Need advice on guitar lessons.

[John Schmidt]

I've always wanted to learn to play, life sorta gets in the way and over the years it simply took a back seat. One of my stepsons has one he'll give me, was given to him so will just pass it on. I have no idea what type it is or condition it's in. I have a music background, both instrumental and vocal....mostly vocal, so I do know the difference between the white and black keys on a piano.    Eventually I want to be able to do more than just strum along while either singing or accompanying someone. So, those of you that can play, what type of instruction should I look for....assuming there's different approaches to teaching/learning. I'd like to have some knowledge when talking to a prospective instructor.

[hubcapsc]

google "dansm" and look at some of his pages...

Learn some songs you know and like by just strumming their chords, which you
can also google up...

Play guitar with other people...

-Mike

[dreamaker]

I mess around with a piano keyboard I got, I went to our local music store and they have a rack with DVD's of basic steps. I guess the first thing you will have to learn is your  major and minors cords first. Don't worry about playing a song, just do short practices than progress. I use a dollar store timer and play for maybe 20 min at first, and then graduate to 30min every other day. Think in baby steps, be patient with yourself. If you feel frustrated at the moment, than set it down and go do something else for a while and not think about it.  Important mind set, you are playing for you and no one else, learn to recognize your little improvements. I mess around with little riffs, I just can't seem to split my brain, with my hands on the keyboard. Also you can go to YouTube and look for the tutorials they have on there for us beginners. I think of song, and generally they have step by step tutorials for them.

[msb]

I've been playing for many years, although I wouldn't call myself any type of expert player. Mostly a self taught Bluegrass, old western, and roots music guy, I just started out learning the chords out of a book back in the day and began playing songs I was in to. A lot esaier to learn on your own these days with tutorials on YouTube and chords & tabs on many different sites (Ultimate Guitar Tab, etc)...very easy to start playing songs right away no matter what type of music you like. As you go along and get comfortable you start to add runs, melodies, etc. and if you find yourself progressing well you may want to hook up with a professional teacher for some lessons to learn chord progressions and how to move around the finger board. I was never a "school" kind of guy myself...I learned most of what I know by playing with guys that were better than me and liked the same music as me. I find it very relaxing to just sit and learn new things and play in the evenings or when I'm out in the backcountry fishing....don't have to be an expert to enjoy or sit in with others. Just make sure your guitar is straight and stays in tune...the better it sounds the happier you'll be with your progression ...good luck, and enjoy 

[Jersey mike]

My son taught himself a few years ago,he's no Eric Clapton but he can play pretty well. I have to agree with MSB regarding Ultimate Guitar Tabs, all the while he was teaching himself and learning he was always on that website.

I hope it comes easy to you and you get the enjoyment of playing music, I know when my son is playing it's cool hearing it through the house.

[Carl]

I don't have any real talent for playing the guitar. But I do enjoy playing.  To make matters worse i have fat fingers, one finger is missiing part of the tip, and I struggle with counting beats while playing.  If there was one thing I could change about learning the guitar, it would be to start with a professional teacher.  Having things like proper hand position, technique, timing and rhythm drilled into me from the start would have helped.

I have done a couple of courses that I have enjoyed and with which i have  had some success.  Griff Hamlin and Dan Denley are the instructors.  Both blues based.  Both guys can take you pretty far, depending on your level of effort.

[solo1]

My son, Mark, Mad6gun, plays the guitar. He took some professional lessons and has four guitars.

I enjoy guitar music, especially when it's played on a 12 string.

[DDT (12)]

I'd love to give you some good advice... but I can't. Nope, nothing for me to offer... I tried taking lessons myself once upon a time, and in no time at all I discovered I not only had no musical talent, I also lacked several of the necessary attributes at the time so essential to mastering such a skill...

From what I've learned about you over the last decade and a half, you posses all of those requisite characteristics... So, the only piece of advice I will even attempt here is to simply say, "Go for it..." No matter which path you choose, a guy like you will find his way to success...

DDT

[dreamaker]

I have been around some form of music all my life, but never picked up an interment and disciplined myself to learn, till lately. Point is, I have been around allot of musically talented people, specially when I turned my house in to a recording studio. When you are trying to learn an instrument, and you are on the bottom floor of playing. When you talk and listen to the pro's, it can be very frustrating when you can't be at their level, I think that is when many people give up. That is why you must take baby steps, learn to recognize you gains and play for yourself and no one else. Also people have different levels of playing and concepts of music. I remember this one guy, on a guitar he could play anything, and sound like the original song, just give him the song title. BUT to do an original or create a song, he couldn't do it to save his life. But as a musician he was great. So just work at you own level!

Don't panic, but I found this, It will be about boring practice and exercise for a while. Hope this will help a little.

http://www.cyberfret.com/guitar-chops/finger-stretching-exercises-for-guitar/

[bassman]

All of the above…..plus

I’m “assuming" with your background in music you already understand the basics in music and theory.

If you can learn three or four basic chords you can play 100’s (1,000’s?) of songs from the 50’s to the current day:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_containing_the_I–V–vi–IV_progression  (ex:  G, C, Em D)

They may not be in your particular vocal range to sing along with but with the help of a CAPO you can change keys
hopefully to something closer to your range on a particular song.  Then you can learn more chords or the same chords in different
positions along the neck to increase your versatility.
 
In the beginning your fingertips are going to hurt like crazy.  The pads on your fingers  will slowly harden and you will be able to
play longer and enjoy it more.

The key to learning is PRACTICE, PRACTICE and PRACTICE.  I’ve heard it is better to start out playing 10-15 minutes EVERY day
rather than for 30-60 once a week or two.  I’m sure you know the “pros” practice for hours at a time - true of almost any endeavor.
Be patient and stick with it.  In in the beginning it will all be confusing and seem not worth it but then suddenly a light will go
on and a LOT of stuff will make sense and be fun to play.

I don't think you want to be the next Clapton or Bonamassa but in 3 months (or less) you will be a LOT better than you are today !


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOlDewpCfZQ

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/lessons/for_beginners/learn_thousands_of_songs_by_knowing_these_top_4_chord_progressions.html

http://www.cyberfret.com/guitar-chords/7-basic-guitar-chords-for-beginners/

http://www.guitarhabits.com/the-8-most-important-open-guitar-chords-for-beginners/

[Karen]

You kind of have to figure out what kind of music you want to play...  do you want to be able to read music, or just rely on your ear? Who do you like? All the sources mentioned are great to get your feet wet, but I think you'll figure out things once you start playing around. I'm amazed by Joe Pass, who did a lot of stuff with Ella Fitzgerald, and sounds like a combo behind her. While you're learning, think about developing your right hand fingers to do more than strum, it gives you a lot more options. Most important thing is to enjoy. When you find something that you want to take the time to learn how to do, you'll know you're on the right track. Down the road, bar chords will allow you to play in any key effortlessly, it's all relative. Also, think about taking the guitar to a reputable shop to have it set up, restrung, and adjusted, your fingers and ears will thank you. Guitar is the one instrument I never learned to read music for, and I'm still flabbergasted that I can play the same exact note on 5 strings. Lessons might have taken the mystery out of it, but carb synch is my next big challenge. Good luck, I know you'll do well. 

[John Schmidt]

Well folks, I've rec'd. a lot of info and encouragement and thanks for all of it. My stepson lives a couple hours away so with his work(and his wife's) it will be a while before the guitar lands here. Since my wife can no longer travel we can't take a ride over to get it, so I'll just be patient. It's not as though I don't have anything else to do right now; repainting the shower ceiling, fixing the pool sweep, replacing my front tire on the Valk, planting a hedge in front, planting a couple palms in another area, planting ground cover involving a couple hundred small plants. I'll be glad to get the guitar over here by the time all the above is done. 

I have some musical background, took piano lessons for a few years as a kid. Quit in jr. high when I realized the various athletic fields were calling, but kept up with the vocal aspect. Didn't need an instrument for that. Back then I had a three octave range, but with the passing of years I've lost at least three notes at the bottom and likewise at the top. Now, more like a low B to a D above middle C, unless I have tight shorts on then a couple notes higher.    I'll have to refresh my scraped memory on majors and minors, how to change keys, etc., it's all back there just hasn't been called on in many a year.

[Hooter]

     I've been playing for over 40 years, and am self taught. Did it through chord books and playing with records and tapes and with a couple of friends that already played. (anyone remember those, records, tapes) I've been playing in bands since then and still am to date. I went from guitar to bass early on because our bass player didn't show up for a gig 40 years ago and thats where I've stayed. I went to a 6 string bass years ago as well. Bass is not easier than guitar like many think. Since you have musical ability this should be easier. No matter what you do, learn your chords. Learn the neck of the guitar. Set aside an hour a day to practice. At first you may think I can't do this, but with time it gets easier. You will reach plateaus as you learn. You will become frustrated and when you do, walk away from it till tomorrow, then go back at it. Learn common chord progressions. Rock is mostly a 3 or a 4 chord hack. As you progress don't just stick with the easy or things that you know, keep learning and pushing yourself.
     A-D-E     B-A-E    D-C-G those are common chord progressions. Learning to play is not different than learning anything else, or any sport.  Takes time, discipline and practice. If you have those attributes you will be successful. Playing an instrument it rewarding and something not everyone can do. 

[solo1]

That's good advice for me too.  I'm determined to learn to play the HD. 

[8Track]

Hi John,

I'd recommend getting a good teacher to begin with. Anyone can learn chord shapes and melodies by rote off Youtube and other online sources, but good physical technique is important to get right from the beginning. You won't get that from an online lesson. You'll need proper coaching to ensure you don't develop bad habits.

If you're coming from a keyboard background, the guitar doesn't separate the sharps/flats (black keys) from the naturals (white keys). Each string runs all the semi-tones in a linear fashion up the fretboard. Each adjacent string does the same thing, but starting a perfect 4th higher, except the B string which is a major 3rd higher.

This leads to a fretboard containing duplicate notes all over the place, and scale patterns that have a kink in them, owing to that one pesky major 3rd tuned string.

The E, A and D open chord shapes each contain major triads (with the 5th on the bass) in their fingerings. If you can identify these you will soon see that they repeat all over the fretboard and you can use them as reference points for navigating your way through a melody over any chord sequence.

Good luck with your new instrument!

Cheers,

Mark

[dreamaker]

My unprofessional opinion, OK. Its true about picking up bad habits, I watch this butt head professional piano teaches on one of the PBS channels. He basically said play any way that feels good to you, which I did on his advice. WELL, it was all wrong, I got a DVD of a real piano teacher, on how to play, and I was all backwards. And there is a reason why you should learn a certain way, is because it is the simplest, versatile, creative, method, that has been proven to work the best for maybe, hundred's of years. Make sense, once you start playing it will make more sense to you. There is a magic word in learning an instrument, its called "self discipline" I recommend going to your Family Dollar Store and get a food timer, I got one for $3, and I went to Best Buy and bought a electronic metronome for a little over $10, you will need them in you practice and discipline. Just my dollar, two eighty.

[Jess Tolbirt]

there is an app for everything listed above

[8Track]

i actually am concerned that in these modern times of instant gratification, kids are not going to have the self discipline and patience to actually learn to play a guitar!