2 Questions

Hi Anna - I think the first thing you have to do is get some medical attention for old Salvador. The tuning peg can be replaced, but go to a guitar shop for advice. If a guitar is in very poor condition it can make learning virtually impossible and very unenjoyable. Make sure your guitar is good enough to learn on.
It may be that you can't hold two strings down because the guitar needs some adjustment.

+1 to what Fretsource said. A good guitar makes learning a whole lot easier and fun, but that doesnt mean go out and spend 2 grand right this second. It sounds like you need some new machine heads. Hopefully that will be the only mod you'll have to make for now.

As for playing two strings at once, i think you mean two consecutive strings? like the 5th and the 4th? if your playing a power chord like 799xxx, you can use your 3rd and 4th finger to hold the 5 and 4 strings or you might find it easier to double barre the two strings with your 3rd finger (that's what I do).

Another interpretation of your question is that you're tring to play two strings and inadvertantly hitting another one. If this is the case, you just need to work on your pick control and strumming techniques etc. I'm 4.5 months in and I still hit wrong strings.

When it comes down to it, there is usually no easy solution to a playing problem, nothing LOTS of practice can't fix though ;)

Hi Anna

Are you talking about picking two strings at once or fretting them? Many beginners have initial problems fretting more than one string at the start because they are still getting used to properly fretting notes. You want to make certain that you're using just the tips of your fingers on the frets and that your fingers are arched upwards, away from the fingerboard. If you flatten your fingers out a bit, you're bound to get one note but deaden another. You might inadvertently deaden strings you're not fretting as well.

Welcome to Guitar Noise and we're looking forward to seeing you on the boards.

Peace

Thanks for your suggestions.

I also have a problem playing the wrong string every once and a while, but that's normally when I've got my mind on something else. So when I focus, I'm good.

I used to have a problem of having my finger on two strings, but it was mostly my finger nail getting in the way (they can grow REALLY long) so I clipped them, and all was well. Almost.

I think I do need to go to a music store and replace the machine heads and get a pitch pipe of some sort.

Buy a chromatic tuner and perhaps a metronome with a steady tone. In my experience, pitch pipes are practically useless.

Or at least have the pitchpipe tested at the music store. No fooling! One of the people at one of our local stores discovered that the latest supply of pitchpipes (which had just arrived) were all off key. They had to send them all back.

I know that sometimes tuners can seem pricey, especially when you're just starting out, but twenty dollars spent on a chromatic tuner will last quite a long time. I know someone who's still got the one she bought twenty-five years ago.

Peace

Anna said
" also have a problem playing the wrong string every once and a while, but that's normally when I've got my mind on something else. So when I focus, I'm good"

Welcome to the club Anna I do this all the time , What I play and what I think I am playing are ususally 2 totally different things .

Hope ths link can help you

http://www.grouptherapy.guernsey.net/

Check out the intellitouch tuners, they clip on to the neck and detect the vibration. I have one and it works very well and it didn't break the bank.