SA Footy

Anyone got any tips for a musical novice starting to play the acoustic guitar? I’ve just bought my first one and keen to hear if anyone else plays and has any suggestions. Ill be teaching myself no lessons.

Footy Smart wrote:Anyone got any tips for a musical novice starting to play the acoustic guitar? I’ve just bought my first one and keen to hear if anyone else plays and has any suggestions. Ill be teaching myself no lessons.

You tube is your friend......

I tried the same thing about 18 months ago. I learned that I really didnt have the patience to do it alone.

Havent picked up the guitar in about 12 months. I learnt a few chords off Youtube, but totally forgotten now. Stick at it, even when its tedious as f**k. I couldn't do it.

Gotta sucker my mate who's pretty talented to try to teach me at some point.

HH3 wrote:I tried the same thing about 18 months ago. I learned that I really didnt have the patience to do it alone.

Havent picked up the guitar in about 12 months. I learnt a few chords off Youtube, but totally forgotten now. Stick at it, even when its tedious as f**k. I couldn't do it.

Gotta sucker my mate who's pretty talented to try to teach me at some point.

Yeah im committed to learning it. A mate said to start with just learning the base chords G D Em C. So im working why way through them.

I have nailed smoke on the water

Good topic mate. Patience ( not the GnR song ) is certainly the key.

I did 3 years of bass at high school, jammed with a few work mates for several years covering Greenday, Living End, Hendrix...anything that was fairly basic and we wrote a few original numbers, this from about 99-2005. Changed jobs and lost contact with those guys. As such, sitting playing bass on your own isn't much fun.

Picked up a 3/4 acoustic from a mate, played on and off with it for a few months around 08-12 and then put it down. I regret not touching it much over the last 2-3 years and I've started to pick it up again three of four times a week in the last couple of months. Really enjoying it.

I guess it depends what you want to get out of it. If you want to be able to take yourself to another place, strum a few chords and chill on your own as noted above Youtube is great. There's plenty of sites to check out for music, free-tabs.com , tabs4acoustic.com etc etc.

Lessons can be expensive, mates with know how are great but can teach you bad habits.

My advice, if I'm in a position to offer any, is this, 10 minutes a day is infinitely more important to your development than 1 hour a week.

Check out JustinGuitar--
http://www.justinguitar.com/

Like a few have mentioned, Youtube is a fantastic resource for learning about most facets of guitar play, as well as the ins and outs of the instrument itself.

I'm pretty much self-taught (aside from a few starter lessons from a family friend), and I eventually started reading tablature. However, my technique is shitty, but I can occasionally make some cool sounds.

I went at my own pace, and I even joined a band before I was ready. This was critical to me, because I had to really try to catch up to guys who were obviously way more advanced.

Good tips, esspecially that 10 mins a day over 1 hour session a week. I had a good session last night and man my finger tips are killing me today Im starting with chord progression - moving between say EGDA. My brother in law who is a few weeks ahead of me in development said this will help with the start of wonderwall and a heap of other songs. So im thinking if i can some chord progression and then start some strumming patterns each session, ill can then slowely merge the two. easy as that right? Ill keep you posted how I go.

Ive already found some good Youtube tutes, the biggest thing for me is with the young kid, wife and labrador I dont have that big chuck of time I can just sit down with it and play around and get comfy with the guitar in hand.

Footy Smart wrote:Good tips, esspecially that 10 mins a day over 1 hour session a week. I had a good session last night and man my finger tips are killing me today Im starting with chord progression - moving between say EGDA. My brother in law who is a few weeks ahead of me in development said this will help with the start of wonderwall and a heap of other songs. So im thinking if i can some chord progression and then start some strumming patterns each session, ill can then slowely merge the two. easy as that right? Ill keep you posted how I go.

Ive already found some good Youtube tutes, the biggest thing for me is with the young kid, wife and labrador I dont have that big chuck of time I can just sit down with it and play around and get comfy with the guitar in hand.

Nirvana's 'About a Girl' and Green Day's 'Brain Stew' are great starter songs too.

Failed Creation wrote:

Footy Smart wrote:Good tips, esspecially that 10 mins a day over 1 hour session a week. I had a good session last night and man my finger tips are killing me today Im starting with chord progression - moving between say EGDA. My brother in law who is a few weeks ahead of me in development said this will help with the start of wonderwall and a heap of other songs. So im thinking if i can some chord progression and then start some strumming patterns each session, ill can then slowely merge the two. easy as that right? Ill keep you posted how I go.

Ive already found some good Youtube tutes, the biggest thing for me is with the young kid, wife and labrador I dont have that big chuck of time I can just sit down with it and play around and get comfy with the guitar in hand.

Nirvana's 'About a Girl' and Green Day's 'Brain Stew' are great starter songs too.

Greenday, AC/DC, Powderfinger all have some nice basic chord progressions to work with.

@Footy Smart , it's a good feeling waking up and your finger tips feel like they've touched a hot plate!

Booney wrote:

Failed Creation wrote:

Footy Smart wrote:Good tips, esspecially that 10 mins a day over 1 hour session a week. I had a good session last night and man my finger tips are killing me today Im starting with chord progression - moving between say EGDA. My brother in law who is a few weeks ahead of me in development said this will help with the start of wonderwall and a heap of other songs. So im thinking if i can some chord progression and then start some strumming patterns each session, ill can then slowely merge the two. easy as that right? Ill keep you posted how I go.

Ive already found some good Youtube tutes, the biggest thing for me is with the young kid, wife and labrador I dont have that big chuck of time I can just sit down with it and play around and get comfy with the guitar in hand.

Nirvana's 'About a Girl' and Green Day's 'Brain Stew' are great starter songs too.

Greenday, AC/DC, Powderfinger all have some nice basic chord progressions to work with.

@Footy Smart , it's a good feeling waking up and your finger tips feel like they've touched a hot plate!

I've got blisters on me fingers!

Booney wrote:

Failed Creation wrote:

Footy Smart wrote:Good tips, esspecially that 10 mins a day over 1 hour session a week. I had a good session last night and man my finger tips are killing me today Im starting with chord progression - moving between say EGDA. My brother in law who is a few weeks ahead of me in development said this will help with the start of wonderwall and a heap of other songs. So im thinking if i can some chord progression and then start some strumming patterns each session, ill can then slowely merge the two. easy as that right? Ill keep you posted how I go.

Ive already found some good Youtube tutes, the biggest thing for me is with the young kid, wife and labrador I dont have that big chuck of time I can just sit down with it and play around and get comfy with the guitar in hand.

Nirvana's 'About a Girl' and Green Day's 'Brain Stew' are great starter songs too.

Greenday, AC/DC, Powderfinger all have some nice basic chord progressions to work with.

@Footy Smart , it's a good feeling waking up and your finger tips feel like they've touched a hot plate!

my finger tips feel like they have 100 paper cuts on them

Cheers for the other starter songs. Im heading away with my brother in law this weekend so hopefully get some good guitar time in. And a few beers of course

I'm sure that the more you drink the better you will sound!

mickey wrote:I'm sure that the more you drink the better you will sound!

And my singing will drown the guitar out..... ill probably just end up playing the air guitar

My tip = red wine. Always makes you play better.

Nirvana Pearl Jam Live Grinspoon Powderfinger Beatles mostly very easy songs to learn as a new starter.

Leave the Tool stuff to later.


YOutube is your friend for any songs you want to learn these days.


KEy to a good guitar player is not knowing the chords its how you strum the guitar.