[rodderz]

I would start off with a teacher if it is practicle and pretty close-by. I had a very reputable teacher for about 8 yrs after about 6 yrs before that not so reputable. A good teacher will teach you in laymens terms chords, progressions and gradually get into lead work and the styles and licks of famous or influential players

I did up to Level 5 AMEB music theory exams in rock style but these days mostly learn songs by ear with the occasion referance to tab...but the theory behind the notes is definately a great asset

[the_scotsman]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions...I will be getting some lessons off my mate...so he'll help me out too with the basics. He does quite a bit of teaching now so he'll know what needs done I guess.
I found my fingers were bloody sore after a while of practise, so I guess like has been said, it will take some time for my fingers to firm up.
After just a few hours of practise I can play a few chords in succession, which I am pretty happy with...at this point it seems like it will be bloody hard to be able to transition from chord to chord though...seems very daunting...but I guess once you get started, it will just come after practise.

I bought a Fender Strat (MIM) with EMG pickups, sounds pretty good, got it for a bargain on eBay $475.

[Noddy]

Originally Posted by the_scotsman

Thanks for all the help and suggestions...I will be getting some lessons off my mate...so he'll help me out too with the basics. He does quite a bit of teaching now so he'll know what needs done I guess.
I found my fingers were bloody sore after a while of practise, so I guess like has been said, it will take some time for my fingers to firm up.
After just a few hours of practise I can play a few chords in succession, which I am pretty happy with...at this point it seems like it will be bloody hard to be able to transition from chord to chord though...seems very daunting...but I guess once you get started, it will just come after practise.

I bought a Fender Strat (MIM) with EMG pickups, sounds pretty good, got it for a bargain on eBay $475.

I purchased a guitar about 4yr ago and although practicing a lot (months) and being able to play a few chords i found it difficult to change through a number of chords cleanly. I think i need to have a couple of lessons really and see if how i go then.

One question to all the guitar players, is it easier to start with a electric or accoustic guitar?? I was thinking of ditching the accoustic unit for a electric one.

not trying to hijack scotsman.

[Hank the Deuce]

Make sure you learn E, A & D... then you can play 85% of the AC/DC back catalogue.

Seriously, Ernie Ball's book is a bible for beginners: if you take lessons, your teacher will probably tip you straight into that one. You'll also notice that everyone's got an opinion on whether tablature's a good or a bad thing, whether or not to learn more musical theory, or to try playing by ear.... and they all present valid arguments. It'd probably be a good idea to dabble in all of it at some point, as not only will you learn lots about the instrument, the differing styles in shich it's used, and its potential applications, but you can then make up your own mind as to what works best for you.

Most of the great guitarists learn what they learn, and then inject some of their own personality into it... and there are as many styles of playing as there are people who play I guess... and you can learn something from all of them.

You will find that youre fingers get tender until you get a set of callouses built up, and then you'll be set!

Noddy's question about accoustic/electric... on the whole, electric guitars have a narrower neck, lower action and are therefore a bit easier to wrap you hand around, and fret notes cleanly.... if you learn your craft on something bigger, say a classical accoustic, it will make your electric playing easier and a little more fluent.

HAPPY PLAYING TO ALL!!

[b2tf]

Wow, nice pickup. Genuine Fender Strats are nice, unfortunately there's just so many copies of them around (most copied guitar in the world). EMG's will definately make it sound good, i had some in my old J-Bass and loved them.

For those who asked, its easier to start on Electric than Acoustic. Acoustic has a wider string spacing and is generally a more awkward guitar to play.

[Peuty]

I would recommend trying www.wholenote.com

basically it's a site that will help you with pretty much everything you need to know.

I can vouch for Guitar pro as well, top program.

[Kapn_Kiwi]

I've been wondering about this for a while, so indulge me.
When playing bass, is it better to just close off a whole fret with your finger planted across all the strings, or just hit the one, with your fingertip?

[Hank the Deuce]

Originally Posted by Skinny_Puppy

I've been wondering about this for a while, so indulge me.
When playing bass, is it better to just close off a whole fret with your finger planted across all the strings, or just hit the one, with your fingertip?

Depends what you're playing, or how "pure" you'd like your technique to be...

From experience, I'll do whatever it takes to make the sound I want... but then again I'm self-taught, and play bass with a plectrum, which hardly puts me in the league of Billy Sheehan et al. Having said that, I've held my own on the pub covers circuit at various times, in three- and four-piece bands... I've found it handy to "barre" chords on the bass to fill out the sound but it depends on the music genre too.

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by Skinny_Puppy

I've been wondering about this for a while, so indulge me.
When playing bass, is it better to just close off a whole fret with your finger planted across all the strings, or just hit the one, with your fingertip?

Not quite sure what you mean here but if you mean holding one fret across all 4/5 strings, then thats not something I would do at all!!!

[Kapn_Kiwi]

Originally Posted by back2thefutura

Not quite sure what you mean here but if you mean holding one fret across all 4/5 strings, then thats not something I would do at all!!!

Yeah, I don't do it either, but I've noticed bass players on music clips (when I watch them) do it, thought it was odd...

[rodderz]

Use all your fingers, you may need to play a progression with multiple strings that really go between a number of different frets & strings so you will have to use every finger anyway. A lot of people say dont use the thumb for playing lead, but a lot of times I';ll use the thumb over the back to play a bassline note while playing lead with the other fingers, that way it sounds like 2 people playing at once

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by rodderz

Use all your fingers, you may need to play a progression with multiple strings that really go between a number of different frets & strings so you will have to use every finger anyway. A lot of people say dont use the thumb for playing lead, but a lot of times I';ll use the thumb over the back to play a bassline note while playing lead with the other fingers, that way it sounds like 2 people playing at once

That's how I play. Use all your fingers if you can. Basic CAGED chords plus get to know your scales.