Tips for learning how to play guitar?

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 I would imagine aside from some finger tip tenderness, the type of strings would not matter that much. I have heard that the distance between strings and the height of the strings above a fret might be more of a factor in being easier to play.

Metal strings are harder on the fingers than nylon. My twelve string guitar, which had double metal strings for each finger position, seriously required the callouses. Painful for a while.

The action on the fretboard - the strings shouldn’t be high above the fretboard, otherwise the guitar neck is warped or needs adjustment.

[eytonxav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover In order of playability from easiest to hardest: electric, nylon string acoustic, steel string acoustic. The guitarist in one of my bands practices almost exclusively on his acoustic guitar. He says then when he picks up the electric it's super easy to play. I'm primarily a bass player and most of my guitar playing is on an acoustic.

That is good to hear since I have an electric. I am not sure where a Fender Stratocaster sits in terms of entry or mid level, but right now will use it until there would be a need for something else if that day ever comes. I can see the advantages in an acoustic from a portability aspect as others mentioned, but for quite some time I won't be venturing away from my mac where the guitar and amp is now located. Right now my main focus is going to be on finger dexterity, strengthening and leaning to get my fingers into proper positions. Initially it is putting more strain on my wrist and forearm than finger tips and spreading the fingers apart is not the easiest.

[Badger]

There are many different countries that manufacture the Fender Stratocaster including China, Mexico, Japan and the US. Quality of construction will vary with those made in the US considered by most to be the best.
This should not make a difference for you right now. Any would be great to start out on.

What is important for any guitar is how well it has been set up (a variety of adjustment that optimize it's playability). A good and reputable shop should be able to help you with this. I would check their reviews for this. But for now you mainly need to work on learning some chords and develop some flexibility. Relax your shoulders, be aware of your finger placement behind the frets, and probably don't press so hard (most people first learning do this).


My first guitar was a $15 meat board from Sears I got for Christmas about 50 years ago. It was tough going until I got something as nice as yours. I have been through about 16 guitars since then and still have 5 (some electric and some acoustic) that I won't let go. Although arthritis is catching up to me it was fun playing in 3 different bands in my earlier years. Now I enjoy playing for my own relaxation during quiet times.



Cheers!

[FreeBear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger What is important for any guitar is how well it has been set up (a variety of adjustment that optimize it's playability). A good and reputable shop should be able to help you with this. I would check their reviews for this. But for now you mainly need to work on learning some chords and develop some flexibility. Relax your shoulders, be aware of your finger placement behind the frets, and probably don't press so hard (most people first learning do this).

+1


This!! Please pay to have your guitar re-strung AND setup by a pro. If you don't know of a place, just try Guitar Center. This way you can be confident that any issues with playing the guitar are due to the player's technique and not due to the guitar. Also the action will typically be lower, allowing you to fret chords cleanly with less finger pressure. Less discomfort and frustration are keys to keeping you playing!

Do you like to sing, even if poorly, in the shower, etc?? The approach I prefer to learning basic guitar chords is to find a song that you enjoy that contains only a few basic chords. The website and app "ultimate-guitar.com" is great for this (note "simplify" chords option and "transpose" to make life easier) The song should be familiar enough that you can sing some of the melody and know most of the lyrics. A song you enjoyed from childhood or teen years w*rks well. I used popular Bob Dylan or Neil Young from the '60's and '70's, but anything you enjoy and have heard a million times can w*rk well.

I agree in the recommendation on learning to use a capo. It allows you to easily shift a song you've found on the web into your comfortable singing range without having to learn new chords.

Concentrate on this one song and the 2-3 chords in it. Sing or hum the song slowly as you fret the chords and strum along. You can approach it in sections, concentrating on a single chord, then switch to the next section with a different chord (chord change). Once you can fret the 2-3 different chords shapes, you can w*rk on the transitions between the different chords. Don't worry too much about strumming at this point, other than strumming to the beat. There will be time to make strumming more interesting once you can play the song's chord changes smoothly and at normal speed.

Don't give up! It can take days or even weeks to learn your first song. I think most folks have a difficult time forming even basic common chord shapes like G, C, D, and F. The changes between these can be even more vexing.

At some point, you can add another song that you are learning while still keeping the first in "rotation". After some time you will have learned several songs while always still w*rking on something new. You many even find that you can easily play the songs you have learned earlier, even from memory. The new stuff can still be a struggle, in part because you are learning new chords or w*rking on right hand technique (strum patterns, finger picking, etc.). On day you may wake up and find that you have become a musician!

Eventually, you many want a chord theory book that will teach you how songs are written in a given "key" and how that relates to the chords in the song. You will learn chord substitution (often to make playing easier ) and transposition to others keys (the theory behind what ultimate-guitar "transpose" magic). At some point you may want perform before an audience, even if only one person, or you may want to record, or try another instrument, or write you own songs!

[Music Lover]

Probably the easiest song to play is America's "Horse With No Name". It contains just 2 chords: Em and D6/9/F#. Although the 2nd chord sounds complicated it's just 2nd fret Low E and 2nd fret G string all the rest of the strings are open. Alternate the chords each bar.

[eytonxav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger What is important for any guitar is how well it has been set up (a variety of adjustment that optimize it's playability). A good and reputable shop should be able to help you with this. I would check their reviews for this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreeBear +1 This!! Please pay to have your guitar re-strung AND setup by a pro. If you don't know of a place, just try Guitar Center. This way you can be confident that any issues with playing the guitar are due to the player's technique and not due to the guitar. Also the action will typically be lower, allowing you to fret chords cleanly with less finger pressure. Less discomfort and frustration are keys to keeping you playing!

I am not familiar with the term setup. Does this just mean restringing and tuning or is there something else involved?

Edit - OK found using google, since my guitar is probably 15 years old, I will get the guitar restrung and setup as there is a local luthier that does all sorts of guitar work.

[FreeBear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 I am not familiar with the term setup. Does this just mean restringing and tuning or is there something else involved?

A guitar setup is much more than restringing and tuning. You can find descriptions of a good setup online, such as:

https://www.electricherald.com/guitar-setup-pro-guide/


Basically, this entire process insures that a) every note at every fret plays at the correct pitch and b) the strings are as close as possible to the frets without buzzing while strumming. I have this done to almost every new guitar to insure that I'm starting properly.

Having the strings as close as possible to the frets greatly reduces the physical effort required to finger any given chord. This is critical since one of the biggest challenges in playing a chord (several notes played together) is properly holding down each note at the same time for what seems like an eternity while your fingers and hand screams out in pain!

The lower the "action", the closer the strings are to the frets and the easier it is to play the instrument. Of course, if the action is too long, the strings will buzz or hit against the frets where they shouldn't.

Generally speaking, the action or string height is set by filing the depth of the string grooves in the plastic nut (plastic piece that the strings pass over next to the tuning machines/pegs) and adjusting the saddle height (were the strings are anchored on the guitar body near the pickups). On a Fender Stat, the saddle is mechanically adjusted by turning a screw.


Once the initial setup is done, I've learned to change own strings. If I play daily, I like to change my acoustic guitar strings every month or two, when they sound stale. The electric guitar is much less picky, perhaps because the amp colors the sound so much. As for tuning, I tune every time I play, and maybe check a few times during a practice session. I prefer a "clip on" tuner that clamps on the head of the guitar near the tuners. Some phone apps like GuitarTuna w*rk well too and is a favorite with my young musician friends.

I normally sing and chord along with my acoustic, aka playing rhythm guitar. This thread has inspired me to revisit my Fender Tele as my rhythm accompaniment. I've got the same setup as you: my Mac for internet access, my Fender on a stand, and my beautiful Fender blues amp. Hours of enjoyment!

[eytonxav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreeBear A guitar setup is much more than restringing and tuning. You can find descriptions of a good setup online, such as: https://www.electricherald.com/guitar-setup-pro-guide/ Basically, this entire process insures that a) every note at every fret plays at the correct pitch and b) the strings are as close as possible to the frets without buzzing while strumming. I have this done to almost every new guitar to insure that I'm starting properly. Having the strings as close as possible to the frets greatly reduces the physical effort required to finger any given chord. This is critical since one of the biggest challenges in playing a chord (several notes played together) is properly holding down each note at the same time for what seems like an eternity while your fingers and hand screams out in pain! The lower the "action", the closer the strings are to the frets and the easier it is to play the instrument. Of course, if the action is too long, the strings will buzz or hit against the frets where they shouldn't. Generally speaking, the action or string height is set by filing the depth of the string grooves in the plastic nut (plastic piece that the strings pass over next to the tuning machines/pegs) and adjusting the saddle height (were the strings are anchored on the guitar body near the pickups). On a Fender Stat, the saddle is mechanically adjusted by turning a screw. Once the initial setup is done, I've learned to change own strings. If I play daily, I like to change my acoustic guitar strings every month or two, when they sound stale. The electric guitar is much less picky, perhaps because the amp colors the sound so much. As for tuning, I tune every time I play, and maybe check a few times during a practice session. I prefer a "clip on" tuner that clamps on the head of the guitar near the tuners. Some phone apps like GuitarTuna w*rk well too and is a favorite with my young musician friends. I normally sing and chord along with my acoustic, aka playing rhythm guitar. This thread has inspired me to revisit my Fender Tele as my rhythm accompaniment. I've got the same setup as you: my Mac for internet access, my Fender on a stand, and my beautiful Fender blues amp. Hours of enjoyment!

Thanks! Dropped off the guitar this morning at the luthier. He said the guitar is generally in pretty good shape, pots and finish were fine and surprisingly it was not badly out of tune. Strings were rusted and need replacing, action needs to be lowered, and I think he said something about pinning something (maybe the saddle, but not sure my terminology is correct) and a few other things. While he has it, I need to read up on my amp, it's a VOX AD50VT. I have no idea what all these dials and buttons do.

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 Thanks! Dropped off the guitar this morning at the luthier. He said the guitar is generally in pretty good shape, pots and finish were fine and surprisingly it was not badly out of tune. Strings were rusted and need replacing, action needs to be lowered, and I think he said something about pinning something (maybe the saddle, but not sure my terminology is correct) and a few other things. While he has it, I need to read up on my amp, it's a VOX AD50VT. I have no idea what all these dials and buttons do.

Get yourself a clip on tuner if you haven't done so yet, they are inexpensive (less than $20). Guitars go out of tune quickly and that's perfectly normal. Also, as the strings age they tend to go out of tune faster

[Birdie Num Nums]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover Probably the easiest song to play is America's "Horse With No Name". It contains just 2 chords: Em and D6/9/F#. Although the 2nd chord sounds complicated it's just 2nd fret Low E and 2nd fret G string all the rest of the strings are open. Alternate the chords each bar.

I found Steely Dan's "Show Biz Kids" even easier to play: just a Dm7 throughout! And you can transpose that to any minor7 chord you desire.

[eytonxav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover Get yourself a clip on tuner if you haven't done so yet, they are inexpensive (less than $20). Guitars go out of tune quickly and that's perfectly normal. Also, as the strings age they tend to go out of tune faster

When I ordered the Chord Buddy, it was supposed to come with a tuner, but did not show up. Contacted them and it was delivered today, and is a clip on like you suggested.

[FreeBear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 Thanks! Dropped off the guitar this morning at the luthier. He said the guitar is generally in pretty good shape, pots and finish were fine and surprisingly it was not badly out of tune. Strings were rusted and need replacing, action needs to be lowered, and I think he said something about pinning something (maybe the saddle, but not sure my terminology is correct) and a few other things. While he has it, I need to read up on my amp, it's a VOX AD50VT. I have no idea what all these dials and buttons do.

Excellent!


That VOX amp looks great! What kinds of songs/artists will you be playing??

[sengsational]

I'd never heard of ChordBuddy before. Looked it up. I'd only recommend that for someone who didn't want to learn how to play guitar, hehehe!

For those who didn't take the 30 seconds I spent learning about it, ChordBuddy is a bit of plastic you put over the first few frets of your guitar and it's designed to press the right strings when you press on one or more of the brightly colored plastic things. So it essentially is learning how to play some other instrument.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational I'd never heard of ChordBuddy before. Looked it up. I'd only recommend that for someone who didn't want to learn how to play guitar, hehehe! For those who didn't take the 30 seconds I spent learning about it, ChordBuddy is a bit of plastic you put over the first few frets of your guitar and it's designed to press the right strings when you press on one or more of the brightly colored plastic things. So it essentially is learning how to play some other instrument.

Sounds like my old autoharp! I was a Lovin Spoonful fan and John Sebastian played one. Had to have it. Very tough to keep in tune with all those strings but YMMV.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational I'd never heard of ChordBuddy before. Looked it up. I'd only recommend that for someone who didn't want to learn how to play guitar, hehehe! For those who didn't take the 30 seconds I spent learning about it, ChordBuddy is a bit of plastic you put over the first few frets of your guitar and it's designed to press the right strings when you press on one or more of the brightly colored plastic things. So it essentially is learning how to play some other instrument.

Agreed, but there is one possible saving grace to it. It looks like if you follow the guide, they have you remove one section at a time, and you actually fret that section yourself, so you build up, removing a section as you learn, until you don't use it at all. Like training wheels.

Not sure that really gets you there any faster, but it might work as encouragement for some?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koolau Sounds like my old autoharp! I was a Lovin Spoonful fan and John Sebastian played one. Had to have it. Very tough to keep in tune with all those strings but YMMV.

Kind of the opposite of an autoharp/zither in practice, but a similar concept. An autoharp/zither has many notes, with a string for each note, and no frets. So rather than pressing a button to fret certain notes, the autoharp/zither mutes all the "wrong" notes, with a segmented piece of felt for each button/bar. Then you can strum all those strings, and only the right notes sound.

Here's an autoharp master, Bryan Bowers. I saw him perform in the 70's. In this video (skip to ~ 5:30 to hear the end result), he shows how he developed his technique. He does a lot of picking of the individual strings (with metal finger picks on each finger/thumb), and I assume he completely un-mutes it at times, and/or maybe chooses harmonically related chords and selectively picks strings within that harmonic structure. AT any rate, it really elevates the instrument to another level, and sounds beautiful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P03xvBdZZRI

-ERD50

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational I'd never heard of ChordBuddy before. Looked it up. I'd only recommend that for someone who didn't want to learn how to play guitar, hehehe! For those who didn't take the 30 seconds I spent learning about it, ChordBuddy is a bit of plastic you put over the first few frets of your guitar and it's designed to press the right strings when you press on one or more of the brightly colored plastic things. So it essentially is learning how to play some other instrument.

I don't see the benefit. The basic chords are not that complicated...start with 3 easy chords like G, C, and D (all in the key of G) and practice switching between them. Once you're comfortable add say A and E and along with D you've learned the key of A. And so on...

[target2019]

Learn about the circle of fifths...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths

Don't work on just 3 chords, rather learn the chord shapes and progressions used in the music you want to play.

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by target2019 Learn about the circle of fifths... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths Don't work on just 3 chords, rather learn the chord shapes and progressions used in the music you want to play.

There's nothing wrong with learning 3 chords so you can play a few easy songs right away. Knowing how to play some easy songs can help beginners stay motivated while they work on other areas of learning. Plus practicing chord changes develops muscle memory and builds callouses...all important parts of learning to play.

[target2019]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover There's nothing wrong with learning 3 chords so you can play a few easy songs right away. Knowing how to play some easy songs can help beginners stay motivated while they work on other areas of learning. Plus practicing chord changes develops muscle memory and builds callouses...all important parts of learning to play.

Did I say it was wrong? No.

I was suggesting a better method. Why learn just 3 chords in one position when you're on the verge of tasting the secret sauce?

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by target2019 Did I say it was wrong? No. I was suggesting a better method. Why learn just 3 chords in one position when you're on the verge of tasting the secret sauce?

We do agree...I wasn't suggesting to only learn 3 chords, but I think it's a good way to start while you continue learning.