Learn Guitar?

Question

I wanna learn how to play guitar, and I have a few questions:

1. Where can I get a cheap guitar to learn with?

2. Is playing guitar hard?

Answer 1

How seious are you? If you just wanna learn to play for the hell of it, go down to target or walmart and pick up a cheap guitar. Or pay a few extra bucks, hit Sam Ash or Guitar Center and grab a $100-$200 guitar. I would say go with an acoustic to start with.

1. It does take a little more strength to hold down the string to play a note. It doesnt seem like THAT big of a difference but if you try both you will see a difference.

2. They tend to be a little cheaper. (though my acoustic and my electric are both worth the same (about $1500)).

As far as how hard it is to learn...again, how serious are you? Wanna learn a couple songs to impress a your friends? If so, learn a few chords, learn to read tabs, goto tab websites and learn your songs. If you want to LEARN guitar then it can be a life long study. My grandfather was an acoplished big band and jazz guitarist and says he is still learning new thigns to this day. You want to learn your chords and scales first of all. How to read tabs and notes. How chords are made up. Scale progression. A great number of styles and tecks (slures, bends, ect).

To get you started I would say you need these things:

1) Most importantly figure out WHY you want to learn.
2) A decent guitar. Either $100-200 at Sam Ash or another music store or $50-100 form a pawn shop.
3) Chord book/deck. these are nifty. I have a couple sets of these for different reasons (Some i loan to friends, others have somethign the other wouldnt).
4) Maybe a teacher. Depends on your money situation and personal style
5) Lots and lots of hard work. I played (when i first started 11 years ago when I was about 8) about 3 hours a day. My fingers hurt, my eyes hurt, i was sick and tired of the guitar in the first month. But then I saw my grandpa play for the first time since he had his and crush in an accident and I wanted to keep it up. I play about 15 hours a week now in days. I have played in rock, metal, death metal, jazz, blues, classical, and big band...bands but now I have been out of the game for a while. I still keep up my work. I try to learn about 2 songs a month (though some months I may learn as many as 20-30). Like I said, alot of work. There is a site I will give you, there are some free lessons but the good stuf is pay.

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/Why_signup.htm?gclid=CNOB1rmkj4wCFR8mSgoduzVP4w#includes

best of luck young string picker. Work hard, play harder

Answer 2

Guitar and Piano are two entirely different beasts. The guitar has a lot of timbral versatility to it compared to the piano. For example, the 6th fret on the low E string is the same pitch as the 1st fret on the A string, but they have relatively different sounds because resonance gets involved. It's quite a fun instrument to play however. If you're leaning to play Electric, get a Squier Strat. Every guitar player you know is probably gonna tell you otherwise, because, it sounds bad or isn't the greatest guitar in the world. While that is true, it's also cheap, and compared to One Act guitars, it's not too bad. It's less than $250 for the pack with the amp and the tuner, cable, bag, and everything else, and it's not a bad set. I'm still using the gig bag I got from it 5 years later on my Iceman. The amp eventually went because I used it outside in awfully humid conditions and the electrics corroded over. But for the short term, it's a good investment. When you first pick up an instrument to learn, you need to develop your practice skills, both mechanics and regularly practicing, so don't spend $400 on a guitar right away. It's a shame to see people spend $500+ on Epiphone Les Pauls and knock offs, learn how to play a few songs, and then give up and have the guitar stuffed in a closet. If you do get the set, there's usually a book included where it teaches you a few notes on each string, then some chords, gives you some basic songs, with notes and chords. Nothing to deep into the theory but use that in learning the mechanics, which'll eventually help you in the theory. Go through the book, make sure you know it, then go to a teacher, who will teach you (ideally) advanced mechanics, then start introducing theory. Some people say to learn how to play tabs which are very helpful if you want to learn a song or a new technique but stick with the standard notation because it'll honestly help you. Guitar isn't necessarily difficult to learn if you're willing to put in the time to practice, but it's ridiculously rewarding to play.

Answer 3

I've been teaching guitar for about 20 years now, and I live in the UK. so question 2. not really if U have time to practise. Be aware, though.Ur fingertips will hurt for a while until U get used to it.Nails on your fingering hand (usually left) will have to be kept short.(sorry!) Get a nylon-strung guitar to start with, it wil be easier on the fingers. Geet a book of basic chords - learn 2 or 3. A D E are good to start on. When U can change between them,get a book of 3chord songs. Going to the Zoo is easy, so is He's Got the Whole World in His Hands.Hope this helps, and good picking!

Answer 4

All u need is a guitar that fits u well, u must be comfortable wit it. Playing guitar could be quite hard if no one teaches u. I'm now learn guitar by myself it is really very hard to get the notes right.Try buy this PC CD-ROM is called the 'Interactive Guitar Course' There is digital tuner in it, u can also record song in it, the video clips in it show u clearly how to press the string...
Enjoy learning Guitar!!

Answer 5

Search 'craiglist' or online for a guitar instructor. I guess it depends on what type of guitar you want to play.

I found a cheap acoustic guitar on Craiglist a long time ago. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find guitarists who will teach you.

Try www.forguitar.com - local instructors they may have links to other guitarists.

Go into your local guitar store (in Chicago we have Guitar Center) and they can give you direction on beginning guitars for acoustic and electrical ones.

Have fun...

Answer 6

i would try sam ash thats where i got mine they have a huge selection there. and as for playing the hardest part for me was learning how to cordinate the frets with the strumming it took me about 3 months to learn that but once u get the basics down it gets easier. i would get some proffesional lessons to learn the basics then u can kind of teach urself from there