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Hello All (Newbie Here)

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(@scholar)
Eminent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 14
Topic starter  

well i want to start by saying Im new to the guitar,just got it a week ago(Ibanez Artcore AF75). I bought a book called "Guitar for the Absolute Beginner" came with a dvd. now the first chord thats taught is "G" and then "D7" and next after that "C" chord. im just curious is this the way things start? right now i cant afford a teacher(27 yrs old 2 kids and wife) i practice 2 hrs a day(i think one of my fingers fell off...lol) any tips? and for the record i did read alot of threads here, and they have given me great relief that others struggle in the beginning as well.makes me feel better about my choice in playing guitar.

I'm so new to this!


   
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(@ricochet)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

You can play blues in the key of G with those three chords. :D

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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(@gunslinger)
Reputable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 345
 

First, glue the finger back on and keep going :)

My biggest tip is have fun, followed closely by dont get discouraged. It can be tough sometimes.

Take breaks as needed. Beginning tends to be hard on the wrists and the fingers. Don't try to do too much at once. Pain hurts, and too much pain can mean a long recovery time.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

After you feel comfortable with a few lessons, you may want to see if there are some lessons on this site (and others) that you want to try. Don't be afraid to try them, but just in case you aren't ready for them don't get discouraged with them.

Some of the things I've said may not apply to you. Some of the things I've said may offend you. But no matter who you are, you must remember this one thing: No matter what a str.....oh, sorry, wrong place for that advice :)

Good luck!

Our songs also have the standard pop format: Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, bad solo. All in all, I think we sound like The Knack and the Bay City Rollers being molested by Black Flag and Black Sabbath.

Kurt Cobain


   
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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
 

Hello Scholar and Welcome to Guitar Noise.
Yes those chords are common for starters (i haven't seen D7 used at the very beggining much, usually G7 but no matter its a commonly used chord so good to know)
Your fingers will be real sore for a few weeks but this will go away as you develop callouses.
Have fun with it.


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

Do what gunslinger says.

"Don't be afraid to ask for help."

That is what all the members of GN (with one notable exception) are here for.

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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(@goodvichunting)
Reputable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 326
 

Scholar, on behalf of the residents, welcome!

Most of the people do start off by learning open chords, particularly C, G, Em, D etc. They are supposed to be "easy". However, they werent easy for me. It took me a good while before I was able to stretch my fingers to form a G and even longer to smoothly and quickly switch between them.

So here is what I would suggest.

1. Don't get down on yourself if you cannot do these chords within 2 days.
You have the luxury of pacing yourself as you see fit, take advantage of it.

2. Get into a habit of practice daily (2 hours is very good actually).

3. Learn to focus on details. For example, when fretting a chord ensure your fingers are as close to the fret as possible. The arm should neither tuck in to the torso nor flare out. The shoulder and the entire body should be balanced. Use pivot fingers, for example from C to an Em, leave 2 down and place 1 on the other note.

4. Start to fret the full G or C or any else and examine your posture. If you cannot hold the C chord with relative ease, your fingers are not ready. You will need to take smaller steps.

5. Form a chord and strum it. Pick an easy pattern. All down strum is advisable for now. Learn to feel and maintain the rhythm.

6. Get a metronome. Set it on 50 bpm. Take 8 click to switch between a
G -- > C for example. As you get comfortable, switch at 4 clicks or increase the bpm.

7. Throw in a complicated strumming pattern. I would advise to pick a pattern from a song you are interested in learning.

8. Do think about getting a teacher. A good teacher will help you immensely.

Finally, take all this with a pinch of salt.

Cheers,
Vic

A few good resources.

How to properly Sit with the Guitar
http://www.guitarprinciples.com/Guitar_Technique/sitting.htm

Strumming Pattern: http://www.grouptherapy.guernsey.net/strumming.html

Left hand positions
http://www.guitarprinciples.com/Guitar_Technique/left%20hand%20shots.htm

Latest addition: Cover of "Don't Panic" by Coldplay
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=502670


   
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 Nils
(@nils)
Famed Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 2849
 

A lot has been covered already with some very good advice so I will just welcome you to GN.

Enjoy your stay, ask questions and join in the fun.

Nils' Page - Guitar Information and other Stuff
DMusic Samples


   
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(@scholar)
Eminent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 14
Topic starter  

thank you all for all the advice. If i can think of anything i will ask for sure!!

I'm so new to this!


   
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(@rejectedagain)
Estimable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 175
 

good luck with your guitar playing, i started playing 5 months ago, so not an exact newbie. but it's worth the time, it takes time, that's all i can say. good luck!


   
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 geoo
(@geoo)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 2801
 

That is what all the members of GN (with one notable exception) are here for.

Thats not fair GB. I TRY to be helpful.. LOL

Seriously though, welcome to GN and the wonderful world of guitar. Pretty much, yes, thats the way it starts.. Soon you'll have the disease called G.A.S and you'll be happy and penniless. Your fingers will grow back and life will be swell as your wife and children dance around your feet to the tunes played on your guitar.

Have fun!!
Geoo

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)


   
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(@rockerman)
Reputable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 219
 

learn your bassic chords then go to some scales, which you can also learn on this site, welcome to gn 8)


   
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(@cwmcall)
New Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 2
 

Hey Scholar,

It sounds like my story is pretty similar to yours. I started about two years ago at age 27, I am married, and while I don't have kids "yet" my wife is pregnant with twins :D . Anyway, everything I have learned I have learned through books and the internet (no lessons)...

I started out by learning some basic chords A, Am, E, Em, C, G, D, F, and reading books and asking questions. I found that it was very important to learn the fundamentals and the basics, and to practice chords and scales, but that got pretty boring...So along with the “practice drills” I also started spending a little bit of time trying to learn at least the “easy parts” of a few of my favorite songs (mostly Dave Matthews stuff). And wow, the first time my guitar made a noise that sounded like, not only a song, but a song that I loved, I was addicted. I became very motivated to learn more challenging songs and I soon found that a byproduct of learning more difficult stuff was learning basic fundamentals like time signatures, scales, and notes on the fretboard. As time has passed I am now playing songs that seemed impossible to me when I first started. It has been a great hobby and everyday I look forward to spending as much time with my guitar as “real life” will allow.

I hope that made a little bit of sense.

Good Luck! and let me know if there is anything that I can help you out with.

CW

P.S. Oh yea, don't get so caught up in learning that you stop having fun


   
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(@Anonymous)
New Member
Joined: 1 second ago
Posts: 0
 

Hey Scholar,

First welcome to the forum!

Second, you are at the RIGHT forum because these guys & gals are the BEST! I just started 3 weeks ago myself and EVERYONE here has been the best! The people here are VERY patient and are VERY good at teaching the guitar.

Make sure to go through the lesson section (link is at the top of the page) because it WILL help you out. Find out what works for you and just go with it. I tried learning the guitar years ago but it just wasn't fun doing all the drills. Now I am a bit older, a bit more patient, and hopefully a tiny bit smarter! I am having a blast now and even playing parts of my favorite songs...

Stick with it and don't give up!


   
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(@rejectedagain)
Estimable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 175
 

also, not that the lessons at guitarnoise aren't good. another WONDERFUL site to learn is guitar.about.com, that's how i got my start and i can play green day, blink-182, eric clapton, the eagles, blah, blah, blah. so i guess you could say it is very helpful. so just give it a look.


   
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(@twistedlefty)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 4113
 

Welcome, and what everyone has stated previously is all good advice. just make sure that you have fun and don't give up!
this is by far the best site i've found on the web. :wink:

#4491....


   
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