Help the newbie topic

[pancho]

First of all i would like to say hi to everyone on this forum.I bought my guitar----> web page 2 weeks ago.I decided(for now) to try to learn it without a teacher and if i get stuck somewhere i'll find one.I also bought

fender frontman 15r amp and sennheiser headphones.I've downloaded a bunch of tabs,midi's ...I've learned Scar Tissue outro,Ironman theme an some other "licks".My fingers are sore and look like sh1t but thats ok.

I should learn to play the open chords first?

And that Stairway to heaven tab doesnt look easy to me !! web page

I havent started to play the song but i've seen easier tabs and i havent seen many My pinky is weak/unstable and uncoordinated(hope i spelled that right) any exercises you peeps would like to recommend? I'll be back very soon with a load of questions i'm sure.Sorry for my Eng.

[I I mjrn]

Hey, great to hear from you!

 

I'd suggest that, as a new guitarist, you learn more about the basic component parts of music (scales, how chords are built, ear training, etc) rather than just licks, riffs, etc---although you should also put what you learn into immediate use, too.

Knowing how music works & songs are constructed will make it easier for you to learn anything.

Also, don't be "too cool" to learn from simple songs; they can provide you with many lessons!

 

Some time give us the skinny on what it's really like there in your country.

[patrick_dont_fret]

Yeah, what Michael Jackson's real nose said. Learn the important, technical parts of how the guitar works before you get every tab known to man. Learn to read standard notation, too. That'll help in the long run.

 

Welcome to the forums, too. Your english is fine, too. Have fun.

[Emperator]

Definitely the open chords first. Later you'll see that every open chord can actually be a barred chord and moved up the neck. First bar chord everyone usually learns is the the E chord type because it reaches across all 6 strings.

Learn open chords A through G and then the minor forms of them. A lot of songwriter / singer / performers make a living only using them.

Then you want to learn the major scale. Because that is what naming of chords and the tones used in them is based off of.

[pancho]

Originally posted by Michael Jackson's real nose:

Hey, great to hear from you!

 

I'd suggest that, as a new guitarist, you learn more about the basic component parts of music (scales, how chords are built, ear training, etc) rather than just licks, riffs, etc---although you should also put what you learn into immediate use, too.

Knowing how music works & songs are constructed will make it easier for you to learn anything.

Also, don't be "too cool" to learn from simple songs; they can provide you with many lessons!

 

Some time give us the skinny on what it's really like there in your country.

That tab(stairway) looks too hard for me,not too easy and I would be happy to learn it Ok, this week i'll spend more time on theory.Scar Tissue song doesnt look too hard so i'll try to learn it ASAP and the stop with the useless(for now)"licks".But i'm not sure what finger should i use on the B-string.

 

tab

 

About Croatia.Well war ended almost a decade ago so there is no danger and its peaceful like in your back yard.Economy is very weak but in Croatia that is almost a good thing beacuse there is no pollution whatsoever.Our coast is small but extraordinarily beautiful.And the women/girls are amazing.I think we have most models per 1k citizens in the world Anyway things are

getting better and theres a future for this country after all.You have probably heard of Dubrovnik and this city is prolly the next Monte Carlo, but our islands are our "undiscovered pearls".We have some amazing musicians and i'll

give some tabs of them when i can.One guy turns away from the crowd when hes playing cos he does some wild solo hehe That about sums it up

I'll kiss my guitar now and i'm off to bed!

[pancho]

What riffs from Stairway to Heaven,Crazy Train(is this from Ozzy or some other song?),Purple Haze should i learn?My B and G string make some sort of a buzz when pressed around 12th fret,how do i fix that.When playing C chord I always seem to press the e string and it makes me go nuts.How do i avoid that,is it generally good to go as much as possible vertically with my fingers when playing chords,?Can some of u teachers tell me the learning curve of your average student.How much should i practise per day?And now some silly questions.Why r the open chords called open?How did people discover all these chords?How should i hold my guitar so that my wrist gets minimum pressure.Thats all for now,thx for your answers.I'll be back soon

[Tedster]

Learn open chords first. Most, if not all, of your favorite bands use open chords from time to time, and since everyone from Metallica or Linkin Park to Garth Brooks uses 'em, you can't go wrong for versatility.

 

I really recommend not just emphasizing learning chords, but how to CHANGE chords economically (with a minimum amount of finger flapping).

 

First of all, learn to tune your guitar.

 

Then, I recommend a series of open chords beginning with Em (arguably the simplest open chord) and progressing thru

 

Em, Am, C, FMaj7, D7, G

 

Someone a while back suggested playing D instead of FMaj7, but when you look at the difference in finger economics between changing from C to D vs. C to FMaj7, the choice becomes obvious.

 

Besides, for anyone who's into old pop tunes, C to FMaj7 is the acoustic break from Paul McCartney's "Band on the Run".

[michael saulnier]

If you're planning to play rock rhythm parts, it's useful to learn the main "barre" chords.

 

You'll find the shapes "slide" up and down the neck to make different chords, depending on which "root" or "bass" note you're playing.

 

The "E" shape uses the E string as the root note, and the "A" shape uses the A string as the root.

 

They look like this: (with the numbers being what finger you use). "X" means don't play this string.

(1)If you put the "barre" on say "G", you're making a G maj chord.

(2)For "power" chords, root and 5th, the second example is the shape for E string roots.

(3) This is the "A" shape full chord.

(4) This is the A power chord.

 

(1)

--1---

--1---

--12-

--1-4-

--1-3-

--1---

 

(2)

X-----

X-----

X-----

X-----

----3-

--1---

 

(3)

--1---

----3-

----3-

----3-

--1---

X-----

 

(4)

X-----

X-----

X-----

----3-

--1---

X-----

 

Slide these shapes up and down the neck and you're changing chords at will... It means that you should at least learn all the notes on the E and A strings, so you know where to go.

 

Most rock songs with heavy distortion use the "power chord" ones almost exclusively. The reason is that with distortion, the full chords are too harmonic... while the power chords sound "thin" with no distortion.

 

Have fun playing!

 

guitplayer

[gtrmac]

Practice 8 to 12 hours a day. Sounds crazy? Just ask some famous musicians how much they practice and you'll see that many of those that have mastered their instruments practiced every minute of the day. I used to be able to put in 8 to 10 with no sweat but the demands of family and work put an end to that. I still try to do about 2 hours on most days.

 

I recommend playing music as opposed to practicing scales and stuff. The knowledge is important but it must be in context.

[Dave da Dude]

Hey Pancho,

 

Congrats on the new guitar and welcome to the wonderful world of guitar playing.

 

All that stuff everyone said is right. As far as practicing 8 -12 hours a day ... GREAT idea, if you've got the time. Like the quote in a thread here last week; "The difference between an amateur (musician) and a professional is, the amateur practices until he (she) gets it right, a professional practices until he can't get it wrong." A tough criteria, but it's right. Me, I just practice until I get it right, a few times in a row.

 

As far as the weak pinky is concerned, don't feel bac, it's a problem for everyone in the beginning. Try scales and on the 1st (high) 'E' string use your pinky to go up to the fith fret. It's the "right" way, and it will get your pinky some exercise and coordination.

 

Dave

[pancho]

Ok ,I thank u all for your answers.I have some new questions.

1.Should i lift my hand off the strings when changing chords(im guessin no but i dunno )

2.Can some of you teachers tell me the learning curve of your avg student

3.At the 1967 Monterey festival Jimi played 2 guitars.One that he burned and the other b/w Strat.What model was that b/w Strat,and how much does it cost.

4.What's the diff between Hendrix wah and Cry baby wah?Wich one is closer to Hendrix sound?

[pancho]

[Tedster]

Originally posted by pancho:

Ok ,I thank u all for your answers.I have some new questions.

1.Should i lift my hand off the strings when changing chords(im guessin no but i dunno )

2.Can some of you teachers tell me the learning curve of your avg student

3.At the 1967 Monterey festival Jimi played 2 guitars.One that he burned and the other b/w Strat.What model was that b/w Strat,and how much does it cost.

4.What's the diff between Hendrix wah and Cry baby wah?Wich one is closer to Hendrix sound?

Pancho...

 

Try to change chords with the smallest amount of left hand motion possible. Don't play a chord...then lift your hand off the fretboard while looking for the next chord to play. Try to change chords quickly and economically. I recommend you finding a teacher if possible...not necessarily to commit to a long string of lessons, but to correct any bad habits you may be forming.

 

Learning varies widely from student to student. The important thing is not to get frustrated, and have fun. Don't worry about what other students are doing, the only person you're in competition with is yourself.

 

Strat models and prices vary. I know Fender has reissued "Jimi" Strats, I believe...but, you can check on average prices of new Strats (in American Dollars) at www.musiciansfriend.com and a host of other sites.

 

I'll let someone else answer your Wah question.