Hi all....as the title implies, I am new here and new to guitar. I bought a Fender Squier package at my local music store exactly one week ago today. That's to say that in my 39 years of life I haven't picked up a guitar and played it until a week ago. I am GREEN baby. Here's where I am at:

1) I upgraded the amp to a Peavey Vypyr 15. The practice amp was bad.

2) I have fingers that are sore as heck.

3) I have memorized the A and E power chords, Am chord, A chord, E chord, F chord, and G chord. I am at the point where I can generally get pretty close without looking. I might be a little off.

4) I am having the common troubles of touching other strings while trying to fret another, producing an unclean sound. But even that is going away.

5) I can play most of AC/DC's Rock and Roll ain't noise pollution--Albeit Very very slow. I am actually pretty respectable on TNT by AC/DC. I am working on the intros and such, not the solo stuff just yet. I tried a Keith Urban song 'Til summer comes around' and laughed myself off the non-stage.

Here's the problem I have. I desperately want to be good to the point of being functional but really do not have time nor money for lessons for myself--this guitar is for my son but I have been tinkering with it. I will be getting lessons for him. Also, I have zero rhythm...I mean I am the white guy in the corner who is clapping and stomping to different beats at the same time.

Is there any hope? Can I be anything more than a chord player or rhythm guitarist? I cannot read music but I can see a song where the chords are written above the words and play using that.

I am getting a little frustrated because beyond playing intros, I can't actually turn those intros and chords into a complete song at this point.

Thanks,
Newby

A thicko like me managed it, you can.

A few lessons will do you good. I know your time is tight but it is worth it. No one here has a magic answer without seeing you play in person.

Time Patience and Perseverance my friend. It's what it's all about.

Welcome to the forums too.

_________________
No no and no

Thanks, well I am certainly NOT video taping myself and posting it on the net!

On TNT, I am pretty good but it is fairly easy, just mostly A and E power chords.

To give a better analogy, you know how you sit on the floor too long and your legs go to sleep. Then you get up and walk around like frankenstein? Well, that's me on the guitar. I am very slow but I am working on the basics and trying to do those right.

I will see if the instructor will let me sit in with my son on his lessons and see if that helps.

Newby

Give up now before you accumulate thousands of dollars of gear like the rest of us.

_________________

Oh Man he's not kidding!
Hi and welcome to the forums. Sounds like your on the right track, it just takes time.. soon the sore fingers will be able to hammer nails. Take some lessons or get some basics from the web, and hang out here. As Red Green says... were all in it together!

_________________
Hey, Boy Blue is back!

What's up bro. I started playing about 3 years ago when I turned 30. Here is my advice for you.

If you can do 3 or 4 months of lessons I would do it for sure. However if you can't here are a few things you can do.

1. Google free online guitar lessons and find a series that's free online. This will help you read tab (even the soloing stuff), it will give you a structured learning environment (believe me you'll appreciate it).
2. Don't rush. Take your time and learn it right the first time, don't start bad habbits.
3. Don't let your fingers get all lazy and lean on other strings. If you point your elbow down towards the floor you will be able to bring your hand further around the neck and use your finger tips. Watch any old blues guy who has fingers as fat as bratwursts and you'll see that it's possible.
4. I would seriously suggest that you get a set up done for your guitar,the place I go is 46 strings included. They'll shave the rough frets hanging off the side, lower the action (how far the strings are off fretboard) and get the neck all nice and straight so that your axe stays in tune and doesn't buzz.
5. Realize that not even Clapton was Clapton overnight. 20-30 min of practice a day and don't go on to the next lesson until you are really good on the first one.
6. Have fun. turn the amp up, rock it out. Guitar is fun because it's hard. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
7. Set a reward for yourself. Mine is usually new gear when I jump a proficiency level.
8, and this is an important one. Use this forum. These guys/gals on here are awesome and have always been a huge help when I have a question.

Congrats and welcome to the club.

-Goose

_________________
Keep rockin'

Thanks all for the generous welcome and the sage advice.

I already have my congratulatory next purchase picked out...I was going to go with the Gibson or Epiphone but I think that Fender will suit my style more. So if I can stick with it and get to a level where I know I won't give up, I will probably pick up a better Fender. I haven't decided on the Strat or Tele just yet, I will play both and decide.


I will try a couple lessons and see. I am honestly farther along that I thought I would get already and I tend to sink myself into learning something at the expense of everything else...sorry about the tall grass neighbors but I am learning guitar over here!

Thanks again all.

Newby

Definately agree with getting a good setup. Especially if it came out of a starter pack. Guitar doesn't have to hurt your fingers! For alot of people, practice time is limited by fingerpain. With a well setup guitar fingerpain isn't really an issue.

_________________
Stagemaster
Roadhouse Strat
Epi Traditional Pro Les Paul
Ovation Celeb
Esteban Celestial Night(nicely tweeked)
Blackheart tube amp

I'd highly recommend this book,
http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Guitar-Dummies-Jon-Chappell/dp/0764553569/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274164285&sr=8-1

When I began learning guitar I didn't even have any friends who knew anything about it so I was kind of on my own with it. And I wasn't about to play Three Blind Mice or anything, I wanted to start off on real music. That book has lots of great information for beginners, and it starts you off actually playing music. For my first year I tore that book apart and it provided me with a pretty good foundation to build on.

_________________
Website: http://www.rebeccalaird.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccalairdmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckslaird
Instagram: http://instagram.com/beckslaird

Most people are like this when they start, it just takes a little patience and perseverance. Picking up rhythm and learning songs will come eventually.
Learning chords and playing rhythm guitar is probably the best way to start

Welcome to the Forum newby! as I read through the posts I thought that every one is definitely helping and that is a great thing about this Forum so come here often, ask questions because some one here will always help and play your guitar.

_________________
you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

hi there and welcome to the forum all the above is good advice , the sore fingers will stop being sore and have fun oh and practice makes perfect , it might take a wee while but it all starts dropping into place enjoy
Alan

_________________

I re-picked up my guitar after 25 years hiatis. I am self-teaching myself with lessons from www.gibson.com/lessons . Arlen Roth is awesome. Plus there is tons of other free lessons there. I got a music stand and I copy and print guitar tabs from Ultimate guitar and other sites. I try to practice at least an hour a day. This has been going on for abouth 9 months and I have made some progress. But most importantly I having a blast playing my Tele, Custom II and acoustic.

_________________
08 Fender Highway One Tele-Sunburst
09 Squier Custom Tele II-Blonde
04 Squier Standard Strat Antiqueburst
07 Washburn D10SCE natural with Rosewood backing
Fender Mustang II amp


Experience is the best teacher

I was about the same age when I started about a year & a half back. The sore fingers will go away...then you get the callouses that make your fingers feel like they've got dried glue on the end. (you feel pressure against them, but no feeling)

I've been lucky in that I'm into instrumental surf. A small niche, which means I get to hang out with the guys I listen to. One of them was telling me he learned by sitting on his bed and listening to a 45 over and over and over and over and over....etc. etc. That's about all you can do. I use a Tascam guitar trainer.

http://www.tascam.com/products/cd-gt2.html

$150-200 new, although you can find the older ones on eBay for less. (think I paid $60 for mine) Allows you to slow the songs down without changing the pitch, and you can loop small sections. Others will chime in with "media player does too" and "You can download Audacity for free and do it" but (A) I don't like to chain myself to the computer like that and (B) I don't need to learn Audacity yet. (Audacity is free recording software) It is hard...but it's also a lot of fun when you get to play along at speed to a song you really like...even if it's just the chords!!!


Oh...a little advice from someone you might have heard of.

_________________
Will

All the above advice is great... 2 things I would like to add:
1.Timing... get an inexpensive electronic metronome. Play your song chords slowly until the muscle memory in your hands and fingers kick in and it becomes more natural to change the chords then you can speed up the metronome to the song's natural timing.
2. Do not overpractice your changes. 15 to 20 minutes per song or difficult chord change is enough. Anything more than that is not going to improve your muscle memory. Switch to something else and come back to the original later... Your brain and your muscles will not "learn" anymore after that initial 15 minutes and it also keeps you from getting frustrated...

Oh welcome to the forum...