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how to play guitar, properly


cloud90

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Hi guys,

Firstly, , forgive me if i have posted in the wrong section or so. To start off, i have always wanted to play the guitar. I have been on and off it for the past 2 years. My problem, is kind hard to explain. I have learnt everything from youtube, so far. I can play a few songs and i have learnt some theory (like chords and stuff)off youtube channels such as justinsandercole and lypur (piano/music theory). It's all been good and all, but i just feel like i am not being able to know the guitar, properly. Like, learning the theory stuff from justinsandercole's vids are good and all but i just feel like i'm learning these ideas but i just don't know how or if i will ever implement them (you guys prob think im crazy lol), esp as i am going along. For example, i would learn a chord or something and practice it etc, but then after, i would be like "now, what? what do i do with it?"

I have learnt songs off youtube but i feel, like im only learning how to play songs. I feel like i only know the guitar through song tutroials off youtube. Other than that, i don't feel like i know, know the guitar (if that makes sense). You know how some guys can just randomly sit at a guitar and just play about and make up something that sounds alright, i would love to know the guitar enough to reach that stage. It's like when i approach a guitar, i feel limited as i don't feel like i know, the guitar properly and i don't know how to do anything but those 3 or 4 songs i learnt off youtube. Or maybe, it's all in my head. Please, help guys frown.png

My main aims are; to be able to get to that stage as mentioned above -to be KNOW (as mentioned above)and be able to Play the guitar -to know how to play the guitar -to be able to make my own proper songs using the guitar -maybe to learn how to play via ear

I dunno, maybe i just need some sort of direction or something. I really want to be good at the guitar. I used to practice at least 2 hrs a day. I just need help, guys. I am ready to put in the work in.

Thanks!

Much appreciated. Oh yeah, lessons are out of the question as i can't afford them atm lol

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You must find a competent college educated music teacher and take lessons. Tell him what your goals are and what you wish to accomplish. Show him what you are capable of at this point. If he is good, he will set strict deadlines and force you to practice consistently everyday. Youtube is a great source of information, but it is one-sided and a good teacher instills discipline and will demand nothing but the best from you.

 

He is like the doctor that prescribes regiment and focus that you play the music flawlessly because he WILL be judging your progress. Youtube and the computer cannot constructively criticize your playing and show you where improvement is needed.

 

Though I am far from professional, the teachers I learned the most from were the harshest.

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You must find a competent college educated music teacher and take lessons. Tell him what your goals are and what you wish to accomplish. Show him what you are capable of at this point. If he is good, he will set strict deadlines and force you to practice consistently everyday. Youtube is a great source of information, but it is one-sided and a good teacher instills discipline and will demand nothing but the best from you.

 

He is like the doctor that prescribes regiment and focus that you play the music flawlessly because he WILL be judging your progress. Youtube and the computer cannot constructively criticize your playing and show you where improvement is needed.

 

Though I am far from professional, the teachers I learned the most from were the harshest.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, i am unable to afford a teacher so for now, i have to rely solely on the Internet :(

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Unfortunately, i am unable to afford a teacher so for now, i have to rely solely on the Internet :(

 

In that case it is possible to improve but you have to practice consistently, but since you have no one to judge your progress objectively it will require your own self motivation. The more you practice, the better you will be. Can you afford a songbook or an instructional book? You need to understand the fundamentals of music before you can effectively improvise and compose. There are tons of great books out there to get your started, teaching both musical notation and songs.

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There are many how to guitar methods out there that are worth while and come with cd's or dvd's that show you the way a piece should sound. How you play is largely determined by the type of music you play. Playing classical or flamenco is drastically different than rock or jazz. You must decide which style you would like to learn and then pick up material for that style of guitar. You don't necessarily need a teacher but I'm sure you can afford a book or two that will get you in the right direction. Writing your own music and playing by ear come with years of practice and a certain amount of skill. There are no shortcuts to that.

 

BigAl

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College educated teacher? Ok. We've all had one of those. Every single poster of the thousands that post here. Well, of the 10's that post here. All of us are educated by someone that has a degree in music, or at least a degree in teaching 3 focking chords to idiots. Good lord.....

 

Youtube is good. Go to any music store in your neighborhood, shell out the 15 buck a half hour if you must, it's not a bad investment.

 

Tell you the truth, you want it.. you'll find a way. You'll learn a c chord, then an f. Then you'll get INTERESTED. When you get interested, you'll do things. If you have any aptitude, you'll learn stuff. You'll hit a roadblock. Then you'll find someone to take you past that. It may be youtube, it may be a teacher, it may be a friend you met AT THE MUSIC STORE YOU TOOK THOSE 2 LESSONS at.

 

You'll find a way, now quit whining and get on the program like anyone else. It ain't rocket science.

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College educated teacher? Ok. We've all had one of those. Every single poster of the thousands that post here. Well, of the 10's that post here. All of us are educated by someone that has a degree in music, or at least a degree in teaching 3 focking chords to idiots. Good lord.....

 

Youtube is good. Go to any music store in your neighborhood, shell out the 15 buck a half hour if you must, it's not a bad investment.

 

Tell you the truth, you want it.. you'll find a way. You'll learn a c chord, then an f. Then you'll get INTERESTED. When you get interested, you'll do things. If you have any aptitude, you'll learn stuff. You'll hit a roadblock. Then you'll find someone to take you past that. It may be youtube, it may be a teacher, it may be a friend you met AT THE MUSIC STORE YOU TOOK THOSE 2 LESSONS at.

 

You'll find a way, now quit whining and get on the program like anyone else. It ain't rocket science.

 

He didn't state that he simply wanted to learn 3 chords. He said he wants to KNOW the guitar and be able to improvise and write compelling tunes. A good, educated and knowledgeable teacher, which is actually not that common, knows HOW to teach the finer details of technique and theory. But seeing how you're trying to kill the forum with the holier than thou remarks like that I suppose you may have succeeded. I guess you earned that gold star congratulations.

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In that case it is possible to improve but you have to practice consistently, but since you have no one to judge your progress objectively it will require your own self motivation. The more you practice, the better you will be. Can you afford a songbook or an instructional book? You need to understand the fundamentals of music before you can effectively improvise and compose. There are tons of great books out there to get your started, teaching both musical notation and songs.

 

 

 

Any books, you recommend?

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You are in a similar predicament than me. But I want to ride a motorbike. You know like those brave souls that saddle up, take off and drive through a daze of corners.

I have learnt about the different engines, the two-strokers and the four-strokers, I have read about choppers, enduros, trials and racers, I have mastered the art of using the dazzling amount of switches on the handlebars and I eveb already kickstarted my 125cc motorbike.

But whatever I do in the backyard of my apartment block, I just can not comprehend what those real bikers do. How they get out on the road, how they effortlessly find those bends.

I would consider getting a professional drag pilot to come out and teach me about those bends, but I can not afford it yet.

Shall I get me another bike?

 

What would you say?

 

I would say: get out and ride what you've got. The only way to learn is to do, better with others than alone. Get out. Join a Jam Session/Pub Gig circle, play, play play.

 

It WILL come to you, once you start playing, trust me!

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He didn't state that he simply wanted to learn 3 chords. He said he wants to KNOW the guitar and be able to improvise and write compelling tunes. A good' date=' educated and knowledgeable teacher, which is actually not that common, knows HOW to teach the finer details of technique and theory. But seeing how you're trying to kill the forum with the holier than thou remarks like that I suppose you may have succeeded. I guess you earned that gold star congratulations.[/quote'] I'm sorry. I.. had an opinion. And truthfully, this whole "killed the forum" .. We'll, if one has to explain things like irony, the different favors of humor, etc., it just makes us all look silly. So if you can get over that, so can I. Really sorry to disagree with you in that way, but even when one says they want to learn "everything" about a given subject, if they fail to learn the basics, either on their own, or with a local non-college educated 20$ a half hour teacher, they will be wasting what precious time they have left on this merry-go-round. First things first, learn to walk, etc. plenty of time to see if you're able to cut it on the basic stuff before you waste a professional teacher's time as well as your own time, not to mention a bit more than 20$ a half, eh?
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Any books, you recommend?

 

If there are specific styles of music you want to play, you can't go wrong with a songbook of that style or a popular artist you really like. You can search on Amazon for specific genre songbooks they have a good selection.

 

What type of music do you want to play?

 

For the theory side, the Guitar Grimoire series is a great tool for showing it laid out on the fretboard, but this is more of a vocabulary book of scales and chords, but they contain a wealth of information.

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If there are specific styles of music you want to play, you can't go wrong with a songbook of that style or a popular artist you really like. You can search on Amazon for specific genre songbooks they have a good selection.

 

What type of music do you want to play?

 

For the theory side, the Guitar Grimoire series is a great tool for showing it laid out on the fretboard, but this is more of a vocabulary book of scales and chords, but they contain a wealth of information.

 

 

 

Honestly, right now i just want to play the guitarr - regardless of genre. Not too fussed about genre atm

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If you want to play the guitar but but don't know what genre you will never learn. Different genres of guitar music are specialized forms in their own right. Honestly, I think you just want someone to hold your hand and guide you through everything. If that's the case, you will never write your own pieces. Guitar requires skill, insight, CREATIVITY, dedication, and desire. Without that, you will get nowhere.

 

BigAl

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If you want to play the guitar but but don't know what genre you will never learn. Different genres of guitar music are specialized forms in their own right. Honestly, I think you just want someone to hold your hand and guide you through everything. If that's the case, you will never write your own pieces. Guitar requires skill, insight, CREATIVITY, dedication, and desire. Without that, you will get nowhere.

 

BigAl

 

 

 

Well, i would like to learn acoustic stuff and eventually make my own stuff

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Hi guys' date='[/size']

I can play a few songs and i have learnt some theory (like chords and stuff)off youtube channels such as justinsandercole and lypur (piano/music theory). It's all been good and all, but i just feel like i am not being able to know the guitar, properly. Like, learning the theory stuff from justinsandercole's vids are good and all but i just feel like i'm learning these ideas but i just don't know how or if i will ever implement them (you guys prob think im crazy lol), esp as i am going along. For example, i would learn a chord or something and practice it etc, but then after, i would be like "now, what? what do i do with it?"

I have learnt songs off youtube but i feel, like im only learning how to play songs. I feel like i only know the guitar through song tutroials off youtube. Other than that, i don't feel like i know, know the guitar (if that makes sense). You know how some guys can just randomly sit at a guitar and just play about and make up something that sounds alright, i would love to know the guitar enough to reach that stage.

 

I'm not really sure I understand the problem you're having. You say you have learned a few songs, which I assume means you can strum or fingerpick a sequence of chords as you sing your way through a song. Mastering that basic ability is certainly one good way to start with the instrument--especially if you want to sing songs. So my main response is just keep doing it for a while.

 

If you want more specific advice, you need to explain more about what you mean when you say you want to "know, know" the guitar. Does you mean that you want to be able to improvise solos over the chords of a given part of a song as part of your performance of the song (making up and playing melodies that fit the chords)? Or do you mean that you would eventually like to be able to hear a song you like and figure out which chords underpin its structure so you can figure out how to play it yourself without following a tutorial on youtube? Or do you mean you want to be able to read a music score or a guitar tablature sheet and know where to put your fingers, etc.? And what kind of songs are we talking about here?

 

I get that eventually you would like to make up your own songs (which, of course, involves making up your own chord progressions, melodies, and guitar licks, etc.).

 

All I can say without more specifics is that all of the is within your reach eventually if for now you keep learning songs and the chords you need to play them. So, if you can't afford a teacher, keep trawling the internet for song and basic skills tutorials. As you learn and keep playing more songs, your basic skills and chord vocabulary (and above all your sense of how songs are put together will grow more or less naturally). Once you can play a lot of songs and have the skills to move your hands around the strings and frets fluently, the theory stuff--especially scales if you want to improvise your own solos--will start to make sense and you should be able to direct yourself more efficiently toward learning the things you need to know to do the things you want to do. One thing you'll start to notice, for example, once you know a bunch of, say, folk and rock songs, is that a lot of songs use the same chord progressions, and that you can play them in different keys (they sound a little different on the guitar and your vocal line will be either higher or lower, but they're still the same song). Chords can go together in a lot of ways, but in the various song genres and tradtions, there are certain ways in which they usually work. Once you know enough of them and have played them for a while, you'll be able hear the progressions of any new songs in the genre you hear. At that point, those theory videos will start to make sense.

 

As others have mentioned, finding a teacher--or at the very least a friend who knows more about playing than you do--is the best way to advance. Videos can do a lot for you, though. The rest is just working at it until your ear and your fingers and your voice start to work naturally together. And then there's the rest of your life to expand and improve.....

 

Louis

 

 

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Hi guys' date='[/size']

Firstly, , forgive me if i have posted in the wrong section or so. To start off, i have always wanted to play the guitar. I have been on and off it for the past 2 years. My problem, is kind hard to explain. I have learnt everything from youtube, so far. I can play a few songs and i have learnt some theory (like chords and stuff)off youtube channels such as justinsandercole and lypur (piano/music theory). It's all been good and all, but i just feel like i am not being able to know the guitar, properly. Like, learning the theory stuff from justinsandercole's vids are good and all but i just feel like i'm learning these ideas but i just don't know how or if i will ever implement them (you guys prob think im crazy lol), esp as i am going along. For example, i would learn a chord or something and practice it etc, but then after, i would be like "now, what? what do i do with it?

 

I don't get it. Justin has a complete beginners course online, plus the whole course to buy. Plus supplementary products. This will take you a fair way. But you won't learn much cherry picking from either his course of the net in general. You need to follow a structure and practice to it. Have you done this? Justin's course has done all the hard work of organising what you need to know - you just have to follow it. And learn as many of the songs as you can. There's no point learning the chords if you're not going to play them.

 

If theory is something to want to get more into, buy his theory book. It's cheap and basic, but that's where you start. There's enough in there while you learn the practical aspects too.

 

But - a lot of guitar is learnt in the playing. Theory can be important, but that alone won't teach you much. Get out and find others to play with. I've only had a few opportunities, but I learnt more (songs, techniques, shortcuts and just getting through tunes) in one afternoon, than I did in a month on my own.

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QUOTE=cloud90;n31256788]Hi guys,

Firstly, , forgive me if i have posted in the wrong section or so. To start off, i have always wanted to play the guitar. I have been on and off it for the past 2 years. My problem, is kind hard to explain. I have learnt everything from youtube, so far. I can play a few songs and i have learnt some theory (like chords and stuff)off youtube channels such as justinsandercole and lypur (piano/music theory). It's all been good and all, but i just feel like i am not being able to know the guitar, properly. Like, learning the theory stuff from justinsandercole's vids are good and all but i just feel like i'm learning these ideas but i just don't know how or if i will ever implement them (you guys prob think im crazy lol), esp as i am going along. For example, i would learn a chord or something and practice it etc, but then after, i would be like "now, what? what do i do with it?"

I have learnt songs off youtube but i feel, like im only learning how to play songs. I feel like i only know the guitar through song tutroials off youtube. Other than that, i don't feel like i know, know the guitar (if that makes sense). You know how some guys can just randomly sit at a guitar and just play about and make up something that sounds alright, i would love to know the guitar enough to reach that stage. It's like when i approach a guitar, i feel limited as i don't feel like i know, the guitar properly and i don't know how to do anything but those 3 or 4 songs i learnt off youtube. Or maybe, it's all in my head. Please, help guys frown.png

My main aims are; to be able to get to that stage as mentioned above -to be KNOW (as mentioned above)and be able to Play the guitar -to know how to play the guitar -to be able to make my own proper songs using the guitar -maybe to learn how to play via ear

I dunno, maybe i just need some sort of direction or something. I really want to be good at the guitar. I used to practice at least 2 hrs a day. I just need help, guys. I am ready to put in the work in.

Thanks!

Much appreciated. Oh yeah, lessons are out of the question as i can't afford them atm lol

 

That's a couple minutes spent writing a whole lot of words about running out of patience. It might even be indicative of who you are as a person. Complicated. You ever hear of KISSing something that seems incomprehensible to you but you do need to know it? KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid.

 

The KISS pie has lots of pieces. You can cut them as small as you want, too. Theory is about as helpful to learning guitar as chin-ups are. Chin-ups actually might be better. Exercise, and all that. So, leave that slice of pie in the pan and move to something that directly applies. Learn major and minor chords (pieces of the pie). Learn how to work the strings - fingerpicking or flatpicking or strumming (also pieces of pie) - and make an attempt to create your own melody. Fer crissake, playing guitar is more about making music than it is copying someone else's stuff because you learn to create. In that manner you'll begin to understand how it all jives more so than robotically hammering out other people's music. It makes you think.

 

Get off the tube completely and understand that learning guitar is a life-long undertaking. There are scadillions of people who've competently finished advanced guitar courses and if it weren't for them they simply would be lost on the instrument. In other owrds, even after all the books, theory, mechanical skills development, they're completely without the musical ability to make music. That's because they don't have musical souls.

 

The musical soul will take three chords and turn it into a pretty good melody. If you don't have that, you're doomed to robotic reproduction of what went before you. Lame and completely uninspiring.

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Get off the tube completely and understand that learning guitar is a life-long undertaking. There are scadillions of people who've competently finished advanced guitar courses and if it weren't for them they simply would be lost on the instrument. In other owrds, even after all the books, theory, mechanical skills development, they're completely without the musical ability to make music. That's because they don't have musical souls.

 

The musical soul will take three chords and turn it into a pretty good melody. If you don't have that, you're doomed to robotic reproduction of what went before you. Lame and completely uninspiring.

 

You're advocating getting away from any sort of structure and learning the guitar pretty much from sctrach and noodling around - like people did before they had better resources, like the net.

 

He doesn't need to find his own structure, he's already lost. He needs to work to one before he can attempt what you're suggesting. He's not ready for that now, clearly.

 

Everyone has different ability to feel and discover music on an instrument for themselves. You need a foundation before doing that, or that lifelong road will either be all uphill, or abandoned before it gets started.

 

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OTE=Drubbing;n31262681]

 

You're advocating getting away from any sort of structure and learning the guitar pretty much from sctrach and noodling around - like people did before they had better resources, like the net.

 

He doesn't need to find his own structure, he's already lost. He needs to work to one before he can attempt what you're suggesting. He's not ready for that now, clearly.

 

Everyone has different ability to feel and discover music on an instrument for themselves. You need a foundation before doing that, or that lifelong road will either be all uphill, or abandoned before it gets started.

 

 

The science of learning versus the art of learning are seldom on the same plane. Often, one usurps the other and it tailspins from there.

 

If I had to set up anything of a schedule for a noob it would be learning where the chords are on the FB and then with a simple up-down strumming pattern learn to switch from chord to chord fluidly while listening how they harmonically fit.

 

Your statement that he doesn't need to find his own structure eludes me. Structure is exactly what he needs to find or he'll be lost forever. I get the notion that you think structure comes from without and isn't something that's inherent in each of us. But, he has already made it known that he's all over the place, tried this, watched that and seems lost. The answer is glaring at him but like eveyone one else impatient with themselves, his focus is lost by his own making.

 

There is no one thing that works for one person or all. There is no easy answer. There is only work and lots of it that needs to be done over a lifetime of playing. The obvious task is to learn the chords and develop the ear. I can't understand how people with a minute sense of order can't realize that.

 

Theory is an excuse to complain about not getting further into the art of music. That's because it's not art. It's science. Forget about it and move directly to the heart of the artform and that can only point to ear and motor skills development. The hands will develop the mechanical memory for making the chord shapes and the ear will direct the hands to the right chords. That's about as basic as it gets and doesn't need to be any more sophisticated (unnecessarily complex).

 

Developing the ear and hands is step one. Step two is developing fluidity. Step three is composing basic melodies and learning conventional structures (verse, chorus, bridge, turn-arounds). Step four is writing songs. Elapsed time from step one through step four was, for me, 1-1/2 years. It comes down to dedication and a passion to learn how to play that will reveal the way.

 

Step One: Learn some basic songs to practice all the major and minor chord changes. This is the time the ear will begin to learn the sounds of these chords relative to each other. It's actually more important to keep those ears working than it is to perfect switching from chord to chord. This practice never ends. It's an exercise you'll always practice but will come naturally soon enough. Get songs that represent all the chords to ensure that those barred F and B major chords are learned. Barre chords are not exempt from this step. Learn the barred major and minor chords up the neck. Yes, it's work. Harry Potter's wand doesn't work here.

 

Step Two: It's your ear that's behind all the mechanical motion of fluidly changing from chord to chord without breaking tempo or muting strings. Don't get lazy. If you're having difficulty with the mechanical part, ask yourself if the tools are right for you. Your guitar neck may not be suited to your fretting hand. This is the step when all those forum threads about neck widths, shapes and set-ups begin making sense to you.

 

Step Three: Your ear for directing your fairly accomplished playing skills is at a turning point now. Your ear knows how to arrange chords by their sound and your hands are adept at making whatever chord changes the ears direct them to make. You begin to experiment making your own melodies. This is a natural development that breaks away from the routine of Step Two to a new routine of making your own music, hence the new Step. Here is where you will begin to develop the ideas of making music such as using partial chords or other notes that lie outside the normal chord structure but are acceptable to your ear. It also issues in new territory to explore for both your ear and hands. They will be using Step Two as the platform to create from and this will develop dramatically.

 

Step Four: Building on Step Three's platform, your ear will begin arranging songs. If you are capable of writing lyrics your ear will create their melody line to ride atop the instrumental melody your create separately, or during the lyric melody writing stage. If you are a solist at this point in your development, you'll arrange for one instrument. If your development has been inside the band environment, songwriting should be off of your original work and further developed by the band.

 

None of the foregoing hinted at theory. It blatantly describes ear development only. Once you have that down and feel incomplete as a musician, learn to sight read and then whoop up on some theory. (I call people who can't sight-read a score players and people who can, musicians.)

 

All the above mumbo-jumbo above was my path. No tutorials, no teachers, I had two Mel Bay books covering the guitar chords and Travis Style fingerpicking. Beyond that I listened to the music I liked and taught myself using the structured Steps. Without exaggeration, in 1-1/2 years from the time I picked up the guitar for the 1st time I had learned Classical Gas (a targeted learning plateau) by ear and had written 40+ songs. Work, passion, enthusiasm, regimen, self-discipline, patience; they were all brought to bear in that 1-1/2 years of learning.

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