important things to learn?

oh, and I dunno if this is relevant, but I'm mostly interested in lead guitar. Rhythm too, but mostly lead.

Something I wish I'd hammered in YEARS ago, that I'm only starting to focus on:

Practice slow, slower than you think. Until you've got the rhythm and the groove LOCKED IN. Play simple, practice slow, really learn it. Then as you practice more, you'll be able to really play music, instead of just notes.

When I was starting, I learned most pieces til they were "good enough", probably not more than 80% good. I didn't have a teacher most of the time, so the only judge I had was myself and I let myself silde on anything that wasn't new and shiny. As a result, I spent years without being able to play a really solid groove, without having songs I could play backwards and forwards, no matter what.

I was at a party the other night and a number of folks were playing guitar. At one point, a guy was playing a groovy blues instrumental on acoustic guitar. A "Catfish Blues" kind of vamp, laying down the groove and then improvising around it. The room was kinda small so to get by him, folks had to kinda squeeze to get to the hallway, and a girl came up and gave him a kiss to say goodbye. He'd duck and bend and move around to make easier for people to get by. And not once, during all of that jostling, did he lose the beat or the groove. It was pretty cool.

That's what I'm aspiring to right now, and it's something I never even considered when I was younger and starting out, so that's one of the main things I tell people now.

Play slow, practice scales and chords with a metronome, until you've got the rhythm locked in and you can't lose it. Then get faster and fancier. Your future self will thank you for it!

Jeff

I was just wondering, what do you guys think the most important things to learn are for a beginner?

The chords to your three favourite songs and how to play them. If the songsheet has something like C#AugMaj9b11 - pick a new favourite song.

No point having a guitar and not being able to play something.

1st pattern minor pentatonic scale

Notes on the 6th string, so when you're jamming and know the key you can pull out a solo.

Best,

A :-)

I was just wondering, what do you guys think the most important things to learn are for a beginner?

The chords to your three favourite songs and how to play them. If the songsheet has something like C#AugMaj9b11 - pick a new favourite song.

No point having a guitar and not being able to play something.

Best,

A :-)

Good point. One of the first songs I really learned I choose because it had a F7 chord instead of a F chord

Another thing you should know is how to change the strings on your guitar. You won't face a problem when they break.

Outside of how to properly hold and care for your instrument --

the most important skill to start learning as a beginner is how to read music.

It's very easy to learn when you are just starting. The longer you go without learning it, the harder it is to really get good at it.

The advantages to knowing how to read music far outweigh any reason to not learn it for real beginners.

For me the most important thing was to learn some chords and how to change them without missing a beat. Also important was the notes on the fretboard, some scales and of course the underrated item many try to avoid theory. Since you've been at it for 2 years now you probaly know that stuff 8)

:lol: 7 replies, 7 different answers. :lol:

Not really much of a surprise, though.

All of what has been mentioned so far are important things to learn.
What's most important, and what can wait a bit... That's one of those "it's differnt for everone" kinda things.
It depends on what you want to get out of your music.

For me, I started with open chords, the Guitar for Dummies book, and a metronome (this free one actually)
Then I picked up a few easy riffs from songs I like, and now I'm working my way thru "Blues you can use".

Make sure you are playing whatever keeps you wanting to play (and practice).
If you drive yourself mad with boredom, you won't stick with it, and that'd be a bad thing.

I think you have to have a balance of study and fun. If you really want to be good you need to study. As Kingpatzer said, learn to read if possible. That is one thing I really wished I had done when I started. If you can read, you can play any piece of music in front of you (with practice). It really opens up the world of music to you. You also need to learn scales, the Minor Pentatonic, Major Pentatonic, and Major scales are a good place to start. Learn chords as well. Try to have a structured practice, you will advance quicker. Study theory.

But you need to relax and have fun too. Too much study and work and guitar can become very frustrating, and as you said, overwhelming. So learn easy songs that you enjoy. Learn to play a song from beginning to end, and practice singing to these songs. But just play, jam out and have fun.

.... and now I'm working my way thru "Blues you can use".

Great link, Kent! Thank you. :)

For a lead guitarist - or aspiring lead guitarist - I'd say it's important to learn that the spaces between the notes are just as important as the notes played. Yes, it's great to be able to tear up and down the fretboard at 100mph....but sometimes, one note can take the place of ten!

Bending notes, hammering-on and pulling off, trills, vibrato.....all important for the would-be lead guitarist.

:D :D :D

Vic