Help! I wanna learn to play guitar.?

Question

I want to learn to play guitar. But i've never held one in my hand till now. Being a beginner i need some advice on what kind of a guitar i should buy. An electric guitar or the regular one? Also there must be a huge variety if guitars available in the market. So how do i decide on which one to buy? Please help. I'm completely new to this..

Answer 1

I feel like I'm in a position to answer your question.

Depends on wat u wana play. I started around 4 months back and I was mainly interested in Rock music. Not the kind you c on T.V.but classic rock which is my fav. Eg: Pink Floyd, Guns and Roses, Eagles. I knew I wanted to play leads of songs...not rythme. To know wat u want u gta do some research.This is really important. Knowing what u wnaa play.

What is essential here is to get the right kind of instructor for the first 2 months. He'l teach u the correct basics and u need to understand the guitar and how it works...and wat makes the sound and the differnt kinds of sounds. If u wnaa learn rock, get an experienced rock guitarist as ur instructor (he can even be a friend who plays in a band). If u wna learn acoustic pop/soft rock songs then get any guitarist who has experience with acoustic guitarss (frankly u dnt need much experience). There is a third kind, which is classical. U need a classical teacher fot this. I wud recomend starting with any of these which interest you. Remember, interest is the most important thing. If u like the sound of only electric, dnt start on an acoustic. If u wna be able to play any of them, start with acoustic like I did (i changed to electric in 3 months)

So about starting off, look for an instructor its worth the money. If u dnt want one right as you start off, then buy a cheap guitar when accompanying some1 who is experienced and who can vouch for that model. Dnt go for anything expensive. What my plan was, to save money, i started on a stupid chinese made acoustic worth less than 100 dollars. Then, i was just learning as fast as i cud so i cud b confident enough to buy a $400 guitar as my permanant guitar. Bt the initial cheap guitar was very needed. Cant jump to sumthing expesive

So things to do now..
1.Do some reading to decide which kind fo guitar. Go here:
http://guitar.about.com/od/commonbeginnerquestions/a/elec_vs_acoust.htm

Go here for recomended guitars (electric)
http://guitar.about.com/cs/beginners/tp/electricguitars.htm

Look for the prices on www.musiciansfriend.com (read reviews about them...read all to get a general idea)

2.Find a good instructor to start off rite away. U need to buy a guitar as soon as ur lessons start. Best is u buy it after the first class, on instructions from ur instrucor

3. Find the type of music you like and listen more to that...keep listening ...trust me it makes u musically smart just to listen to songs and understand them.

4. Practice alot...put ur mind into learning...try to understand y stuff happens and how u can get better...b very curious when learn and u can play stuff in 4 months trust me. Ur fingers will move faster everyday.

5. Never skip steps. Dnt try a song too hard to play at the level ur at...try doign sumthign u feel u can do if u practice enuf

Good luck

Answer 2

Good for You!! Music is very rewarding. If I were you I would go to a music store and pick up several different guitars and see which one feels the best in your hands. You're hopefully going to spend a lot of time with your guitar so you want it to be one you really like. I would definately recommend an acoustic, because they are much better to learn on. I believe that learning on an acoustic makes you a better player. Plus it doesn't require an amp and it is portable which means you can take it with you wherever you go. I would try to find one around $200. At that price level you get a fairly decent quality (good craftsmanship and decent sound), but you won't be wasting lots of money if you later decide that playing guitar is not for you. Washburn, Epiphone, and Fender are all decent brands to start with. You'll also want to pick up an extra set of strings, some picks, and a book that lists and has pictures of all the common guitar chords and scales (it's a bonus if it comes with a cd so you can hear the right sound.). Then I would suggest finding a local musician who you could take lessons from to learn the correct techniques. Good luck.

Answer 3

First of all, buy an inexpensive electric guitar. Electric guitars are easier to play and handle than acoustic guitars. A Yamaha EG112 begginer's package or a Fender Squire Package are a few examples. Dont go buying anything expensive, at this stage you are highly bound to drop, bump and ding your guitar all over.

When you start learning any musical instrument in general, you divide the material you learn in two: Technique, and Theory.

Technique teaches you the correct way to handle the instrument: For example muting, sweeping, and shredding are typical techniques used by metal guitarists. Fingerstyle and fingerstrumming are techniques used by classical guitarists.
Being a begginer, focus more on technique. Learn Strumming a few chords two- and three-finger chords at first, just to get a general feel of the fretboard.

Don't worry about theory till later (Scales, Modes, etc...)

Once you're sure you can hold the guitar, you can then take lessons (if you can afford to do so), or use a workbook. The Troy Stetina Sieries are excellent in teaching you both technique and theory. I would still reccommend lessons hand over fist, because you can learn more by interacting with an expert.

Hope this helps

Answer 4

Electric or acoustic depends on your goals. Remember that the primary purpose of an electric guitar is to get more volume so more people can hear you. You probably don't need (or want) a lot of volume while you're learning.
Electronics obviously cost money. If you take two identical acoustic guitars, one has electronics and one does not, the one with the pick-up, EQ, input jacks, etc, is obviously going to cost more. In other words, an plain acoustic for $250 is probably going to be a better quality instrument than a $250 acoustic with electronics.
On the other hand, if all you want to play is heavy metal, you probably won't get that sound with an acoustic.

Answer 5

the argument between going electric or acoustic is a personal decision that you have to make yourself. I personally like electrics better because they arent as thick as acoustics. however if you buy an electric guitar, you must buy an amplifier in order to achieve the electric effect. amps can run anywhere from $30 to more than $1000 depending on the size and number of horns (speakers). Many beginning guitarists like to go with a packages that you can purchase from a local music store. Most packages include the guitar, a small amp (that you will want to upgrade if you want to add effects pedals (see discussion below)), a guitar strap and usually a few small items like extra strings and picks. I personally dont like the packages because they include low quality items. If I where to purchase an electric guitar I would go with one of the following: Squier Fat Stratocaster, Epiphone G-310SG, Yamaha Pacifica 112, or and Epiphone Les Paul Special II. All of these guitars are made by extremely reliable and high-quality manufacturers. They each run in the low to mid $200 range. Amp-wise, I would go with the Randall R412CX 4x12 Celestion Speaker Cab. It is an extremely high quality amplifier that is perfect for a beginner that will be looking to add effects later on. the price of $380 is fairly low considering the quality.
when it comes to getting good sound, you need effects. Any song you hear today, the guitarist is using effects pedals. these are what give you the distortion, wah, reverb, etc. Some high quality single-effect pedals are available from makers like BOSS and Digitech. If you are looking to save some money and space, i would look into getting a Line 6 PODXT amp modeler. it includes an infinite amount of effects and modulations for only $300. Plus, it is an fx-processor that numerous pro guitarists love. but if you are just looking for something to get you started and you KNOW you are going to upgrade later on, just get a package.

Answer 6

I would recommend you start out with an acoustic and then progress your way to an electric. You will be surprised how fluid you will be after playing the acoustic for a while and then jumping on an electric. Every major guitar brand has beginner sets. Visit http://www.musiciansfriend.com and http://www.music123.com for beginner kits. Browse their wide selections of guitars and I guarantee you will find something of interest. As a matter of fact, if you haven't researched Estebans guitars and beginner sets then do so. For a beginner guitar, his are great. Plus you get a lot of good learning material. Have fun learning.

Answer 7

Okay, I play and may be able to help. First, have you decided the style of music you're interested in playing. I recommend you start with the Blues. The root of good guitar is in the Blues. When it comes to instruments its all about feel. Is the neck the right size in comparison to your hand or are the strings flexible. Is the weight of the guitar comfortable. Then you got the asthethics is it the color you like or is the wood appropriate; for example exotic woods have diferent tonal variations. Then, the electronics. The pickups determine output and tonality. I reccommend you go to your local Guitar Center and look, touch, feel, experiment, and choose a brand and model. Some Cat's will say buy a Fender, others will say Gibson, Yamaha, Shecter, to names a few.
You got to experiment in your playing ability and your choice of instrument---also, go to Musician's Friend on-line they offer discounts. Find a local Luthier( Guitar Repairman) they can adjust your new instrument for professional playability.
Good luck--email me sometime to let me know how it goes.

Answer 8

Go with an acoustic guitar to start with. They are less expensive usually, you don't have to buy an amp and all that stuff and if you change your mind about wanting to play you don't lose alot of money. Also, acoustics are easier to switch between a ballad or a heavy song. That might make it more fun while learning. And anything you learn playing an acoustic you can always use on an electric.

Answer 9

Go to a music store and ask their advise. I would recommend an inexpensive acoustic guitar. You could probably buy on at Walmart for less than $100. Go on line and find some websites that can help you tune and play guitar. Here are some sites and have fun.

Answer 10

This depends greatly on which type of music you prefer and your budget. You get what you pay for. a good price for a starting guitar for a person that wants a good guitar will be around 300-500. Stick with brand names and look around what others are using, like investigate your favorite musicians see what they play. find one in your price range.
Next this can not be understated, Lessons are a good way to start, gets you familiar with your guitar, you learn timing, music theory and scales.

I wouldn't go out and get a very cheep off name guitar, it might discourage you if you find it harder to play. I have played for many years, and even if you do nothing with it, it is very rewarding and you will be happy you learned.