New Guitar how should i learn?

Question

i have played the gutair for about 5 hours before now. i know about 4 chords but cant really put them together. i have a basic knowledge of tabs and can understand basic tab diagrams. im not interested in professional music store training. here is a list of questions to answer. answer as many as u want. ill take all the opinions i can get. should i be using a pick? what are easy songs to learn? where can i find some easy songs to learn online? how can i learn to transition form chord to chord? should i start with tabs or more chords? is there any other acessories i should purchase? should i goto a music store and pick up a basic chords/tabs book or are the online chords/tabs good enough?


thanx for the help!

Answer 1

i don't really want to put a whole bunch of texts here but i'll just type one website that can really help... actually, two:::

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com
this site has lessons, band reviews [if you're interested], tabs, chords and more
http://www.leagueofguitarists.com
this has really great lessons

oh, and it would really help by using a pick...

Answer 2

Uhmm while picks are prefered these days finger picking is better for quick picking so I hear. Picks also make a louder cleaner tone than youd fingers and wont jam up your fingers for the first few months or so on your sturmming hand untill they begin to harden which is kinda bleh.
Easier songs to learn are probably acoustic songs that use strumming if your a devoted christian theres some good Christian msuic out there that is pretty simple to play and quite enjoyable!
Learning to go from chord to chord is all from practice. As you repeat transitions over and over your muscles begin to memorize the positions and movements and you pick it up after lots of practice eventually untill you can transition without having to look back at your hand every other two seconds. Also finding easier ways to transition helps alot liek being able to keep your finger on the same string and fret while switching due to similarities and fingering.
Start with chords, theyre the basics and once you rmore comfortable with th eguitar then move onto the more heavier stuff liek advanced chords and picking.
Accesories you should need eventually get are a strap, a case (hard or soft), a tuner, and extra picks(optional) cuz those thigns dissapear liek crazy haha.
Online is usually enough if you find good sites here are some recomendations:
www.911tabs.com
www.E-Chords.com

Godo Luck and I hope this helped! Guitar is a dedicating instrument the more love you put into it the more love it'll give back :]

Answer 3

You can definitely find all of the INFORMATION you need online for a while. But nothing is better than rolling up your sleeves and practicing. These are all good suggestions. Basically you want to get to the point where you can switch between any of the open chords- major or minor- without looking, fumbling, or taking more than an instant. Also, scales and arpeggios. Remember to start out slowly-- slower than you'd think. Speed and accuracy comes from slow repetition, so don't rush it.
Go ahead and learn a few easy songs, but don't limit yourself there. Try for some harder ones, and don't use tabs. Most of them are wrong, and if you rely on them, you won't develop your ear. If you are having trouble figuring out what chord they're playing start with the bass note pattern, and work your way up from there. Work at it until you think you've got it, then look at a tab.

And don't underestimate the power of a teacher. At some point, you will probably decide that you need a new direction, or more theory, or some tips, and books and articles won't cut it. A good teacher can help you after you get some basics down and give you the direction you need, although most will make you read music (actually a good thing). Not a music store teacher, though, go find one who really knows what he/she is doing. Possibly at a local college's music department.

Also, when you practice, make sure you do so with good posture and try to avoid hand and wrist pain. A lot of people get bad habits very early on that lead to carpal tunnel and stuff.
As far as a pick goes, try it with a pick, and without. Try finger picking or any way you feel like trying it, and pick the sound you like the best, and when you practice each note in a scale, make sure you're getting the best sound (to you) out of each note. That way when you speed it up, you will really wail.

Good luck, dude.

Answer 4

yes use a pick, it makes the notes sound better. practice fretting notes and your hands will get stronger. some easy songs are like , Iron man by sabbath, brain stew- green day, a lot of white stripes, wonderwall is also easy. go to www.ultimate-guitar.com for some great abs and lessons. you can get a chord chart at any music store, and you just need to practice. good chord charts will tell you what fingers to use. there is no substitute for taking time out to practice, there aren't really any short cuts. i would definetly buy a good book on chords and scales, you need to know scales to be able to build solos, and learn songs easier. the chord book will really help on your ability to play different songs. but that web site has great beginner tools. you will want to buy a guitar tuner, helps soooo much, and i really love my wah pedal, but thats down the road.

Answer 5

A good tab site is www.ultimate-guitar.com and if you like country music www.countrytabs.com is a really good site..Learning to put chords together is prolly a good place to start...Start with the easiest three: G, C and, D. www.chordguide.com has all the chords and you can make a list and print the ones u want...Oh and the best way to learn to play is to just practice...im still a beginner but if you play everyday and put your mind to it you will be rockin out in no time! every guitar great had to start somewhere! Good luck!

Answer 6

Be Dangerous on Rock Guitar by Richard Daniels .Get the complete package if you can .I'm pretty sure he used to have a website .If not book stores still carry his books like the heavy guitar bible.If you do decide on a book to learn with make sure to get the cd or tape that goes with it .You really got me is easy so is wild thing.Play with a pick if the song requires it.Which would be most songs if your playing rock.Learning by ear will help you a lot as you progress.

Answer 7

I learned all by myself. All you need is a book with all chords, not just basic. Basic is for losers that don't have the desire to learn properly.