Learning Electric Guitar, Tips?

Question

Im about to get an Electric Guitar, and would be grateful for any tips. How hard is it to learn? what type of songs should i start with? basically any tips you can give me (and is it really as hard to learn to play as people say?)
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

go acoustic first...

Answer 2

The best guitar to start on is an inexpensive electric ($200-300), a small amp with some effects built it (w/a line in f/CD player and headphone jacks ($125-300), and some extra light strings - all available at your local music store...
There's less tension on the strings, so you'll be able to play longer before your fingertips start hurting... After a month or so, you'll start building up callouses, then, you can play longer...

Don't expect too much too soon and you won't get as discouraged... It's a fine motor skill and after awhile, your fingers will learn where to go to form different chords... In the beginning, just try to make the chords sound clean... That is, after you've placed your fingers, you should be able to pick each string and hear a clean tone... Sometimes, your finger will touch another string and mute it... It takes practice and you should just practice switching from one clean chord to the next... Stick with it for at least a year, it gets much easier after the first 3 months or so... One VERY important thing: PLAY AT LEAST AN HOUR EVERY DAY! This helps your nerves learn quicker and improvement is more easily achieved...

Answer 3

It comes easier for some than others. If you have a natural talent then obviously it will be easier. Perseverance is the key word.
You need to decide whether you wish to play by music or ear. There are hundreds of great players who can barely read music & are also self taught. It takes longer to learn to play by music but in the long run it has many advantages ie. if someone hands you a sheet of music and asked you to play it you would be able to do so. I myself started to play by music but became impatient and began to play by ear picking up musical knowlege on the way. Old school tutors will get you running up & down scales for days which will bore you to death, but other more modern tutors will teach you small riffs & tunes, fingering techniques and other tricks as well giving information on guitars, guitar players & other interesting things. Try learning to play from the many books on the market to start with & if you still remain keen on learning to play then consider a tutorial CD/Video & perhaps a tutor. Good luck.

Answer 4

electric guitars are much easier to make chores on than acoustic. i have always thought that they should be the beginners guitar. it is really worth getting a lesson or two to get going but if not get some sheet music (from wherever you get it these days) of some music that you like. anything that says made easy or for beginners is best. this will have you playing songs right away and that if much more amusing than lust learning random chords.
maybe the most important thing is to find someone who to play along with who is better. they will have fun playing lead after showing you a favorite chord structure. ask for a can of finger ease at the music store .if they still make it. cuts down on blisters if you find you like to practice. ROCK AND ROLL

Answer 5

The biggest mistakes I see are impatience and unnecessary complication. It takes time, and some are faster/slower than others. Don't make it any more complicated than it has to be. If it seams impossible, take a break, come back and try to approach it again. You have to start with material you like, even if you just learn the melody on one string to start with. Find tab from sites like ultimate-guitar.com. WARNING- Most tab on the internet is submitted by individuals and may be totally accurate, and may be garbage, if you just cant get it to sound right, try another. Once you get on your feet, don't be afraid to tackle something that seems too tough, you might be suprised. You will have to develop calouses on your fingers, and this will hurt at first. It's worth the pain. Once developed they allow you to play easier. Practice as much as possible, but if you start feeling burned out, it's ok to put it down for a little while. When you get comfortable with it, try to find some excercises - Chromatics for example. You can google Zakk Wylde excercises. Not may favorite guitar player, but the man KNOWS his excercises. Hope my rambling has helped. Good luck!!

Answer 6

i self taught myself the guitar when i was 16, get a chord chart, you can probaly download one from google for free, then learn ONE chord at a time, practice it until you can play it without looking, then learn another, basically, you can play most songs with 3 or 4 chords, c, g, f, and e, be prepare to have sore fingertips until they callouse over. I used to practice so much that they would bleed, but you don't have to go that far.

Answer 7

its not that hard to learn. whats more important is ur passion.
just play whatever song u really like, and with a LOT of practice u`ll be just fine.. but it`s better if u find someone who is really into guitars to be ur mentor, its more convenient

Answer 8

Like Knowhereman and Bathsideboy's said ....

And practice practice practice .... you can teach yourself anything if you want it badly enough.

And dont worry about the acoustic is better comments, learn to play first then worry about getting more guitars.

Good Luck !

Answer 9

Smoke on the water- the easiest song to play using power chords...for right now, learn power chords and barre chords and practice scales forward and backward and up and down the fretboard.

Answer 10

Find some one you like in music taste (When i say Taste, i mean real musicians not pop music) like Bob Dylan or jimmy, just someone you might like to know more about, find out why they play, not how, you need to have Passion to really play.

Answer 11

I play guitar but i dont have alot of tips, sorry.