Hey all,

I'm 19, and I was thinking about picking up a guitar and learning how to play. How did you learn to play, and how long did it take you to actually be able to read music and play a song? I always wanted to learn as a kid, and never had the chance, so now that I'm a bit older, I was thinking about doing it finally.

What's a good acoustic to start with, and should I try and take some classes, or could I teach myself?

Any advice would be appreciated.

-Matt.

 

First off, do a couple searches, there has been some good threads on this.

I learned Piano first, then started guitar afterwards and enjoyed it much more, I've been playing for 20 something years I guess.

I'd say it took me ( if I can remember back that far ) a good 6 months to get good enough that I could entertain myself when I played.

It took me a year or so to read music fast enough to play it...but I was a kid, it was way easier then than it would be now.

If you want to start playing quick, start of with tablature, it's like a paint by numbers for playing guitar. Just search any song then tab in google to see what I'm talking about.

I would take a few lessons at first to get the basics, it isn't exactly easy, and the faster you can start playing music, the less chance there is at giving it up. Learn G D and C and you can play 50 songs

Once you have that down, then you could monkey around by yourself, play along with your fav song ( right or wrong ) it will develop your sense of timing an in a rudimentry way make you more comfortable with the fingering, picking etc.

Meanwhile look up tabs for easier songs and take your time and learn them, practice scales, and other finger excercises, and again a google search will give you lots of resources.

As for guitar, I think Yamaha make amazing entry level guitars, Seagul and Art and Lutherie are also pretty good for the money.

Playing an acoustic is harder then playing an electric, it requires more finger strength ( which you don't have even if you can crush wine bottles ) and requires you to fret the notes much more accuratly then with an electric, but it's a cheaper way into it. No messing with amps, etc.

And you'll see me say this in ever other guitar post on this forum, have the guitar properly set up when you buy it, don't even take it home until they do a proper set up, action, intonation, etc. It will make all the difference when you start playing.

HTH

 

Go to Esteban baby!

Sorry I had to do it. (all you insomniacs should know this guy!)

 

^ I agree with most of what Mindcore has said and we normally end up posting similar thoughts in these threads.

I however started with guitar as my first instrument and it was difficult. It is so unlike anything most people do daily, that it takes time. If you pick it up and enjoy it at first then just make sure to stick with it. You will find more people that can play some guitar, than can play guitar well.

I am completely self taught. I bought one of the Mel Bay instructional books to learn the basic chords and to learn how to read tabs. I to this day cannot read music. A lot of famous and also talented guitarists can't read music. If you learn chords in various positions and learn tabs and scales you will be fine. Also, once you get down the G D and C chords, learn a few songs all the way through.

I am a fan of the Alvarez and Seagul (have not really played Yamaha) for entry level acoustics and as Mindcore said they are harder than electrics to play, but once you can play an acoustic you can play an electric.

Oh and make sure you learn to play what you like. G D and C will fit in any type of music but if you are learning country and hate it you will not enjoy playing. This sounds obvious but I have seen people give up guitar for this.

If you get good, I would recommend setting a goal for yourself to play a local open mic or something similar. It is unbelievable how much of a rush it is to have people enjoy your music.

 

what kind of music do you listen to/want to play? that might help you decide between an acoustic or electric.

i first got mine, and w/o lessons it took me maybe 2 weeks to "figure out" my green day tab book. easy stuff. i took lessons shortly after...basically just learned some exercises, open chords, and beginner scales before i stopped.

i still can't read music (only tab), and i've been playing for over 10 years now. however my skills didn't really progress after the first 3 or so. where am i going with this...not sure...

i'd say take lessons at the beginning. even if you don't find that lessons are for you, it'll help immensely when first starting. there are things that you wouldn't necessarily know how to correct by yourself, like finger positioning, if the strings are buzzing cuz you're not pushing down hard enough, maybe your guitar is messed up, etc. just my opinion.

 

Definitely take lessons to start with. It'll build a solid foundation which is the key to continually progressing as a musician. I've been playing some sort of musical instrument for over 17 years. I'm only 21 and I can pick up most musical instruments and learn quickly. Why? Because I have a good foundation to start with [Piano in my case].

If you're just planning to have some fun as a hobby, then lessons definitely aren't required, but recommended if you have the time and money. Like Rustywave said, he's been playing for 10 years and can't read music, but i'm guessing he still has fun. He's also acknowledged that he hasn't really progressed after a certain plateau, which is common for musicians with no formal training.

As for the entry level guitars, most of the guys have got the same opinions as me. My first acoustic was a Seagull, and I still have it! Great guitar for 200-300 bucks. If you're thinking of going electric, I would just say just start with a Fender/Squire strat pack. You'll get a crap guitar and a crap amp for less than 300 bucks, but you'll definitely get a feel for guitars and whether or not you wanna keep playing. If you're willing to spend a little bit more money, I would say get an Ibanez entry-mid level guitar. Ibanez makes the BEST mid-level guitars in the world and grab a small Line6 Digital amp. It'll give you tons of power and sound effects all packed into a cheap little amp. I would definitely NEVER get a Yamaha electric guitar though. Absolute crap compared to the other guitars in it's price range. I heard they've improved a lot in the past few years, but I can't say for sure.

Good luck choosing! Guitar is one of the best instruments to play, albeit challenging, but the satisfaction of finally nailing that song/solo you've been practicing for weeks is well worth it.

 

I play fairly well. Don't read music. And don't know any guitarist who do. I learned by lessons on dvds that I bought at guitar stores. I also learn new stuff occasionally from the lessons in guitar one and guitar world magazine. I also observe guitarist and what they are doing when I see a live band in a club.

My advice is to learn open chords and scales first, then barre chords. You can play countless good songs just by learning your open chords. And playing songs, is where the fun is, and that will keep you motivated to keep getting better and trying new and more difficult things.

Guitar is difficult. You have to practice everyday, and you will suck for a long time before you are any good. So if you are the type to give up easily, then guitar is not for you. Good luck.

 

+1 for an Art&Lutherie guitar to start. I've found them as easy to play as any electric (for the money)

The other good brand not listed is Blueridge.

Get lessons. There's a bunch of "foundation" stuff you'll want to know so you actually sound better sooner. Buy a metronome. Learn to love and hate it. Buy a tuner. Learn to love and hate it.

If you want to learn the theory and fundamentals of Music, take piano. If you just wanna have some fun, take guitar. If you want to beat your head against the wall for the rest of your life, take (French) Horn.

 

Music runs in my family so when I was able 10-11 I had guitars around and started playing.

I'd start out by playing one string melodies, then copy songs at the time that i liked...(grunge stuff, Nirvana mostly.)

I was taught the basic chords and practiced them. I didn't read music, just played easy songs my dad taught me.

I remember having color coded dots on the frets of my guitar, but I don't really remember if they helped or not.

I played other instruments before the guitar, saxophone, violin, piano, but i really didn't like them. i really liked guitar so that came easy to me.

as far as guitars go, I have no idea. I'd buy a cheap yard sale acoustic guitar to practice on first then when you get the hang of it you can move on up. get some new strings buy a tuning book and a tuner and get familiar how a tuned guitar sounds. learn the basic chords, get your dexterity down and play everyday.

it should be something you want to do, not something that's a chore.

 

I would recommend a Seagull; that was my first guitar and it is very easy to play and sounds great...

Have fun!