Life changing advise :

1. Learn open acoustic chords - they are the foundation of everything ever.
2. Practise

these are the ONLY 2 tips that will benefit you your entire guitar playing career.

What have you done to start playing? Anything or nothing?

Do you have a guitar? Any books with diagrams and words regarding the instrument? If so - you should read them because chances are the books are very basic, give you all the essentials for playing, and you should go to www.ultimate-guitar.com and learn to read tab. if you live in the UK subscribe to Total Guitar magazine - hands down one of the best places I have spent money in my life. I've been getting into Joe Bonamassa recently, and realised that the last 10 issues of TG have had guest lessons by Bonamassa to teach you his tricks, what helped him become the awesome guitarist he is today etc... so i've lined them all up and am starting from the first issue and moving through them. I figure if i give each magazine a week of practise, i'll nail it. And it's exactly the same with you - give yourself a week playing everyday for atleast 25 minutes - strumming the chords you are trying to learn.

Pentatonic scale is how you play lead xD

Playing guitar is not something you learn in a week or in a month or in a year or even in 10 years. It takes LOTS of time and lots of patience.

Start with the very basics + practice alot + patience.

I started playing about 5 months ago. I want to get good, therefore I practice a lot...normally 3-4 hours a day. You won't feel like you're getting better, but trust me you are. I can play better/know more than a few guys I know that have been playing for over a year. I think I just practice more then them. 10,000 hours is what they say to master an instrument, right? I plan on getting there eventually.

One tip I can give you as a fellow novice guitar player is that if you can't figure something out or play whatever you're trying to play, take a break. Put the guitar down for a few hours or wait until the next day to try again. I've found that sometimes I can't play something just because I'm getting frustrated. If I walk away from the guitar for a while and try to play it again later a lot of times I can play what I couldn't before simply because I'm relaxed.

Another tip I have is don't worry about playing fast when you first start. You're not going to be able to, so don't get frustrated with it. This is especially important when you start learning scales. I think a lot of people try to play the scale as fast as they can because they think it means that they're better, but when it comes time to actually put that scale into use they have no idea how to apply it. Play scales slowly as first. Tune your guitar every time you play. Pluck each string in a chord. Let the notes ring. REALLY listen to them. Learn them.

Like I said, I'm a beginner too so I'm still in the early stages of learning. But I think even the intermediate/expert guitarist on this forum will agree with my advice.

This post was edited by Phisherman on Mar 28 2011 02:52pm

Advice is appreciated, but from what I've heard you never truly master an instrument; there will always be a different series of notes to arrange and learn.

meh. pentatonic scale is how you play lead like every other classic rock guitarist. learn your major scale then learn how to apply modes to different keys. modes seem difficult but they are actually quite simple. just try it.

Way to destroy the joke...

Lots of people have mastered an instrument. It's not impossible, it just takes hard work and practice...

Yeah, it can be done but you gotta be excessive

Super Secret #1:

Drop the tuning on your Low E string from an "E" to a "D" Bar the bottom three string for insta rock chords.