Did you take classes or learn by your slef or watch a video? If you learned all by yourself how?
And how did you know you were going to like guitar? when you paid all that money did you have any doubt that you might move on in a month?
To answer your question I first started learning from books, then I found this wonderful web page.
Now the problem with this method is, right now I don't know where I should be, I spent 5 months Feb. to June trying to learn all that I can, then I had a shift change at work I went from 1st shift to 3rd shift and I took about 2 months off from learning and practicing, now I am back to an every day schedule, but I feel as I should be better than what I am. If I took lessons my teacher would be able to tell me where I should be at, and what I need to work at to get there.
Now to answer you second question, I guess you don't know, I paid $500.00 for mine and set it in a closet for ten years.
But I have always loved the sound of guitar so I knew one day I would learn.
If you are not sure if you want to play you can find nice guitars for about $75-$100 give it a try, if you don't like it sell it.
You may learn a lot faster than me, but so you know I have about 5 months of pure wanting to learn, and the reason I am learning this wonderful instrument is because I love the sound it makes.
And all I can do is play a few children's songs, I know about 9 cords and, cant change from cord to cord very fast, and I know most of the fingerboard, but as all things to get good you must like what it is you are doing and must spend time doing it
Tim
Started with beginner books, then took a few lessons. Quit the lessons, hung it up for a while and really got back into it a little over a year ago. Mostly doing things like lessons on this site, using Power Tab and Guitar Pro to sort of watch by example and lots of practice & playing.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
I have been playing for almost a year now and it was lessons from a guitar teacher from day one for me. Tried teaching myself a few years ago and gave up in frustrationafter a couple of months.
How did I know I was going to stick with it? I didn't. particulalry after my aborted attempt a few years previous. I really wanted to learn though and thought the cost of lessons would be a worthwhile investment. As it turned out it was the best thing I ever did. I'm loving it.
HTH
8)
I've had a lot of sobering thoughts in my time.
It was them that turned me to drink.
I started about a year ago. I work with a guy that's been playing guitar on and off for about 18 years, so he's my #1 resource for information (other than this site). I bought a few books/cd-roms on scales/modes, and rock guitar and find them really helpful for when I'm stuck in a rut. But, as Glee mentioned, I haven't taken any lessons and I really don't know where I should be at as far as progress goes.
When I started I got one of those started packages, which is really the way to go I think. If you don't like it, you can always sell the stuff...but really, who wouldn't want to play guitar? :D :wink:
Life is my friend
Rake it up to take it in
Wrap me in your cinnamon
Especially in Michigan
...well I could be your friend- RHCP
I'm self taught... As far as having no formal lessons, but i learn all the time from websites like this one, books, magazines, video's etc...
The internet is an AMAZING resource for learning to play the guitar... probably better than for any other instrument.. The key to it is having self motivation to keep moving forward... Always be looking to learn something new and translate what you've learned to your instrument....
If you're the type of person that needs to be spoonfed and motivated by someone else, then guitar will only be a passing phase for you.... If you're the type of person that REALLY wants to learn, then you CAN do it on your own.. (guitarnoise and sites like it, google, and the plethora of other helpful guitar players online can point you in the right direction and help answer your questions and hopefully raise more questions for you to ponder... then again, a proper teacher can REALLY help you learn faster but isn't absolutely necessary
It's like losing weight or quitting smoking or going back to school... Unless you are self-motivated enough to stick with it, you can only do it for so long until something else sparks your interest and you move on....
YOU need to think about what you don't know about the instrument... Already you should have a few basic questions if you've just begun.....For the answers, read guitar magazine, read guitar books, join and participate in guitar forums online, watch guitar instruction videos (youtube is a good resource) talk to guitar players, watch others play, ask them questions, play with them, ACTIVELY listen to music ... before long you'll have a lot more questions than you though were possible... This is a good thing.. it means you're learning :)
But remember you have to translate everything you learn into your instrument through your fingers. Otherwise it's no good to you...
Learning the guitar (or any musical instrument) is a lifetime experience... The joy and rewards are in the journey itself, and if you are serious about REALLY learning, you will never reach your destination..... however you WILL improve every day that you play... and, IMHO, change your life for the better...
Start with a cheap instrument if you like, but remember, the first year or so is a HUGE learning curve, mentally, physically, emotionally... If you get through this first year and still have the drive to keep learning and motivating yourself, then you can spend a decent chunk of cash on some good quality gear...
I think this makes you "pay your dues" and really appreciate a good axe when you upgrade.
Nobody can tell you if you're going to like the guitar... Many days I've had to restrain myself from throwing it at the wall in frustration... but i never did.. I'd just put it down until tomorrow... 3 years later I'm quite happy with where I am.. but there have been thousands of hours of practice and study since then.. and I don't regret a minute of it...
btw, i've also strated learning drums, keys and harmonica (the first instrument is definitely the hardest)
/end rant
Good Luck
J
Insert random quote here
Jmin above makes some very good points.
It may be best to start on a cheaper instrument initially. The benifit of something of high quality and matching price may be lost on a beginner. And its worthwhile mentioning at this point that cheap, these days, doesn't necessarily mean inferior. There are some very good guitars around for beginner prices.
Jmin also mentioned the frustrations. I have not been playing long but I can relate to this. There will be times where you do get frustrated and feel like packing it all up. Just walk away and come back another day. Through practice, determination and sometimes sheer pigheadedness you will overcome those frustrations and when you do its a great feeling. I call them eureka moments and should be cherished when they happen. It's great when it happens. Then you move on to the next step.
Dedication is important, but I think most importantly is enjoyment. If you don't enjoy doing what you are doing you are never going to excel.
I've had my frustrations and I've had the occaisional eureka moment and, like Jmin, don't regret a single minute of the many hours I've spent learning. (not sure I'm into the thousands yet but I'm getting there :wink: )
Enjoy.
8)
I've had a lot of sobering thoughts in my time.
It was them that turned me to drink.
You're right Chuckster.. Those "eureka" moments make it all worthwhile :)
Insert random quote here
I began with lessons. back when I started computers weren't invented yet.
after perhaps six months of lessons I basically became self taught.
by playing along with records, then casettes then CDs I figured out songs.
chord charts helped sometimes.
throughout all of this I have always had the fortune of playing with others.
that has kept my interest, dedication alive and was a good measure of my ability at any given time.
it's been 40 years now.
...by playing along with records, then casettes then CDs I figured out songs...
What, no 8-tracks ?? :)
Insert random quote here
...by playing along with records, then casettes then CDs I figured out songs...
What, no 8-tracks ?? :)
LOL. I DO remember them. my older brother had an eight track in his Mustang.
ow, my geezer brain hurts going back that far.
:shock:
I don' think you ever feel like your as far along as you'd like, whether your doing it on your own or with a teacher I know I don't. I've taken lessons off and on for a couple years and although alot of times it feels like I could do this on my own, there are techniques, etc that you can't get out of a book or internet. It really helps having that immediate realtime feedback.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
I started by taking a few lessons, but after about maybe two months I gave up on them. For the most part I learned what I know by playing around alot. Like everything this has good and bad results.
So for me this means that If I want to learn a song I can either try and work it out on my own with semidecent results, I could try to get tab for the song, Most of the time I end up getting tab from several places, then using my ears to get the most accurate parts of all of them and then I use that.
The upsides, are that I got quick results, and had a lot of fun. I didn't have to practice things I didn't like because they didn't enter the equation. So I guess I could say that I always liked it, and I always feel justified in spending more money on this addiction.
However In some ways it limits me, I still can't play sheet music, and while I can tell you whether or not a particular riff sounds good, I can't explain what it is made up of and I can't use the theory to reproduce it with differen't sounds.
wherever you go, there you are.
Learned on my own for about 3 years or so, from different resources like the internet, books and stuff my brother knew. After that I took lessons from the guy my brother took lessons from, I took about 2 years of lessons then got a classical guitar and he taught me a little over a year of classical, I eventually quit though because I didn't feel there was much more I could learn unless I seriously wanted to commit to playing classical guitar, and rock guitar is where I wanted to go. It's been a year or two since I quit the lessons, which was a good idea in one sense because there wasn't much more he could teach me in the style i prefer, unfortunately it's harder to find things to study now and I have to be my own tough critic.
Steve-0
I borrowed my cousin's cheap Strat wanna be and bought some software figuring I'd teach myself. After a week of really making no progress I got a teacher and took 12 lessons. Without those lessons I would not be replying to this post. I've learned lots from this site and bought a few guitar books.
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
