A few questions from a beginning guitarist...?!
Question: A few questions from a beginning guitarist!.!.!.!?
I have bought an acoustic, and it came with strings, but not the nylon ones!. I have read that is easier to learn with the other ones, but are these okay, I like the sound and all!.!.!.
When holding it, left or right leg!? It feels more natural on the right, but I've also heard the left is the 'classical' way!? Do you want the neck parallel to the floor, or tipped back a little!?
I don't have a pick, but do I need one!? What finger do I use and how!?
I've never played before, and making an attempt to teach myself, I feel that it would be more rewarding this way!. Anyway, I've started with just doing the scale up and down to get my fingers used to it, should I also start 'picking' up instead of just down!?
Should I be looking at the frets, or try to do it without!?
What's the best way to teach yourself, other than repetition!. What should I do next!? Chords!?
I any advice any advice that any of you could give!
Thank you much!
Www@Enter-QA@Com
When holding it, left or right leg!? It feels more natural on the right, but I've also heard the left is the 'classical' way!? Do you want the neck parallel to the floor, or tipped back a little!?
I don't have a pick, but do I need one!? What finger do I use and how!?
I've never played before, and making an attempt to teach myself, I feel that it would be more rewarding this way!. Anyway, I've started with just doing the scale up and down to get my fingers used to it, should I also start 'picking' up instead of just down!?
Should I be looking at the frets, or try to do it without!?
What's the best way to teach yourself, other than repetition!. What should I do next!? Chords!?
I any advice any advice that any of you could give!
Thank you much!
Www@Enter-QA@Com
Answers:
First of all, are you playing a classical guitar or just an acoustic!? There's a little bit of a difference!. You can google pictures of classical guitars and acoustic guitars and you should see slight differences!. For example, acoustic guitars have many more frets within easy reach, while most classical guitars go up to 12 and then the rest of the fretboard is on the body in a sort of hard to reach spot!.
I lay my guitar on my right leg, and I'm right handed!. This is really the only way I've seen people play (but I play electric and acoustic; classical guitar, like you said, is more traditionally played kind of vertically held on the left leg!.!. it's hard to explain, I'd say go with what is comfortable to you!.)
The neck should be parallel to the floor in a standard resting position, but it's not really a strict practice!. I keep my electric parallel when I'm sitting down most of the time, but standing up with a strap I tend to hold it diagonally across my body!.
I taught myself the very basics of guitar about a year ago, on a classical guitar; I've never taken lessons but if you have access to them, I highly suggest you get involved in them, the earlier the better!.
What kind of guitarist do you want to be!? Do you want to stay with acoustic or move to electric later!? If you want to stay acoustic and you like that tone (I love it too, but I'm more of a metalhead, and it's hard to play metal on an acoustic guitar heh) then you might want to stick with finger picking, which can be much more versatile than using a guitar pick!. It takes a lot of practice to get good at some of the techniques though so again, I recommend taking formal lessons!.
Keep looking at the frets, and just make sure you concentrate on getting every note to ring clearly!. A lot of beginning guitarists (myself included back then) try and play really fast right from the get go, sometimes without realizing it!. So just play clearly and slowly at first and progressively get faster until you get to the right rhythm!.
You might want to learn guitar tablature and notes/tunings next (if you haven't already; you said you learned a scale, so i dunno where you are in what you know!.) I'm just going to assume you aren't a hardcore musician already and say you should start with tablature which is basically just a map for where your fingers should go on the fretboard to play a song!. Many websites out there will teach you how to read tabs (i'll include some in my sources!.)
Some excellent advice is to play what sounds awesome to you!. Take the style of guitar you are wanting to play (ex: metal, folk, punk, etc) and find some pioneer musicians of that category and listen to them and learn a few of their songs!. My first songs were Iron Maiden classics!. I learned them fairly quickly because I WANTED to really badly!. So that's a big part of guitar!. You have to WANT it!.
So yeah, develop and figure out what you want your style to be and strive to achieve it!. Practice practice practice!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
I lay my guitar on my right leg, and I'm right handed!. This is really the only way I've seen people play (but I play electric and acoustic; classical guitar, like you said, is more traditionally played kind of vertically held on the left leg!.!. it's hard to explain, I'd say go with what is comfortable to you!.)
The neck should be parallel to the floor in a standard resting position, but it's not really a strict practice!. I keep my electric parallel when I'm sitting down most of the time, but standing up with a strap I tend to hold it diagonally across my body!.
I taught myself the very basics of guitar about a year ago, on a classical guitar; I've never taken lessons but if you have access to them, I highly suggest you get involved in them, the earlier the better!.
What kind of guitarist do you want to be!? Do you want to stay with acoustic or move to electric later!? If you want to stay acoustic and you like that tone (I love it too, but I'm more of a metalhead, and it's hard to play metal on an acoustic guitar heh) then you might want to stick with finger picking, which can be much more versatile than using a guitar pick!. It takes a lot of practice to get good at some of the techniques though so again, I recommend taking formal lessons!.
Keep looking at the frets, and just make sure you concentrate on getting every note to ring clearly!. A lot of beginning guitarists (myself included back then) try and play really fast right from the get go, sometimes without realizing it!. So just play clearly and slowly at first and progressively get faster until you get to the right rhythm!.
You might want to learn guitar tablature and notes/tunings next (if you haven't already; you said you learned a scale, so i dunno where you are in what you know!.) I'm just going to assume you aren't a hardcore musician already and say you should start with tablature which is basically just a map for where your fingers should go on the fretboard to play a song!. Many websites out there will teach you how to read tabs (i'll include some in my sources!.)
Some excellent advice is to play what sounds awesome to you!. Take the style of guitar you are wanting to play (ex: metal, folk, punk, etc) and find some pioneer musicians of that category and listen to them and learn a few of their songs!. My first songs were Iron Maiden classics!. I learned them fairly quickly because I WANTED to really badly!. So that's a big part of guitar!. You have to WANT it!.
So yeah, develop and figure out what you want your style to be and strive to achieve it!. Practice practice practice!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
Everyone plays differently, go with what feels good to you!.
youtube has an endless list of vids for this stuff!.
Here's some Spanish stuff:
http://www!.youtube!.com/results!?search_qu!.!.!.
also lookups on "guitar lesson", "Beginning acoustic", etc will be a good jump!.
Various tabs:
http://www!.ultimate-guitar!.com/
Here's the free PowerTab software:
http://www!.power-tab!.net/
(Works with some of the tabs in ultimate guitar)
Guitar cords, scales, etc:
http://www!.all-guitar-chords!.com/guitar_!.!.!.
(Showing 'G Major')
EDIT:
"How often does a guitar need to be tuned!?"
If the strings are brand new every couple of minutes!. ;)
You'll hear when they go out of tune and you can work on them from there!. As they get broken in they'll stay in tune pretty well!. A lot just depends how hard you play!.
If you're really a beginner and don't have a sense of tuning definitely get an electronic tuner so you can learn the correct tuning!. Then as time goes on see if you can tune it by ear!. You eventually will!.
Learn both standard and harmonic tuning!. Both of those are on youtube also, if nothing else!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
youtube has an endless list of vids for this stuff!.
Here's some Spanish stuff:
http://www!.youtube!.com/results!?search_qu!.!.!.
also lookups on "guitar lesson", "Beginning acoustic", etc will be a good jump!.
Various tabs:
http://www!.ultimate-guitar!.com/
Here's the free PowerTab software:
http://www!.power-tab!.net/
(Works with some of the tabs in ultimate guitar)
Guitar cords, scales, etc:
http://www!.all-guitar-chords!.com/guitar_!.!.!.
(Showing 'G Major')
EDIT:
"How often does a guitar need to be tuned!?"
If the strings are brand new every couple of minutes!. ;)
You'll hear when they go out of tune and you can work on them from there!. As they get broken in they'll stay in tune pretty well!. A lot just depends how hard you play!.
If you're really a beginner and don't have a sense of tuning definitely get an electronic tuner so you can learn the correct tuning!. Then as time goes on see if you can tune it by ear!. You eventually will!.
Learn both standard and harmonic tuning!. Both of those are on youtube also, if nothing else!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
Alright lets start from the top, Nylon is fine to learn on, for whatever leg you use, do whats more comfortable i am right handed and use my right leg, the classical looks uncomfortable, same with the neck just do whats comfortable, its best to learn with a pick and keep using it, there are some songs that dont require a pick but thats later on use your thumb and pointer finger like an ok sign when holding it, again whatever is most comfortable, you may start off by looking at the frets eventually you'll just get better and not have to worry about your hands!.
The best way to teach yourself is honestly by lessons you dont pick up bad habits and learn the right way, if you want to teach yourself just start with an easy tab (sweet dreams, or crazy on you heavy opening :D) and then progress to more advanced stuff, a good band for learning on is nirvana!. ultimate-guitar!.com has some good lessons and tabs, check out youtube for some other lessons!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
The best way to teach yourself is honestly by lessons you dont pick up bad habits and learn the right way, if you want to teach yourself just start with an easy tab (sweet dreams, or crazy on you heavy opening :D) and then progress to more advanced stuff, a good band for learning on is nirvana!. ultimate-guitar!.com has some good lessons and tabs, check out youtube for some other lessons!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
hi!.!.!.
I will just go through your comments and kind of reply I guess!.!.!.
any strings that sound good to you are fine!.!.!.also after the strings get old!.!.!.buying new ones helps the guitar sound better! (also clean the strings once in a while at least) (run a cloth up and down them!.!.!.)
hold it on either leg!.!.!.whatever is comfortable!.!.!.
You don't need a pick!.!.!.you can 'finger pick'!.!.!.the thumb plays the top three strings (thicker strings) and index, middle and ring play the other strings (respectively) (for right hand picking)
there is another option as well - you can alternate on same string between index and middle finger back and forth to play quickly!.!.!.
I like using a pick better, but that is because I play electric mostly!.
with a pick you should practice 'alternate picking' (up and down) if you get a pick!.!.!.it is pretty much needed to play fast
I think the best way to learn is to have people show you how to play some songs!.!.!.(or just parts)!.!.!.that is a great way to START, then after you know chords and get familiar with the instrument!.!.!.I think the best way then is to play songs on your stereo and try to play along with it!
Www@Enter-QA@Com
I will just go through your comments and kind of reply I guess!.!.!.
any strings that sound good to you are fine!.!.!.also after the strings get old!.!.!.buying new ones helps the guitar sound better! (also clean the strings once in a while at least) (run a cloth up and down them!.!.!.)
hold it on either leg!.!.!.whatever is comfortable!.!.!.
You don't need a pick!.!.!.you can 'finger pick'!.!.!.the thumb plays the top three strings (thicker strings) and index, middle and ring play the other strings (respectively) (for right hand picking)
there is another option as well - you can alternate on same string between index and middle finger back and forth to play quickly!.!.!.
I like using a pick better, but that is because I play electric mostly!.
with a pick you should practice 'alternate picking' (up and down) if you get a pick!.!.!.it is pretty much needed to play fast
I think the best way to learn is to have people show you how to play some songs!.!.!.(or just parts)!.!.!.that is a great way to START, then after you know chords and get familiar with the instrument!.!.!.I think the best way then is to play songs on your stereo and try to play along with it!
Www@Enter-QA@Com
nylon strings are on classical style guitars, and they have a wider neck which can be a pain in the neck to play on!. steel strings are a bit louder, and last a bit longer(in my opinion)
usually you play on your right leg, playing on the left helps your posture annd keeps your back straighter, it can be uncomfortable, but its really up to you and how you feel comfortable holding the guitar!. hold the guitar so you can get your fingers on the strings without being in pain, and thats the angle you want the neck at, simple as that!.
picks are good for strumming and playing your chords, using your finger, is called finger picking, in most cases it is harder, but again, do what feels good to you!. I would say, invest in some picks because your hands will cramp up!.
picking up and down with either a pick or your finger will produce a slightly different tone!. some songs you only play down, some is a combination of both, just listen for it!.
when you look at the frets, keep your back straight and look with your eyes, there's markers on the 3rd 5th 7th 9th 12th 15th 17th and 19th frets, both on the front AND top edge of the neck!. use the markings on the side that faces up, or tip the body out a bit so you can see the frets and strings as well!. once you get used to where everything is you'll notice that you don't need to look anyore!.
Chords are a good place to start, but try to play chords as well as the individual notes so you don't get stuck on one or the other!.
Ultimate-guitar!.com
Youtube!.com
make sure its in tune first so you get used to the sound of the strings!. you can find videos on youtube to check it, just tune it when you notice the notes are sounding flat!. the more you play the more often you will need to tuneWww@Enter-QA@Com
usually you play on your right leg, playing on the left helps your posture annd keeps your back straighter, it can be uncomfortable, but its really up to you and how you feel comfortable holding the guitar!. hold the guitar so you can get your fingers on the strings without being in pain, and thats the angle you want the neck at, simple as that!.
picks are good for strumming and playing your chords, using your finger, is called finger picking, in most cases it is harder, but again, do what feels good to you!. I would say, invest in some picks because your hands will cramp up!.
picking up and down with either a pick or your finger will produce a slightly different tone!. some songs you only play down, some is a combination of both, just listen for it!.
when you look at the frets, keep your back straight and look with your eyes, there's markers on the 3rd 5th 7th 9th 12th 15th 17th and 19th frets, both on the front AND top edge of the neck!. use the markings on the side that faces up, or tip the body out a bit so you can see the frets and strings as well!. once you get used to where everything is you'll notice that you don't need to look anyore!.
Chords are a good place to start, but try to play chords as well as the individual notes so you don't get stuck on one or the other!.
Ultimate-guitar!.com
Youtube!.com
make sure its in tune first so you get used to the sound of the strings!. you can find videos on youtube to check it, just tune it when you notice the notes are sounding flat!. the more you play the more often you will need to tuneWww@Enter-QA@Com