Anyone play the GUITAR?

[tinycowboy]

Once you're up and running, my advice would be to buy loads of effects pedals, put them all together in series and turn on the amp. I've never looked back. My house is a permanent sonic cathedral of distorted delayed chorused mayhem. There's nothing like putting a compressor next to two delay pedals and playing notes that literally go on forever and slowly transform into harsh feedback. It's these small things that give me pleasure in life.

 

[carteater]

Once you're up and running, my advice would be to buy loads of effects pedals, put them all together in series and turn on the amp. I've never looked back. My house is a permanent sonic cathedral of distorted delayed chorused mayhem. There's nothing like putting a compressor next to two delay pedals and playing notes that literally go on forever and slowly transform into harsh feedback. It's these small things that give me pleasure in life.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Decided for the first time in ages to pick up a guitar and try and learn. Anyone on here have any experience/advice for beginners? Would massively appreciate any help.

Be patient .... from (distant) memory it is frustrating as hell at first BUT the enjoyment you will get from even achieving the most modest of ability will make it all worth while.

By any standards I am pretty rubbish but am currently using the guitar to help me give up smoking.

It's a brilliant skill to acquire ... enjoy.

 

[5mins-from-amex]

Whilst not advocating that you spend silly money its a false economy to buy a really cheap electric guitar. A bad guitar despite attempts to set it up can be disheartening if the intonation is out, the frets are poorly fitted and the action cannot be set to the optimum. A guitar that requires too much effort to play can easily stifle a learner. Buzzing frets and cheese wire action with unstable tuning is a pain.

My first guitar was Sunn Mustang Strat copy which I thought was quite good. However, when I upgraded to a Fender Japan 62 reissue strat it was real step up. You might want to think what sort of music you want to play which might lead you down the path as to whether you want a Fender Strat or the thicker sound of a humbucker equipped Gibson Les Paul style guitar. Personally I prefer the versatility of the Strat as you can still the thicker rock tones by using effects, different amp settings or maybe adding different pick ups. If you do go the Strat route it might be as well to avoid anything fancy with sexy looking Floyd Rose locking whammy bars. They are great for metal style shredding but as a beginner just way to much effort to set up.

I agree, my first guitar was a horner les paul copy, it had a large neck which as a beginner I found difficult to use, then I got my hands on a cheap Yamaha strat copy that had a lovely neck and feel to it, couple of years later my ex got me a Gibson les paul and yes great guitar for tone and sustain but I still play the Yamaha more!

moral of the story is a guitar of say £200/£300 will not limit your ability.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

My advice is, once you've mastered the basics, try to jam with other people or even better get in a band. It doesn't matter how crap it is at first, but it really helps to accelerate your learning, especially timing. And there's a real buzz when you hear it coming together.

 

[WATFORD zero]

This bloke in the Ranelagh up St James street could play a bit

 

[Brightonfan1983]

Decided for the first time in ages to pick up a guitar and try and learn. Anyone on here have any experience/advice for beginners? Would massively appreciate any help.

I simply bought books of tablature of albums I liked, played along. There's a great sense of achievement when you can keep up with Slash's opening of Sweet Child o' Mine on an acoustic!

 

[Brightonfan1983]

a ... sonic cathedral of...

Now there's a Steve Wright in the Afternoon listener from the late 80s if ever there was!

 

[SouthCoastOwl]

Once you're up and running, my advice would be to buy loads of effects pedals, put them all together in series and turn on the amp. I've never looked back. My house is a permanent sonic cathedral of distorted delayed chorused mayhem. There's nothing like putting a compressor next to two delay pedals and playing notes that literally go on forever and slowly transform into harsh feedback. It's these small things that give me pleasure in life.

Are you the guitarist from The Jesus and Mary Chain?

 

[GT49er]

My advice is, once you've mastered the basics, try to jam with other people or even better get in a band. It doesn't matter how crap it is at first, but it really helps to accelerate your learning, especially timing. And there's a real buzz when you hear it coming together.

Fair amount of decent advice on here, but this is the best by far - talk to other guitarists, play with them, jam with them, learn from them. Can't beat it!

 

[PoG]

What kind of music would you like to learn? Any particular songs you'd like to learn?

 

[tinycowboy]

Now there's a Steve Wright in the Afternoon listener from the late 80s if ever there was!

Guilty

Are you the guitarist from The Jesus and Mary Chain?

Hair in the 80s: guilty

 

[symyjym]

Depends what you want to play really. I have 7 guitars, mainly electric. By far the best site I've found for learning acoustic or electric is justinguitar.com - he takes you through from the very first chord to quite complex stuff, it's a super site and free (though he asks for donations or sells additional stuff, can't recommend it highly enough

Are you as good as your 7 guitars suggests?

 

[symyjym]

Are you learning on an acoustic or electric? Either way it's best to play a little everyday if you can find the time. It's far better than just playing it every now and then as it will built up strength in your hands and get your fingers used to holding down the strings when forming chords. Start with learning basic open chords (shapes, sounds, progression from one chord to the next etc) and then learn an easy song and if you learn Pachelbel canon you can pretty much play every pop song ever written!

Good question/point, I think it is best to learn on a steel strung acoustic.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Are you as good as your 7 guitars suggests?

Hmmm, well I used to be ok, played lead in a number of local bands but work got in the way for a number of years and I sadly. Lapsed. However, just over a year ago I took it back up and love it again - enough to reward myself with a new Les Paul last xmas. I guess I'll only be playing for myself, but as long as I enjoy what I'm doing that's fine by me.

 

[symyjym]

Hmmm, well I used to be ok, played lead in a number of local bands but work got in the way for a number of years and I sadly. Lapsed. However, just over a year ago I took it back up and love it again - enough to reward myself with a new Les Paul last xmas. I guess I'll only be playing for myself, but as long as I enjoy what I'm doing that's fine by me.

Sometimes it's good to give it a break and come back to it, and yes life can get in the way of musical ambitions, not to mention band politics

I ended up turning to bass and developed a better style. There are a lot of good guitarists out there who would always be more dedicated than I could ever be, but if you can play bass well you can really compliment them.

 

[FalmerforAll!**]

What kind of music would you like to learn? Any particular songs you'd like to learn?

If I'm honest I'm mostly into 'lad rock' so I've been looking at Arctic Monkeys tutorials so far, although I've decided to heed the advice from here and go through justinguitar.com before I start looking at specific songs.

Cheers for the advice on here everyone, it has been most helpful and I've read it all!

 

[METALMICKY]

This.

Definitely buy the best guitar you can afford, there's nothing more disheartening than a guitar that won't stay in tune, has fret buzz and cheese wire action. Totally agree about the Floyd Rose whammy bars, unless you get a really expensive "proper" one you can kiss goodbye to your guitar ever being in tune for more than five minutes at a time. Also don't be fooled into thinking that if it hasn't got Fender or Gibson written on the headstock it's no good, my current weapons of choice are a Blade Tele and a 1976 Antoria Strat both of which knock spots off the similar priced Fenders.

Absolutely there are plenty of good other makes but read up on the reviews. If you do go the Fender or Gibson route don't get wrapped up in getting USA built guitars as the Jap & Mexican strats are half the price and the Ephiphone Gibson copies are fine.

Of course should you win the lottery you must immediately purchase the following :

A vintage 100 watt Marshall stack
An Ibanez Steve Vai endorsed Jem superstrat
A Yngwie Malmsteen custom Fender Strat
A 59 Gibson Led Paul as owned by Gary Moore
A custom Pete Cornish rack mounted effects unit which under NO circumstances should you operate as your guitar tech should know all your songs and be able to remotely switch them for you off stage whilst you lap up the adulation with your foot on the monitor!!!!!!!!!

 

[SouthCoastOwl]

Absolutely there are plenty of good other makes but read up on the reviews. If you do go the Fender or Gibson route don't get wrapped up in getting USA built guitars as the Jap & Mexican strats are half the price and the Ephiphone Gibson copies are fine.

Of course should you win the lottery you must immediately purchase the following :

A vintage 100 watt Marshall stack
An Ibanez Steve Vai endorsed Jem superstrat
A Yngwie Malmsteen custom Fender Strat
A 59 Gibson Led Paul as owned by Gary Moore
A custom Pete Cornish rack mounted effects unit which under NO circumstances should you operate as your guitar tech should know all your songs and be able to remotely switch them for you off stage whilst you lap up the adulation with your foot on the monitor!!!!!!!!!

Not forgetting:

Frank Zappa's Gibson SG
Eric Clapton's Grey Strat
Dickie Blackhead's White Strat (let's face he doesn't need it anymore 'cause he's away with the fairies and will only now play acoustic instruments built before 1359)
David Gilmour's Black Strat
....and not forgetting any guitar Richard Thompson has touched or even looked at.

 

[Willy Dangle]

Ultimate Guitar and JustinGuitar are the best websites on the internet. Even better than this one.

Agree with this. Also don't be in a haste to learn harder songs. Stick with something very basic and just train your fingers to find the basic chords. If I can do it so can you, I am now progressing well with finger picking but keep at it and don't give up.