For guitar players... how did you learned to play the guitar?

Question

By this question I mean...did you had a teacher... were you self taught..... if you were how did you do it...... I imagine you must have read a lot of books.... which ones? How long did it took you to learn? What styles of music you play... how long have you been playing???? I prefer rock.. I got an electric guitar but I barely know a few songs... so your advice will be much appreciated!!!! :) thanks

Answer 1

hi joe!
i learned 2 play cos i liked def's songs & wanted 2 play like that.
& cos my big bro said guitars r 4 men only, i wated 2 show him he was wrong & he taught me Miss U In A Heartbeat. now i manage it on my own which is great cos now men respect me more eve though it took me a year 2 know the basic

4 u i recomed 2 start with tabs. those r like a map of ur guitar& it shows the proper position of the fingers in the chords to make spescitic effects & sounds. How 2 read tabs? well 1st u have 2 know the chords r named from the slimmer 1 to the fat 1. the spaces in the guitar separated by little silver chordlike stuff.... i 4got how they're called in english!! u ca look out 4 tabs on the internet, there's plenty places 4 beginers where they show how 2 read tabs.
I recomend 'em cos you learn with a map & is easier to get skilled.

my biggest advice is PRACTICE EVERYDAY. read can help u understand a lot but the practice is what makes u a guitar player, not lots of books, trust me on that one. now i have 9 years playing & i enjoy it a lot esp cos now i can make my own songs.

my dad, 1 of my bros, my best friend & myself started a band last year (i'm lead singer). we usually play what regular peple ask us 2 when we go 2 parties & stuff like that but when we play 4 rockers we play led zeppelin, def leppard, ozie, guns, & similar quality rock bands, whuch is cool cos that's the music i'm into & my dad digs it perfectly.
let me know if i can help, my address is [e-mail]
NOW GO AHEAD & ROCK ON!!!

Answer 2

Well, I had formal music training from school band before picking up the guitar, but the best suggestion is to get a good teacher. I've been playing for 40 years.

If you decide to actually read the music, you'll be light years ahead of most guitar players.

But, you might actually have a good ear, and just want to learn chords and figure out melodies for yourself.

Either way, a teacher will help you advance quicker.

Could you learn "on your own?" Yes, but not as quickly.

Ask the teacher about the importance of "technique exercises." If he doesn't know what you're talking about, find another teacher who does.

You need to build up strength, speed and coordination in your fingers.

After about a year of practice (say, half hour minimum a day) you should begin to see some real abilities begin to appear.

Your fingers will be somewhat tender in the beginning, but having a guitar that fingers easily will help you. It's called the "action" on a guitar; the distance between the string and the fretboard. Some cheaper guitars have terrible "action," and there are actually some that finger very nicely. This is one of things most often overlooked when buying a guitar for a beginner.

If you (or your parents) buy even a good, moderately priced guitar, or a good, used name brand one - you can always re-sell it and recoup some of your investment.

Good luck to you. Practice diligently and expect to be bad at it for a while. You'll get better.

Answer 3

I'm also an inexperienced guitarist. I don't have a guitar teacher right now, but I've gotten tips from people. And I might start taking guitar lessons from a teacher before too long. I have an acoustic guitar but maybe I'll get an electric someday.
There are guitar books you can get; try going to a music store or get some from the library. Also, check out this website: www.guitar.about.com

Keep on practicing, man!

Answer 4

No teacher, self taught. I got pointers from friends, bought Guitar For Dummies (though I didn't bother finishing it), learnt some songs by tab, then relied on my ears.

It took me just a week or two to get the basics. A number of months to build calluses, finger strength, hand technique and fretboard movability. But within a year I learnt as much as I wanted to know, which is hard rock, experimental and funk.

I've been playing guitar for 6 years now. I'm not a guitar genius but I know enough to be satisfied with my playing. If you have the enthusiasm, you'll do fine. =)

Answer 5

I was self taught 41 years ago - and I also can't read a note of music. I play by ear. If I hear a song a few times I can play it. I tried to force myself to learn to read music a few times a long time ago, (thinking it would help me to be a better guitarist). I have always had a passion for music and playing the guitar. But for me, music is all about sound and feeling. When I hear a piece of music that really hits me, I just close my eyes and listen. That's music. It's hard to close your eyes and hear it and feel it when you're trying to read it off a piece of paper. Music for me isn't about "sight." I would also add that it's possible to spend your entire life mastering every aspect of "written" music theory, and never learn to play a single instrument. By the same token I firmly believe it is possible to become the worlds greatest guitarist and never learn to "read" a note. Playing music and reading music do not necessarily go hand in hand. It is possible to do one without the other. The kind of music I enjoy listening to has a lot of soul, or feeling, or drive, or emotion, or whatever you want to call it. It's been my experience that most of the guitarists I've known who devoted a good portion of their time to learning theory and "dots and lines" (as I call it), while they may have been good "technicians," they seemed to lack the soul and the funk that (in my opinion) separates the good musicians from the mediocre ones.
So I'm not saying that learning to read sheet music or tab is a bad thing. I just don't believe it has very much to do with how well a person is able to "play" the guitar. (In other words, the quality of the "music" (sound) that they are able to produce with the instrument)

Answer 6

Ive been playing for 13 years. I took lessons when i was 13 or 14 for a year. The lessons really help as far as getting comfortable with your guitar, and learning music notation and such. My guitar teacher had me bring in a song every week that I liked (at that time it was green day, nirvana etc) and he tabbed it out for me so i would practice that along with my book. After the lessons stopped i just started playing around with it and got tab books and taught myself the rest. Nobodys lying when the say practice makes perfect, It takes Alot of practice I say go to lessons for a bit see how you like it, mine ran 12 bucks a lesson, but like i said that was a long time ago. practice practice practice!! good luck

Answer 7

I play guitar hero a couple years before I pick up the guitar the only thing that helped me with was by coordinations with my fingers and to build some muscle in my hand and that's about it

Answer 8

I've been playing for 40 yrs now. (Wow I'm old!) Taught myself. Can't read a note of music. I guess I have a good ear or something. Played in lots of local bands in the 70's. (before marriage and kids). Played weddings for years. Everyone is right. Practice Practice and more practice.

Answer 9

ok, here are some words of wisdom for you.
I started lessons when I was in the 7th grade. After a couple of lessons, the teacher had me bring in a song I wanted to learn. He wrote it out in tab, and I learned it like that. I countinued with the lessons for 4 years. 6-8 months after that first lesson, i stopped working on the lessons i was given, wanting only to 'play' music, which were songs i learned in tab.
I eventually stopped lessons because the teacher told my father that I wasnt practicing, following up on things he told me to work on, and basically only wanting to bring in songs and have him write them out for me.
needless to say, I cannot read music, I cannot really play the guitar today, other than parts of Stairway to Heaven, the opening to Sunday Bloody Sunday, the opening to Iron Man, and a couple of 3 chord punks songs.
Take lessons, pay attention, practice, practice, practice

sorry to run on..........................

Answer 10

i play guitar now i was taught by a teacher it helps a lot you need to keep the electric and go buy a rusty sringed acu guitar to build up your fingers for playing