Members programmer90 Posted April 17, 2005 Members Posted April 17, 2005 So i decided to pick up playing the guitar. Today I had my first lesson and I am supposed to practice 1 or two times a day in 15 minute sessions. Well i got a problem, my chords wont sound, no matter what i do, constant fret buzz, i dont know why i have a problem with this, others can pick it up and have no buzz at all but no matter what i do, no matter what chord it is, it wont sound! i spent my 15 minutes today just trying to get it to, but it didnt work. If I cant get this I wont be able to practice the chords he gave me and that aint good cause of course he is checking, i may call him, but i need help!
Members programmer90 Posted April 17, 2005 Author Members Posted April 17, 2005 BTW, he says my strings are old and grungy and in a few weeks, he wants to replace them with Martins. If i did replace them, would that make it easier?
Members digitalsnipe Posted April 17, 2005 Members Posted April 17, 2005 Welcome to the wonderful world of guitar. This is normal. It's like this - you just got fingers and are now trying to use them for the first time. Answer? Lots of time practicing. Fifteen minutes is NOTHING. When I was learning to play I practiced HOURS each day for the first year - no exageration. Your instructor is being pretty tame on you. Just keep at it. Your fingers will learn chord placement and sooner than you think you will be playing them quickly and cleanly. Keep in mind that your fingertips will get sore and this may seem a hinderence to learning. They will toughen up quickly. Follow your instructor's advice but you might extend that 15 minutes to an hour at least. Be patient. And while you are at it be patient. Did I mention being patient?
Members programmer90 Posted April 17, 2005 Author Members Posted April 17, 2005 See, i got no problem with practicing more, but my instructor actually told me NOT to practice anymore than 15 minutes a time in two sessions a day, dont know why, maybe so i wont be burned out or my fingers wont be sore, but of course i could ingore that... : )
Members JasmineTea Posted April 17, 2005 Members Posted April 17, 2005 Your guitar may need some adjustment. Take it to the store and tell them you want the action as low as can be without buzzing "too much". Probly $30 for the adjustment. The 15 minute thing may be so your fingers don't get too sore.
Members Andrewrg Posted April 17, 2005 Members Posted April 17, 2005 Its so refreshing to hear an enthusiastic beginner and I wish you well with your lessons.You will become frustrated/disillusioned/bored at times when you feel you are not making any progress;dont worry,this is quite normal! No matter how proficient you become there will always be something new to learn.The great Andres Segovia who was playing concerts well into his `80`s said he was always learning something new.The buzzing could be caused by not playing close enough to the fret;if you are playing a chord somewhere in between frets this may cause a buzz.As another poster said,practise will cure this...and practise,practise,practise.Then practise some more!Have fun above all:)
Members slider Posted April 17, 2005 Members Posted April 17, 2005 we have all been where you are. like all are saying it'll take some time and practice.learning the right amount of pressure will come to you. your fngers will be flying in time.just remember not to strangle the neck of the guitar. play relaxed. when you fret thats where you add pressure. then relax and move to the next chord.just how much pressure and release is impossible to describe. you will know it when it happens and that chord will sing.hang in there. I have been playing for forty years and I am still learning more and more every time I play.after all this time I still am getting better. hope the growth never stops.
Members solitaire Posted April 17, 2005 Members Posted April 17, 2005 Welcome, Programmer90! In a time where most new guitarists take to electric guitars right away, I agree with previous repliers of a jolly mood. You could actually try some slightly lighter strings (and of your-own choice - can't stand those Martin strings, my-self ) on it if you think that would make the effort less. You won't get the same tone obviously but it makes playing all the more enjoyable early on. Then, left/ chord-hand fingering can be tricky. It's easy to finger a string too close to the fret or too far from it. Either way strings will buzz. Soft fingertips that sort of swell over and touch neighbouring strings, can be a problem but less of one if you use lighter strings. Don't be too hard on your-self about buzzing barred chords. It has happened to most of us. A fair guess is your teacher don't want you to run dry on enthusiasm at an early stage, that's why the 2 x 15 min. When ever you start doing something, the learning process can't be measured by the day but by the week. You could actually put in more than you could put out - you won't learn faster than that. Sometimes it may seem you're not learning a thing, then you progress by leaps and bounds once things has fallen into place.
Members programmer90 Posted April 17, 2005 Author Members Posted April 17, 2005 Is it normal for your wrist to get a cramped feeling after practicing for just a lil while (it was like 10 minutes...) ?
Members solitaire Posted April 17, 2005 Members Posted April 17, 2005 Originally posted by programmer90 Is it normal for your wrist to get a cramped feeling after practicing for just a lil while (it was like 10 minutes...) ? Did you feel tense at all when playing? Try turning the neck up higher (like you'd play a Spanish or when soloing) so your arm angles more at the elbow and less at the wrist. I think it could be a beginner's problem, not playing at ease - will probably pass with time. The position of thumb behind the neck is also a good thing to keep in mind. Reaching for the lower, wound strings, the thumb should support your hand at the bottom half of the neck. Playing the higher, plain strings your thumb should go all the way to the upper half of the neck; you sort of pivot along depending the strings you play.
Members digitalsnipe Posted April 18, 2005 Members Posted April 18, 2005 Originally posted by programmer90 Is it normal for your wrist to get a cramped feeling after practicing for just a lil while (it was like 10 minutes...) ? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Everything you do will be a new, or foreign, movement or placement with your fretting hand. It is an almost contortional feeling but it will come. You are learning technique. Your instructor knows this and he will make corrections as he observes your playing. Ask him these questions. He has to know what you are going through but may never if you don't keep the communication going. I am an instructor in a different subject and I always ensure that my students keep the questions coming. JasmineTea mentioned the idea of getting your guitar looked at to ensure it is set up ideally for easy play. Ask your instructor to take a good look at your guitar and ask him if it is set up the way he would ideally like it for ease of play. If not, get it that way. If I was to teach guitar I would have my students use classical guitars. They are easier on the fretting hand than acoustics. What type guitar are you playing?
Members programmer90 Posted April 18, 2005 Author Members Posted April 18, 2005 Its an Art & Lutherie Wild Cherry Acoustic
Members digitalsnipe Posted April 18, 2005 Members Posted April 18, 2005 Originally posted by programmer90 Its an Art & Lutherie Wild Cherry Acoustic ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I see. I do not know the guitar or how it is set up from the factory with regard to how far from the fret board the strings are. The further away, the harder to play. My Canadian Norman B20-12 (12-String) acoustic required some work by a luthier to set it up where it was comfortable to play for me. The strings were a little high from the fretboard when I bought it new. There is a certain romance about acoustic guitars that move people to playing them, myself included, but perhaps they are not the best instrument to learn on. I mentioned using a classical guitar in my earlier post because the strings are further apart, which is good for learning chord placement, and the strings are nylon, which are much easier on the fingertips for a beginner. Additionally, the string tension on a classical is much less than on an acoustic. This translates to much less pressure needed to place chords. The neck is wider than on an acoustic but that is little price to pay when considering its ease of play. The sound of a classical guitar is different than that of an acoustic. Many don't like the classical sound but that doesn't lessen its attributes over the acoustic for the purpose of learning. If you have the opportunity to pick up a classical and try chording it, do so. Many guitar shops have rental fees that are not expensive. You might consider it. I play my classical about as much time as I do my other guitars put together (3 acoustics and 1 electric). Otherwise, keep the faith and practice. There is no rush to learn but learning is a rush.
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