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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:43 am
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I am mostly self taught. Not that good for the amount of time I have put in. I have tried all kinds of things to get moving. What works best for me are those Hal Leonard books with the backing tracks. Particularly rhcp, surf, offspring, and Christmas.


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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 10:48 am
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Here's my $0.02.

I'm fairly new to guitar ... approx 1 year. With the demands of my job, family, etc., I don't have a ton of time to invest in playing (unfortunately). At the same time, my expectations aren't that high either. I'm not in a band and have no illusions of being the next Clapton. Basically, I'm just learning enough to be dangerous.

Having said that, for me personally, Jamplay.com has been great. I can log in at night when everyone else is asleep and learn at my own pace. Its cheap too. It's not as good as in-person instruction, but since I can't commit to a consistent weekly routine, this is the next best thing for me.

Just my thoughts.


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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 11:04 am
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+1 on Rocksmith 2014 if you enjoy video gaming at all... it is very fun and will teach you.

JamPlay can teach you a lot... and you actually CAN ask questions etc. but you have to wait for the response unlike having an instructor actually there. Also, the price is a fraction of what you will pay per month with a in-person instructor and you take as many or as few lessons as you want when you want.

Steve Stine is a phenomenal guitarist that offers some great videos (96 Rock Licks/96 Blues Licks/Solofire etc.) which I have learned a lot from.

An in person instructor is the best way to go IF you find the right instructor... that is key! Many instructors teach their own thing and are rigid and cannot adapt to your interests and whatnot. This means the lessons are boring and/or embarrassing or frustrating and then you quit. Find an instructor that teaches to your interests (if you like metal... find an instructor that will teach using metal songs and methods. If you like blues... same thing.) Find an instructor that teaches by teaching you whole songs - not endless scale practice which equals boring, frustrating and then quitting.

Finally, if possible, find a guitar class with multiple students in your age range... at first you will succeed better learning with a group of similarly skilled students and participating in group jams is by far the most entertaining way to learn.

PS: A US made Stratocaster is an EXCELLENT purchase for an adult student guitarist! You will never "outgrow" it!

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Jackson USA Phil Collen PC-1
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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 3:35 pm
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I've been playing for about 20 years and I can't stress enough the importance of being taught or jamming with friends or other people who are at different levels of playing. You end up learning at a faster pace, you make friends and it's far more interactive and fun rather than doing it alone with no tuition.

Self teaching is slow- generally you get better slowly with time and practice- but you also come across blocks where you also end up doing nothing but go around in circles. That can be discouraging and make you loose enthusiasm and motivation. That's where the benefits of jamming or taking an instructor\teacher will help. A good place to start will be your local music shop.. They can put you in touch with like minded people and teachers.

I know you'd like an American Strat but I'd suggest something a little less expensive and more disposable should you decide that it's not for you- and then graduate to a more expensive instrument later on as guitar playing becomes something you feel more committed to. Besides, these days you can get good quality for lower priced instruments. Squire is a good brand to start.. Also acoustic guitars are good to build strength and you can take them anywhere without lugging amps around. Perfect to use when you have to visit a teacher once a week too.. Yamaha is a good brand and make good quality student/intermediate level acoustics - perfect for beginners.

After all, as with all hobbies- electric guitars are in the same category as kayaks, mountain bikes, surfboards, gym equipment, golf clubs and motorcycles.. it will likely gather dust in your garage and become an obsession that was yesterday if it retires to 'once in a blue moon' practicing and like the fore mentioned- be a better candidate for the local pawn shop or eBay.

My opinion, but that's what I've done.

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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 4:51 pm
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Don't know if this is already posted but, do yourself a favor now and learn how to read music. I'm self taught, been played for 45 yrs. and always played by ear. But so many times I've wished that I had learned to read music. Then, if your're not sure how the melody goes, you can play the notes and get a good idea. Also, learn where every note on the neck is. Maybe you already know this or it's been posted earlier.


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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 9:12 pm
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American strats are the bomb. If you have the means, I highly recommend one. Also give the American deluxe strat a look. I like the compound radius neck and locking tuners, ended up getting one on clearance for the price of a standard.


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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 5:31 am
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BossRoss wrote:
My advice, tuition if you can afford, as face to face discipline is better and also provides exposure and minimizes nervousness when playing for others. otherwise check out Justin Sandercoe free lessons on http://www.justinguitar.com/ . Well laid out course.

+1.

Justin's site is a properly structured course, thoughtfully put together by an experienced teacher. It's a better option than cherry picking songs and chord tutes on YT. Us beginners don't know what to learn, when, and how. This course takes care of that, it's a good way to start the basics.

A personal instructor is ideal for those with the time and money, but it's not always an easy task to find the right one. Some are talented and will trained players with lots of experience, but might be awful teachers. They don't need any qualifications to teach.


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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:08 pm
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all good responses on this thread, bump
how are you doing with your guitar Karl?

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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 4:35 am
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Solid Body Love Songs wrote:
all good responses on this thread, bump
how are you doing with your guitar Karl?


Doing great, thank you. Working in daily practice, at least 30 minutes each day, scales upon scales, learning my major and minor chords, working on quick and accurate position changes. Forcing myself to stay slow in order to work on technique is an exercise in patience, but I'm not really in a hurry here; I'd rather be good than fast, if that makes sense. I spend time watching videos on Youtube; some of the stuff posted there by some of there really good guitarists is both instructive and inspirational.

Also, I've been spending a lot of time in the last few days teaching myself a song I've always wanted to learn on my old Fender acoustic, just because I think it's important to keep it fun as well. :-)


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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 6:48 am
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IMHO you're best off if you can find a good guitar teacher. I am in a band, have had some recording sessions and quite a few gigs in the 2 years since we've been together, but I am self-taught and recognized my flaws in guitar technique.. So I decided I'll get a guitar teacher, an actual teacher who has taught many players and studied guitar and all that jazz.

I've been practicing stuff I found on the internet, but it's not as effective as having someone monitor your progress and point out the mistakes you're making - and believe me, you most likely won't catch on them by yourselves. In the 3 months since I've been going to that guy I've noticed a huge improvement both in my technique and in my general precision, sound, knowledge - you name it.

The prices depend, of course. I, for instance, pay 70€ for 4 lessons, one lesson per week, and the lessons are tailored to my needs, my skill-set (and it's flaws) and most important - to my wishes, to help me get where I want to be as a guitar player.

You can pay 1000€ for a guitar. Ok, you'll get a good guitar for it. You'll still sound like $@!& if you don't know how to play. Pay 200€ for a guitar and 800€ for a teacher that knows his business and you'll sound almost like a pro despite the guitar being a sh!!ty one.

That being said I don't recommend you getting a teacher until you master the basics - the basics being mastering the chords (CAGED system, learning all the most-used open chords and master switching between them), learning a couple easy scales, learning the notes in a key and stuff like that. I mean, you can pay someone to show you all the chords and whatnot, but that will mean wasting your money on stuff that won't really be beneficial enough to make a difference - you can learn the basics by yourself on the internet, but everything beyond the basics and you'll need someone to monitor your progress and playing.. It isn't the same if you just check out a few videos and try to do what they say - they can't tell you the mistakes you're doing and can't explain why you feel frustrated when you can't complete an exercise.

Most of all, like someone said here, internet has a wealth of knowledge. Learn how to use it. You don't need all the stuff. It sounds amazing, hearing someone play triplets at 200 BPM. Do you need such speed if you want to play Bob Dylan-ish songs? Nope you don't. Same as you don't need jazz turnarounds if you want to play pop music. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't hurt to know all that and to be able to do it, but the things you can do with a guitar are so diverse that you won't be able to master everything in one life time. Rather concentrate on the core of yourself as a musician and develop that as far as you can. Gilmour wasn't a shredder. He's still imho the best guitar player in the world, despite not having fingers as fast as Slash for instance, who is also one of the best guitar players in the world, but isn't well-versed in psychedelic stuff, for example.

So if you want to continue learning via internet - don't get lost in the knowledge out there. Focus on a narrow field of knowledge which is the knowledge that will help you play your favourite stuff. But again, once you learn the basics, get a good guitar teacher and he'll help you with all this. Believe me, you'll be grateful and it will be the best money spent in search for 'your' tone.

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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 7:51 am
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Neimenljivi wrote:
You can pay 1000€ for a guitar. Ok, you'll get a good guitar for it. You'll still sound like $@!& if you don't know how to play. Pay 200€ for a guitar and 800€ for a teacher that knows his business and you'll sound almost like a pro despite the guitar being a sh!!ty one . . .

. . . That being said I don't recommend you getting a teacher until you master the basics - the basics being mastering the chords (CAGED system, learning all the most-used open chords and master switching between them), learning a couple easy scales, learning the notes in a key and stuff like that. I mean, you can pay someone to show you all the chords and whatnot, but that will mean wasting your money on stuff that won't really be beneficial enough to make a difference - you can learn the basics by yourself on the internet, but everything beyond the basics and you'll need someone to monitor your progress and playing . . .

. . . Rather concentrate on the core of yourself as a musician and develop that as far as you can. Gilmour wasn't a shredder. He's still imho the best guitar player in the world, despite not having fingers as fast as Slash for instance, who is also one of the best guitar players in the world, but isn't well-versed in psychedelic stuff, for example . . .

. . . Focus on a narrow field of knowledge which is the knowledge that will help you play your favourite stuff. But again, once you learn the basics, get a good guitar teacher and he'll help you with all this. Believe me, you'll be grateful and it will be the best money spent in search for 'your' tone.



Thanks for the well-thought out advice; a lot of what you've said really resonates with what I've been thinking.

For instance, I do plan on seeking professional instruction, and soon, but when it comes to stuff like chords, scales, and basic theory, I can gain a working understanding of that stuff on my own, so that I know at least something when I sit down for my first lesson.

My ambitions aren't exactly lofty; as I alluded to in my original post, I just want to gain some meaningful proficiency. I have no illusions about becoming the next incarnation of SRV, and I don't much want to, either. I don't want to get famous, make albums, go on tour, etc.; I just want to be able to say "I play guitar" and have it really mean something. I haven't even really staked out a goal in terms of what sort of music I want to play, but since I find myself listening mostly to the blues-rock stuff (Clapton, Vaughn, Bonamassa, etc.), I imagine that's the direction I'll wind up heading in.

Your comparison and contrast between David Gilmour and Slash is spot on, and reminds me of an instructional video I watched on Youtube last night on different picking techniques. The guy's name was Michael Angelo Batio, who I'd never heard of. I guess he was some sort of death metal guitarist back in the '80s. While he's clearly a virtuoso, I can honestly say I have no desire to play like that. I marvel at the man's sheer mastery of the instrument, but at the same time, that style of music does absolutely nothing for me.

Maybe it helps that in the process of discovering what I want to become as a guitarist, I can also discern what I do not want to become ;-)


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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 11:30 am
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No problem, I am glad to help :)

Exactly, I know that what I knew before I started taking lessons from this guy really helped speed things along and no one can really help you out when it comes to learning how to hold and change chords, you've gotta do these things yourself. It doesn't hurt to have someone show you or write the chords down, but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that if a certain string while holding a chord doesn't sing, you're either pressing it too gently or muting it with other finger(s). So mistakes when holding and changing chords are easy to register and therefore also easy to fix.
Just make sure you are learning correct chords. If you are in doubt, remember that major chords consist of I, III and V notes (I being the 'root' note, in C scale that is the C, III being the 3rd note in the scale of the major chord, in C scale that's E, V being the 5th note in the scale, in C scale that's G. Press all three notes together and you get a C major chord), while minor chords consist of I, minor III and V notes (so the only difference is that the 3rd note of the scale should be 'minor' or, basically, flat - meaning half tone lower than the major III note - which means that in C scale, to get a C minor chord, you would still finger the C and G notes while you would finger D# [or Eb, both are the same thing, as D# is half a tone below E, just like Eb] instead of the E note). And, as you probably know, there are whole tone intervals (2 frets difference as each fret represents half a tone) between I and II, II and III, IV and V, V and VI, VI and VII and there are half-tone intervals between III and IV and between VII and VIII (octave, which is basically the root note again). So if you go the C D E F G A B C, there is only half a tone between E and F and between B and C, while there is a whole tone interval between other notes (C and D for instance). I II III IV V VI VII VIII means, in C scale, C D E F G A B C.

This may be all known to you, but the other day I downloaded an app with music theory to read while I am waiting somewhere or have 5 mins and nothing but my phone to spend them on, and it claimed the A major chord consisted of I IV and V (which is the formula for getting a key signature, not for forming a major chord). So yeah.. If something you try out comes from an unverified source and it sounds odd (especially while you are in the domain of major and minor chords), it could also be wrong. For all you know, I could be giving you all the false info right now as you don't know me and I could have posted this info up on a website and if it was false, some people could learn false chords. Don't worry, I am not giving false info (although I won't say with 100% certainty that all my expressions are correct, English is not my mother tongue) :)

As far as your ambitions go, I can relate to the "I play guitar" part for sure. A couple months ago after a gig, girlfriend of our ex-bassist (who was still playing with us at the time; turned to be his penultimate gig with us) asked me if I consider myself a pro player then (after I told her, when she complimented her boyfriend that he sounded like a pro, that he has a long way to go if he'll ever get there - and the truth be told, there is a real lack of bassists here so after we lost our first bassist, we searched for a friend who at least played bass before and liked it and taught him more so he really wasn't as good in absolute terms, although in relative terms - considering he was with us for a short time - he was making tremendous progress when he put his mind into it). I told her I'll never consider myself as a pro player nor as a good player. Every time you learn something, you discover another 10 things you will have to learn. Me being a perfectionist that I always am, I know I will never consider myself a pro player as long as I see the huge pile of things I still have to learn because there's always a next level in guitar playing. There is no top, final level, there's always room for improvement.

If you like mostly blues-rock music then that is where you should concentrate your efforts :) Like you said, no point in learning something you don't want to play considering there is a ton of stuff to learn that will actually help you play what you want to play. So definitely do rule out things you don't want to be as a guitarist and don't concentrate on doing those exercises; sure, some are a must-do (like building speed) but you shouldn't over-do the must-dos (no point in being able to play sixteenths at 150 BPM if you won't play anything faster than what would the sixteenth at a 100 BPM be).

Oh and also - keep note of your shortcomings as a guitar player. When you do decide to get a guitar teacher, let him know what are your strong points, your weak points and what do you want to learn. If you don't see any advance within 2 months, you either haven't practiced enough or your teacher isn't a suitable one. But letting the teacher know what you expect to learn and what you already know and what you don't know will help speed up the learning process significantly :)

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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 11:41 am
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good update Karl, keep them coming :D

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Post subject: Re: Self-teaching Guitar
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2016 2:57 pm
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Like others have said, there are a bunch of resources out there in video, book, article form, etc. One resource I highly recommend for beginner guitar players is the how to play guitar guide from Musician Tuts. It goes over the basics you absolutely need to know as a guitar player.

If you're a little past the point of what's included in that article, there's a bunch of other ones on that site as well that are a little more advanced. Furthermore, I'd definitely recommend checking out Justinguitar if you want to follow along with a video lesson.


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