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Thread: First few hours of learning and getting familiar with the guitar

  1. #1
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    Default First few hours of learning and getting familiar with the guitar

    Hello!


    Just finished the first two hours of getting use to the instrument and the first octave of G major.

    Tried one chord, the fingers easily touching the strings next to it.

    The little finger is not very usable.

    The left hand finger tips are a bit painful!

    Is pleasure to learn to play after all!


    Have a nice day!

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    It's been a long time, but that sounds so familiar. All that you describe is really quite typical, and will work out over time with practice. The first weeks/months of learning guitar can be a mofo. Have fun!

  3. #3
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    When my son chase started out at around 9 years old I put on a set of 11's on his strat and made him beat his tips to hell and back!! He says to this day that was the best thing for him cause 10's are slinky and bends / hammer ons and pull offs etc.etc. are all easy for him.When he does take time off he never complains about tender fingers!!!

    As stated have fun brother if things get complicated walk away for a spell then hit it hard again Rome was not built in a day. With only a few exeptions Like Duane playing like a hellhound chasing him fresh from the womb! In fact he probably had the riffs to Statesboro Blues worked out before the nurse/doctor could cut the umbilical cord


    Please work on your minor/major scales along with a few others and your cowboy chords and or all major/ minor chords to start learning!! You will get a lot of fulfillment learning them and although challenging a lot of rewardS!

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    Yup, the pinky finger takes awhile to catch up.

    I gravitated to songs/licks that require the pinky and made them a part of my regular practice and warm up routines (i.e., John Frusciante). It helped a lot. Exercising my pinky on my guitar improved my typing at work, which in turn improved my guitar fretting. Once I got some momentum, it was hard to stop it. I saw improvement in strength and flexibility almost daily.

    Sometimes you gotta force yourself to use something until it becomes second nature.
    Nothing is anything until it is written. After that, it's everything.

  5. #5
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    Default First few hours of learning and getting familiar with the guitar

    Practice little & often.

  6. #6
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    Default First few hours of learning and getting familiar with the guitar

    It all comes with time. Put the practice hours in and it will come. The tips of your fingers get tougher. You get quicker finding and changing chords. An your start to enjoy it even more! Keep at it

  7. #7
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    Hello again!


    Thanks for the advices! Yes, as more time put into the instrument, feels slightly better.

    I like the shorter session, more often idea! Actually my decision of getting the guitar is because I have some short sessions every day I can use to practice!

    Have a nice day!

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    Your thread puts a smile on my face. Keep enjoying the time spent learning (we should never stop learning) and playing, and you'll always have "a friend that listens to and expresses your feelings". If you get bored or hunger for variety, there are plenty of resources and we can help point you to them.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Photomike666 View Post
    Practice little & often.
    Damn. This is sage advice.

    I may stencil it on my guitar case.
    Nothing is anything until it is written. After that, it's everything.

  10. #10
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    My pinky finger pointed towards the ring finger, I cannot reach four frets, am I handicap to guitar?

  11. #11
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    Default First few hours of learning and getting familiar with the guitar

    Just practice exercises, ensuring your thumb is lined up behind your middle finger.

    On any string, any fret
    Index 1, middle 2, ring 3, pinky 4

    Play
    1,2,3,4; 1,2,4,3; 1,3,2,4;
    1,3,4,2; 1,4,2,3; 1,4,3,2
    2,1,3,4; 2,1,4,3; 2,3,1,4
    2,3,4,1; 2,4,1,3; 2,4,3,1
    3,1,2,4; 3,1,4,2; 3,2,1,4
    3,2,4,1; 3,4,1,2; 3,4,2,1
    4,1,2,3; 4,1,3,2; 4,2,1,3
    4,2,3,1; 4,3,1,2; 4,3,2,1

    With index on 5th, middle on 6th, ring on 7th & pinky on 8th fret play the following pattern on each string...
    5,7 low e string to high e
    8,6 high e to low e
    7,8 low e to high e
    7,6 high e to low e

    Finger stretch - you may need to start on 7th or 9th to begin with...
    Index on 5th middle on 7th low e to high e and back
    Middle on 6th ring on 8th low e to height e & back
    Ring on 7th, index on 8th low to high & back

    Final power chord index 7th low e, middle 9th a string. Play shuffle feel (bom bom....bom bom) on the forth play with your pinky on the 11th fret of the a string.

    That should help you build some dexterity. Use a metronome!

  12. #12
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    Thanks Mike! Very nice exercise.

    My left hand finger tips feels much better now!

    And the issue of left hand pinky not reaching the fret is...



    Because I want to watch where my finger is at the fret, the guitar was placed at an angle! Problem solved when I put it facing slightly towards the floor!

  13. #13
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    Practice in front of a mirror so you are not looking at fingers......well not directly as in looking down. Learn to hear by buzz flat note etc. when a finger strays or isn't right instead of by sight alone!!! Hope this makes some sense as I am not as articulate lately!!!

  14. #14
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    Default First few hours of learning and getting familiar with the guitar

    Love the mirror idea.

    Best way to get the fingers right is to start very slowly & deliberate in your finger placing. This will build muscle memory, then you speed it up gradually and you fingers will always go to the same spot.

    Don't try & push the speed too early as you will make mistakes & but bad muscle memory.

    Take an open chord progression - A, D & E. practice putting fingers on the chord, play each string individually to ensure they sound right. Take hand off, put back on & repeat. Once you get then ok, start changing chords A to D, A to E, D to E with a metronome.

    Even before you get fast you can start playing songs, which make practice fun. Lets take the most basic progression, A - D - E. play one bar of each chord. Oh, but can't change chords that fast right? Well cheat
    Down strum on beat 1
    Down strum on beat 2
    Change chord on beats 3 & 4
    Repeat for each chord.
    As you get better, play beat 1,2,3 and change on 4. Finally change between 4 & 1
    Speed the metronome up and go back to changing on 2, then 3 4 etc.
    now go back to your original speed, play down strum on 1, up strum on 2, down strum on 3, change on 4. Then down up, down up change before the next up. Speed this up & your there.

    This will allow you to play along with songs without being able to change chords at that speed. You pace will improve with time

  15. #15
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    Thank you so much for the advices!


    It's getting better now regarding the "location" sense, start to know where am I on which string.

    Without going into which note I am playing I just exercise my fingers around the strings and fretboards. And some finger stretching exercises while I am not with the guitar too. This workout well!

    However, I still feel a bit congested, for example the A chord, the ring is too close to the fret, the index is too far away, while the middle is not forced enough on the fret!

  16. #16
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    Default First few hours of learning and getting familiar with the guitar

    Which fingers are you using on which string? I play...
    middle on the D string
    Index on the G string
    Ring on the B string

    This fretting allows easier change to both E & D chords

    It took me a while to get this chord sounding nice, but perceiver and it will happen.

  17. #17
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    Hi Mike, the book show DGB123 so I follow it. Hmmm, let me try yours. Thanks!

  18. #18
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    Default First few hours of learning and getting familiar with the guitar

    Just use the index finger as an anchor point when changing chords, and it slides back I fret as you change to E.

    Check out beginner lessons @ JustinGuitar.com

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