Guitar ?
 

How hard is it to learn the Guitar ?

I can play nothing atmo but would say i am pretty good with my hands :o


Any advice welcome :bouncy:

[Edited on 25-1-2006 by Totto]

Not as hard as the didgeridoo.

It's a bit like asking "how long is a piece of string"

If you just want to learn to strum a chord or two to wail along too it doesn't take long at all.

If you want to play seriously it takes a lifetime 'cos you never stop learning

A piece of string is of equal length from each end to the middle!:D

True , but is the Guitar a hard instrument to learn the basics on ?

Dont like the sound of ( Strum) play sounds more acceptable , how hard to get to PLAY ?

[Edited on 25-1-2006 by Totto]

The basics are easy (if I can do it being deaf, then most can). Its the reading music to play properly that I don't have the time for. That said, if you have the time and are reasonably "tuneful" (I'm not) then its easier than most instruments to learn.

Do you wan't to play electric/accoustic?
What sort of music you wan't to play classical, blues, rock?

If you wan't to play the electric guitar and modern rock (loads of power chords) it's going to be easier and quicker to learn than if you wan't to play the accoustic classically.
I'd say most people with lessons and practise could play a reasonable tune after 12 months, but as Jools says if you want to be good it takes forever as you never stop learning, people like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani etc practice for hours a day every day.
Most important thing to remember is even Eric Clapton didn't sound like Eric Clapton after 12 months so don't be dishartened if you don't either :D

Some inspiration fom my favorite here
and no I can't play like that :(

Darren

Interested in the Accoustic guitar , just looking into it atmo

thanks all so far :D

I remember starting playing at the same time as my best friend over 25 years ago, and he picked it up very quickly but I took to it more slowly. A lot depends on how good your ear is, if you can learn by ear you will progress very quickly. I have friends that can copy passages they hear almost instantly whereas it takes me for ever to learn a piece. Once you get to a certain level it gets more interesting as you start to pick things up at a quicker pace. A lot of people dont peservere though and give up too soon.

After my kids and the bikes its my favourite pastime, we gig quite regurlarly and for me its as much about having a good night out with my mates and making a load of noise and getting paid for it. This last saturday we played in a local pub and were supposed to play just 2 sets at 45 minutes each. We ended up playing 4 sets and I finally put my guitar down at 4.15 am! The singer and the drummer did an acoustic set after I left that carried on til 6.30 am! We got free beer from 4pm to 6am and the landlord paid us double the agreed fee! A night to remember for sure. We enjoy it that much we would and quite often do it for nothing.

You dont need to be able to read music unless you go in a classical direction, most music for guitar is available in 'tab' form which makes learning songs a doddle. I have loads of old guitar mags in the loft if you need to borrow any. The are handy as they have lessons in ranging from beginner to advanced. Most have cds with them as well so you can hear how it should sound.

Give it a go and try and set yourself a target. ie play a certain song within 6 months?

I'd buy a good guitar as your first, not in the £1000's but around £250-£400 for a nice accoustic. Yamaha do some nice ones at reasonable money.
My first guitar was a cheap thing and I would get alot of fret buzz in various places on the neck, thought it was my bad playing till I brought a better guitar and it went away :D

Darren

Yup, I agree with Darren (Les Paul). Funnily enough it's easier to make an reasonable electric guitar than it is to make a reasonable acoustic, so while you can buy an electric like a Fender Telecaster (electric) copy for around £150 notes that, although it's never going to be a great guitar, will be quite playable, you'll need to spend a couple of hundred quid more to get the same playability out of an acoustic.

Don't skimp though. If you fall into the trap of buying a cruddy old plywood acoustic with a crap tone and strings that are four inches above the fingerboard on the basis that 'a cheap one will do to learn on', then your kidding yourself. A guitar like that will fight you all the way as you try and learn on it, even an experienced player would have a hard time making it sound good so you'll just find it very demotivating. It would be a bit like learning to ride smoothly on a bike that had a jerky throttle, knackered shock absorbers and false neutrals everywhere.

If you're going acoustic, far better to spend £300-400 on a half decent guitar 'cos then if you don't get on with it you can always eBay it and get a reasonable amount back

Showing someone Steve Vai who,s intrested in starting to play the guitar is like showing a video of Valentino Rossi at Phillip Island in 2003 to someone doing there CBT:lol:

I agree with everything thats been said regarding equipment.I started playing at around 14 with no help or music in the family.Not brilliant tone wise either but practiced,read alot and met other players and with huge enthusiasm i came on fast.Did the lot up to about 22.Studio work live work chasing record deals,etc.Got into Steve Vai around 1985 through his work in Guitar player magazine and Frank Zappa.Anyway burnt out on it a bit and haven,t really bothered for 18 years until my 12 year old recording and asked me to teach him.Really getting back into it again now but only for pleasure

What a different world to learn in now.Dvd,internet sites [try finding a video of Steve Vai in 1985] tablature programs make it alot easier.My lad has been playing fairly leasurely for 6 months and his progress is very rewarding.He is into Green Day etc and is capable of playing When september ends to a competent standard in that time if that gives you some idea.Obviously i can show him exactly what to do but that should give you some idea

Enthusiasm is worth alot to

All the best

Now your talking my language,

Smoke on the water will take you 2 mins to learn,Status Quo about 3 mins,its the classical stuff thats the clever stuff as for your first guitar and amp,i would agree with Les Paul (now i know why your called that)Yamaha but have a look at Squire (Fender)stratocaster for a good allrounder £100-£150 and maybe a Marshall MG series or AVT series.
Unfortunatly one of the first things that you will have to learn is also one of the most difficult things to master ie the bar cord.

Anyone interested in forming a DSC band???????????The Desmo's?????????

Taught my lad the 6 string and 5 string bar chords as his 1st lesson.None of this open string nancy boy stuff.He moaned like hell for the first week untill he heard Smoke on the water and realised he would be able to make that much noise if he could hold them down and change the shape quick enough:lol:
7 basic chords and you have the basis of most simple rock albums.

If you're anywhere near Manchester, count me in! I'm looking to join/start a band at the moment. Anyone need a rock guitarist?

Might have to start a new topic on this one,but i'm too far away but i'm sure that there are nearer guys.

2 Strats'62 repro and '94 with EMG's
Les paul deluxe
Tele
Tom Anderson
Marshall TSL122 and AVT100
Rivera R55

And next to b*gger all talent

What about gettin one of those AIR guitars they seem like a piece of **** to play....:eureka:

Now that I could manage :D

Almost as much gear as me... ;)

Electrics:

Squier JV 62 Strat in Fiesta Red with David White Old Glories pickups
Fender USA Standard Strat in Midnight Wine
Gibson Les Paul Standard in Heritage Cherry Sunburst
Gibson Les Paul Junior Special in Cherry Red
Jim Reed Ash Tele
Parker P-38 in translucent green
Gordon Smith SG1 in translucent cherry
Gordon Smith GS1 with Bareknuckle Warpig pickup
Re-bodied Patrick Eggle Berlin with P-90s
Jackson DKMG in black

Amps/effects:

Marshall JTM60 2x12 with match 2x12 extension cab
Maxon OD-9 overdrive
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man
MXR EVH Phase 90 Phaser

Acoustics:

Yamaha LW5
Martin J-15
Martin J12-15
Aria AW-75T in black

Yes, it is too much(!!!) so I'll be sticking a couple of the electrics on eBay in the near future!

Anyone want to buy a really nice Les Paul? Its a 1980 Standard heritage Elite. Gibsons first reissue of the 1959 standard. Comes with Gibson case etc. Previous owner for some reason changed the original aged nickel plated bridge for a shiny chrome one. Which makes the guitar worth less than the nice one that went for £2400 on ebay before xmas. No sensible offer refused. Dont gig it anymore as I darent leave it lying around in some of the holes we gig at!

Reviews below

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guita...0_Elite-1.html

By the way the prices they quote are what they paid 20 odd years ago!

[Edited on 26-1-2006 by MARTIN H]

Blimey twinfan,thats a whole shop full,i did have more but my kids have releived me of several of my guitars including all my basses and my fave 5 string fretless and Trace elliot amps but there not getting my Flugel horn or any of myputt putts yet.

Blimey I thought I was doing well with
Les Paul Standard,
Strat 70's reissue
Ovation semi accoustic
Obviously must try harder :o:D

Darren

Hmmm....yes, the old gear collection lark.

I've pared down a lot of my stuff, but I still have in order of favourites:

1973 Rickenbacker 4001 - my first 'real' bass and for a long time my only bass, bought in 1976 and of immense sentimental 'never sell it' value to me.

1990's Patrick Eggle Milan 5 string - fitted with EMG P and EMG J soapbars, defretted and fettled into gorgeousness by Martin Petersen at The Gallery. This has my main gigging bass for the last 5 years

1990's Palm Bay 4 string - very pretty small bodied 24 fret bass with a honey coloured birds eye maple cap on a mahogany body, maple bolt on neck, PJ active PU's. Use it as my main fretted bass when I'm too wary of taking the Ricky

2001 Fender Jazz 5 string - Bought it as a fretted 5 string but don't like it that much, it's a ******* to play so I use it as my practise bass on the basis that other basses feel much easier to play after this beast.

2002 Crafter 4 string Acoustic - a cheapo acoustic bass that's good to have lying around for when I can't be arsed to get the amps out.

Play all these through a Line 6 Bass Pod pro modelling pre-amp, a soundtech 2 x 400 W stereo power amp and a couple of David Eden cabinets.

That's it now I've owned and got rid of a couple of Precisions, a 1970's Jazz (never been much of a Fender bass lover), a Gibson Thunderbird and a Guild 301.

Still need a clear out though, there are still a couple of keyboards kicking about, PA equipment and a nearly new Yamaha 24 channel mixer that sits under my bed and was only used a few times before a couple of people in the band I was playing with moved to Wales.

It's a lot of stuff to have now that I'm bandless and haven't gigged for nearly a year

I'm bandless and have never gigged seriously :o I'm a home user, but at the moment I'm feeling the need to gig before I get old!

Anyone know the best place to advertise to find/start a band?

Back of guitarist mag or total guitar I'd have thought, wish I could play well enough to join a band and gig :(

Darren

Twinfan, you could try looking in your local guitar shops as they often have small ads placed for people wanting guitarists etc.

Darren, trust me you don't have to be able to play that well to play in a band. I'm a fine example of that! I played bass in a few bands many years ago and was pretty bad but always wanted to play guitar so I practiced a bit and got in touch with the bloke who sang in the band I was in many years ago and got my current band together (with me now on guitar). We have been going for 5 years now and gig quite often. We always go down very well and play a mixture of what I like to think drunk people in pubs like to hear. My playing has improved a lot through actually playing in a band but I still see other guitarists and think all of them play better than me. Wheras others tell me I am good I always feel a bit like an imposter. I have a couple of mates who are brilliant guitarists at home but have never played in a band and probably never will which is a shame. It is always easier if possible to join/start a band with mates rather than strangers as there is less pressure on you. I would hate to have to audition for a band where I did not know anyone, it would terrify me.

You need to learn some Keyboard skills first,looking at the e-mails you send me!!:D

I could play the flute!:D

Ive been playing for 5 years,so still very much a beginner.Its frustrating and amazing at the same time,sometimes you feel like hitting the wall with the damm thing,but when you master a couple of chords and can change them fluently its a real buzz.Choice of guitar makes a real difference,the string height(action),neck width/thickness,gauge of strings.Try as many as you can,look for one that feels comfortable.The guitar on the left in pic,a Norman cost about £200,the one on the right a Martin cost nearly 10 times as much,yet I find the Norman much easier to play.