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Beginner Help


GibsonGirl

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Posted

Hi, I'm relatively new here and I'm sure this question has been asked many times.

 

Basically, I'm a beginner, more or less, and I'm really confused to where I should start. I'm interested in the blues, classic rock, and an eeny bit of metal/technical (Paul Gilbert) styles of play. I don't have any money for a teacher, so I'm doing it all on my own and I was wondering if you had any tips of what I should tackle or tackle in a particular order.

 

Thanks in advance! :)

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Posted

Start by learning the major pentatonic scale in the five basic patterns. Learn the minor pentatonic. Add the flat 5th note and you have the blues scale. The major scale is built off the major pentatonic. Learn the major scale in the five basic patterns or the three note per string patterns; I recommend both. Remember that for every major scale, there is a relative minor scale. A minor is related to C major; same notes. Chords are built on these scales. That will get you the basic blues and classic rock. Learn the modes of the minor and major; Think intervals. That will get you farther. Hard to picture it in your mind at first but it's dead simple once you get the basics.

 

Learn your basic minor and major chords. You'll find that you can move them up and down the neck and build other chords from them.

 

Check out the speed series from the sticky post above. Lots of good finger exercises to help you with playing faster. Look for lessons on arpeggios too. That will help you visualize the fretboard. Paul uses a few patterns a lot that I noticed. But if you want to play like him, be prepared to put a lot of time into it. I swear that guy is an alien! I barely can get three quarters of that speed.:cry:

 

Forgot. I only mentioned intervals in a quick thought. It will help to learn the intervals. You will see how much metal leans on them. You'll end up with your favorites. I really like that diminished 5th for that dark eerie moment.

Posted

Hi, I'm relatively new here and I'm sure this question has been asked many times.


Basically, I'm a beginner, more or less, and I'm really confused to where I should start. I'm interested in the blues, classic rock, and an eeny bit of metal/technical (Paul Gilbert) styles of play. I don't have any money for a teacher, so I'm doing it all on my own and I was wondering if you had any tips of what I should tackle or tackle in a particular order.


Thanks in advance!
:)

 

Can you play rhythm guitar yet? There are many things that you can do to broaden your horizons, but sometimes people pass up on what I think is the most important basic skill. Learning to play solid rhythm guitar teaches you to feel time consistently, you start to learn your fretboard if you master the movable chord shapes like barre chords and power chords and you start feeling the "harmonic movement" of music under your solos....you can also play songs in their entirety.

 

I am a big proponent of learning to read music, even on a basic level. There is quite a bit of "collateral" learning..once again you learn to read and feel rhythms, you learn where your notes are on the fretboard...probably some theory, dynamics, technique....

 

I know this is all pretty boring stuff, but it ends up paying off pretty big in the future...trying to get in even an occasional lesson with a good teacher is worth its weight in gold...

 

With the theory for lead guitar stuff, I have a website with video lessons on it: http://www.premierguitarlessons.com

 

Gennation also has a great site with a TON of lessons and theory...http://lessons.mikedodge.com/

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Posted

Thanks for the help.

So do you think I should learn all the twelve major chords, all the twelve minor chords, all the twelve diminished and then start practicing the chords in their respective keys?

Posted

 

Thanks for the help.


So do you think I should learn all the twelve major chords, all the twelve minor chords, all the twelve diminished and then start practicing the chords in their respective keys?

 

 

It might be more practical to learn a batch of chords like all of your open chord shapes, and then learn some songs utilizing them. Then learn your power chord shapes...use these to learn your notes on the fretboard. This is a great stepping stone to barre chords because you learn the layout of notes (in the very least) on the 5th and 6th strings without also worrying about so many different chord shapes. Once you are solid with these (learning a couple of simple songs along the way) then move on to the Major, Minor and Seventh Barre chords (E and A shapes).

 

After all of this, learning the other chords won't be so hard...if you go in smaller steps and utilize the chords in actual pieces of music you will actually go farther faster than if you just try and drill the material to death...

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Posted

Thanks for the help.


So do you think I should learn all the twelve major chords, all the twelve minor chords, all the twelve diminished and then start practicing the chords in their respective keys?

 

 

No.

 

Learn E, G, A, D, C, F, Em, Am, Dm as open chords first. Don't worry about diminished chords until you start playing some music that has diminished chords.

 

After you've learned those chords learn a few songs to practice them with, such as:

 

Hey Joe: C, G, D, A, E

 

Wild Thing (In several keys): A, D, E, D or G, C, D, C, or D, G, A, G

 

House of the Rising Sun: Am, C, D, F, Am, C, E, E, Am, C, D, F, Am, E, Am, E

 

and so forth...

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