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Guitar method books - can I play other songs?

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(@tim0chen)
Active Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 3
Topic starter  

So I'm a completely fresh beginner to the world of guitars, and I've decided to teach myself without a teacher. I purchased the Hal Leonard guitar method book as well as 'The Principles for Correct Practice for Guitar,' ready to jam some Beatles, Stairway to Heaven, whatever... only to open the book and find that it wants me to play Yankee Doodle and The Star-Spangled Banner and whatnot for probably the next year.

I'll say it straight up: I have no interest in playing Yankee Doodle. Don't get me wrong, I realize that I have to 'walk before I run,' and I'm willing to spend the majority of my time practicing chords/scales to maximize my improvement. But the whole reason I decided to get into guitar was to play stuff I like (Beatles, Hendrix, Radiohead, etc...). Unfortunately, it seems like the lessons taught in Hal Leonard go hand-in-hand with the lame (IMO :)) songs included, so I don't see how I can follow the lesson plan while playing my own choices of songs instead of the book's.

I want to learn guitar properly, which is why I spent money on instructional books rather than just jumping into tabs like the majority of my friends. Is there a way for me to do so while playing songs that are actually fun?

BTW - I'm well versed in music theory due to experience with the piano... are there any shortcuts I can take when learning the guitar due to this advantage (ie skipping a lot of Hal Leonard lessons and instead working on my technique more)?

Any input is much appreciated - thanks in advance!!


   
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(@greybeard)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5840
 

You can do both. Follow the Hal Leonard book, yes, play Yankee Doodle Dandy, etc.. You'll find that it gives you a good understanding of what the guitar is about. You'll be able to move faster than a raw beginner, because you already have music knowledge.

However, it shouldn't stop you from learning the songs that you want to. There are hundreds of thousands of tabs on the internet, the most accurate are usually associated with one of two computer programs - Powertab and Guitarpro. Powertab is free, Guitarpro costs, but is, in my opinion, the better program.

The advantage of these two is, that you can play the tab on your computer. The MIDI engine on GP is miles ahead of that in PT - you can use the GP MIDI output for mid-quality backing tracks.

I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN


   
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(@kent_eh)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 1882
 

Some random answers. *
They may not be answers to your questions, but they are answers.

Most "learn to play the guitar" books use songs written by the ever popular "Traditional" because those songs are royalty/copyright free (and thus no cost to use).
The songs used are also simplified and transposed to illustrate the point being made. They are good to work thru, at least a few times. You already know the song, so you don't need a teacher to tell you "you must be doin' something wrong 'cause that doesn't sound like Yankee Doodle". You already know what it is supposed to sound like.

Feel free to use any other sheet music you have lying around that illustrates the point.

Have you visited the Easy Song forum here at GuitarNoise?
It will get you going on the songs you want to learn, but it won't do anything for your sightreading (I know you can probably already do that on piano, but reading is only half of sightreading, isn't it. You still gotta find the notes on the instrument.. See Hal Leonard for that)

Also, have you browsed the Guitar Noise lessons? Or the Easy Songs for Beginners lessons?
Plenty of less lame songs there too (including Beatles, Stones, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, and a host of other familiar names. And a good dose of applying theory to the guitar. Most have standard notation as well as tab.

There are also "Play the songs of..." type instruction books out there. Try before you buy at your local public library.

I'm sure there will be more precise, and concise answers coming from the rest of the crowd.

*Questions answered, answers questionable...

I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep


   
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(@blueline)
Noble Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1704
 

Most of the guitar players I know are self taught. They all took different paths along their journey. Its up to you to plot out the course that's right for you. So if you're looking for the definitive step by step guide, you're not going to find one. (for a self taught person) Those taking lessons will most likely have a good teacher that will have worked with the student to help plot out a course that's right for them.

Step 1- "What to I want to learn?" You've already identified the answer to that question. Now its just a matter of figuring out the best way to get you there. The Hal Leonard books are a good first step because they provide you with a good foundation. But let's face it, its more fun learning to play the guitar to songs like Wish You Were Here rather than "On Top of Old Smokey". Learning to play open chords is always a good starting point because it allows you to play along with the songs you love rather quickly. As Kent has already stated, there are plenty of good resources and lessons here on Guitarnoise.

I'm like you. I was not interested in playing the Traditional songs and wanted some instant gratification. While I do not regret learning the way I did, I wish I had learned to read music and understand music theory much earlier. Which simply means that I did not take up playing melodies or solos on the guitar very quickly. That's were the practice books come into play.

I'm sure there's not one person on the site that would discourage you from learning from the book in addition to learning the songs you'd like to play. It will simply make you a better player in the long run. If that Hal Leonard book does not do it for you, I would encourage you to find another one (there are plenty out there) that better suits your needs.

Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.


   
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(@tim0chen)
Active Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 3
Topic starter  

Hey guys,

Thanks for the input so far! I've read all your responses, and you all bring up great points. I didn't know about the lessons on guitarnoise, but they seem like a great resource and I'll definitely use them to my advantage.

I just came across justinguitar.com, and it seems like exactly what I was looking for: a step by step guitar method with pointers on technique that allows me to practice on songs that are fun. A cursory review of the site seems to suggest that it covers the same thing as Hal Leonard but in a more accessible and fun way. What are your thoughts on just using this site and ditching Hal Leonard?


   
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(@davidhodge)
Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

Hi there

Why choose one or the other when you can use both? One thing the Hal Leonard book will teach you is how to read music notation and that's a skill that you can use on any instrument in your future.

When learning, especially learning on your own, you're going to find that the more sources you have, the more you're going to learn. In addition to websites and books and DVDs, there's also going to be learning from playing with others and from listening to music and from going to see concerts and small shows. Do yourself a favor and try to learn something from every available source.

Oh, and the lessons on right here at Guitar Noise are pretty good, even if I do say so myself... :wink:

Welcome to Guitar Noise, by the bye. Looking forward to seeing more of you on the boards.

Peace


   
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(@trguitar)
Famed Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3709
 

David says they're pretty good cause he wrote most of them but you know what? He's right! 8) 'd definitely suggest them.

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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(@tim0chen)
Active Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 3
Topic starter  

Ok, so I'm trying to use the lessons on this site since they look awesome, but... is there a way to sort them by difficulty (ie, which ones should i learn first?)? It seems like they are organized only chronologically with the most newly written first, and this isn't exactly the most helpful format for a total beginner. I realize that I can sort the beginner songs out starting with #1 (Horse with No Name) but even this first song alludes to previous lessons.

BTW, the difficulty sorting through the lessons is my only complaint - the lessons themselves appear fun, well written, and very instructive. Thanks David & Co!


   
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(@alangreen)
Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 5342
 

Start with "Horse With No Name". I've listened to David using that song in lessons and you get a phenomenal bang for your buck.

A :-)

"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk


   
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(@kent_eh)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 1882
 

The Beginner's FAQ has links to a few good places to start.

As most of us have found over time, there are as many "best" starting points as there are guitarists.

Try a few lessons, but don't get bogged down if you are finding that you find you are missing a pre-requisite. Often the lessons lean on each other (as you have discovered). Consider those as a teacher saying "Oh, by the way, take a look at this too.."

What I did was to read thru about a dozen of the "beginner lessons, with my guitar in hand. I tried each of the examples a couple of times, until I found something that I could wrap my fingers (and head) around, then worked on that for a week or so, then I continued on my exploration.
But then, I tend to learn better by doing a broad exploration of a subject, then focusing on a series of small points within that subject.
I don't learn as well using a structured A->B->C...->Z type of teaching method.

If you learn best in a more structured way, I'd suggest starting here and then work thru the lessons that that one links to.
That should give you the basics to carry on to the other beginner lessons.

I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep


   
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(@davidhodge)
Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

Way back when, I was simply writing articles and lessons based on what people seemed interested in reading about. This was back when we were happy to see that maybe a hundred or so people clicked onto a lesson a month.

Nowadays Guitar Noise receives over twenty million hits a month, from a little over two million unique users (if you use a computer at home and one at work, you'd count as two unique users), so things have changed a lot. We obviously are getting visits from people whose guitar experiences run a very wide range. And, as Kent points out, people also learn in many, many ways.

The best way to deal with the lessons is to ask here at the Forum, just as you've done. If you're just starting out and haven't held a guitar before, the "Absolute Beginners' Chords" lesson is the place to start. If you can handle some basic chords, then move on the the Easy Songs for Beginners' page. The easiest ones for people truly just getting going are:

Horse With No Name

For What It's Worth

Eleanor Rigby

Three Marlenas

From there, you can go in as many different directions as your heart desires. Post a "progress report" on the boards and folks will certainly chip in with ideas for you. Or feel free to PM or email me directly.

Hope this helps and, again, welcome to Guitar Noise.

Peace


   
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