After years and years of (not) playing drums (and thankfully reaching a somewhat decent level at that), i've decided to take a step further and learn this damn instrument, cause i can't get anyone to record my songs

So i stole my brother's Washburn (it's a MG-120, as far as i know), and took it home with me. I'm buying new strings for it tomorrow and i'll probably start trying to figure out something to do to learn the craft.

A buddy of mine, good guitarist, recommended me to just get a few easy songs and go along trying to play them, then after i managed to learn some, i should start doing real formal exercises.

So, i'd like to know, what are your tips for my new journey? Anything goes, from songs i could try to play to nice newbie tips.

cheers!

Something I've seen is that a lot of people claim "YOU NEED TO KNOW EVERY SCALE AND PROGRESSION IN EXISTENCE!!" I've been playing for 6 years and only took the time to learn two scales, and it's never affected my playing substantially. Whereas it's helpful to know some scales here and there, they aren't critical to playing guitar and it busts my nut seeing so many guitar "enthusiasts" claim that. Don't make playing guitar work or something out to impress anyone else. You'll progress faster and adapt into your own playing style much easier if you're playing to make music and something you're into yourself. It's all about you and your emotions when it comes to music.

A)Go at your own pace
B)Play how you want to play, not how other people think you should play.

Probably the two biggest parts.

and...C)Get at least a basic concept of theory-pentatonic scales, major scale, fretboard notes, basic chord formations.

[djskrimp]

Yeah, I have some advice for you:

1) Your hands and fingers won't be used to it at first. Don't get frustrated. The beginning is going to be comprised just as much learning the music as it is having your fingers develop muscle memory and your tips to develop callouses. Don't let that frustrate you.
2) Build up to speed, ALWAYS. Do EVERYTHING super slow and be deliberate. Only increase speed when the exercise you are doing at a slower speed is done in tempo and played cleanly. Seriously.

Try Guitar Hero first

Just get lessons from a professional musician and save yourself the trouble.

Something I've seen is that a lot of people claim "YOU NEED TO KNOW EVERY SCALE AND PROGRESSION IN EXISTENCE!!" I've been playing for 6 years and only took the time to learn two scales, and it's never affected my playing substantially. Whereas it's helpful to know some scales here and there, they aren't critical to playing guitar and it busts my nut seeing so many guitar "enthusiasts" claim that. Don't make playing guitar work or something out to impress anyone else. You'll progress faster and adapt into your own playing style much easier if you're playing to make music and something you're into yourself. It's all about you and your emotions when it comes to music.

AMEN!!

I've been playing 5 years now. I don't know one scale, and I know bugger all about progressions or inverted chords or any theory whatsoever. I just learned to play guitar how I want. And I couldn't be happier. I have this idea about getting lessons.

If you take lessons from a trained teacher, then you learn their style.
If you teach yourself, you develop your own.

[djskrimp]

Something I've seen is that a lot of people claim "YOU NEED TO KNOW EVERY SCALE AND PROGRESSION IN EXISTENCE!!" I've been playing for 6 years and only took the time to learn two scales, and it's never affected my playing substantially. Whereas it's helpful to know some scales here and there, they aren't critical to playing guitar and it busts my nut seeing so many guitar "enthusiasts" claim that. Don't make playing guitar work or something out to impress anyone else. You'll progress faster and adapt into your own playing style much easier if you're playing to make music and something you're into yourself. It's all about you and your emotions when it comes to music.

AMEN!!

I've been playing 5 years now. I don't know one scale, and I know bugger all about progressions or inverted chords or any theory whatsoever. I just learned to play guitar how I want. And I couldn't be happier. I have this idea about getting lessons.

If you take lessons from a trained teacher, then you learn their style.
If you teach yourself, you develop your own.

I'd agree, except one thing:

Teachers taught you how to write the alphabet and how to write cursive and print. The way you write now is your own style, but the basics were taught to you by someone else. It's good to have a foundation based upon known and proven methods and practices, and it cuts the learning process time down a lot.


Just my two cents.

I know enough theory to get a little through a college course (I'm in high school), and I'm a terrible guitarist. While theory does greatly open your eyes to music and I strongly advise learning it, it really comes down to how you are as a guitarist.

Just remember to have fun above all.

It's gonna fucking suck at first, but once you get past that horrible beginning stage, it quickly becomes a blast.

Oh, the songs most people start off with are things like:

Metallica - Enter Sandman
Metallica - Master Of Puppets
Megadeth - Peace Sells
The Beatles - Helter Skelter
Iced Earth - The Dark Saga
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water

Really, though, you should just pick out your favorite bands and ask around what would be easiest to learn by them.

You might even try Vampira out. The stretches will probably give you trouble, though.

Buy a second guitar, tune it the "Devin" way (CGCGCE) and practice with both regularly.

Learn how the guitar works theory wise. Learn these great things called intervals.

Haw! Thank all of you guys for the time to suggest stuff

My development´s been as slow as it could be, and the other day i remembered one of the things that always drove me off the path of learning the guitar: the pain i get when i hold down chords
So, so far i still haven´t got the time to figure out a nice plan of studies, but all of the hints were pretty helpful

My current pride comes from managing to ALMOST play the intro solo for Iron Maiden´s Wasting Love. Hell, at least i got it by ear in under 2 minutes

anyhooo, keep em coming!

Congrats and good luck! I begged by parents for a guitar for years, finally got one for my 15th birthday, and I still can't play it! I have sissy fingers.

No pressure tho, Yanko, but your avatar is watching.










his ears are bleeding too, but that can't be helped

[Blazingmonga]

Hey Yanko, good luck on this mighty quest you have undertaken!

I bought a second hand guitar not so long ago and I have also been trying to learn some things. I am kind of heading in a 'lets make lots of strange noises' sort of direction though, so I don't really have to worry about these things called 'songs'.

So it is in open C and I have been drawing on it. Yaaay!