Had a bad day. My first guitar lesson got canceled. Work sucked. And my practicing feels like I am going no were. The a friend at work showed me how to play a Cadd9 instead of a C, and a Dsus4 instead of a Dm, to make chord changes easier. Played leaving on a jet plane. Or kind of played it( I have only been playing two weeks). But it was so COOL to hear some thing kind of recognizable come out of my guitar. Just had to post cause I had to tell some body.
Congrats. Incredible feeling, isn't it.
Just make sure you can play the whole song perfectly before moving on to the next song.
Latest addition: Cover of "Don't Panic" by Coldplay
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=502670
Ain't it great? Keep at it, you can only get better.
And I'll let you in on a secret: I know I've played the Cadd9, but right now, I can't picture it. So there's one chord you know that I don't "know." (If I can't call it right up from memory, then I don't consider I know it.)
If I remember correctly, that's the one my instructor suggested I use to speed up changing from G to C or vice versa, I think in Neil Young's "Unknown Legend." (Good tune, and something for the day when you want to start throwing in some individual notes among the strummed chords.)
Play on! 8)
Congrats. Making music is really cool isn't it?? I'm working on Master Dave Hodges beginners songs right now and I got down Horse with No Name pretty quick. Two chords and the changes are easy. Working on Wish You Were Here now. You should check them out.
"I use heavy strings, tune low, play hard and floor it. Floor it, that's a technical term." - SRV
I know how you feel....I have Blackbird just about nailed, but need to put on the finishing touches. I'm also working on the rest of Dust in the Wind (you know, the stuff after the intro).....but my fingers are rather jubbled up learning different fingerpicking patterns. I still cant put my picking hand on auto pilot, so the cord switching is real clunkly......
Hope you have a better day today! :)
I may grow old, but I'll never grow up.
I recomend getting a Mel Bay's Guitar Chords booklet and just mess around with some sort of beat behind you. I'm pretty new to guitar too, and it's definately a great way to get used to making chords.
"Like the coldest winter chill. Heaven beside you. Hell within." -Jerry Cantrell
Congrats on learning your first song. Just keep playing and the things that seem difficult today will be very easy for you soon. 8)
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
The first one's always the hardest.....keep at it! There will be times you'll think "I'll never get the hang of this!" - but everything will come with practise! Congrats on the first song, now go for number 2......
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Everybody says just keep at it and you will look back on what is hard now and think it is so easy... I have to agree. I've been playing under a year and open (first position) chords come as natural as blinking or shifting gears in a car... The key is to take small steps and set goals for yourself... For example, take three chords and keep going through them. Play G - D - C and keep repeating it. Watch each finger as you make the chord change, trying to minimize unnecessary movement.
I'm learning barre chords now and having to start all over - it never ends :lol:
Good luck!!!
I'll only be down there (in the basement practicing) for a couple of minutes or so...
My SoundClick Page: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=470725
Yeah congrats JediSteven,
I remember when I first started and I had learned chords D, A, & G and could change between them quite well. I was feeling a bit smug with my progress and looked for a song that had just those chords and came up with "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedance Clearwater Revival.
Now! many people on this site would say its one of the easiest songs (me included now)
I had the CD, put it on and tried to strum it. Just couldn't get the timing right for the changes. Left it alone disgusted with myself. I then went on to learn other songs. Finally a month later I went back to "Bad Moon Rising" tried again and it clicked. Now I play it without thinking about it.
Funny how it goes on this rocky guitar journey, you are learning all the time but you just don't know it.
Anyway JediSteven don't give up enjoy it and don't be afraid or ashamed to keep going back to earlier stuff you've learned as you progress. It's sometimes just what you need if you are feeling a bit down about your current progress
All the best
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
Awesome! Gotta love those chords!
That is a good feeling to finally get through your first song.
