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Oct 11 2009 09:27am
Do i really need lessons? i tried learning b4 and i got a couple of beginners books so is having a professional teach me really that important?\

Whats the best way to learn? should i start with learning some chords or just jump into googling some guitar tabs and learn a song or two

Also i seem to have trouble moving from 1 chord to another quickly is that something that u just got practice to get good at or is it like a skill that u either have or u dont


ty
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Oct 11 2009 10:05am
If you want to see yourself getting better within a short time frame, I suggest buying Guitar For Dummies off of amazon. Its not expensive, and has helped my girlfriend grasp chords and changes and strumming patterns in matter of days.

But, remember that it takes practise. I recommend chords before songs. Chords are so important, I am always surprised by the amounts of guitarists who think they are a waste of time.
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Oct 11 2009 10:29am
Quote (Mastersam93 @ Sun, Oct 11 2009, 11:27am)
Do i really need lessons?  i tried learning b4 and i got a couple of beginners books so is having a professional teach me really that important?\

Whats the best way to learn? should i start with learning some chords or just jump into googling some guitar tabs and learn a song or two

Also i seem to have trouble moving from 1 chord to another quickly is that something that u just got practice to get good at or is it like a skill that u either have or u dont


ty


Yes I definitely recommend u practice chords at first. Just practice and practice until you feel comfortable remembering the chords and switching fast. At first you will not be able to switch fast, we all start out that way, but you get faster, it just takes A LOT of constant practice. After you work on chords, and strumming for awhile, you can start arpeggiating the chords, which is basically playing the strings in the chord one at a time. The notes you pluck when arpeggiating chords are all in the chord and they will always sound nice. This way, you can build up speed with your picking hand and it is sure to sound good. Once you are comfortable with forming chords with your left hand, and then become comfortable and a little faster with right hand picking and strumming, then you can move on to improving your left hand dexterity and speed, which is the hardest to do (in my opinion). Because I think it's the hardest, thats why I recommend doing it in this order. You can focus on one technique at a time, and you won't become overwhelmed trying to master everything at once. I'm not saying this will work for everyone, maybe you'll find something else that will accelerate your playing better, but it's what worked for me, and I'm sure it can be beneficial =)
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Oct 11 2009 03:10pm
Quote (bob(Cs2) @ Sun, Oct 11 2009, 04:05pm)
I recommend chords before songs. Chords are so important, I am always surprised by the amounts of guitarists who think they are a waste of time.


ya i always hate it when people can play a cpl songs but dont know ne chords and think they can play the guitar


Quote (PSPZorZ @ Sun, Oct 11 2009, 04:29pm)
At first you will not be able to switch fast, we all start out that way


good, im glad i dont just have retarted fingers

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Oct 11 2009 04:05pm
Practice a LOT on your picking hand.

Lots of people think that the left hand is what you should focus on the most, but your right hand does SO much more than fret notes.

remember your picking hand is what makes the music, the sound, all the dynamics are controlled by your picking.

strumming
alternate picking
economy picking
pick scrapes
rakes
artificial harmonics
tremolo picking
sweeping
tapping

these are all right hand techniques that basically make or break a good guitarists, regardless of how adept your fretting hand is
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Oct 12 2009 11:00am
Honestly, I don't think there is anything you can't learn on your own in guitar. However, without my instructor, I wouldn't have known what to learn first and stuff. Maybe the right amount of using the internet can introduce you to new stuff to learn. Really, though. Learn your chords. When you get into stuff like the circle of fifths, it will all make sense to you and you won't feel like it's a waste of time.

Another thing, lessons can help you correct bad habits. But sometimes it could be small, like the way you hold the guitar or something, so maybe putting up a video and asking for feedback is enough to correct that. Learn a few songs with tabs and stuff, so you learn about different techniques involved in guitar playing.
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Oct 12 2009 11:13am
Quote (AlbinoBlackMan @ Sun, Oct 11 2009, 06:05pm)
Practice a LOT on your picking hand.

Lots of people think that the left hand is what you should focus on the most, but your right hand does SO much more than fret notes.

remember your picking hand is what makes the music, the sound, all the dynamics are controlled by your picking.

strumming
alternate picking
economy picking
pick scrapes
rakes
artificial harmonics
tremolo picking
sweeping
tapping

these are all right hand techniques that basically make or break a good guitarists, regardless of how adept your fretting hand is


Are you serious? Have you never heard of vibrato, sliding, pull-off/hammer-on, bending, etc?

Now assuming he's playing the guitar whatever-handed he is (right- or left-handed), he will be more dexterous and naturally more inclined to use his picking hand.
His fretting hand will be the least agile and will need quite a bit of work.
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Oct 12 2009 03:26pm
dont worry i dont plan on getting into all that for a while
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Oct 12 2009 10:16pm
Quote (Mastersam93 @ Mon, Oct 12 2009, 05:26pm)
dont worry i dont plan on getting into all that for a while


Yeah, I wasn't specifically talking to you really... I understand that all of these terms are the last thing on your mind right now. But in the end, you WILL use these techniques =) Good luck learning guitar, glad to have another player on here =)
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Oct 13 2009 04:02am
Quote (Mastersam93 @ Sun, Oct 11 2009, 03:27pm)
Do i really need lessons? i tried learning b4 and i got a couple of beginners books so is having a professional teach me really that important?\

Whats the best way to learn? should i start with learning some chords or just jump into googling some guitar tabs and learn a song or two

Also i seem to have trouble moving from 1 chord to another quickly is that something that u just got practice to get good at or is it like a skill that u either have or u dont


ty


hey man, ive been playing for 1 and 3/4 years now. Im self taught and i am better than most people i know that have been playing for 5+ years..
Its all gotta do with practice, look for songs you want to play, work on technique and most importantly enjoy what your doing.
I usually end up playing 2-5 hours a day... (time flys)

and to the other guy, i dont beleive that chords are that important
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