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Best way to learn guitar? (1 Viewer)

KarmaPolice

Footballguy
My lovely wife was nice enough to surprise me with a starter electric guitar/amp this morning for Christmas. Just figured I would ask in here about the best way to go about learning how to play this thing. I used to play percussion back in the day, but have no other music instrument experience (even then I couldn't read music for ####, it was mostly mimic and repetition). Where would you suggest starting - music lessons (I would assume would add up $$-wise), youtube/internet, rocksmith game, etc, etc.. ?

 
Cool gift. You don't have to spend any money to learn how to play. Youtube will have just about any lesson you would need to get started. Learn a few open chords and how to play a few songs you like. As you go forward if you realize you'd like to learn more (e.g. music theory, notes on the neck and how they form chords in different parts of the neck)... there are youtube vids for that too. Play around with it and see where it takes you over time. You may find you want to learn more and get better. I learned mostly from youtube. Never had a personal lesson, playing for 6 years now. And I learned to read music over that time, which opens up more opportunities to enjoy such a great instrument.

Hope you enjoy the gift.

 
I would take a handful of lessons to get started on the right foot with good habits. But I'm old school.

Edit: Cool wife!

 
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Start basic, learning the "classic" open position major chords; you'll be surprised how many songs you recognize that are built around them. Use YouTube for some beginner's tips. Work on left-hand fingering first (assuming you're right-handed; if not, reverse) and don't try to do anything complicated with the right hand as far as strumming patterns just yet. Later, the key to playing single lines (individual notes rather than chords) with any sort of speed is alternate picking.

 
What style of music are you most interested in playing? Folk, blues, metal, etc?

 
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I'm not an expert but I picked it up about two years ago and just try to learn songs on YouTube. The big thing is to practice pretty much every day. I try to record myself playing a new song every month or so and post it so my iFriends can see. Provides some motivation and it's a good way to watch your progress. Those early videos were just brutal.

 
I would take a handful of lessons to get started on the right foot with good habits. But I'm old school.

Edit: Cool wife!
Not opposed to this in theory, but the more I think about it the harder this option is. We have a 9 month old and don't currently do daycare. Either I am at work or with the kid(s). I can look around and see if maybe something can be done e/o Sunday

 
What style of music are you most interested in playing? Folk, blues, metal, etc?
I listen to damn near everything but country. Not sure what to start out with, just figured i would putz around and something would grab me.
You going to sing too or just play guitar?
No interest at all in singing.
Me either. Start by learning th E, A, and B power chords in conjunction with the E pentatonic minor scale at the 0 fret and 12th fret positions.
 
I would take a handful of lessons to get started on the right foot with good habits. But I'm old school.

Edit: Cool wife!
Not opposed to this in theory, but the more I think about it the harder this option is. We have a 9 month old and don't currently do daycare. Either I am at work or with the kid(s). I can look around and see if maybe something can be done e/o Sunday
Well, you asked for the "best" way to learn guitar, and I think that starting with some professional instruction is the way to go. It will start you off with best practices in terms of hand and wrist position, basic chording fundamentals, strumming technique, etc. It doesn't have to be long term though. Just enough to get started with good habits. That said, private instruction is not the only way to learn guitar. If cost or time outside the home is an obstacle, there are tons of resources on line and plenty of people learn that way. It's amazing what is out there now compared to when I first started playing.

 
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I would take a handful of lessons to get started on the right foot with good habits. But I'm old school.

Edit: Cool wife!
Not opposed to this in theory, but the more I think about it the harder this option is. We have a 9 month old and don't currently do daycare. Either I am at work or with the kid(s). I can look around and see if maybe something can be done e/o Sunday
Well, you asked for the "best" way to learn guitar, and I think that starting with some professional instruction is the way to go. It will start you off with best practices in terms of hand and wrist position, basic chording fundamentals, strumming technique, etc. It doesn't have to be long term though. Just enough to get started with good habits. That said, private instruction is not the only way to learn guitar. If cost or time outside the home is an obstacle, there are tons of resources on line and plenty of people learn that way. It's amazing what is out there now compared to when I first started playing.
Yeah, I did want best answers and wasn't thinking when I posted. After I did so, I was thinking it would be tricky getting to a few lessons. I will research that option as well as take suggestions for other options. I think the wife said I could get a couple free lessons from where she bought it somehow.

 
I would take a handful of lessons to get started on the right foot with good habits. But I'm old school.

Edit: Cool wife!
Not opposed to this in theory, but the more I think about it the harder this option is. We have a 9 month old and don't currently do daycare. Either I am at work or with the kid(s). I can look around and see if maybe something can be done e/o Sunday
Well, you asked for the "best" way to learn guitar, and I think that starting with some professional instruction is the way to go. It will start you off with best practices in terms of hand and wrist position, basic chording fundamentals, strumming technique, etc. It doesn't have to be long term though. Just enough to get started with good habits. That said, private instruction is not the only way to learn guitar. If cost or time outside the home is an obstacle, there are tons of resources on line and plenty of people learn that way. It's amazing what is out there now compared to when I first started playing.
Listen to this guy. He knows stuff.

 
justinguitar.com

Best internet guitar resource out there...and it's free. Seriously, amazing site.
I've looked at this site before. It really is awesome.

Congrats on the gift. I bought myself a uke and am going to try learn from books and online videos. Also bought a soprano uke for my kids to play around with.

 
So I will attempt to get a couple lessons to start with. Now, assuming that doesn't work, what would be next best? Is something like Rocksmith better because there might be feedback on missed notes, etc or is that not worth the $50 and just go with youtube/suggested websites?

 
I've never played Rocksmith, so I have no idea whether it is an effective instructional tool. That said, as fatguy mentioned, it's all about practice time. If Rocksmith gets you to play more, then it's probably a good investment.

 
Didn't someone on shark tank have a device for learning to play faster? I wonder if that thing worked?

 
Learn open chords, and play music you like. Go download the chords/TAB to a bunch of radiohead songs, some of them can be played with open chords and are fairly basic and sound great. Once you start to play songs you love in a way that sounds right to you, you'll be hooked.

 
1. The most important I believe you do is to NOT lose interest and keep inertia going at first. Where I'm going with this is for you to get tablature (off net) on the songs YOU would most enjoy learning (starting with the easiest ones obviously).

2. Occasionally take a lesson to make sure you're using the right technique and not continuing bad habits which could make progress tougher down the road.

3. Enjoy / progress / technique check, rinse repeat.

 
Just spent some time on that justinguitar.com website and short of getting lessons, that's as good as you'll probably get. I didn't look at the beginner stuff, but assuming it's at least as concise, deliberate and accurate as the more advanced stuff, you'll be in good hands there.

And I agree with finding a simpler song that you like and just play around with that. Two, three chords max, and just practice going back and forth between the chords. Over and over and over again. It'll help build your confidence that you can learn chords and play changes, and as important, your right hand will slowly but surely gravitate towards tighter rhythm. Though, High and Dry is the only Radiohead I can think of off the top of my head that might fit that description.

It'll seem impossibly difficult at first, but it's not. Just stick with it and practice when you can.

 
If you're not going to sing, or be in a band, I'd focus on fingerstyle acoustic. Like this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AhR04kmcSXU
. Yeah, this falls into my classical music exception to the "you need to sing" rule. If you're able to play complicated melodies on your guitar, no need to sing. But if you're just playing an average rock song and don't sing, it's just gonna be a few chords over and over. I can't imagine how that will be interesting for you or entertaining to anyone else.
 
If you're not going to sing, or be in a band, I'd focus on fingerstyle acoustic. Like this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AhR04kmcSXU
. Yeah, this falls into my classical music exception to the "you need to sing" rule. If you're able to play complicated melodies on your guitar, no need to sing. But if you're just playing an average rock song and don't sing, it's just gonna be a few chords over and over. I can't imagine how that will be interesting for you or entertaining to anyone else.
Exactly. When my band days ended my acoustic fingerstyle days began. Barely touch my Strat anymore. Currently play a beautiful Taylor GS7. Fingerstyle is very challenging, but very rewarding. The first time I heard "Those Who Wait" by Tommy Emmanuel (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jdt4Y2fNXOI)I said to myself, "If I could play acoustic like that I'd give up the electric", and that's pretty much what happened.

Now I'm considering learning to play piano for the same reasons.

 
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