Learning guitar

[Halo Jones]

BBG got this DVD set that had videos & stuff, looked really good for starters as you can go at your own pace, Ill ask him to do a linky for you

I guess the hardest part is a sticking with it - I brought a lap harp 6 months ago & have not even tuned it yet

[DS23]

the internet is full of chord sites tlg. grab the pictures (or buy a book) for the base chords a to g and then play strum / pick them over and over and over and over and over until you can change from one to any other cleanly.

i'd completely ignore trying to follow tabs until you have the raw skills but definitely play along to your favourite songs to see where the chords fit.

practice and practice and practice to get to a stage where you can change those base chords in the blink of an eye.

this will take a very long time.

your fingers will not go where you brain is telling them to go.

and it will hurt.

a lot.

have that and then you can move to power and barre, picking and lead runs; all sorts of things.

it might be worth investigating dropped tuning... what music do you want to play along to?

[BoredBloke]

I used to have lessons but working away scuppered that. There was a tool my guitar tutor had called powertab http://www.power-tab.net/ - the tabs are harder to get these days but i think Guitar pro does a similar thing. Basically it plays a horrible sounding tab through your PC speakers. It's good to see how they should be played i.e. timings etc.

He also he had this thing called Amazing Slow Downer for Windows - it tries to maintain the pitch of the original but slows the song down so you can play along at a slower rate until you can get good enough to play at full speed.

http://www.ronimusic.com/amsldowin.htm

Practice is the key - I can't practice as I'm only home for a short weekend so my guitars are just gathering dust.

[Churchill]

OK all you slashers and shreaders.

I have taken the plunge and purchased a Squire Strat and Line6 amp and associated connectors.
I went to my local shop and tried a few for "feel" and the nice man played a couple for me to give me an idea of sound and what the various knobs and switches did.

My intention is only to play for my pleasure ie strum along to favourite tracks. Mostly rock and blues. I have no intention of joining a band or getting up on stage.

I now need some advice on good sources of learning. Where do I start?

Play by ear, be careful though coz it'll hurt your head!

Failing that try "Burt Wheedon's Play With yourself In A Day"...

Or, the six chord song book for instant gratification...

Or, failing that find a book of your favourite songs with guitar chords. T'internet is good for that.

If you're really crap just turn up the volume and no-one will ever know.

Good luck.

[Cliphead]

Buy a tuner. Trust me you'll sound a lot better

[Churchill]

Buy a tuner. Trust me you'll sound a lot better

Earplugs - Shirley

There is a house in New Orleans...

[DS23]

Hendrix.

strumming along is actually not a problem since hendrix is a blues man at heart and most of the chords are simple.

easy is a relative term though. if tlg has never played before it will not be easy!

still, tlg could be playing along to red house or axis bold as love before long if he gets a decent practice regime underway.

[Board Game Geek]

Halo asked me to post the link to

Steve Krenz Learn & Master Guitar.

Winner of the 2008 Acoustic Guitar Magazine Players' Choice Awards, two Telly Awards and an AEGIS Award for Excellence in Education, Learn & Master Guitar is widely recognized as the best home instruction course for learning guitar available anywhere.

It consists of 20 professionally produced DVDs, 5 Jam-Along CDs, a 100+ page lesson book, and a free online student support site. It is the only instructional package you'll ever need on your journey toward mastery of the guitar. All you provide is the practice!

It's good for a noob like me !

HTH

[Cliphead]

Earplugs - Shirley

There is a house in New Orleans...

When I was learning to play I'd be hammering out some tune or riff repeatedly, my old man casually asked 'is that difficult to play?', not really I said, 'well it's fckin hard to listen go outside and kick a ball.'

Ah well, he stopped complaining when my guitar playing bought him a new car.

[DS23]

.......It consists of 20 professionally produced DVDs, 5 Jam-Along CDs, a 100+ page lesson book.....

hmmm. i'm with frank zappa on this. learn the seven chords and then shut up and play yer guitar!