Teaching yourself to play guitar ??

Question

I'm 14 & I can read music b.c of piano lessons. Do you think I could teach myself to play guitar ?? Any recommendations for guitar brands, books, & juss any tips for learning ? Also, should I start w. an electric or acoustic guitar .. I don't kno which to get. ?

Hugs && Kisses
♥ Abby ♥

Answer 1

Yes... I encourage you to play guitar because you already have a musical background, and you can read musical notes in the first place. It may be a slow process but you will get there. I started with a guitar at age 12, just learning the basic barre chords. Then I learned how to read tablatures but not really good at reading musical notes. I practiced for a year and became better at it and had my first band at 15.

Start with an acoustic guitar, nylon or steel strings but I prefer to start with nylon. Try the classical scales for starters but first learn the basic musical chords in guitar. Practice practice practice.

My first ever gear is the nylon acoustic (Yamaha). Basically any cheap acoustic guitar will do but if you are a sucker for tone, try Takamine or Ovation. My first electric is the Fender Stratocaster (black body and white pickguard). Bought it in a pawnshop. Then I have this brandless single humbucker electric (assembled by a good friend which I paid him crystal meth and hash with, not recommended, hehehehe). Then I bought a sunburst Gibson Les Paul with customized EMG double humbucker pickups (I did the customization). And last but not the least is my main guitar, which is a black Ibanez JEM series electric with customized Seymour Duncans Parallax double Humbuckers and a DiMarzio single coil which I also did. But my recommendation is a Nylon Acoustic.

My learning paraphernalias are Hal Leonard's Guitar Method, Ultimate Guitar Scale Chart, Allan Holdsworth instructional Videos, Guitar World Mag. Thats it. I am basically self thought. I still suck at note reading though, hahahaha. Start with the blues when you are a bit good. It is a good tool for beginners, slow and dragging but very soulful and full of tone. Then after that rock out with metal riffs like I did. Good luck dudette, I want you to succeed. You have a lot of potential since you can read notes and you are musical theory educated. I do not know jack squat about theory when I started. My greatest influence is Cliff Burton of Metallica. He is a master Bassist, vast knowledge of musical theory, master of musical time signatures and lastly a piano player at first like you. I also play bass because of Cliff Burton. When you are a bit better try rocking out with Master of Puppets and you will discover why Cliff Burton is a true musical genius.

Answer 2

Ok 4teener...My brother in law learned playing. He reads no tablature nor reads the pentagram.. but still he plays Paco de Lucia{ s and some interesting Mozart right in his 6 corder....

So I think you are wayyyyyy off if you doubt you would not be able to play being a piano guy.

Just type "Learn Guitar" or "free guitar lessons" on your Google or Yahoo, and there you find many courses and tools for playing guitar.

About the instrument... is easy to choose. If you want to play unplugged, as in the forest or at the beach... then forget about the electric one. If you like amplicication, and effects,. you may choose an electric one, and if you like both posibilities, just buy an electroacustical instrument, menaing a traditional guitar with a microphjone set on its body... Yamaha has some beatifull ones.... just visit your music store and ask for a test.


I forgot one thing: the initial procedures to be able to make the chords sound in an unmuted way, are better learned with a guitar player in front of you... you will save hours of trying when someone shows you how to place your fingers.... is fun!

Answer 3

My friend gave me a guitar and showed me a few things, I learned by printing out tabs to songs I know and then trying to play them. I had the tabs for nirvana unplugged and I played my first chord which was an A minor. My face lit up because what I was playing sounded like the album and ever since then I was hooked. Ten yeats later I want to kick my self in the balls because I wished I learned differently. If you are just starting out with music, you want to learn and practice the basics first before you try to rip out some Ozzy solos. Guitar teachers are good. But they are expensive. You can also go to guitar teachers at any time through you guitar era/career (i don't know what to call it). But it is hard to undo bad habits after years of doing them. So when you are starting off, concentrate on doing everything correctly. You tube is a great resource. I wish it was around when I started learning. Learn to tune by ear. This will help devolop you brain to differentiate pitches. Patience and Practice are key. There is no way that I know of to fasttrack your way to being a good guitarist. There are a billion things to learn about music and guitar playing, so pick one up and get the journey started!

Answer 4

The cool thing with learning guitar is reading music is not necessary (but definatly helps, and I'm sure you have plenty of theory background) everything is tabbed out (anybody can read tabs). Start off with an acoustic guitar, their cheaper and harder to play. Start off with a really good rythym guitar book, I prefer the Progressive Series books (an Australian company that makes great learning books). If guitar gets fustrating, try bass and then work up to guitar. After mastering rythym guitar, then try lead guitar.

Answer 5

no insult, but a great book is "guitar for dummies" also "rock guitar for dummies" i used the latter, and peeked through the first. you see, i was the vocalist for a rock band, and well, i wanted somethin to do with my hands while i was singing, so i learned "rock guitar" both are great books, come with a CD, compact size, great method. whichever guitar you want. electrics are heavy, loud, and can frustrate early on. i learned alternating between the two. i think im a pretty good player. i can play simple stuff like "all the small things" by blink-182, but nothing like metallica. and your past musical experience has nothing to do with guitar. there's something called guitar tabalture, which is alot easier to read that the stupid staff. and it only works for guitar. and there's tons of stuff that you can't play on any other instrument thats alot cooler that what you play on piano. like rock, folk, metal, country, hip-hop, and spanish guitar. all of which will wow your friends and parents. very cool instrument. i say go ahead.

Answer 6

Hi Abby

Try some simple Beatles songs, that are easy & fun to play. Also, for your first guitar, try to get a cheap classical acoustic, some of the strings are plastic, and much easier on the fingers for a beginner. Try to practise every day too, you need to become familiar with the instrument.

Answer 7

Guitar Method begining lessons CD rom.

Answer 8

yes u can. just look up tabs on the net. ive been teaching myself guitar since i was 13. (now 18) i rekon you should get an accoustic coz once you learn that you can play an electric.. good luck and rememeber practice and dont give up

Answer 9

guitar lessons are so common in most cities that i can't really figure why you wouldn't go get some. at least call around your town to see what is offered and for what cost.
i'd also recommend starting on an acoustic.......

Answer 10

you don't need to read music to play guitar. just learn 3-4 chords, and you can play any rock song