Hi folks,

After 60 years and semi-retired its time to learn to play the electric guitar right! I plan to purchase the Squier Black and Chrome Fat Strat Electric Guitar.

From what I've read I need to put in a good hour a day of practice and I'm willing to do that. I just want to make sure its "smart practice"! Here's what I'd like to do unless you guys think I'm heading in the wrong direction...

• The style of music I want to play is Rock, John Fogerty CCR style of Rock.
• I would prefer videos that I can download starting at beginner and move up from there.
• If I have to learn music, I'll do what you tell me, but would like to learn to play something first.
• My interest is "lead guitar, hot licks" and all that is rock. I know it takes time to get to lead guitar, I just want you to know my intentions!

If you need more information please let me know and I'll be happy to fill in an gaps. This is my first post and I hope you don't mind helping a beginner. All I can promise is I'll do what you tell me and will come back to help others as I learn!

Thanks a bunch,

Harry

Take lessons it the best way as far as Im concerned

Hey Harry, welcome to the forum. You can find almost any style of guitar lessons on youtube. Some are free, some come with a fee, but nothing will help you more than taking lessons. One on one, group lessons, any kind of lessons is better than learning alone. Good luck with your guitar project, enjoy the music.

Welcome to the Forum Harry. Claude is pointing you in the right direction, lessons will help greatly. Now that you are a member look at the free on-line lessons here on Fenders website. Even if you take lessons from an in-person instructor the lessons on this website can be for your own extra credit so to speak. Have fun and play on Bro!

_________________
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.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Fender Harry-glad to have you aboard.The previous posts were spot on suggestions.There are several really good instructional DVDs available from Guitar World.Even though it isn't on of my favourite choices as far as magazine go Andy Aledort their staff instruction guru has made several instructional DVDs that are among the best available.He takes you along in each demo step by step and very slowly so you don't get rushed and confused.He covers a lot of ground from beginner to the advanced player.Lots of luck with it,it's great to see fellas over 50 getting back into guitar-keep us posted on your progress.

_________________
'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Hi Harry.

Two years ago, at the age of 54 I decided, like you, to learn to play guitar. I have no musical background whatsoever. I'll offer this advice based on my experience.

Take lessons, and keep taking them. Work on the fundamentals, over and over again.

Be patient. You'll learn in time why it is so important to know the various scales.

Don't get frustrated....different people learn at different speeds.It took me a month to be able to properly form a C chord.

Don't worry about learning to read music right now, but do learn Tabs.

And have fun!

Good luck to you, Harry.

Hi guys

First my thanks to each of you for offering your counsel and welcoming me to the forum. I know that a new-be can be a pain to the brain with stupid questions and refusing your recommendations. I'm amazed how well you know me from one post!

Actually based on your recommendation I'm looking for an instructor here in Cody as we speak. I didn't want to go that direction but I'm not one to ask for help and then not take it, especially when you all say the same thing. As I said in my first post I primarily want to play Rock and will look for an instructor that plays Rock and is good at it!

Somewhere along the line I'll want to play some country, I figure if I can't drive people off with my guitar playing, I'm guaranteed to do it with my singing!

BTW do you guys have any do's and don'ts on instructor selection? I'd sure like to here it if you do. So far my selection standard is a young blond with a penchant towards the elderly. I can tell you that my wife has other standards for my considerations!

Thanks again folks, you're much appreciated,

Harry

PS. I ordered my guitar yesterday and was just informed its on backorder and will not ship until the 26th! Do you guys know when playing an "air guitar" there's no sound? Who new...

I agree that lessons will quickly get you to your end goal. It helps to be able to "fill" in the gaps when it comes to theory and composition.

_________________
RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Wow, great information...

May I press you guys for another question and that is what do you think of the "Stop Dreaming, Start Playing!™ Set: Affinity Strat® Special with Fender Frontman® 15G Amp"?

A friend of mine told me that a guy he knows bought an all in one starter package as shown above and why not start there because everything is right there and Fender should know whats best for a beginner?

Please understand that this friend of mine knows as much about guitars as I do about a Mongolian Juice Harp! Come to think of it that's about as much as I know... I just thought I should ask you guys the question so I can give him an informed answer and maybe even better enlighten me. Naaaaa!

As you recall the guitar I have on order is the Squier Black and Chrome Strat.

Thanks again, you guys are the best...

Harry

Hi Harry welcome to the forum " stop dreaming , start playing" good a place to start as any IMO, I think the majority of the guy's here started with a basic set up then evolution kicks in at some point and just keeps rollin along " GAS " you'll know when it strikes, you can't pass a guitar shop without taking a peek inside...there is no cure
Good luck with the lessons

As 44James said, "Do learn tabs."
It's a good "immediate gratification"-style way to start playing some recognizable tunes.
It's not necessarily the formal way to go, but it jump-started me when I was 50 and picked up a guitar for the first time.
They're fun to mess around with while everything else is falling into place.

Re: your amp:
Yes, a Frontman 15 should rock the house, or at least the living room, quite sufficiently.
I have a Frontman 25 and it's way more than I need for general at-home gigging.

Good luck !

Welcome! I am a beginner as well for 3 months now and I have to say that picking up a guitar is one of the most fulfilling experiences I've ever had. It's seems so daunting at first but eventually you'll start to notice you're getting better. Oh and I second the G.A.S. which stands for guitar/gear acquisition syndrome. How bad can it get? I am on my fourth guitar in 3 months haha!

The stop dreaming start playing pack is exactly what I bought to get me started. I have to give it up to Fender's PR dept. because it was those four words what got me into thinking "yeah why not start playing?" and picked up the box. Best $200 I've ever spent. I had the SE strat pack which is a bit lower grade than the affinity series which comes with a 15 watt amp (mine was 10) headphones (mine didn't). The guitar seemed well built, the neck was great and it didn't have the bad fret work I read about on older Squier strat packs. Go for it!

As for lessons, we're so lucky to live in this age where information is so easily available online. If you have an iPhone or iPad I highly recommend to buy an adapter such as the iRig or iPort and connect your guitar to the device and download AmpKit and many other guitar apps. There's also a ton of free guitar lesson apps out there as well Like [url]guitarjamz.com[/url]or search YouTube for Marty Shwartz.

If you want a very in-depth style of guitar playing instruction then it doesn't get any better than Gibson's Learn and Master Guitar [url]learnandmasterguitar.com[/url] this course starts you from the very beginning and it teaches you music theory as well. But whatever method you decide on, just pick up that guitar and play!

_________________
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Agreed with the lessons recommendation -- it is the best way to find out what you are doing wrong.

_________________
Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

Your Squier black and chrome is probably a better guitar than the one that comes in the stop dreaming pack. For $100 you can buy a Frontman 25R or Mustang 1 amp. Either one should be fine for your first amp.

You guys are the best and I thank you again for your valued information...

Its a funny thing, years ago, maybe 40 or so, I bought a cheap-o guitar and my playing expertise started and stopped with a portion of Peter-Gun. I know some are thinking WoW Harry could play Peter-Gun and if you did that it shows how mean separated you can be! But I've always loved the guitar but with family and business I just never got it done.

A couple weeks ago I was flipping through the channels and came across "John Fogerty: The Long Road Home"! Years ago I had his, I believe it was called, Live in London on 8 track and it was great. If you don't know what an 8 track is I really don't want to hear about it! So there I am listening to John Fogerty and all I could think was "I want to play the guitar like that" and a voice inside said "hey, you can"! My wife says maybe it was the devil but either way it was a voice!

I don't know if any of you have seen "The Long Road Home" (you can get it from iTunes for $7 bucks and you get 25 songs) but its really something and its not just the music. Its watching John Fogerty playing that guitar and even more importantly, the enjoyment and enthusiasm he shows throughout the performance. It was really something!!!

I don't mean to take up so much of your valuable time with me just blabbing away, but one thing I know for a certainty, "if you don't have the dream you'll never have the reality", My dream and my certainty is to play and enjoy it like John Fogerty and this I will do! John may not ask me to join him on stage, but only for fear of being outplayed! I know, I know, I have this sanity issue to deal with but one can dream!

Thanks again you guys you've made me feel right at home here on the Fender Forum and I appreciate it more than you know. I'll do what I can to shorten my posts in the future...

With my thanks,

Harry