Advice... (guitar)

[Katherine Brengle]

I just started learning how to play the guitar and I haven't decided on taking lessons yet.

For those of you who play, would you advise hiring a private teacher, or using other resources?

(I have a music theory background, a good ear, and a strong history as a vocal musician as well as some violin, so I am not a complete novice to music, just the guitar.)

[ProfessorGAC]

1. If You Have Background. . .

. . .here's what i would suggest. I did this with flute and it worked fine.

Find a teacher who will show you the basics to accomplish what YOU want to learn. Take just a few to several lessons. For flute, i took three. (One on embrochure, one on fingering, one on tone.)

Insist on being shown:
1) How to tune it.
2) Which string is which note.
3) C, D, E, A, Dm, Am, Em, (in open positions) & Bm, C#m, and F#m barre chords. (With these you'll be limited to about only 100,000 songs!)
4) How to play at least 3 of those chords in 3 other places.
5) How to hold your hand on the neck so there is minimal stress on the left wrist.

With your background and understanding of basic theory, you'll start to understand chord construction pretty quickly. So, you'll be able to play nearly anything you want nearly anywhere on the neck.

The other thing you should know: It hurts when you're a beginning guitar player. The strings are fairly thick steel wires that you're pressing with your fingertips. That will be sore for a bit, so you just have to stick it out. It will stop hurting. Honest.

Also, as a tip: When you're learning chords DON'T STRUM. Play each string separately. Make sure you hear each string. You'll get better technique as grabbing the chords and getting a full sound if you don't start out playing them sloppily.

I taught myself after 18 years of piano lessons and competitions. So, i came from a similar place. I wish i had my list then, but i figured it out myself, and i'm quite convinced that someone who already knows music will learn really quickly if they get those five things out of the way quickly.

If you have other questions, let me or the others here know.
GAC

[Katherine Brengle]

2. Thank you --

I've already done some of that, but not with a teacher, so I could definitely benefit from having an experienced person over my shoulder making sure I've got it right.

Good tip on playing the notes separately, I'll try that.

[ProudDad]

3. I'd add a couple to the list

Great Advice, ProfessorGAC...

"3) C, D, E, A, Dm, Am, Em, (in open positions) & Bm, C#m, and F#m barre chords. (With these you'll be limited to about only 100,000 songs!)"

Add G, F, Dbm (barre) and the "brute" B7 and you'll get another 100,000 songs...

Learn how to create 7th chords -- another 500,000 songs...

Learn the progressions:

MAJOR:
C - Am - F - G(7)

A - F#m - D - E(7)

E - Dbm - A - B7

D - C#m - G - A(7)

G - Em - C - D


On Edit: the 2nd chord in each position (the relative, 6 minor) is usually the one omitted from 3 chord songs...


Minor Keys:
Am - Dm - E(7)

Em - Am - B7

Dm - Gm (barre Em-2nd fret) - A(7)


We'll save the 10 lessons on EVERYTHING you need to know about how to play Lead Guitar until next week... :)

Good Luck -- HAVE FUN!!!

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Ten? Why So Many?

Geez, i'm sure DiMeola, Satriani, Vai, McClaughlin, et al learned all their stuff in 5 easy lessons. Don't ya think?
GAC

[ProudDad]

5. That's what my teacher told me...

I played lead guitar -- gigging with various bands -- from 1961 through 1977 -- then got burned out...

I got back into it in the early 80s and found a teacher so I could focus on playing again and maybe sharpen my guitar playing skills.

I found a guy who told me he could teach me "everything you need to know about theory in order to play lead guitar in 10 lessons". I thought, "yeah, right." but I hired him anyway.

He was right. He'd distilled everything he'd learned getting a music degree and his years of playing experience as a GREAT lead guitar player (he eventually signed with Warner-Reprise) into 10 lessons.

Then we spent 2 years refining it all...Kicked my playing up a few levels...

[ProfessorGAC]

6. I Was Just Kidding!

I'm impressed all the theory could be compressed that quickly. I suppose if the student is really sharp it would work. Maybe you're a prodigy!
GAC

[old mark]

8. Very interesting. I took 6 months of lessons - on bass-

from a really good working guitar player.
I taught myself to play guitar using a few books for positions, etc.

I remember a player I was in a band with in the mid '60's, who is constantly studying theory, harmonic relationships, etc, and I always wondered why. If he can't hear it after playing all these years, wht is he trying to do.

Your post if very refreshing.
Thanks.
mark

[paparush]

7. Some great vids on YouTube!

I'd recommend RockOnGoodPeople -

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=rockongoodpeople

They've got tons of intro stuff. Great stuff on varying your strumming patterns, chord changes, progressions, scales, etc..

[KatyMan]

9. I'm not a professional,

and to be honest never played on stage or anything, but I have been playing for over 20 years, and the best 'friend' I ever had in my guitar life was a book called The Guitar Handbook, by Ralph Denyer ( http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Handbook-Ralph-Denyer/dp/0679742751 ). It has everything you need to know, especially if you come from a musical background. It covers everything from the different types of guitars (classical, acoustic, electric, etc) and how they're made, to basic chords, scales, key modulations, how to build your own guitar...it's priceless. It's not style or genre specific, although it does touch on the common elements of various styles--how to play power chords, scales typically used in jazz playing, classical technique, etc. I've had probably 10 copies over the years, and I've always given my copy away to somebody I knew who was just starting...