Beggining guitar

[Srol]

Well, I figured this would be the be a good place to post this. After all, it does say guitar chat at the top. I'm looking to learn guitar. My parents have a guitar they keep in good repair but never play, so I figured since I'm home from college for the summer, I should see what I can do with it.

I have a bit of a background in music. I've been playing classical piano for 14 yearsand trumpet for nine years, but from what I can tell, guitar uses a completely different system when it comes to reading music.

I don't quite have any money for lessons at this point, but does anyone know any books or videos, or websites I can go to that will help me learn. I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks

[monkeyjunkie]

my advice is to get a good chord chart, Mel Bay maybe, and start from there. I wouldn't worry about reading music, I would start with chords and not tab. Learn C, G, D, A, E, Em and you will be able to play have the songs that exist.

The first song I learned to play is Heart of Gold Easy and fun. Check out www.tabcrawler.com to get some music. The sound might be muted at first, your fingers will hurt, but keep playing. It's well worth it to be able to play this most versatile instrument.

Good luck!

jen

if you have any specific questions, you can pm me

[Tagatha]

I'll second that...

I think there are some tutorials on Tabcrawler too...but I'm not sure if they're any cop, I haven't used them myself.

Get a mate who plays to show you one or two chords, and how to generally position yourself, to strum, to treat your instrument...and then get a good chord chart and away you go! (Believe me, whether you know it or not, *everybody* knows somebody who plays guitar!)

Good luck, and remember, you can play 'The Fox' with only 3 simple chords!

[Guesswho_Chick]

I'd also recommend hitting www.guitarseminars.com - they have a great forum and I'm sure people will be very willing to help you there! :) I'm just now learning to read music, for the last two years I've just used tablature...so I can't really say if it's a different system or not... I'm also gonna be starting a guitar method book next week with my new teacher - I can let you know what that's like if you want. :)

Big welcome to the guitar!! Hope it goes well for you - and feel very free to ask any more questions!!! I love talking about guitar!!!!! :)

First real song I learned to play was Rest Stop by matchbox twenty - lots of easy chords, and to play with the CD, you only need to strum one chord, once each measure!!!! WOOHOO!!! [noise] hehe

[hockeychick2]

I put together a book and cd of popular songs that are really easy to play for a couple of friends who learned to play last summer. I can email it to you if you'd like.

[Srol]

First off, thank you for everyone who volunteered to help me.

Now to embarass my self with my thick-headedness.

When you say to get a chord chart.....what exactly am I looking for here?

I must sound like a complete moron [shock]

[tullula]

I've had a guitar for about 3 years now, and i've taught myself most of the basic chords. I even took a course at my college a couple of years ago. But i'm stuck at the beginner stage. I'd like to take lessons, but being that im a college student money is tight at the moment. So i was thinking of getting a video or book. does anyone have any suggestions. Or would i just be better off taking lessons? I really would like to get better, and actually know what im doing. The main reason being that I'd like to write, i hear the melody in my head and have know clue how to make it come out of my guitar[think] so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

thanks

[Guesswho_Chick]

You may want to try a music theory book *I'm starting the Harmony & Theory book from musician's institute right now, my teacher seemed to think it was a decent one*, could help with getting the ideas out of your head...and, if you can't afford lessons right now, you may want to just find some other students who are fairly decent musicians and just play with them; playing with someone talented is an awesome way to get better quickly...and if you can find somebody else that writes, too, hopefully they could tell you how to get the ideas out of your guitar...and then you could pass that info on to me!!! :D

Good luck!!!

[tullula]

thanks Guesswho_chick. Is the title of that book just the harmony and theory book or is there more to the title? Any ideas where i could get it?

and if you can find somebody else that writes, too, hopefully they could tell you how to get the ideas out of your guitar...and then you could pass that info on to me!!!

If i figure out the trick ill let ya know, but right now your guess is as good as mine :)

take care,

[transformed]

Srol...
a chord chart basically shows you the fingering for each different chord. it has 6 vertical lines which stand for each string, (lowest E on the left) and horizontal lines for the frets. then there's a dot for each place you press down the strings, and X's for the strings that you don't strum. for example, a D chord...
x_x_ _ _ _
|_|_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_o_|_o
|_|_|_|_o_|
|_|_|_|_|_|

that's more or less the idea.... if you search for 'chord chart' you'll come up with plenty. i think most of them these days you have to type in or select a chord name, and then it creates the little diagram, instead of an actual chart with all the chords that you could print out (which is what i want...if anyone knows of a site that has one that would be nice) you can buy posters with all the chords on them too. i just have never got around to it/wanted to spend the money :rolleyes:

[Guesswho_Chick]

Originally posted by tullula
thanks Guesswho_chick. Is the title of that book just the harmony and theory book or is there more to the title? Any ideas where i could get it?

and if you can find somebody else that writes, too, hopefully they could tell you how to get the ideas out of your guitar...and then you could pass that info on to me!!!

If i figure out the trick ill let ya know, but right now your guess is as good as mine :)

take care,

heya! Sorry I didn't reply sooner! Busy weekend...

Here's a link to the book at amazon... My teacher said the book goes to the fringe of music theory (gets into wierd stuff I guess, lol!), but that it was useful to do...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0793579910/qid=1061240379/sr=2-1/104-4866765-5832752?v=glance&s=books

LOL! Then I seriously hope you do figure out that trick! Although boredom may be the key - when I was at a jam last Saturday, if I got tired of a song, I started trying lots of different chords, and actually ended up coming up with some riffs or chords progression ideas! yay!!! :D Ah, the small victories of the moderate musician... [noise] hehe

[tullula]

oh i know all about busy weekends :) thanks for the link, it looks like a pretty good book, ill prolly end up getting it since i cant seem to find anything else

thanks again

[Guesswho_Chick]

you're very welcome! :) And I've got a friend in college, who, as soon as she gets her schoolbooks unpacked, is gonna give me the name of the theory book she's using for four semesters, and I can pass that along on here as well...mmm....theooooory :D

[tullula]

that would be great:)