What are the real secrets to learning how to play the electric guitar and better your results each time?

Question

Hey everyone,
My name is Alex and you've probably seen a thousand questions about electric guitars, right? I just bought this cheap electric guitar to learn but I'm really struggling to learn. I mean I can't see any progress and I want to smash it into pieces, and it's just so frustrating, you know? My horoscope is Taurus and you know how we bulls are, we tend to get angry fast and wanto to destroy everythig without caring. I really want to play this guitar and learning would mean so much to me, but all I'm seeing a worthless no talent crap guy who fails at everything he does. I have low self confidence and with this you can imagine? Do you think about sticking to it or just give it away? People say it's easy when they have been playing for along time and are so good at it. Can anyone give me there advice and try and help me out? I've also tried learning videos and that didn't help much either. I need help in reading notes, and everything dealing with frets, and neck.
Thanks,
Alex

Answer 1

Hey Alex. Patience and practice dude. This stuff doesn't come over night. Remember, you have to crawl before your walk. I always tell people to learn on an acoustic first. But since you have an electric, let's go from there. First, take your time, learn how to tune it correctly....after that is accomplised, again take your time learning your chords. After you learn your chords, you'll have to practice changing between chords. Go slow with everything, and as time progresses, then you can speed up. Learn your barre chords, and this will take some practice as well. All this don't come over night, or next week. Now that you're learning, it's also the time to develop the correct techinques....as in holding a pick, the height of your guitar while playing it (you don't want your strap adjusted low), stuff like that. The best advice I can tell you as a musician, is to pay attention to detail. So you practice, everything, until it's perfect...then you go faster....until that's perfect...then even faster. The more you practice, the better you'll be, and the more your ear will develop. Eventually, you'll be able to play any song by ear, and play along with any song on the radio, or CDs. Learning videos are a really nice tool, wish I had them when I started.....use them. So take your time, have patience and practice, practice, practice. Learn one thing at a time....then you'll see how far you've progressed one year from now......trust me with this. You can do it........later..
If you have any questions, I'm just an IM or a message away.

Answer 2

Hey Alex. First thing is always getting the calluses on your fingers. At first it hurts and is hard to press the strings hard enough to get a clean sound. Then you get blisters which are real sensitive. Keep playing and the blisters turn to calluses. Takes about two weeks or so (hurts like the dickens for that time but is WELL worth it, you'll see). Make sure you tune it every time. The learning video can help with this. Also an electronic tuner can be got for about 20 bucks and is well worth it. Next don't expect to learn so fast. Learn three to five chords. Not the "fancy stuff" just the basics that are with open strings and up next to the "head" of the guitar (where the tuning machines are). Then do some so - called "palm muting". To "mute" a string is just to keep it from making noise, you've seen that part. Just keep your pick hand fairly close to the strings when you strum and use the side of your hand to stop the strings. On an electric guitar this keeps it from making some of those annoying type sounds. You will pick it up quick 'cause it makes a real difference real fast. Then just play the chords together however they sound good to you. Three chords in any order just kinda like a song for three or so minutes at a time. This is good practice and keeps you from getting so frustrated about not sounding like some song that you have heard. After a while (2 to 3 months of an hour each day 5 or so days a week) you will be feeling really good about it and ready to move forward in more confident fashion.

Answer 3

Relax Alex! all will be well. Here is what you need to do.
Learn to tune the guitar. Not with a tuner, by ear (Use a pitch pipe or something). Now make sure you memorize the notes of the open strings. after you have done that learn all the notes up to the third frets on all the strings. Once you've done that move up to the 5th frets. Now get a good chord poster or book and start by learning G and C, then D, E, A, Am and F. These are your most important chords. Learn rythm guitar first, its easier. To get a good strum hand, practice by muting the strings with your left hand, and strumming percusively along to whatever you are listening too. your elbow and wrist and the most important part of your strum and should keep a good steady rythm. Start out by just strumming one(down)and(up), two and three and four and...With a constant up down fluid wristed motion...think of milking a cow if cows stood up. you have to get the basics before you can rock. It took me a year of hard work to be good, but once i was, i could play about anything i set my mind too. once you've got all the above down, learn new chords and start practicing scales.

Answer 4

Friend, I've been playin' bass/guitar for 23 years now and teaching for ten and It's still a learning experience. Get yourself a copy of Gary Turners beginner guitar and read it thoroughly. Set yourself an hour a day to practice and stick to it. Don't set unrealistic goals at first. Start off with simply gettin' the feel for the guitar,proper hand placement and playin' position. Above all else, PRACTICE !

Answer 5

Well guitar hero helps you learn the basic positioning your finger and strumming but it doesn't help you learn to play a guitar. This is a persona experience but Guitar Hero 3 taught me how to play a lil of Black Magic Woman.

Answer 6

I myself have been trying to play guitars since 2 years but I cant even play as good as my little brother. Thats because as I touch the guitar, I wanna listen to some death metal album and play air guitar, of which I get eventually bored and start watching TV or grab some food. So, in order to play, focus properly, practice hard and dont be distracted with other shits.

Answer 7

there are a lot of people trying things that is not for them. maybe it's not just for you. have you tried jamming with your other friends? its really a big help for you to be familiarized. have courage and of course have a heart for music. you have to enjoy playing your guitar. and never think that you can't, you're not good... that's the cause of your low confidence as you say. keep rockin!' i'm also an aspiring guitarist and a drummer. jamming with friends is really a great help. Godbless

Answer 8

Steve Vai has lots of talent, composes strange music, etc., etc. - what made him Steve Vai is about 10 hours of practice daily, studying music theory and then practicing some more. That's the real secret.

Answer 9

If you REALLY want to learn to play well, I suggest you take a trip down to the Crossroads my young frined.

Answer 10

m8... start with an Accoustic Guitar first....