Advice for a beginner

Hi Chaps,
I've been meaning to learn Guitar for the last couple of decades but never got round to it.

For Xmas, Mrs GP has bought me a nice shiny new Tanglewood Acoustic, a Digi tuner and a beginners book "play right away" by Gerry Malloy.

I used to play Piano and can read sheet music for Piano and having done the first few tutorials can figure out notation and play a few chords and run up and down a scale (in G).

So, before I start over-learning some bad habits / wrong techniques (the book I've got is a bit thin on some techniques) what advice can you musos offer for me to get on, and stay on the right path to becoming a competent player?

I've spotted the Justinmusic.com site which looks great but before I jump into that, I'll take counsel from you guys...

All hints / tips / don't do / etc gratefully received

Ta muchly

Justin Sandercoe's site is one of the best things I've found on the netz, and it's free. Start his beginner's course, watch the videos, follow his advice on technique and you won't go far wrong. Of course, an online tutorial won't pick you up on any bad habits you do develop...

Cheers Moth, I had a look at the course last night, its really clear and very thorough - and he does point out some of the sins to avoid

I'm still at the girly soft finger stage but loving it.

open 'G', open 'C' & open 'D' are good chords for beginning. plenty of old punk songs use just those.

The best advice I could give you GP is just to want to learn. After that it's only fine detail.

As above.

Also singing over some simple strumming is a complete performance, so you might sometimes find it more satisfying than just playing and you can entertain your friends/family/dog at an early stage.

Thanks guys, I'm having fun with the basics and trying to get chord changes tidy.
Having played the piano before, I'm looking forward to getting my head round the CAGED thing. On a piano I can pick out a melody and then play it in any key as I know my round a keyboard. The neck of a guitar is still somewhat mysterious!

Barre chords and how simple chord shapes can be played elsewhere on the neck will open all that up for you.You'll be able to play the same chord shapes anywhere on the neck and in whatever key you need. Knowing any note on any string at a glance will also give you an instant reference point,good building blocks for the future.

cheers Skub, in between practicing chords I'm trying to familiarise myself with this, and at the same time remind myself that it all takes time.
The most encouraging thing I watched on JustinGuitar.com yesterday was when he shows you the C chord and comments that "It'll be easier after a week or so and after a month you won't have a problem" - Good! I was thinking I need surgery to sort out 2nd / 3rd finger gap!

Originally Posted by GiantPygmy

cheers Skub, in between practicing chords I'm trying to familiarise myself with this, and at the same time remind myself that it all takes time.
The most encouraging thing I watched on JustinGuitar.com yesterday was when he shows you the C chord and comments that "It'll be easier after a week or so and after a month you won't have a problem" - Good! I was thinking I need surgery to sort out 2nd / 3rd finger gap!

Another beginner here. I usually use fingers 1, 3 and 4 on the C chord as a slovenly trick for easy changes between A minor, C and E.

A minor: fingers 1 (second string), 2 (third string) and 3 (fourth string).

C: fingers 1, 3 and 4

E: fingers 2, 3 and 4

Changing from A minor to C just involves planting your pinkie on the 5th string and lifting finger 2 off the third string. I found it impossible to plant the pinkie and lift finger 3 off the third string at the same time.

C to E is just lifting finger 1 and sliding fingers 2 3 and 4 to the E positions.


I start lessons at night school in February. They'll knock these punk techniques out of me!

I'm only at the stage of practicing changes in E,A,D at any speed at the moment, trying not get my fingersd "cramped" into one shape and not be able relax and move to the next one1
Its the gapping of fingers 2 and 3 in C and F that feel the most unnatural.
Good luck with the night school, how long have you been a beginner? I'm thinking its a status that lasts a good couple of years!

Been at it for 13 months. Still rubbish, but can just about strum and sing Ghost Riders in the Sky, using A minor, C and an abbreviated F chord on 4 strings. A few other silly songs too.

If you can get used to B7 chord, you can do lots of simple blues stuff on just E7, A7 (which are v easy two-finger) and the slightly more crowded B7.

Being an old pianist, your theory should be good and advancement could be fast compared to a dope like me.

JustinGuitar IS about the best learning site on t'web but I still maintain there is no substitute for getting proper one on one lessons. Justin Sandercoe can't see what you're doing wrong from the other end of a webcam after all!

Originally Posted by Loz

JustinGuitar IS about the best learning site on t'web but I still maintain there is no substitute for getting proper one on one lessons. Justin Sandercoe can't see what you're doing wrong from the other end of a webcam after all!

I had lessons for a bit, but then my teacher told me to go off and practise all the stuff he'd taught me and then come back when I had a lot more practise, otherwise he was just teaching me stuff on top of other stuff I still hadn't mastered.
I can play all chords now, but have gotten lazy and tend to play only the stuff I know rather than push myself a bit.

A song I recently learned which is easy is A Pocket Full of Stars by Nine Black Alps.
Its a lovely song to sing along to.
Then I grab my strat, dial in some gain and blast out Layla or Jumping Jack Flash to even things out

I suppose its a bit like golf, there is no substitute for just playing, then every now and then get some lessons to iron things out.
My next lessons will be on the Banjo, probably later this year.

Originally Posted by icarus1859

I can play all chords now, .

That's good going.