# Learning Guitar



## ScrubWolf (Jan 14, 2010)

I was given a guitar a couple of years ago and its been sitting in the closet gathering dust. I'm currently unemployed, so I have lots of time on my hands. I don't have money for lessons at the moment, but can anyone recommend a good book to learn some basics?

And a follow up question. Would anyone recommend learning to read music or can I get by with tableture? Pros/cons?


----------



## kimikoakita (Jan 15, 2010)

I got by my first year or two just on tabs, but they'll only get you so far.  If you have a local adult school program they'll usually offer cheap/free lessons that are super helpful.  Tabs don't really help much when it comes to chords.  Eventually, I'd take a class or two, or make some talented friends who have the free time to help you out.


----------



## Qoph (Jan 15, 2010)

Yeah, I'd recommend a class, community college or something like that.


----------



## Takun (Jan 15, 2010)

Well I had already had about 6-7 years of trombone before I started playing guitar so I could already read sheet music.  I found tabs to be way better for starting out on the guitar and especially for chords.  The thing is, you can get the same note on multiple strings, so if a song is tabbed correctly you will be given the same string the artist is using.  This only really effects the timbre of the music but it can be the difference between a dark tone and a lighter tone that sounds unfitting.

Starting books?  No idea really.  I've used two and both were pretty good.  Are you wanting to learn classical fingerstyle or more rock guitar?  

I second finding a cheap teacher.  They can keep you away from bad habits and teach you some theory as you go as well.


----------



## Shred Uhh Sore Us (Jan 15, 2010)

it really depends on how far you want to go with it and what you want to know. thats the great thing about it, there is nothing youre _required_ to learn, it depends on what you _want_ to learn. but at first i would recommend sticking to tabs, just to get yourself used to the guitar until your comfortable enough to take it further. work on getting your hands and fingers loosened up, stretching your fingers, working on your accuracy and dexterity, but start small. dont try to jump into something too advanced, if something frustrates you, try something easier, or slow it down. start with some basic exercises, learn a few scales and use those to 'work out' your fingers. 

honestly, i really dont recommend using a book to learn to play. you can find basic information online, ill link you to a few pages at the end of this post(ive been wanting to give beginner guitar lessons for a while now so i may go on for a minute haha). everyone plays their guitar a little differently, especially when the style of music is different, so a book cant really teach YOU how to play, you have to teach yourself how YOU play, these links will be your aid in this. once you have the basics down everything past that depends on you. go at your own speed, dont try to rush things, and dont get frustrated when you cant do something. THIS IS *THE MOST. IMPORTANT. PART.(PERIOD.)* i can never stress that enough. as long as you keep working at it and keep practicing(dont neglect your guitar, it likes being played ;p). as long as you keep at it, youll see improvements. if you stay at it everyday, 6 months from now youll look back and be like, 'damn...that really wasnt all that hard'. 

bookmark both of these sites, the first one will really be the only one you'll use for a while, its pretty legit. it will tell you everything that a book will if not more, and you dont even have to spend money(well, unless you print out pages, then i guess cost of the paper and ink hah). the second will give you a pretty good understanding of music theory(but its not something you can just pick up over night, you have to take that slow too). it goes deeper into scales and chords than the first one does and covers a bit more ground. both are really good sites.

http://musiced.about.com/od/beginnersguide/a/gbasics.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/theory/theory.htm

also, get all of your tabs from here.
no exceptions.
well, i guess you dont have to, but i wouldnt recommend going elsewhere.
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/

oh and i almost forgot, the most important thing you have to do is have fun!
lol that sounded so cheesy.



</rant>


----------



## Zee Skunkeh! (Jan 15, 2010)

Find another guitarist!

I'm not even kidding, any real guitarist, any real musician loves to help someone else out. Even if it's just a few chords, most musicians I know are willing to help you out in their spare time. I've gotten lessons from Dave fucking Viterna, who you've never heard of, I'm sure, but he's the most amazing guitarist I've ever personally seen*. The dude plays Hendrix and Allman like it was nothing.

*Exception may possibly be Chuck DeRose


----------



## ARF_the_fox (Jan 16, 2010)

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/lessons/

Happy playing.


----------



## Tudd (Jan 16, 2010)

Shred Uhh Sore Us said:


> it really depends on how far you want to go with it and what you want to know. thats the great thing about it, there is nothing youre _required_ to learn, it depends on what you _want_ to learn. but at first i would recommend sticking to tabs, just to get yourself used to the guitar until your comfortable enough to take it further. work on getting your hands and fingers loosened up, stretching your fingers, working on your accuracy and dexterity, but start small. dont try to jump into something too advanced, if something frustrates you, try something easier, or slow it down. start with some basic exercises, learn a few scales and use those to 'work out' your fingers.
> 
> honestly, i really dont recommend using a book to learn to play. you can find basic information online, ill link you to a few pages at the end of this post(ive been wanting to give beginner guitar lessons for a while now so i may go on for a minute haha). everyone plays their guitar a little differently, especially when the style of music is different, so a book cant really teach YOU how to play, you have to teach yourself how YOU play, these links will be your aid in this. once you have the basics down everything past that depends on you. go at your own speed, dont try to rush things, and dont get frustrated when you cant do something. THIS IS *THE MOST. IMPORTANT. PART.(PERIOD.)* i can never stress that enough. as long as you keep working at it and keep practicing(dont neglect your guitar, it likes being played ;p). as long as you keep at it, youll see improvements. if you stay at it everyday, 6 months from now youll look back and be like, 'damn...that really wasnt all that hard'.
> 
> ...



Tab when you're first learning is good, but don't use it as a crutch. 

Idealy you should be able to listen to a song and be able to fool around on your guitar and figure it out.

The single most important aspect is regular practice.


----------



## Aeturnus (Jan 16, 2010)

Practice, practice, practice. For the most part that's all you need to know. You can take a class or you can learn on your, either way you gotta practice.


----------



## TakeWalker (Jan 16, 2010)

Do classes focus on reading music? I've tried to learn how no less than three separate times in my life, and I'm entirely incapable of it. I want to pick up guitar myself, which is why I'm asking, given the advice here so far.


----------



## Tudd (Jan 16, 2010)

TakeWalker said:


> Do classes focus on reading music? I've tried to learn how no less than three separate times in my life, and I'm entirely incapable of it. I want to pick up guitar myself, which is why I'm asking, given the advice here so far.



You can play guitar without it, but there IS logic behind why certain notes sound good together.

If you begin to understand that, you can create more complex pieces.

All depends where you want to go with it.


----------



## Takun (Jan 16, 2010)

TakeWalker said:


> Do classes focus on reading music? I've tried to learn how no less than three separate times in my life, and I'm entirely incapable of it. I want to pick up guitar myself, which is why I'm asking, given the advice here so far.



Learn how to read sheet music?  Yeah they should.  It's really not that hard.  Reading music is the easy part, it's all the other theory that starts to get hard.  Still working on picking out multiple intervals by ears myself.  It's really rewarding though.


----------



## TakeWalker (Jan 17, 2010)

Takumi_L said:


> Learn how to read sheet music?  Yeah they should.  It's really not that hard.  Reading music is the easy part, it's all the other theory that starts to get hard.  Still working on picking out multiple intervals by ears myself.  It's really rewarding though.



I've gotten into a smattering of theory, when I was taking voice lessons. I figure, if I know how to figure out what sounds good, and how to make chords, then I don't really need to know what this black dot means when it's on that line. I'm sure that's doing it the hard way, of course, but I think it could be done. All the music I've ever played in my life has been learned by ear. :|


----------



## ScrubWolf (Jan 18, 2010)

Takumi_L said:


> *snip*
> 
> Starting books?  No idea really.  I've used two and both were pretty good.  Are you wanting to learn classical fingerstyle or more rock guitar?
> 
> I second finding a cheap teacher.  They can keep you away from bad habits and teach you some theory as you go as well.



I'd like to be able to play some Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Eagles, that sort of thing. So, I'm not sure which classification these would fall under.

I think I will probably have to find a cheap teacher. Something I failed to mention in the first post: both of my pinky fingers are, for lack of a better word, deformed. They both curve inward at the tip which makes it hard to reach some notes (I know like 2 chords ). My other fingers and thumbs are normal though. So, I think an inexpensive teacher would probably be able to show me some alternative ways to get to notes that I can't reach normally.


----------



## Tudd (Jan 18, 2010)

you'd be looking for the rock style.

The key to solving your pinky issue is developing finger strength, keep playing and using that finger and dont be afraid to push it till its weak. Once the muscles that control your pinky are stronger, you'll find it will be more of a non-issue.


----------

