How do I start playing the guitar properly?

[soung1234]

If you don't want a long story then pull out now...

OK I've had an acoustic and an electric guitar for ages now, but haven't touched them for a while... I wanna start playing seriously, but I need advice on how best to proceed. I know some chords, so I can play along to songs that have chords on them. Also I can read tab, and can play all those 'standard' songs that every half-assed guitar player knows - stuff like tears in heaven & some others in the eric clapton unplugged tab book like signe, lonely stranger, etc, nothing else matters, more than words, some chilli peppers, stuff like that.

But I dunno where to go from here. Tabs are great but it's getting kinda tedious, and it just feels like I'm not really improving my guitar skills, as all you're doing is following it blindly.

Now I don't really want take lessons - I wanna learn my own way. I've trawled through alot of guitar books, and each seems to have a different way of going about things - chord theory, chord progressions, music theory, scales, different scale thoeories, it's confusing...

I love almost all guitar music, from Tommy Emmanuel to Eric Clapton to Metallica, so I would like to learn various styles, from folk to blues to rock to metal.

So what are some recommendations for going about this? I really dont know much about 'proper' music, do I really have to learn how to read sheet music, with all that shitty notation you have to decipher? I was thinking of just learning some scales, all across the fretboard, so maybe I can start playing some nice solos like clapton, or insane ones like Kirk Hammett? Are there any books or online resources you can recommend? Or any tips at all about how I should proceed with this?

[Flecktone]

it's very early, so i'll make this as coherent as i can.

the best thing you can do...

get some lessons.

you don't need them forever, but a solid foundation from a proper teacher is worth its weight in gold.

I've been playing guitar for 10 years now and not wanting to talk myself up, but i'm pretty good (at least getting there). I started out with about 8 lessons from a really good teacher who just gave me the basics, how to hold the guitar properly, how to finger the chords, which string is which, how to tune etc....

the rest of it i've picked up from tabs, or just by jamming along with my favourite tracks.

www.olga.net is your tab bible, and great for nutting out the logistics of the best way to traverse the fretboard.


you don't need to know how to read music but it doesn't hurt to learn... ok, i lie, it does hurt and can be increadibly frustrating - but it is really good to know. Music is just a language - you can hear it and speak it without being able to read or write it, and vice-versa.


but aside from technique, or skill or talent, the big - number one - numero uno - the big 'f**k-off' secret to music is:

1 word, 8 letters:

P R A C T I C E

that word again:

P R A C T I C E

just once more

P R A C T I C E



you can find a million an one excuses why you don't need to practice, but the ONLY reason you're not going to progress is because you don't have an instrument in your hand making sound that very second.


hope some of that helps.

[Flecktone]

Also, relating to chords.

learn all your basics and how to move from any one to the other

Emajor, Eminor, F Major, G Major, A Major, A minor, B Major, B Minor, C major, D Major,

with scales or melodies, learn to use all 4 fingers on the left hand, running chromaticaly is the best way:


e--------------------------------------------------------0-1-2-3-4--
B---------------------------------------------0-1-2-3-4-------------
G-----------------------------------0-1-2-3-4-----------------------
D------------------------0-1-2-3-4----------------------------------
A------------0-1-2-3-4----------------------------------------------
E--0-1-2-3-4--------------------------------------------------------


up and down, forwards and backwards.

if you're you're as messed up as me, and enjoy torturing yourself with impossible chords - do so.


e----------------------------
B----------------------------
G---6--4---6-------5--7------
D---2--2---2-------2--4------
A---x--x---x-------3--5------
E---5--5---5-------5--7------

they hurt so good (on my acoustic anyway) and sound so purdy.

also, don't be afraid to take up banjo...

ok, maybe that's just me...

[soung1234]

Originally Posted by Flecktone

the basics, how to hold the guitar properly, how to finger the chords, which string is which, how to tune etc....

I know this... the thing is when I play along to a tab while it may sound like the real thing, I don't 'understand' what it is I'm playing... I'm thinking maybe if I learn to read music I'll know, and then go from there in terms of playing variations and making up my own solos etc... I guess I'll just have to knuckle down and just memorise all the bloody notes...

[-=ButFli=-]

Learn your scales. Google 'pentatonic minor' and learn it.

Anyone can fake a solo with a pentatonic minor scale. In fact I dare say it's impossible not to fake a solo with it.

[soung1234]

waddiya mean fake a solo... if you know your scales then you know what you're playing? Wouldn't learn off a tab be 'faking' a solo?

[Flecktone]

it sounds like you're after some basic musicianship,

you want to know what the notes are, and how they relate to each other, how to 'construct' the scales/chords/arpeggio's -

ie

Emajor
e---0--
B---0--
G---1--
D---2--
A---2--
E---0--

the notes from lowest to highest would be E-B-E-G#-B-E giving you the 3 notes of the E major chord E-G#-B
which also translates to I-III-V (one, three, five)


Over the top of that chord you can use any notes of the E major scale

E-F#-G#-A-B-C#-D#-E



versus

Eminor

e---0--
B---0--
G---0--
D---2--
A---2--
E---0--

which would be - E-B-D-G-B-E, giving you the notes of E minor E-G-B which is also I-bIII-V (one, flat 3rd, 5)



If you just want to learn Solo's then it's just a matter of learning melodies and how to squeeze the most out of them.

if you want to learn how to solo, you basically need to look at improvisation - which can be just wanking around the fretboard till something cohesive comes out - or an incredibly refined art and talent.


I'd say go and find a reputable teacher and sit down with them, tell them what you want to do, and i guarantee you they will point you in a better direction than OCAU :-)

[scon]

Yep, I'll jump on the lesson bandwagon, if you go and get one lesson, say once per month, you'll get alot more direction and it will improve your musicianship immensely.

[cyrax83]

anyone here provide lessons in sydney ?

[Lasmi]

You don't learn scales, you learn the 5 scale patterns, then you learn where to start each pattern for which scale, then which note to drop for augmented/diminished etc.

ie. For C major you use pattern 1 starting at G

e------------------------------3-5
B------------------------3-5-6----
G------------------2-4-5----------
D------------2-3-5----------------
A------2-3-5----------------------
E--3-5----------------------------

One of the most popular patterns (still in Cmajor or Aminor) is the 4th (i think) starting on B

e-----------------------------------7-8-10
B------------------------------8-10-------
G-----------------------7-9-10------------
D----------------7-9-10-------------------
A---------7-8-10--------------------------
E--7-8-10---------------------------------

I can't remember the others now but you could probably work them out by finding the C scale going up the fret board.

To get your technique happening play the below warmup everyday, changing picking or where you start as you see fit. The important thing is playing it perfectly, no matter how slow you go. Any mistake then stop and start again. It's a great warmup and warmdown that really gets your fingers moving properly.

e---------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------
G-------------0-----------------------0-------------
D---------0-1---1-0--------------0-2---2-0---------
A-----0-1-----------1-0------0-2-----------2-0-----
E-0-1-------------------1-0-2------------------2-0-3

up to the four finger, then go 0-1-2 then 0-1-3 then 0-1-4 then 0-2-3 etc.

You'll struggle to find a decent music teacher who'll teach you more than a few songs and licks, most of which you can do on your own. Find a teacher, get them to show you the 5 patterns and make sure you're technique is ok then dump them and practice your heart out and when you think you're good enough start playing with a band then live...busking, markets, pubs, whatever you have to do to get in front of a audience as you instantly become a better musician.

[-=ButFli=-]

Originally Posted by soung1234

waddiya mean fake a solo... ?

You can just bust out the minor pentatonic, play any notes in any order and it will sound OK. You're faking it because you're not actually playing a solo that you've planned out, you're just improvising. Not that improvising is a bad thing, just the the minor pentatonic, to me, gets pretty boring pretty quick so if you're going to be composing you're own solos you're going to get better results using more complex scales.

Originally Posted by Lasmi

You don't learn scales, you learn the 5 scale patterns,

There's only 5 scale patterns? There's like 5 different patterns just for the minor pentatonic! (don't quote me on that)

[soung1234]

Originally Posted by -=ButFli=-

You can just bust out the minor pentatonic, play any notes in any order and it will sound OK. You're faking it because you're not actually playing a solo that you've planned out, you're just improvising. Not that improvising is a bad thing, just the the minor pentatonic, to me, gets pretty boring pretty quick so if you're going to be composing you're own solos you're going to get better results using more complex scales.
(don't quote me on that)

i see... but with any rock/blues solo, isn't it just 'notes in any order', using a combination of different scales? I would like to eventually be able to compose solos (in my dreams), but reading over some of these posts, I'm thinking I'll start of with basic scale patterns I can find in a few books I've got lying around... Does that mean I'll have to memorise all the notes of each fret of the guitar as well? That goes with the territory of learning scales, I guess?

I'm starting to get an idea of what I need to do, I really can't be arsed with a music tutor... I guess as you mentioned I'll study up on theory, like the notes of each chord, that I-III-VI stuff, doubling, etc, and then I'll be able to 'wank around on the fretboard' and take it to the next level...

[OverDriven]

Originally Posted by soung1234

Does that mean I'll have to memorise all the notes of each fret of the guitar as well? That goes with the territory of learning scales, I guess?

not at all, once you start remembering scale patterns on the guitar most of it comes naturally, and you will start to remember certain notes.

[-Motley-]

ummmmmmmmmmm,

plug it in,
turn it up,
and if the nieghbors complain,
then u know you're playing it properly



(sorrry, this was asking for it)

[TX3]

When you start playing, your best friend is the power cord, don't bother trying all these scales and shit because you set yourself up to fail miserably for a while, or you just get along with the fact that you suck for ages.

Start with power cords then move to alternate picking and palm muting and shit, then try some clean note songs, the first one I learnt was Ode To Joy which uses only 7 notes and theres no major hand movements. Then when I got faster at that I started with other songs like Nirvana - Come As You Are and Metallica - Enter Sandman.

I have even noticed recently that I have gotten better at playing, espcially Nothing Else Matters, Sanitarium and Master Of Puppets and this is after 7 years of playing