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Going to try to start learning acousic...


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Alright so, I'm gonna be that guy and start learning some acoustic guitar. A couple of my friends play, and it's cool to sing along when they do at parties, but it'd be nice to join in as well.

I literally know nothing about reading music, chords, tabs, etc. Anything.

So, for those that actually know about this stuff, where should I start? Any absolute BEGINNER videos you could recommend on YouTube, or even any songs? Literally every video I try to find for a "Beginner Song" starts off with "Okay, so in this we're gonna use a G chord and a D chord", or something along those lines, and I'm like - "K". Even the ones with the pictures to show you finger placement, I still am like "Wat".

So pls, halp.

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First thing you need to do is memorize the damn chords and frets and where they are on the guitar. eadgbe. recite it.

guitar-fretboard-open-strings.jpg

Practice some basic power chords and riffs, can't go wrong starting off with some Nirvana songs. Get good with multiple riffs then practice on trying to complete an entire song. Repetition is the key.

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Okay - crash course in tablature. When you read it, imagine you're looking at the neck of the guitar from above it; the top line will be your high E string, and the bottom line will be your low E string. The numbers on the lines represent what fret you should have that string pressed down on. So for example, your open E chord would look like this:

e ---0---

b ---0---

g ---1---

d ---2---

a ---2---

e ---0---

On the guitar, that looks like this:

670px-Play-an-E-Major-Chord-on-a-Guitar-

There's open chords and barre chords. A barre chord is essentially an open E that moves up the fretboard. So a barre F would look like:

e ---1---

b ---1---

g ---2---

d ---3---

a ---3---

e ---1---

Open chords are usually just a different way of fingering the same chord, or it's a different voicing (Meaning you still have all the same notes but they may be in a different octave or different notes may be doubled). So a G barre chord looks like:

e ---3---

b ---3---

g ---4---

d ---5---

a ---5---

e ---3---

But an open G chord is:

e ---3---

b ---3---

g ---0---

d ---0---

a --(2)--

e ---3---

(I put the second fret A string in parenthesis because technically the note, B, is in a G major chord. Most people don't add this B to their open G chords and instead mute the A string - I've always thrown this extra note in my open G chords because I think it just sounds a tad fuller)

How much do you know about music theory? I'm not talking super complex, but note names, scales, what group of notes make up what chord, different quality of chords, etc.

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Learn as many chords as you can. Chords are like a vocabulary, the more you know, the better you can express yourself. Just keep it simple to start with - this chart (http://www.legacymusic.com.au/chords/_i/legacy-chord_chart.jpg) will get you through most big hits, stuff like Wonderwall, Time of Your Life, etc. The numbers on that chart represent what finger you should use, 1 being your pointer, 2 being your middle finger, 3 being your ring, and 4 being your pinky. Just put each finger on the string and fret it shows and you're golden. You don't have to stick hard and fast to those fingerings if you find a way to play them more comfortably, though. If you're just playing for fun at parties and stuff, you don't have to concern yourself with theory unless you want to; you can play without it.

A few side notes too, putting your thumb over the fretboard to mute the top string is a pretty bad habit to get into, and one a lot of beginners wind up doing. And your fingers are going to hurt like a bitch for a while, especially since you're starting on an acoustic, but soon enough you'll get callouses and it'll be much less painful. Make sure you're fretting directly with your fingertip, too (and as close to the next fret as possible, without touching it) - using the side or the pad makes for sloppy playing.

All in all, just have fun with it. There's no secret society that'll judge you for playing something a different way than someone else, just make sure it's comfortable FOR YOU and that you're enjoying yourself.

/end ramble

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Learn open chords. A, B, C, D, E, F, G.

Then, once you've learned those, you should grasp the concept of a bar chord pretty easily.

If you JUST wanna be the douchebag at a party playing guitar (we've all done it) that is basically all you need.

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Learn open chords. A, B, C, D, E, F, G.

Then, once you've learned those, you should grasp the concept of a bar chord pretty easily.

If you JUST wanna be the douchebag at a party playing guitar (we've all done it) that is basically all you need.

Say you could do all that, but not a whole lot else... what advice would you give someone looking to move past that point?

I can basically strum chords, play and sing a few easy songs, fingerpick bits and pieces but not much else. I can't use a pick particularly well and I only own an acoustic. I can move my fingers fast enough to play shit like the SCOM intro without too much trouble.

My background is basically... I've owned a guitar since high school, spent an hour with a friend who taught me all the stuff in your post, then never really bothered to develop past that, I just pick it up and mess around trying to figure songs out on my own. I play once every few weeks but I'd like to actually start improving.

Singing was always more important to me, but now I'd like to be able to record stuff to sing along to so I need to improve my guitar playing.

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Cool site, has everything you'll ever need if you're just getting started. (advanced lessons too)

http://www.justinguitar.com/

Another one is a youtube channel and what I like about it is how easy it is to understand everything and actually follow what the guy is playing:

http://www.youtube.com/user/martyzsongs/videos?sort=dd&shelf_id=1&view=0

Also, you should know that acoustic guitars hurt the most for begginers. Your fingers are going to get fucked. Just accept it.

Easier to start with a classical or electric guitar, but the advantage of starting with an acoustic guitar is that once the pain goes away, your fingers will be strong as fuck. Still, I think it's not ideal, but there is no right or wrong here. Hope that helps, and good luck! :)

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Guest Len B'stard

What kinda kumbaya fuckin' parties do you guys go to where people pull out fuckin' accoustic guitars and start having a fuckin' sing-a-long? :lol:

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Sorry, I'm not interested in helping you be a hooray for tolerance!

So you don't think I'm a hooray for tolerance! right now :heart:

What kinda kumbaya fuckin' parties do you guys go to where people pull out fuckin' accoustic guitars and start having a fuckin' sing-a-long? :lol:

You act like it's ridiculous. There are plenty of parties we're at where we just get shitfaced, but sometimes it's cool to just sit back with some friends, drink beer, and play and sing along to some songs. :shrugs:

Also, thanks to those who have posted some nice input so far. Will definitely try to check some of it out, including the links, whenever I get a chance this weekend. Appreciate it. :)

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Everyone who has posted advice is wrong. Here are some starter chords (tab format):

E----0------------3---------------------12------5-----------------------

G----0------------3----------8---------12------5-----------------------

B----8------------0----------7---------9--------0----------5-------------

D----6------------5----------6---------9--------4----------7-------------

A----4------------5----------7---------7--------5----------8-------------

E-----------------------------0-------------------------------5-------------

Once you've got those mastered (should only take a few seconds really), try some of these lead licks at 190 or so bpm (beats per minute):

--15--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--15--20p15----------18p15------------20p15----------18p15--------------20p15----------18p15------------20p15----------18p15-------------15-16-15-------------------------

--15-----------18p15----------18p15--------------18p15----------18p15-----------18p15--------------18p15----------18p15-------------17-18-------------18-17-15------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17v------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---3p0-------------------3p0------3p0--------3p0-------------------3p0------3p0---------3p0---------------------3p0------3p0---------3p0-------------------3p0------3p0-----------

---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0-----

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't use a click track, they'll only make your rhythm worse.

Edited by OmarBradley
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Everyone who has posted advice is wrong. Here are some starter chords (tab format):

E----0------------3---------------------12------5-----------------------

G----0------------3----------8---------12------5-----------------------

B----8------------0----------7---------9--------0----------5-------------

D----6------------5----------6---------9--------4----------7-------------

A----4------------5----------7---------7--------5----------8-------------

E-----------------------------0-------------------------------5-------------

Once you've got those mastered (should only take a few seconds really), try some of these lead licks at 190 or so bpm (beats per minute):

--15--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--15--20p15----------18p15------------20p15----------18p15--------------20p15----------18p15------------20p15----------18p15-------------15-16-15-------------------------

--15-----------18p15----------18p15--------------18p15----------18p15-----------18p15--------------18p15----------18p15-------------17-18-------------18-17-15------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17v------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---3p0-------------------3p0------3p0--------3p0-------------------3p0------3p0---------3p0---------------------3p0------3p0---------3p0-------------------3p0------3p0-----------

---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0-----

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't use a click track, they'll only make your rhythm worse.

I've been stringing my guitar wrong all these years?!? :huh::lol:

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Everyone who has posted advice is wrong. Here are some starter chords (tab format):

E----0------------3---------------------12------5-----------------------

G----0------------3----------8---------12------5-----------------------

B----8------------0----------7---------9--------0----------5-------------

D----6------------5----------6---------9--------4----------7-------------

A----4------------5----------7---------7--------5----------8-------------

E-----------------------------0-------------------------------5-------------

Once you've got those mastered (should only take a few seconds really), try some of these lead licks at 190 or so bpm (beats per minute):

--15--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--15--20p15----------18p15------------20p15----------18p15--------------20p15----------18p15------------20p15----------18p15-------------15-16-15-------------------------

--15-----------18p15----------18p15--------------18p15----------18p15-----------18p15--------------18p15----------18p15-------------17-18-------------18-17-15------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17v------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---3p0-------------------3p0------3p0--------3p0-------------------3p0------3p0---------3p0---------------------3p0------3p0---------3p0-------------------3p0------3p0-----------

---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0-----

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't use a click track, they'll only make your rhythm worse.

I've been stringing my guitar wrong all these years?!? :huh::lol:

LOL, and here I go trolling trying to be all funny, and I fuck up something genuinely basic.

EDIT: I mean, yeah man, it's like an alternate tuning, only true pro's know about it.

Edited by OmarBradley
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Everyone who has posted advice is wrong. Here are some starter chords (tab format):

E----0------------3---------------------12------5-----------------------

G----0------------3----------8---------12------5-----------------------

B----8------------0----------7---------9--------0----------5-------------

D----6------------5----------6---------9--------4----------7-------------

A----4------------5----------7---------7--------5----------8-------------

E-----------------------------0-------------------------------5-------------

Once you've got those mastered (should only take a few seconds really), try some of these lead licks at 190 or so bpm (beats per minute):

--15--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--15--20p15----------18p15------------20p15----------18p15--------------20p15----------18p15------------20p15----------18p15-------------15-16-15-------------------------

--15-----------18p15----------18p15--------------18p15----------18p15-----------18p15--------------18p15----------18p15-------------17-18-------------18-17-15------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17v------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---3p0-------------------3p0------3p0--------3p0-------------------3p0------3p0---------3p0---------------------3p0------3p0---------3p0-------------------3p0------3p0-----------

---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0---------5p0-3p0-5p0-------5p0------5p0-----

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't use a click track, they'll only make your rhythm worse.

I've been stringing my guitar wrong all these years?!? :huh::lol:

LOL, and here I go trolling trying to be all funny, and I fuck up something genuinely basic.

EDIT: I mean, yeah man, it's like an alternate tuning, only true pro's know about it.

How did you fuck it up that bad?

Learn open chords. A, B, C, D, E, F, G.

Then, once you've learned those, you should grasp the concept of a bar chord pretty easily.

If you JUST wanna be the douchebag at a party playing guitar (we've all done it) that is basically all you need.

Say you could do all that, but not a whole lot else... what advice would you give someone looking to move past that point?

I can basically strum chords, play and sing a few easy songs, fingerpick bits and pieces but not much else. I can't use a pick particularly well and I only own an acoustic. I can move my fingers fast enough to play shit like the SCOM intro without too much trouble.

My background is basically... I've owned a guitar since high school, spent an hour with a friend who taught me all the stuff in your post, then never really bothered to develop past that, I just pick it up and mess around trying to figure songs out on my own. I play once every few weeks but I'd like to actually start improving.

Singing was always more important to me, but now I'd like to be able to record stuff to sing along to so I need to improve my guitar playing.

String skipping is the key to picking strength and accuracy. There should be some lessons out there for string skipping licks. I started learning Metallica solos to start, Fade to Black is a great one to learn on because of the scale.

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Fuck man just learn Smoke On The Water like everybody else and go from there :D JK, but don't obsess with music theory and bullshit. Learn chords, strings, reading tabs and thats enough. Don't learn scales, that will make your solos sound boring and unoriginal. Realize it took me about 3-4 months to learn my first two songs and in the next 3-4 months I learned dozens of songs. Its gonna go faster and faster as time moves on. Also look up Marty Schwartz on youtube, he shows slowly and explains everything and has tutorials on many songs. And dont obsess with the internet, remember that all the greatest guitarists developed their style because they were fucking around in their basements. Good luck

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A trick to remember strings:

Eddie

Ate

Dynamite

Good

Bye

Eddie

Do yourself a favor and memorize the chromatic scale, it amazes me how many people don't know this, yet they "play" music. It's only 12 notes, but it's the foundation that all western music is built upon:

A, A#/Bb, B, C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb ,G, G#/Ab

Learn all the open chords first:

A, Am, B, Bm, C, Cm, D, Dm, E, Em, F, Fm, G, Gm

Then learn all the Barre chords

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fuck man just learn Smoke On The Water like everybody else and go from there :D JK, but don't obsess with music theory and bullshit. Learn chords, strings, reading tabs and thats enough. Don't learn scales, that will make your solos sound boring and unoriginal. Realize it took me about 3-4 months to learn my first two songs and in the next 3-4 months I learned dozens of songs. Its gonna go faster and faster as time moves on. Also look up Marty Schwartz on youtube, he shows slowly and explains everything and has tutorials on many songs. And dont obsess with the internet, remember that all the greatest guitarists developed their style because they were fucking around in their basements. Good luck

Yeah - fuck the scales, random notes sound so much better.

/sarcasm

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  • 2 weeks later...

Don't teach him to play an acoustic as if it was an electric. Here's some nice plucking thinghy that will makes GN'R fan them panties wet:


e-|------------0--0~-----------|-
b-|-1--1--1--3------------0h1--|-
g-|------------------2-2~------|-
d-|----------------------------|-
a-|-0--0-----------------------|-
e-|-------3--3----1--1-1~------|-

e-|------------0--0~-3---------|-
b-|-1--1--1--3---------1--3p0--|-
g-|----------------------------|-
d-|----------------------------|-
a-|-0--0-----------------------|-
e-|-------3--3----1--1-1~------|-

e-|------------0--0~----------------------------------|-
b-|-1--1--1--3------------0h1--1--0-0--3--0-------0h1-|-
g-|------------------2-2~--------------------2-2~-----|-
d-|---------------------------------------------------|-
a-|-0--0----------------------------------------------|-
e-|-------3--3----1--1-1~------3--3-3--3--1--1-1------|-




Then go more advanced with stuff like this:

Edited by SoulMonster
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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm going to teach myself this summer too. My daughter has played for a few years but she's 12 and way too cool to teach her mom to play. LoL I know how to read tab so I figure that is one step in the right direction. I tried to learn years ago but my boyfriend at the time was an impatient death metal shredder so....yeah. I think this will be my new summer project.

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