[PsychoZX]

I've been wanting to learn guitar for a while now so today I took the first step.

If you guys could give me a few links to some good websites for learning guitar I would appreciate it.

 

[DJShadow]

Um Harmony Central would be one, but I reckon books are the best place to start.

 

[jinp6301]

wow the guitar looks great

This is probably not what you want to hear, but please get a teacher. I tried to teach myself guitar for a while and then I got a teacher later on to teach me some of the more difficult techniques and he had to change everything I did, because I developed such bad habits that prohibited me from getting better.

So, save yourself the trouble and get a teacher!

 

[flamerz]

I take guitar at school. I don't have a guitar, though. Yours looks great.. I ought to get one.

 

[jun41]

x2 what jinp said. Get a teacher, he'll teach how to do things right the first time. I've been just playing around on my guitar and I don't even know what I'm doing right or wrong. I seem to be chugging along with some raw talent though

.

Get better by playing new and harder things. Improvising while playing with other people is one of the funnest things to do IMO.

 

[Jahn]

congrats!!! a Dread should do right by you - make certain it's set up nicely so you don't get frustrated due to something the guitar is responsible for (like a high action, or too low, etc).

if you don't want to spend the cash for private lessons right now, buy a chord book, google some nice strumming and picking techniques (and how to tune, and how to attack the strings at a good angle - lots of stuff you want to do so you don't develop bad habits) and google some chords to your fave songs - or buy a tab book of your fave artists. even go on youtube for free video guitar lessons, hehe. i learned a wicked Keith Richards riff that way!

anyhow, it's a fun hobby ahead for you, so enjoy!

 

[Lazarus Short]

"...oh, there's a lovely musician on the stage. He's got a guitar! And he's...he's all hair!"

Laz

 

[agile_one]

Bring that nice new axe to Florida, Joe. We'll show you how to shred.

 

[rlanger]

That's awesome. I remember when I got my first guitar and I'm jealous

Jahn suggestion is about getting a chord book is a great one. Also, try to learn some songs that you really love. If you sing too, there is so much great music for the acoustic guitar that is really easy to play once you learn a few basic chords. You can play a lot of songs just knowing G, C and D.

 

[PsychoZX]

I already have Guitar Chords by Mel Bay. The guy at the music shop threw it in for free when I bought the guitar and case.

 

[jun41]

Better yet, get some free live lessons! Find some friends who already play and make them teach you.

 

[Borat]

Congratulations! Get ready to experience countless moments of frustration and develop callus fingertips.

Just kidding. Well, not really. That stuff is all true, but it's worth it.

Enjoy!

 

[rlanger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jun41 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Better yet, get some free live lessons! Find some friends who already play and make them teach you.

Yeah, that's great advice and pretty much how I learned for the first 6 years until I did an audition at university and got accepted into the music department without ever having taken a lesson.

I always tried to find players who were better than me to jam with. The guitar is such a great social instrument. It's always much more fun to jam then play alone.

 

[Netminder]

Learn classical guitar because its better...
I too play the guitar some and you are going to have a blast with your new toy!! Congrats!! Have fun

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinp6301 /img/forum/go_quote.gif wow the guitar looks great This is probably not what you want to hear, but please get a teacher. I tried to teach myself guitar for a while and then I got a teacher later on to teach me some of the more difficult techniques and he had to change everything I did, because I developed such bad habits that prohibited me from getting better. So, save yourself the trouble and get a teacher!

I hear a lot of people say things like this and it's kinda confusing. A lot of teachers teach you how to hold a pick correctly, pick correctly, and strum correctly. Also they teach you posture and good hand position with chords. Here's the thing, though: I've spent a lot of time around extremely good rock, country, and jazz players and most of them do things their own way. Their technique would be considered by guitar teachers to be incorrect.



One player I know holds the pick so that one of the rear curves is barely sticking out between the tips of his index finger and thumb. He also lets his other fingers hang free when he's picking or strumming. Most teachers tell you to make a "thumbs up", lay the pick on the bend of your index finger, and then lower your thumb to clamp the pick. I play this way but with a very loose hand. Sometimes I lay my ring finger and pinkie down on the pickguard (banjo style) when I'm picking the top E and B strings.

Anyhow, getting a teacher is a good idea, but not everything they teach you is set in stone. I always try to find
what's a good compromise of what's comfortable and what works.

*EDIT*
Haha, this is my 1337 post! That's so 1337