starting question

[BigBadWolf1171]

where do i start? ive toyed with my guitars for 4 yrs, took lessons a few months(i didnt learn much). ive never learned any chords, scales or anything other then playing off tabs. i feel like ive jumped in into the race, skipping the starting point.while i can play off tabs, i cant hold even a semi educated convo with another guitar player, and feel like im lost.i find myself spending hours looking and buying gear and knowing inside its not going to make me a better player. THATS THE PROBLEM! i dont know what to do next, what do i learn? heres a run down of my equipment, as it may help with giving me advise. i have 2 amps both peavey, 1 is a windsor 100 watt tube head i use with a behringer 4x12 cab. the other is a peavey xxl SS 120 watt( with a tube king in the preamp) and a rack mount EQ in the loop, i use a marshall 4x12 cab with it . my guitars are a dean hardtail (with emg's-18 volt) an epi LP standard maple top (emg's- 27 volt), an epi LP studio and a jay turser LP copy, dragon inlay? with a few pedals i dont really use. any help i would greatly appreciate.

[Commodore 64***]

I responded to your intro post with some ideas.

[ted s]

Greeting Wolfie, welcome.
I can recommend 2 good books.

The blue book, "Blues You Can Use", by John Ganapes, published by Hal Leopnard.

and

The green book, "Scale Chord Relationships", by Michael Mueller and Jeff Schroedl, also a Hal Leonard publication.

[@nthony]

BigBadWolfie

Welcome to thefret!

I felt exactly like you until about 3 months ago. I had been playing 10 years, and didn't know anything! I started off getting a basic book, and working my way through that. Going to back to basics is a good thing! It brushes up sloppy technique, and your more prepared for the more complex riffs and styles later.

It takes patience but in my case it's worked wonders.

All the best! @nthony

[BigBadWolf1171]

ted, anthony, thanks for the advise, i got a few booksand videos coming from MF now, should be here tomorrow, im looking forward to getting on track, again thanks !

[mainestratman]

Hi Wolf, and greetings to my fellow new guy. :-)

I really wish I could offer up advice as to where to start or what to do to get better, but I'm not a typical guitar guy, I guess.

I bought a MIJ Strat back in '90, some cheap little T-Power amp, plugged in my SRV and Double Trouble cassette and have been pecking away at it since.

Regardless of what you do and how you learn, I guess my only advice to you (or anyone, new or experienced) is that this is music and the whole point is to HAVE FUN. :-)

Bonne chance.

-Jon

[BigBadWolf1171]

Hi Wolf, and greetings to my fellow new guy. :-)

I really wish I could offer up advice as to where to start or what to do to get better, but I'm not a typical guitar guy, I guess.

I bought a MIJ Strat back in '90, some cheap little T-Power amp, plugged in my SRV and Double Trouble cassette and have been pecking away at it since.

Regardless of what you do and how you learn, I guess my only advice to you (or anyone, new or experienced) is that this is music and the whole point is to HAVE FUN. :-)

Bonne chance.

-Jon

thanks jon, i just got a 3 dvd pack of "metal guitar from the rock house way", checked out the first dvd last night, awesome disc, got a grasp on a few chords and scales within the first 20 mins.
Allen

[kiteman]

thanks jon, i just got a 3 dvd pack of "metal guitar from the rock house way", checked out the first dvd last night, awesome disc, got a grasp on a few chords and scales within the first 20 mins.
Allen

Sounds good. So you're getting into metal?

Music is just like a language. You can learn to "speak" it without learning to read it. Supposed to be the best way, playing by ear but not everybody are blessed with good ears (I'm not). Reading music is good as you'll know what you're doing but hard to be fluent, that comes from experience.

[BigBadWolf1171]

Sounds good. So you're getting into metal?

Music is just like a language. You can learn to "speak" it without learning to read it. Supposed to be the best way, playing by ear but not everybody are blessed with good ears (I'm not). Reading music is good as you'll know what you're doing but hard to be fluent, that comes from experience.

thanks Kite, yes im into metal/hard rock but i have an interest in Blues as well. I surely lack the ears for music ,least i think i do. My guitar situation is odd i believe, while i can read a bit of music and have been playing guitar for a few years, i didnt learn the fundamentals. Ive learned everything from Tab, and while i can play and switch chords, im not aware of what chord im playing, only knowing what the tab tells me to play.As of the last few weeks ive learned about 15 chords with relative ease, its just a matter of memorizing , say...that im playing an A7 when my fingers are in that position etc..
Thanks Allen

[kiteman]

In my case I'm wearing hearing aids so it's no substitute for good ears. I can hear relative and very little pitch recognition so I read music but when the tabs came around it was a relief.

You can use triads as your chord shapes as it's a very basic components of the chords. Then you can add notes to it to define it. I use triads myself and they makes it easier to navigate the fretboard.

I like rock/metal myself and the 70s/80s are my favs.

[BigBadWolf1171]

In my case I'm wearing hearing aids so it's no substitute for good ears. I can hear relative and very little pitch recognition so I read music but when the tabs came around it was a relief.

You can use triads as your chord shapes as it's a very basic components of the chords. Then you can add notes to it to define it. I use triads myself and they makes it easier to navigate the fretboard.

I like rock/metal myself and the 70s/80s are my favs.

IM big into the 80's metal as well. i find playing chords unplugged,sitting on the sofa as i watch TV , a real good learning method, changing back an forth from chord to chord, as it also helps play without staring at the fretboard.Ive also been trying to practice everyday even if its just for an hour as it helps me remember the chords easier.Now if i could just stay focused on finishing a few songs i get 3/4's thru i get started, id be mint

[sekeri]

where do i start? ive toyed with my guitars for 4 yrs, took lessons a few months(i didnt learn much). ive never learned any chords, scales or anything other then playing off tabs. i feel like ive jumped in into the race, skipping the starting point.while i can play off tabs, i cant hold even a semi educated convo with another guitar player, and feel like im lost.i find myself spending hours looking and buying gear and knowing inside its not going to make me a better player. THATS THE PROBLEM! i dont know what to do next, what do i learn? heres a run down of my equipment, as it may help with giving me advise. i have 2 amps both peavey, 1 is a windsor 100 watt tube head i use with a behringer 4x12 cab. the other is a peavey xxl SS 120 watt( with a tube king in the preamp) and a rack mount EQ in the loop, i use a marshall 4x12 cab with it . my guitars are a dean hardtail (with emg's-18 volt) an epi LP standard maple top (emg's- 27 volt), an epi LP studio and a jay turser LP copy, dragon inlay? with a few pedals i dont really use. any help i would greatly appreciate.

I think you should support your playing with some music theory and guitar improvisation lessons

[Moander]

BigBadWolf... I'm a nubsausage here also...

I used to teach. I had 14 students a week, and I maintained about that number for over 2 years....I'm a 70's and 80's hard rocker, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, etc and yadda....

When I used to teach regularly, beginners, which I would initially consider you, it went this way......

Use an acoustic guitar if possible. This builds hand strength you simply cannot build on an electric. and fatigue means you're done playing, and that's no fun.

Get a good chord dictionary. I like the ones that show a D chord using only four strings, having the 5th and 6th strings marked off with an X. I've seen some newer dictionaries, and they seem to have a 'newer' way... the 4 string D is the classic, every guitarist knows this way to play it.

Learn your open chords, what we call the cowboy chords. C, D, E, F, G, and A.

D, C, G get you Sweet Home Alabama, a tried and true, beat into-the-ground tune, but roll with this... besides, strummed differently, it's like 400 other popular songs.....

These, my friend, you gotta memorize. No way around it, assuming you want to know your craft.

Each string listed as included in the chord needs to ring, and be heard. Each and every one the book says is included. Get this point right before anything else. You may adjust your hand vs. how you currently play a particular chord now... make it so.

Once you get the chords to sound good, then worry about changing/switching.

Last I'll go into here, is switching, and an exercise to help with speed....

Using C and D , and being able to count to 4

Play and hold C, where each note is heard, ie; correctly.
Same for D.

Back to C, but, strum once, as you strum, you count '1', let go of the chord and begin to set up the D. The jedi mind trick, is to have it all set up, ready to strum, on the next 1 count.....

So: C, 2,3,4 D, 2,3,4, C,2,3,4 etc and yadda.

So you stay interested, after a few, pick another two chords, lather, rinse repeat.

Youl'll have pairs that work easy together, another pair that are a pain. Learn 'em.

Once you get the 4 count down on any pair, add a 3rd chord.

After 3 chords, change 4 count to a 3 count.

C, 2,3, D, 2,3, keeping the time interval approx the same. It IS cheating if you slow down the 3 count

Take three chords to a 1 count.......

At this point, you use:
E, D, A, and play some Communication Breakdown, by Led Zeppelin.

Along this path, as you see fit, add in the Minor variants of the chords.

Only Two Barre Chord forms are really necessary for a few months....

Scales, are notes from a chord. Thats all. What to do with those notes, and when, is the tricky part for most of us

Scales are for down the road. You may have skill that is beyond this, but, you should 'go back' and become edumacated

The best scale book I can recommend, and is still in print:
'Scales and Modes in the Beginning', by Ron Middlebrook

http://www.amazon.com/Scales-Modes-B.../dp/0898981514

This book alone, will make it easy for you to understand Pentatonic Scales, Blues Scales, Modes, and much more, in a 'omg I can grasp this' way. But, it's assumed you know those chords !!!!

Chords are covered, but it's not a dictionary.

Over time, with that dictionary, learn other forms of say A Minor, and all those 'cowboy' chords.....you can play G in like a million places, each sounding tonally different, without playing a Barre chord......

Thats about your next 10 years of learning, between 2 books, and an hour or three a night.

Add in those DVD's, other books, and you should be all silly in no time.... just, spend no more money on books, tapes, DVD's, yoga, just get the 2 books I recommended, and go for it.


EDIT: Actually, the online chord dictionary linked to here on this site is precisely what you want....!!!!!!

http://www.howtotuneaguitar.org/chords/ - Chord Dictionary

[Commodore 64***]

Great post Moander, lot of info there for someone like me too.

[Tig***]

I'll post this for any and all beginners.

Meet this excellent instructor, Arlen Roth. He has a free 7 part series, "Beginning Electric Guitar", that has everything you'll need to get started. By lesson 7, you'll have an excellent foundation and will enjoy the sounds and progress you are making.

Chapter 1: Understanding the Guitar

Chapter 2: Strings and Basic Chords

Chapter 3: Chords, Chords, Chords

Chapter 4: Scales, Picking, and Strumming

Chapter 5: Hammer-ons, Pull-offs, and Slides

Chapter 6: Rhythm and Playing Licks

Chapter 7: Single Note Playing and Putting It All Together