Learning Guitar Question?

Question

Im intrested in learning to play the guitar, how difficult is this because i cannot read music

I have not got a clue how a guitar works as in notes wise

I play the keyboard by ear, i can read music to some extent but my mind and fingers dont synchronise when reading music

Id just like to know if its possible to play the guitar by ear or demonstration or would i be wasting my time?

Answer 1

Give it a go. Get some music that has "tab" notation. This just tells you where to put your fingers on the strings.

Answer 2

You can learn without knowing how to read music. I'd say that goes for just about any instrument, depending on how skilled you are at playing by ear and figuring out how to translate that to your instrument. I took a semester of "classical" guitar a while back. We actually learned how to read the notes and how to know where the fingerings are on the guitar. I can still play the two songs we learned but I have no memory of the notes that make it go. I just remember where my fingers go. I first learned guitar by learning chords and then picking through some songbooks with songs I knew--that way I knew if I was playing it right or not. I guess it depends on how patient you can be in trying to get the notes right. If you can play piano by ear it sounds like you shouldn't have a problem learning the guitar. It's a fun skill to have.

Answer 3

Learn a few chords first, its the basis of all guitar playing. I suggest Em, Am, G, D and C to start with, they're easy chords (just google "guitar chord shapes"). Get comfortable changing between them. If you can play keyboard by ear, there's nothing wrong with your listening skills. Many songs contain only these chords, so you should be able to transfer your keyboard skills to guitar.

Guitars are tuned, from fattest string to thinnest, E A D G B E.

Reading music is not a problem, Jimmy Page, arguably the best guitarist of the last 40 years, couldn't read music fluently either. Nor can I. But do try to learn tab, its designed for guitar and is invaluable.

Whilst you can become a good player on your own, try to find players of a similar standard to you and just jam. Apart from anything else its FUN.

Playing guitar is easy, getting good is hard work

Answer 4

I've had a guitar for 2 years now and, like you, don't read music and only played keyboard before. I'm writing songs all the time and loving it. I only play for an hour a day. One word of advice, buy the most expensive guitar you can buy ! Trust me you CAN notice a difference. Ive had 2, the first was a Crafter electro/acoustic at £170 and never gets played now. Then i got an Epiphone(poor mans Gibson) Ej200 at £300 ish but its cheaper now i think. Massive difference in playability, the Ej200 is far superior and a lot easier to play. Go to websites like www.ultimate-guitar.com for an idea of what guitar to buy and also check out the massive library of song chords and tabs you can play. It'll give you a better idea of what its all about. Don't be put off by anyone saying its really hard. i was playing my first song within a week. Just put some time in to practicing, be patient, and you'll be rocking in no time.

Answer 5

Learning guitar is quite easy.
As you progress you will find it easier as long as you are enthusiastic and practise regularly.
I have played guitar for some 30 years, I also play bass and some keyboard.
All of my playing has been self taught and by ear, I can now play all, by Tab and music notation, but cannot really play by reading music properly, (I have even played bass in two bands for several years).
My son plays guitar, bass and drums. He was initially started out by jamming with me and playing along with CD's etc., but is now much better than me.
He now plays in a band, which is now getting some recognition, (check out this link,) http://www.myspace.com/burntbeneath
On the track 'through us is life' he plays all instruments and backing vocals, (he is now at college doing a music diploma, can read music, and this track was an assignment,).
This shows the potential of what is possible, and more, from learning to play by ear.
So you carry on, good luck to you, and remember, 5 minutes practise every day is better than 8 hours once a week.

Answer 6

Absolutely. I was trained on piano, but was always weak at reading. I picked up guitar and saxophone by ear totally. The trick to getting good no any of them is running scales (it's boring, but every song is based off scale structure). You will have to pick up a book so you can learn the string notes and the fret board positions for related notes. Pick up a book that shows finger positioning for chords too, especially bar chords (the basis for good rock rhythm guitar). These books should show you the fret board and where/how you place your fingers to get the proper chords. It has nothing to do with reading music. The hard part is developing finger strength/callus. I don't know your keyboard training, but the hand strength is VERY different. Plus there's a three dimensional aspect compared to the two dimensionality of piano that took me a while to get the hang of. I found saxophone easier.

Answer 7

The guitar is probably the easiest instrument to play without reading music. You can get chord charts (diagrams that show you the fingering) and music written for guitarists is in the same format. Better still, if you can play keyboard by ear, once you get a guitar properly tuned and you understand the way the strings follow one another you will have no trouble playing tunes. Good luck.

Answer 8

I learned to play without music. I'm no Stevie Ray, but I do pretty well and can play almost any song or guituar lick if I practice it.
I also heard a rumor that Paul McCartney can't read music.
I did take lessons for a few months at various points in my life.
I heard another rumor that Jimi Hendrix never took lessons. I'm not sure about his music reading ability though.

Answer 9

How long it takes to learn guitar depends on how good you want to get and how much practice you put in. How good you can get with 1-2 hours a day for a few months depends on what methods you use to practice. There are effective practice methods that will help you make the best use of your time. This course is one of the best. https://bitly.im/aMDP9 It's not just about how much you play but how effectively you play that will determine how good you will get.

Answer 10

that's how i learned, ear first, using cheat chords (my term, using only two strings) and then I learn more with friends sitting and playing with them and learning. I can not read music, but I can read some tabulature (aka TAB), my daughter reads and plays the piano, and has earned so much respect from me in doing so.

It is possible, only if you have a true ability of rhythm...you'll know once you learn a chord or two, and play a song, and it doesn't sound the same...GOOD LUCK.

email any questions if you want...

Answer 11

All you need to do is learn several chords and you can play many folk, pop and rock songs. To do that, Its not that hard. The key is getting a good guitar thats easy to play. Here are some articles to get you started... http://www.danomusiconline.com