Learning to play the guitar -advice

[Shakey_Jake33]

Electric guitar, that is. I did learn this for a short period when I was about 13 or 14, and one of the big things I regret is not seeing that through. My problem back then was that I lacked any real influence from music which used guitars, so I became uninterested.

I'm thinking about starting again though, fueled mainly by my current musical tastes. I want to stress that I'm not going to take it too seriously, I have other more important things to deal with. It's just something I might do in my spare time, for my own leisure.

Does anyone have any advice on where to start, cheap guitars etc?

[toythatkills]

Buy a cheap acoustic guitar and learn your favourite songs, from tabs (freely available online, via Google)

To be honest it might not be the best way to actually learn it, but progress will be quick and you'll really feel like you're getting somewhere, which is probably important at the start.

EDIT: LOL acoustic? Way to completely miss the point. Buy a cheap electric...!

[sharky_ob]

A cheap Squire Strat might be the way to go - maybe have a look in your local music shops and see if there are any offers on sets for beginers with an amp etc included.

If you're going to teach yourself, I'd recommend picking up tab books for albums you like. That's what I did years ago, and I realised after a while that I'd learned most of the open chord shapes without realising it.

[Shakey_Jake33]

There's a music store near me actually, which has just opened recently - I'll nip up there and see what they have. I'm going blind into this tbh, I don't really know where to start.

Really, I just want to start having a bit of a laugh playing attempting (and failing) to play my favourite In Flame (for example) stuff, and maybe improve over time, but we'll see.

[eastyy]

not to cheap a guitar though....got a really bad acoustic one and i found it impossible toplay

www.wholenote.com is a good site to learn stuff

[sharky_ob]

not to cheap a guitar though....got a really bad acoustic one and i found it impossible toplay


That's the thing about starting out though, most people start on cheap rubbish instruments that are hard to play and make learning harder.

I think with a squire or maybe an epiphone you'd get something in a reasonable price range but that would be decent to play.

[funkydan]

This (http://www.jbsmusic.co.uk/view/2418/) would be good - this shop is just up the road from where I work and they are really good - maybe give that pack a try, although obviously you don't HAVE to buy from them as it would be best to try out a few guitars first. Go to your local guitar shop, tell them that you're looking to take up guitar again. If it is a good shop they should be keen to help you sort out a suitable package for you and let you try a few. Don't be intimidated into buying either - if you don't like the service, leave and try your luck elsewhere. The shop you go to my offer tuition or will be able to point you in the direction of a good local teacher.

Good luck with your search you restarting rock dude :thumb: :D

[Shakey_Jake33]

^That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for! :) I'll see what the local store has, but otherwise, that's the sort of thing I need.

Obviously you pay for quality. On the other hand, it's hard to justify spending too much on something I'm really going to be tackling in my spare time. My university course is my priority, both in terms of time, and finances. Approx ~£200 is the kind fo range I'm looking at though.

[sharky_ob]

This (http://www.jbsmusic.co.uk/view/2418/) would be good - this shop is just up the road from where I work and they are really good - maybe give that pack a try, although obviously you don't HAVE to buy from them as it would be best to try out a few guitars first. Go to your local guitar shop, tell them that you're looking to take up guitar again. If it is a good shop they should be keen to help you sort out a suitable package for you and let you try a few. Don't be intimidated into buying either - if you don't like the service, leave and try your luck elsewhere. The shop you go to my offer tuition or will be able to point you in the direction of a good local teacher.

Good luck with your search you restarting rock dude :thumb: :D

That pack looks great, exactly the kind of thing I was thinking of!

[Atticus]

When I started leaning I began with an acoustic and spent £275 on a Tanglewood TW15-NS. I'd read nothing but great things about them and it did me fine. But then me and a guy I work with bought a cheap Yamaha for the office @ around £80 and it's 10x easier to play than the Tanglewood, so a cheap guitar can be great to learn on if you get the right one. The tough thing is knowing what to look out for and feel for when you're just starting out.

I've since spent a fair bit more money on a new acousitc (Martin) and electric (Gibson) and they're both dreamy to play, but that's a different price bracket entirely.

If you're starting with an electric you should be okay ... all I'd say is try and find something with close action (strings are close to the fretboard) and avoid anything with a fat neck.

[captain binman]

All you need to know!:)

F5QCs3PnQBc

[Shakey_Jake33]

Is there anything similar to what funkydan posted, but in all black?

[Valken]

If you're willing to spend some more money, you could get a Yamaha Pacifica 112V and a Roland Microcube from Gak.co.uk and it would knock the socks off the Squier pack.

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/80260
http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/roland-micro-cube/12942

Or there's the Squier version of the Fender DuoSonic which was one of my favourites.

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/77167

Or if you'd rather go the acoustic route... The Yamaha FG720 is a winner. I started playing guitar again about 2 years ago after getting one of these for Christmas and it's an awesome guitar. I also own an American Deluxe Fender Telecaster.

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/yamaha-fg-720s/68005

If you're serious about learning then it pays to spend a little extra early on rather than buy a piece of shit that'll play poorly and kill any motivation you've got.

[Shakey_Jake33]

Funny you mention the Yamaha Pacifica, I've had this recommended to me by a few peeps in the know.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yamaha-ERG121UC2G-PP-Electric-Guitar-Pack/dp/B000RVJORC/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1241883999&sr=1-15

At risk of sounding like I'm missing the most important point, it's the exact colour I want. What do people think?

[ShadowDancer]

Shakey..Pic yourself up a cheap 'Washburn' great quality guitars with good options for a beginner and affordable.

Buy yourself a 'learn' to play a song with '3 easy chords'

You'll feel like you are making progress, no musical reading is required, you'll just be following chord boxes, the books will show you how to read them, you'll pick that up easy.

I play guitar and have never been too serious.

From playing 'hit' songs, with easy chords, you will be picking up chords, you'll learn progressions on how chords work and follow without reading music.

To play tab...easy to access off the internet, in my experience I have always found books better as you can read away from the screen, maybe take something in whilst laying in bed.

If you can get to a city library, you'll be-able to borrow such things.

If you want to know anything pacific, please PM and I'll try my best to help, I've played around with guitar for about 10 years now.

Also..if i didn't know, my brother would, he is a serious musician, many bands, some very good too..he's about to study a HND in a musical related course.

Eastyy is shit-hot with guitar.

[Ginger Tosser]

Is there anything similar to what funkydan posted, but in all black?

Yes, well apart from the white bit. Gear 4 Music (http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Squier-By-Fender-Affinity-Strat-and-Frontman-Amp-Pack-Black/9MT) - I've recently used them and found them to be reliable.

[Skull Commander]

I'm bringing this thread back to life!

I've attempted to learn guitar in the past but fate always seems to throw shit in my way and it's never came to anything.

Last week I made the decision that I'm going to do it proper, so I've got hold of a guitar and amp, and armed with my three "learn to play guitar" books and the internet I WILL succeed.

[Marmite]

I'm bringing this thread back to life!

I've attempted to learn guitar in the past but fate always seems to throw shit in my way and it's never came to anything.

Last week I made the decision that I'm going to do it proper, so I've got hold of a guitar and amp, and armed with my three "learn to play guitar" books and the internet I WILL succeed.

Good stuff. I took the same approach last october and am slowly getting to grips with it.

Whilst the books and the internet will be a great help and resource, i would suggest trying to play with some mates who may already be accomplished guitar players, or getting yourself a few lessons at some point, as there really is no substitute for having someone sat next to you advising as you go.

Its probably best to get this in early as well in order to avoid picking up bad habits (i was amazed to find i was holding my pick all wrong!) and having to re-learn some things.

Good luck though mate. Keep us posted!

[Skull Commander]

I have a couple of guitar playing friends, so hopefully I will get some pointers off them. Just been having fun with it so far. Unfortunatly Loki (one of my cats) is shit scared of it so far. Time for some headphones...

[Jebus]

I still maintain people should learn on an acoustic.

[Matt]

I still maintain people should learn on an acoustic.

If someone wants to get good, I say start with both. The thing an electric can do is make a cool sound regardless of decent fingering and technique. Get a bit of distortion and you too can sound like Slash.... well, you know what I mean :hmm:

I had an acoustic for a week or two before moving to electric. These days I play acoustic almost exclusively, but I think the cool distortion really encouraged me to keep trying :thumb:

You are right though, if you want to get technical, acoustic is the best way to start. Just get a good one, avoid high nasty strings.

[Skull Commander]

I was given advice by a friend which was learn on whatever you want to play, and make sure you like the look of the guitar you are learning on. In the past I would try and learn on an Acoustic but I want to play heavier music, so it wasn't doing my motivation any good.

Just having the guitar plugged in and mucking about with the settings makes me feel more positive already :)

[Malc]

Hijacking this thread a year later, but I recently listened to a few of Bob Dylan's classic songs and it's kind of made me want to try and learn the guitar.

I was thinking about buying an acoustic guitar, when I remembered I already had an old one when I was younger, luckily it was still up in the loft where I left it. In our house we also have 2 electric guitars, but I prefer the simplicity and sound of an acoustic, as well as my old guitar having 3 metal and 3 nylon strings, which I find easier on the fingers than the razor wire on the electric's.

Any tips on where to start? I can still play the start of Enter Sandman, an Eric Clapton tune, and the James Bond theme tune. But I think I should really start to learn with the basic chords right?

[QualityChimp]

Go for it, Malc!

There are probably loads better guitarists on this board than me, but they'll probably tell you the same thing - have fun!

I started off by learning the chords from Instant Guitar (http://www.guitar.co.uk/books/1723-instant_guitar_tutor_book_with_cd_included), which has well-known stuff like Happy Birthday and Baa Baa Black Sheep! Then I started learning stuff I wanted to play like Smashing Pumpkins and The Lemonheads.

A really good place to start is probably The Beatles. This Beatles for Easy Guitar (http://www.musiccorner.co.uk/Guitar-Shop-Guitar-Music-Assorted-Artists/c4941_5449/p7192/The-Beatles-For-Easy-Guitar-Tablature-Easy-Guitar-Tab/product_info.html) book should be ideal! It'll help you not only learn to change chords in time, but also get a sense of rhythm.

I started on a classical guitar my mate gave me, then bought an acoustic and finally an electric.

I enjoy the electric the most and you should consider that too if Enter Sandman's your bag! It's been said on here already, but distortion masks all sorts of mistakes when you're learning, plus the strings are a little easier to press down.

I look forward to hearing your shredding... :)