Learning how to play!

That is a hard question to answer without knowing how far you have gotten so far.
What have you learned already?
How well can you play what you have learned?

What "level" are you at now? Although, I think the whole “what “level” am I” thing, is not appropriate because everyone learns at their own pace and they also have their own objectives pertinent to the style they are trying to play.

What can you do?

What do you want to do?

You have been to the home page here, right?

What are you having trouble with?

I know chords, show me a chord as long as it dosn't take *6* fingers to do, :wink: I could porbably do it...I can read VERY basic tab, nothing more. (It gets confusing to me) I know how to play 1 riff, (easiest in the out there 'smoke on the water') kinda know how to play a green day song (It BARELY sounds like it at all)

What do I want to do? I WANT TO BE ABLE TO ROCK!!! :) nothing else I'd rather do...or-- learn to do... :wink:

practice, practice practice :D If you can afford a teacher, I highly recommend it. Learn more songs, and tab isn't too hard just don't expect to site read it...at least not right off the bat. Take things slow, use a metronome to make sure you keep even time and most importantly have fun. If you have no aspirations of being a great guitar player and just want to rock out as you say (no reason you can't do both) just listen to music you like and play the songs(I know I know, easier said then done, start easy, work on things abit above your skill level and keep going on that). Make sure you learn at least a few songs all the way through no matter how tidious it may be. Find friends to play with if you haven't already, playing with other people not only makes you better as a guitarist, it also takes a whole other set of skills then playing by yourself. Try your best to do at least a little bit every day and don't get down on yourself if you get stuck in a rut. In my opinion, you should try and swallow a little theory everyday but it's up to you obviously. Also, read the post about other peoples beginning experiences on this board. Finally, check out the easy song database her on Guitar noise.

yup i agree about the teacher thing..when i started i was like going no were but with a teacher ive improved soooo much..im like mates with my guitar teacher cos i worked with him and i think he loves teaching anyway i only pay 20 bucks an hour but he stays for like 3 and i jst pay 20..if u cnt afford one what bout doing jobs for them in return for lessons..but i dnt know how old u r im 17 so its sweet for me but if ur like a grown man doing odd jobs it might b a bit degrading....?

Ragdoll, you said you can't afford lessons, but have you actually looked into it to see that you couldn't afford them? You'd be surprised, but you can (in some areas) find a teacher for as little as 15-20 bucks per session (it may be a short session, but it's something) you could even just have a lesson every 3 weeks. You could pick up change on the street and you'd be able to pay for the lesson in 3 weeks time.

If that is STILL not an option, do you have any friends that can show you some stuff, teach you as it were, for free? I know I've taught at least 5 people some stuff, some of them stuck with it, some didn't.

No matter what you're going to do, you'll need discipline for it.

No matter what you're going to do, you'll need discipline for it.

I agree with what all the others said, but Taso's advice above is the heart of the matter.

Forget all the "Learn to play like the pros in week" rubbish. If you ever want to be any good you need to map out a practice routine and then do it every day.

The real question is "What will motivate you to put the hours in that you need to move forward?" I learn mostly from books and internet sites with a few questions to friends along the way, and a few lessons if I'm feeling rich or want to get help on a specific thing.

If all you do is pick up the guitar and fiddle about with it for a few minutes a day you'll never be good. You don't need amazing natural talent but you do need skills, and the only way to get those is by regular practice.

There are loads of lessons on this site, including songs at various levels. And there is information and help all over the net on hundreds of sites.

When I first came here I wasted too much time nattering instead of practising. My playing just stood still and didn't progress for several weeks. Which reminds me... I'm outta here... practice calls..

Good luck. :D

Cheers, Chris

I like your avatar 8)

Thanks for all the tips, and for the doing odd jobs, I don't know if I can I'm under sixteen :( so unfortunatley that options pry out, but I know a few people who play...

when i didn't know what to do i played the chromatic scale. the chromatic scale is playing every fret on every string. you start with the thinnest E string and play the first four frets with fingers one, two three and four, then move up to the second fret and so the same thing. when you get to the twelth fret you go all the way back down and move on to the next string.

it may not sound like much but if you have a metronome try to increase your speed after a while. you'll learn rhythmn, fingering the frets, how each note sounds. you can find out the names of each note and repeat them to yourself as you play them and you'll learn the note names.

learn the major scale and pentatonic blues scale and start improvising.

i just started guitar with my acoustic over the summer and i practiced. Tab is easy and just learn some easy songs. It will come sooner or later, practice!

Thanks, I'm learning (I have learned) 5 pretty easy [patterns for the minor pentatonic somthing I can play all over the neck, and I hadn't relized this but besides for guitar noise there are even more free lesson web sites like zentao.com, in my opinion nothing can really beat guitarnois's setup and everything, it really is the best..And with all these nice people on the boards, gee twanx you guys.