Learning to play the Guitar

Soldato
Joined
4 Aug 2003
Posts
5,852
Location
Warrington
Right peeps, as above!

I already have a nice acoustic, and just ordered a cheapy electric,
so now its time for me to actually learn how to use them!

Are there any good sites with Tutorials on etc?

Thinking of also booking a few lessons, how much would
i be looking at paying per hour etc?

Any help would be great pleaseeeeeeee

Cheers

Andy
 
Soldato
Joined
4 Sep 2005
Posts
11,453
Location
Bristol
Lesson price wise, I got very good lessons from a very good tutor by the name of Mick Moffat. That was £13 for 20minutes through school. That is an amazingly high price. Even though he was a quality tutor that was far too much. I've seen other teachers whom are as good doing an hour for £15-£20.
 

Sol

Sol

Associate
Joined
10 Apr 2006
Posts
480
Location
Aberdeen
www.guitarnoise.com

Nice site, nice forums.

For my first guitar teacher it was £15 for 30 mins which is pretty rubbish. Second one was £19 for an hour which is more reasonable. I didn't really get a good one though, just ended up going through songs and working out tabs = not useful. I would self teach until you have got the basic chords down and then maybe try a few different teachers out to see how you get on, if you don't progress the way you want then either get another teacher or self teach.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
5,661
Location
Ledbury
All i do is 'attempt' to play songs i like :) Guitar Pro is a very usefull program for learning.

However, i have been 'trying' to play for ages now, and can't really play that much! Just attempting Incubus - Drive, at the moment.
 

Sol

Sol

Associate
Joined
10 Apr 2006
Posts
480
Location
Aberdeen
You need to focus on one song that is within (our just outside) your range at a time. I'm gonna learn Feel like Makin Love by Bad Company next :D. Pretty easy song but not for an absolute beginner.

That guitarnoise is good for songs that are easy to learn and the songs are quite fun to play. The version of Hurt and Losing my Religion are both particularly good.

AXE if your just starting out the best piece of advice I can give you is to work on everything very slowly, if you can't play something slowly you'll never play it fast. Also for chord switching try and put all your fingers down at the same time and memorise the shape (with your fingers) of the chord. Also break things down into chunks, like 4 notes at a time or 4 chords at a time, a strumming pattern etc.

I'm trying to teach my girlfriend the basics and she just wants to fly through everything 100 mph.
 
Associate
Joined
11 Dec 2004
Posts
1,979
Sol said:
I'm trying to teach my girlfriend the basics and she just wants to fly through everything 100 mph.


That's what I was like when I started playing electric, and I ended up with tendonitis. Don't do it. :(
 

4T5

4T5

Man of Honour
Joined
30 Aug 2004
Posts
27,739
Location
Middle of England
Learn power chords and get some overdrive.
Then find someone to teach you but not one of these school teacher types or classical bods.
Choose six songs that you already know back to front and get the tab for them.
Basically i have my own ideas on how to play a guitar and it is not with progressional predicatable crap that is taught by most teachers.
Playing a guitar is about throwing the books telly and everything out the window then cranking it up till the windows shake. Anyone moans at you Twack them with the guitar. Job Done. :p

When you get it right the vibrations will resonate through the back of the guitar through your hip bones and then throughout your body.
You do not need a teacher to tell you when this is happening you will feel it in your bones. :cool:
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
5,661
Location
Ledbury
Try to learn whole songs too :D So far i can play lots of recognisable parts from songs, but not the whole thing! Which is actually very annoying :(
 
Associate
Joined
25 Feb 2004
Posts
2,169
Location
Leatherhead
Definately get lessons, it helped me out no end although i overtook my teacher quite quickly lol. Make sure the teacher can:

1) Actually play the guitar
2) Actually can teach
3) Plays what you like

I know it sounds silly, but i do know some people who teach on the side and are either a bit rubbish or cant teach lol. Other than that its really just a case of practicing. Dont bother trying to get into a practice routine because you will inevitably get bored of it and feel bad when you dont stick to it. Simularly, you will go through periods where picking it up seems like a chore and you dont seem to be getting anywhere. Dont worry though because you will pick it up again. Most of all, stick at it :)
 
Associate
Joined
11 Dec 2004
Posts
1,979
http://www.registryofguitartutors.co.uk/


Apparently an excellent resource for finding teachers who can actually teach. I looked at it the other week and found a teacher who teaches all types of guitar to advanced levels, lives just along the road from me, and is a big Steve Vai fan as well. I wish I could afford lessons just to go and have a shot of his JEMs and Legacy amps. :D
 
Soldato
Joined
8 Feb 2004
Posts
5,211
Location
Dartford, Kent
Andelusion said:
Yeah, don't do what '****' did.

:D Sorry tTz.

bwahahahah!


take it slow, but make it complicated ;) thats my advice lol.

ive been attempting to push myself for ages, playing 'easy' stuff will get you used to the guitar and doodling around on it. learning more complex stuff slowly and surely will build skills and technique!


EDEETO!

that RGT website is awesome, i've been looking for something like that for AGES, because i want to get lessons again but have never gotten round to it. thanks tTz, will have to get in contact with some tutors from my area :)
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom