Thanks to mates Jay and Arron - who have been kind enough to lend me an electric guitar and amp - I'm learning to play the guitar! So far I can strum along to the tune of She'll be coming down the mountainMollys Chambers by Kings of Leon, Outside by Stained and the best part of Welcome to Paradise by Greenday.
It's the first instrument I've ever really tried to play so I'm really loving the experience - which is more than can be said for my neighbours who no doubt hate me by now (I was up playing till almost 1am last night).
Any advice?
Has anyone learnt or tried to learn to play the guitar before? And if so how long did it take to learn to a competent level? Also are books any good? If I'm to be like Jimmy Hendrix in the next six months I reckon it's gonna require a bit of serious graft ;)
Dated: 18/06/2007. Filed under: Personal.
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Comments
- On 19th June 2007 Owen said:
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I think the secret is quite simply passion. I started learning in my teens and didn't get too far. It's easy to learn how to play basic guitar, getting good requires a love (from what I have seen). I'd recommend getting some lessons and learning how to play bar chords. After that my knowledge dissipates I'm afraid.
Get yourself a pedal and really piss the neighbours off :) Actually that reminds me of this Bill Bailey joke. - On 19th June 2007 Andrew said:
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I managed to learn the basic chords on my own but I got lessons to give some structure to my learning.
You can learn by copying songs you like and by figuring out what others are playing but it really does help to get the fundamentals from someone that already knows.
It took me about 6 months to be comfortable and about a year and half for others to think I was good (although I obviously didn't believe them) - On 19th June 2007 Damien said:
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I played the guitar for about a year or so, then slowly drifted away from it... You really need to be interested and devoted to playing; it takes time and lots (and lots) of mistakes before you are any good.
And yes, someone who can teach you the basics (and more) is definitely a big help.
Finally, mess around with the whammy bar a lot :D - On 21st June 2007 Ty Gossman said:
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Aigghht... I spent a few years learning to bang the electric, without a band to jam with it's hard to stay focused on learning riffs.
"Guitar Player for the Practicing Musician" magazine had some hell-a-cious tablature, I've got several years of back issues from the late eighties or something. Great White, Rush, AC/DC, Stevie Ray, Whitesnake... I still scream the vocals going down the road.
Love new music always.
My blues days are behind me! - On 23rd June 2007 Steve Tucker said:
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Thanks for the great feedback guys; really been a help to me, cheers :)
I'll keep you updated how I get along! - On 19th July 2007 KingGam said:
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Listen to steve vai, and buy a steve morse instructional vid
- On 19th July 2007 Aimee said:
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Are you steve from rum pointers?
- On 23rd July 2007 T.3.Gz said:
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I can't believe somebody is recommending you get a Dixie Dregs instructional vid-Eo, Steve Morse had some awesome chops. They depressed me thinking I'ld never be all that.
The best advice I can give is to put your voice in it, be it strings or actual voice. Don't get stuck in the mechanics of the fingerboard, play what you imagine, that's the hard part. - On 5th September 2007 Sinead said:
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yeah i can play stone sour "through the glass" teh full song,iv been practicing for about a month now and i can play some other small peices of music lol iv always wanted to play it.i really want to learn how to listen to a song and play it tho
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