Learning Guitar

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networkn

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#272372 22-Jun-2020 18:19

I have finally decided to stop thinking about this and have a little go at learning. I don't need to be amazing, but good enough to strum a few songs with my kids etc.

There are a dizzying number of guitars for sale and I am happy with a minimal spend on an acoustic model, perhaps even second hand given I am not sure how likely it is that I will keep having a go at it once the inital interest passes.

Not sure what I should budget, but I do want something that is reasonable quality, easy to adjust/tune.

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#2509931 22-Jun-2020 18:29

$200 will get you something suitable. Bags are cheap too.

Get a book that includes downloadable content eg https://www.rslawards.com/rockschool/graded-exams/acoustic-guitar/

I strongly recommend going along to a proper music school for proper training.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

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#2509944 22-Jun-2020 18:56

My FIL usually has something for sale (he was a luthier) - I'll call him tomorrow and see what hes got that might suit you at a good price to get you started :)

XPD / Gavin

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#2509945 22-Jun-2020 19:01

I'd also recommend a few lessons from a decent tutor or school. It's easy to pick up bad technique or habits with a DIY type approach from Youtube, which can make it a lot harder as you get better. Even if you just get a handful of lessons to get you going, you'll probably enjoy it more further down the track.

MadEngineer

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#2509953 22-Jun-2020 19:17

Whatever you do don’t get something cheap and nasty that won’t keep its tune or isn’t properly adjusted. This only make you feel like you’re not getting anywhere.

Once you start get a notebook and note the start of each page with date and a weekly goal. Mark down 7 days and tick them off with a log of how much time you spent each practice. Spend at least 15 minutes every day on practice (you don’t need hours and hours). Try not to skip days but equally important don’t double up the next day because you forgot the previous.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

gzt

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#2510028 22-Jun-2020 20:13

Nylon strings are good to start with. When you graduate to breaking them a couple of times go metal. Get a guitar with a low action. Classical style guitars tend to have high action and best avoided by casual beginners.

gehenna

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#2510035 22-Jun-2020 20:31

If you don't want a nylon string guitar, or want to spend a bit more on a full size, you can always get lighter gauge strings until you're used to playing a bit. Heavier strings will sound better but they'll deal to your fingertips quick smart. Then again, the longer you don't spend on heavier gauge strings the longer it'll take for you to build the calices you need. I'd get one of those cheap Ashton kit's from The Rock Shop or similar and do some learning over a few months, then by that stage you'll have decided what kind of playing you like and likewise what kind of guitar might suit that style.

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networkn

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#2510038 22-Jun-2020 20:42

xpd:

My FIL usually has something for sale (he was a luthier) - I'll call him tomorrow and see what hes got that might suit you at a good price to get you started :)

Sure, thanks that sounds great!

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#2510070 22-Jun-2020 21:37

Go big or go home.

There will be a rock memorabilia auction somewhere in the world soon. 😎

everettpsycho

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#2510072 22-Jun-2020 21:40

Lessons are a good start as others have said, they just teach you a good habit for your to then build on. I just played from tabs on ultimate-guitar for years and worked out chords and stuff as I went, later when I found out some of the theory a lot of what I'd been doing started to make a lot of sense.

Even if you don't want to or can't afford lessons playing with others can really help, I went traveling and spent a lot of time in hostels playing with a few guys and learnt so much more than I had in years just playing alongside them and sharing tips between us. If you at least know the real basic chords and theory you can jump in even if they are far more experienced than you.

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#2510177 23-Jun-2020 07:50

If you do look at the online route for learning, can HIGHLY recommend https://www.guitarmasterymethod.com/ - Charlie is an absolute god on the guitar and hell of a nice guy. I've seen him live about 9 times now with his band, Black Smoke Trigger (along with an after party jam session).

XPD / Gavin

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#2510180 23-Jun-2020 08:00

Way long ago when I learned to play, I decided that the worst strategy was to buy a 'medium', quality one. Either buy a cheap one or a good quality (dearer) one.

That way, if you buy cheap, you lose less when getting the good one!

That was my theory, anyway.

All the best for your endeavor. And good luck with your sore finger tips, but they will callous up!

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#2510200 23-Jun-2020 08:59

Isn't there anything out there software wise that's kind of like Guitar Hero but with a real guitar plugged in rather than the plastic one?

A video game type experience would certainly work a lot better for me than the book/CD route I attempted 20 years ago.

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#2510249 23-Jun-2020 09:19

evilengineer:

Isn't there anything out there software wise that's kind of like Guitar Hero but with a real guitar plugged in rather than the plastic one?

A video game type experience would certainly work a lot better for me than the book/CD route I attempted 20 years ago.

Rocksmith

I bought this for Xbox 360 years ago, then for Xbox One when I upgraded, and recently purchased it on Steam for PC when I reactivated my gaming PC.

When you buy the retail game it comes with a Real Tone cable that plugs into your guitar with a 1/4" jack and a USB connector at the other end for your PC/console.

There's the original version which came out in 2011 and the new version in 2014. Both have DLC with new songs, though I think they aren't releasing any new content.

The interface to play along with real songs is very similar to Guitar Hero, and it adapts it's expectations based on your performance. You can play lead, rhythym or bass guitar, and in the 2014 edition there are also mini-games to improve technique, specific lessons to learn new skills, and even a recording studio. From my perspective it's an incredibly powerful system with a huge amount of potential.

I've read stories online of people who have used Rocksmith to great effect. Sadly, I have yet to unleash my inner rock god, despite owning the game for several years. It turns out simply owning the game isn't enough - who knew? Just like owning several hundred CDs hasn't made me a musical genius, talent seeping into my pores while I sleep, my dormant copy of the game hasn't imbued me with the ability to shred chords. ;)

That's on me though - like anything, you get out what you put in, and I've always struggled to make the time to learn the guitar. But I think if you had the time and patience to commit to learning a new skill like playing the guitar, then Rocksmith is a great way to keep up your motivation, especially doing it solo.

My only complaint is that the tuner system sometimes gets it a little wrong. I'm tone deaf, so I can't tune the guitar by my ear alone. But I played it a couple of weeks ago and depsite hitting the right string at the right fret, the system recorded it as a missed note. A bit of experimentation showed that the string was off - if I played the string down one fret it recorded the note correctly, which meant I had to adjust what I was seeing on the screen (for that string only), for the rest of the song. But if you have the patience to work through those kinds of minor nuisances, I think Rocksmith is a great system.

networkn

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#2510251 23-Jun-2020 09:22

Look, I don't want to get too carried away, if I could perhaps get to near the level of Mark Knoffler, that would probably cover me I think. Would a $200 guitar and some lessons get me there? :)

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#2510252 23-Jun-2020 09:25

gzt: Nylon strings are good to start with. When you graduate to breaking them a couple of times go metal. Get a guitar with a low action. Classical style guitars tend to have high action and best avoided by casual beginners.

This is the mistake I made with my first guitar...I went "ooh, nylon strings" and ended up with a Classical. Neck too wide and action too high.

Made it very frustrating to learn on.

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