I have always loved the sound of the acoustic guitar and now I would like to finally learn how to play it.....

Question

do you have any tips for me?
i dont know the first thing about a guitar
what are chords and tabs and all those other things?
what kind of guitar should i get?
whats the difference between a 100$ guitar and a 1000$ guitar?
can you explain the basic things i need to know about playing an acoustic guitar??

Answer 1

At this point, it's not really about how much you spent on your guitar or who made it. And the difference between $100.00 and $1000.00 is very slim to the untrained ear (your's, at the moment).

Despite the hype about the Fender name on your guitar, there is a reason: they make good guitars. Check out this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Fender-DGA1-Acoustic-Guitar-Pack/dp/B000TJJI2S/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/002-5012430-2185611?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1185946935&sr=8-3

It's about $175.00 by the time you get done with the taxes and shipping costs.You should be able to get a decent case for around $20.00 - $30.00. Guitar picks are usually pretty cheap and shouldn't set you back more than $5.00 for 10 or so. And yes, they break pretty easily, once you get going and start playing better. As for the strings, don't spend more than $15.00 at this point.

CHORDS are what you produce when you play a compilation of notes. While a song might be in the key of A, you're still going to have other keys within. Take this song for example: it's goes from A to (A/C#) to D to A/C# to D again and on and on, using different keys of course.

Guitar TABS are the same thing as a CHORD SHEET. It's the lyrics from the song as well as the chords used in the song.

The TEMPO is how fast the song is going.

From there, the best I can suggest is to learn from the best. Personally, I'm surrounded by several people who play some type of instrument (currently I play the drums well enough to be passable, and I'm working on the guitar), so I can pull some bits of knowledge from all of them. You may not have that advantage. There's video & literature resources out there (as one would assume), but really, it's best to learn from live beings (as it is when trying to learn most things).

Above all, have fun. If you're doing this because it seems interesting, that may not be enough. Set a goal, pass it, and know that you will need to keep going. There is no top, only up or better than yesterday. With that in mind, will it still be fun tomorrow? If not, you might try a different instrument.

Good luck!

Answer 2

1. Get a good teacher and partner up with the teacher to help you get your first guitar

2. Set up a time when you can focus on the instrument without interruptions. Think of it as a date with your new best friend.

3. Don't beat yourself up if it doesn't sound good right away. Remember, you have to build up callouses on your fingers, and you have to move back and forth between string and chords smoothly.

4. If you can't get a teacher or a class right away, I have posted answers from similar questions below. they should contain everything you need to know to get you started. LEt me answer your other questions quickly however.

Chords are where you play three or more notes at the same time. You can do this by placing your left fingers on the strings and pressing down in the right places. In the meantime you can either strum across the strings with a plectrum (pick) your finger tips (fingernails down, thumbnail up) or learn to play fingerstyle using free strokes and rest strokes

Tabs, or tablature, is a graphic representation of the six strings of the guitar as you would see them if you held the neck sideways. the top string represents the first (Skinny) string of the Guitar (High E) The bottom string represents the Last (Fat) string. (Low E) When you see a number in the string, you put your finger just before the corresponding fret. (the little steel bar that runs all the way down the fingerboard) If the number is Zero ( 0 ) you just play the string open. If there is an X ( X) don't play that string, or mute the string if you are strumming. (You mute the string by resting a portion of your finger against the side of it so it doesn't ring freely, but you don't puch down on it)

The difference between a one hundred and one thousand dollar guitar is the quality of the materials, (better naturally aged wood) the quality of the workmanship (no rough edges) and the quality of the inlay. ( Real abalone and mother of pearl as opposed to plastic and decals) Sometimes the brand name enters into the equation, as does the profit margin of the distributor and store as well, so watch out for that. You want your money to go into quality, not the name brand!

I can explain the basic things all day long (and have in the answers that I've already attached) but you are going to save so much time by getting an instructor, you probably won't have much patience for my feeble ramblings after awhile. If you can't get a teacher, follow this rule of thumb until you can. Every time you meet someone who plays better than you do, bother them until they teach you one thing. Don't be pushy and do be polite about it, but be insistent. When people start bothering you, then you know that at least in one respect, you have made it; you're a player. I hope the following links provide you with whatever else you need, but if they don't, give me a shout, I've got lots more!

Answer 3

Go to ur local music shop. If u have a guitar playing friend, take them with u. Look at thre guitars in ur price range. Get ur friend, or an assistant to play them for u.Decide if u prefer the sound of nylon strings or metal. (Nylon are easier on the fingers to start with than metal) Be aware that it will hurt ur left hand fingers at first, but the pain goes away. Also be aware that u can't have long, pretty nails on ur left hand (I tell all my female pupils this!). When u have found an insrument u like/can afford, buy a tuner and a book of chords. Learn to tune it, then choose 2 or 3 chords(A D E are good). Learn1 at a time, then practise changing between them. There are loads of songs out there using just 2 or 3 chords., like He's got the Whole World in His Hands ( D, A) or early Rock'n'roll ( Johnny B Goode etc) which use A D E. Hope this helps, and all the best. Vaya con Dios.

Answer 4

Start with a nylon stringged acoustic guitar, get a copy of a chord chart and look up really simple songs to play in the internet. practice those chords and pressing the strings right near the frets.

the first song I played was "Knocking on Heavens Door" by Guns N Roses, which only uses 3 chords the entire song (G,C,D).
Once you get the hang of changing chords while strumming the beat, playing the guitar is very easy.

Goodluck!

Answer 5

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/aMDaf It's not just about how much you play but how effectively you play that will determine how good you will get.

Answer 6

you can get a decent accoustic guitar for 100 bucks, and it'd be best to start on something like that, because not everyone can stick with guitar. but i think it'd be easier to start on electric, but it's not too fun to own an electric with no amp, so you would almost have to spend more than 100 dollars on that.