Learning Guitar

[miki78]

I really want to learn to play the Guitar Music really intrests me but i don't know where to start i know a lot of people play hear so i was wondering if i could get some advice please

where do i start

like what would be the ideal type of guitar to start with ?☝

And how small is to small for your hands to play guitar ☝

Please help☝

 

[Kinsao]

Yeah!
I love playing guitar, and I wish that everyone could enjoy it too! It's not easy but it is really fun.

Ok, about type of guitar to start with... well, although I've been playing for quite a long time, I'm not so knowledgeable as I used to be, because I haven't read guitar magazines for quite a while. (I really should start again... although all the reviews just taunt me with great-sounding guitars that I can't afford! >< lol) ...... So bear with me.

I recommend not to get an Encore or Squier. They are the most common cheap 'beginner's' guitars, but I personally don't like 'em, and they have understandably a reputation for being exactly that - a cheap beginner's guitar. (I found the Encore to have a bit of an awkward fretboard somehow for me, rather chunky with high frets, and the Squier to be a tad heavy.)

There is no need to spend an absolute fortune, especially as you are just beginning and don't know yet how you will like it, but on the other hand, I suggest you don't get the very cheapest available, but rather, spend a little bit more and get something more 'middle of the range'. You should go into your local music store, explain yourself and ask to try some of their guitars within the price range you are looking for. You have to get one that you feel happy and comfortable with.

My guitar is a Westfield - here is their website. Mine is in fact one of their cheapest! (It was bought for me as a surprise by my Dad, who also played guitar and knew what he was doing, and I paid him back later. ^^) I have almost no complaints about it; I can get a good range of sound out of it, and I particularly like the fretboard. The only things I will say are that I have 3 single-coil pickups. Single-coil pickups are better for a clean, crisp tone; humbuckers (pickups with 2 coils) are better for a more... how to say it?... warm, full tone. Many guitars combine single-coil and double-coil pickups, so you can go for one that has the best tone for you. Also, my guitar, being a cheaper one, I can't use the whammy bar on it very well without it going out of tune. That doesn't bother me; I just took it off and don't use it cos I don't really need it.

I also have to say that I don't use my Westfield for gigging, so I have no idea how well it would stand up to heavier use. However, I've spoken to a couple of people who have them, and they've all been complimentary about them, including 'my' guitar-repairer-man.

For a middle-of-the-range guitar I also recommend Yamaha. They're a good, well-established, sound make. My acoustic guitar is a Yamaha, dating back to the early '60s, and I have to admit that it's superb. ::kisses fingertips:: ... but that's hardly a typical example, because it's an acoustic, and has had many years to 'wear in' and get its wonderful mellow sound. But I have heard good stuff about Yamaha electric guitars too, and they don't all cost a fortune (in fact, if my Dad hadn't chipped in with the Westfield there was a Yamaha electric I was going to buy ^^). Here's their UK page.

This is an American page and you're in Wales - but it's fun to browse around and dream! XD

Also, consider your amp. For an electric guitar, the amp is like half of the instrument! because it has a big effect on the final sound that comes out. For instance, although I have 3 single-coil pickups on my guitar, using my amp I can make it sound very fuzzy (lots of 'gain'), echoy ('reverb'), crunchy, twangy, mellow, or even as though I'm playing guitar underwater! I get different effects by using a combination of different levels of gain (controlled via the amp) and different settings of tone (controlled by knobs on the guitar which dictate which pickups you are using). ^^

I'm not at all expert on amps, since I only have one! My amp is tiny - a 10 watt 'practice amp', so-called because, well, you use them for practice only. They aren't powerful enough for playing gigs. However, a practice amp is all you need for starting off, when you're playing just in your house or garage. ^^ For instance, mine can create more volume than I would ever need in my house! >__<... XD. But it's important to get a decent amp, because a lot of practice amps (i.e. the small 10 watt amps) can have a really crappy, tinny, cheap 'n' nasty sound. >< Mine is a Park amp - they are made by Marshall - and I'm impressed by it. I can get a really good range of different sounds out of it, perfectly adequate for my personal practice at home, without it sounding 'cheap' or tinny at all. So I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Park 10 watt amp to any beginner.

Marshall is a reputable make for amps, and here is their home page.

Again, I can best suggest that you talk to the people in a music store and try out some of their guitars and amps to find out what you like the sound and feel of! Also, you can read guitar magazines, which have reviews of guitars, amps and other equipment.

About the size of your hands... it really doesn't matter!!! Seriously, do NOT be put off by thinking you have small hands. When you get to a more advanced level, sure, there are some things that are easier if you have bigger hands. But anyone with enough dexterity can learn to play guitar to a high standard without needing to have big hands/long fingers. As an example, I started learning (on a three-quarter sized acoustic) when I was around 4 years old, and moved to a full-sized acoustic at some point I can't remember >< but certainly before the age of 10, before my hands were fully-grown. Sure, my playing at that age wasn't exactly Steve Vai! I just played a few chords. But you should be able to learn to play just fine. ^^ It's just necessary, to build up strength in your hands, which is hard at first but becomes easier with practice. Your fingertips will get harder, and your fingers will become stronger.

If you do have small hands, good technique is particularly important. Make sure to hold the guitar properly, and place your left hand correctly. A tutor or instruction books will be able to explain this!

Phew! I hope some of that was helpful and not just nonsense to you... Please feel free to ask any questions!

 

[miki78]

☝ WOW that was really really helpful thankyou

but what is a coil☝

and erm what is gain ?

do you know the diffrence between an acuastic and a classical guitar ?

It all sounds very confusing :? but really interesting as well

I found a tin whistle on that sight i wanna buy too

 

[Kinsao]

An electric guitar has pickups (either 3 or 2 depending on the type of guitar). These are located on the body of the guitar underneath the strings, and they 'pick up' the vibration of the strings and transform that into the electronic sound that comes out of the amp.

A pickup consists of copper wire wrapped around either one or a bunch of several magnets. A 'single coil pickup', as the name suggests, uses only a single coil of wire for this. a 'double coil' or 'humbucker' pickup uses two coils.

You can read more about the details and differences on Wiki:
Single coil pickups
Humbuckers
That tells some of the advantages and disadvantages of each, and what their sounds are like.

Gain is a bit complicated to explain, because it is to do with mean ratio of output to input in electronic devices. When I was talking about 'gain' above, I wasn't thinking so technically, but to put it in simple terms, on my particular type of amp I have 2 knobs that control 'gain', and when you twiddle them in various combinations, you get different tones and textures of sound. More gain usually means a sound more fuzzy, or full, or dense, or distorted (depending exactly on your amp and which knobs you've twiddled ).

A classical guitar is an acoustic guitar, but not every acoustic guitar is also classical. Basically, an acoustic guitar is one that isn't electric (well duhh! ^^). A classical guitar is characterised by having nylon strings (if you see an acoustic guitar with steel strings, it isn't classical). That's the most obvious sign. The three bass strings are wound with metal (so that they look a kinda bronzy colour rather than the bare nylon). A classical guitar does not have a truss rod (metal rod running up the neck on the inside) because nylon strings don't require such a high tension. In addition, the machine heads of a classical guitar (the pegs on the headstock where the strings are wound ^^) point backwards, whereas those of a steel-strung acoustic point outwards from the side of the headstock.

Steel-strung guitars can be harder on the fingers at first, because of the strings being metal, but of course they produce a different kind of sound from the classical guitar. I learned on a steel-strung acoustic guitar, and I really like the sound, but it depends on your personal tastes and what kind of music you play. A classical guitar is of course best for classical music ^^ and things like flamenco. A steel-strung guitar is well-suited to blues, ragtime and strumming. If you want to play music that needs an electric guitar, like rock and such, well then, an electric is the way to go. I believe that having learned on an acoustic gave me an advantage when I started electric, because some things are easier on an electric guitar (for example the strings are easier to press down and easier to bend), and it's good to be able to play both/either, but there is no reason why anyone should have to learn acoustic if their interest is in electric music.

 

[miki78]

I think i'm geting it

thankyou very much you have been very very helpful i can't wait to get my guitar once i'v decided which one

Ow does a pick make a diffrence coz when my bro had a guitar he had a pick when i had a go i found it more awkward than with my fingers i was only small at the time

But why do people use picks ?

Sorry for all the questions

 

[Kinsao]

It's no problem, I like writing about the guitar!

It is best to learn to use both pick and fingers, because they are each good for different styles. There are certain techniques which can only be done with fingers - for example, 'fingerstyle', where you pluck the strings in a certain pattern. It also produces a different kind of sound; using fingers it makes a softer sound than you get with a pick. You can play fingerstyle using either the ends of your fingers or your nails if they are the right length. Using your nails gives you a crisper sound. However, don't have your nails too long, otherwise it will break them. It can also be annoying if a nail chips/splits and keeps catching on a string. You'd have to try different things and see which one suits you best.

I started off learning to play with my fingers on an acoustic guitar, and to this day I hardly ever use a pick on the acoustic, but there are as many different approaches as there are guitar players!

By contrast, I don't use my fingers very often on the electric guitar, but mostly a pick. That's really because of the style of music I play, so whether you use pick or fingers depends on what technique is required for the music. The main thing with a pick is that you can play rapid solos a lot more easily; in fact, in a way that would be completely impossible with your fingers, such as 'alternate picking' (when you alternate downward and upward strokes of the pick).

I find it much easier to pick individual notes using a pick, plus it gives the sound a crisper edge. Picks can also be used for strumming. Again, the sound is 'harder' (because of course the pick is hard and unyielding compared with your fingers). I also find it easier to strum with a pick. However, fingers are the perfect thing for certain types of technique. Some songs require a combination of strumming and picking. Sometimes a pick can be used for this, but in other songs, there are quite fast arpeggios/pattern-picking sections among chords, and it's much easier to play this kind of thing with your fingers.

There are also different types of pick. In a guitar shop, you will see them in a tray on the counter. They are different thicknesses and sizes. It's good to experiment with different ones, to find out which ones make the sounds you like. For example, I find that thinner, very bendy picks make a rather 'thin' sound on my guitar, so I don't like them so much, but they can be quite good for strumming. Thicker picks make a harder sound, which I prefer, but over a certain thickness and I find myself a bit clumsy with them, although they can be great for very 'chunky' strumming. Everyone has their own different personal preferences of picks! and probably also uses several different types to suit different moods/styles of music.

If I were you, I'd learn to use both pick and fingers, because that's most versatile. They each have different difficulties, but I wouldn't say one is particularly easier than the other.

 

[miki78]

Thankyou Music isn't quit as perplexing as it looks

do you know any good guitarist's to listern too

I only know Mana Sama,Miyavi,Gacktjob,the Edge and Bono LOL: Poor thing Three cords and the truth and he only knows two cords)

Mind you what's a cord ?

 

[Kinsao]

Ok....

Good guitarists include:
Steve Vai
Joe Satriani
Yngwie Malmsteen
Christophe Godin
Dimebag Darrell
Marty Friedman
Alexi Laiho
John Petrucci
Eddie van Halen
Midge Ure
Chet Atkins
Ry Cooder
Chuck Berry
Django Reinhardt
Mark Knopfler
Tak Matsumoto
Gary Moore
Carlos Santana
Charlie Christian
Doc Watson
Stefan Grossman
Bert Jansch
Scott Henderson
Albert Collins
John Lee Hooker
Howlin' Wolf

If you Google or Wiki search any of those, that will tell you more about them and the kind of music they play. That's from a range of different styles, but I haven't put any classical or flamenco guitarists in there cos I don't know that kind of music well :sorry: and only a couple of jazz players. It's good to listen to a lot of different styles (although of course there's no point in forcing yourself to listen to stuff you dislike!).

In Jrock, I recommend you listen to Crosshard, B'z and Galneryus.

No doubt, there are a lot of other great guitarists out there, of various genres... I'm sure that on a guitar-related message board, there would be many many suggestions! Those are just names that I have noticed in particular.

A chord is three or more notes played together.

 

[Davey]

Lol that was a lot of typing Kinsao Thanks for your posts!

 

[miki78]

thankyou very much Kinsao

I can't wait to get my Guitar although i will prob be locked in the shed with it by my mom by the end of the first day LOL

Thanks again

 

[Anchyyy]

Kinsao that was interesting to read at all But there is one little thing i must add. Herman Li and Sam Totman are amazing guitarists. They play in a band called Dragonforce but i guess they are not that known on the music scene But really they are awesome!

 

[sombre]

is learning classical guitar of any help in rock music??~

 

[Kinsao]

Yes.
Although the techniques aren't quite the same, it will certainly give you a start. You'll know chords, various arpeggios and stuff, as well as already being dextrous/accurate.
I didn't learn classical guitar but I did start off playing an acoustic (steel-strung) before I played electric. It does have a different feel and some different techniques, but all-in-all it was certainly still helpful.

 

[Devious]

I have a classical guitar.. though it has steel strings (I know that steel strings usually doesn't fit classical guitars but my seems fine with them) so you can get some rokish sound

 

[Kinsao]

Just a word of warning, in that case - if you're using steel strings on a classical guitar, eventually the neck will bend and/or break. Guitars designed for steel strings have a metal rod running down the inside of the neck ('truss rod') to deal with the extra strain/tension of the steel strings. Classical guitars, designed for nylon strings, don't have this and hence the neck will get damaged.

The ideal solution if the budget stretches to it is to have one of each...

 

[sombre]

My classical guitar is with nylon hard tension string!! I've been learning it for about 2-3 years already, quite into it though. But I want to know more about those power chords that electric guitars have and not classical.....I'm nearly giving up classical for the sake of electric guitar

 

[Kinsao]

If I were you I'd go for it and get an electric guitar as well! No need to give up classical though; you can still play them both.

 

[loopy]

My classical guitar is with nylon hard tension string!! I've been learning it for about 2-3 years already, quite into it though. But I want to know more about those power chords that electric guitars have and not classical.....I'm nearly giving up classical for the sake of electric guitar

You can use power chords on any guitar, not just electric guitar, power chords are a lot simpler than chords although I recomend learning the chords aswel. im not too sure how to explain them though. In a power chord only 3 strings are used over 3 frets (someone please correct me if im wrong) so for example it would look like this:
E:|--1--|
A:|--0--|
D:|--3--|
G:|--3--|
B:|--0--|
e:|--0--|

 

[-Rudel-]

Here's what a power chord looks like.

 

[sombre]

E:|--1--|
A:|--0--|
D:|--3--|
G:|--3--|
B:|--0--|
e:|--0--|
why is it that the third string is D? I thought its G?
Or must we tune ??

 

[Kinsao]

^ I think those tabs are drawn the other way up, if I am not mistaken. (so just read it top string = bottom string)

when i think of power chord i think of the chord like shown above using only 3 or 4 string (the lowest) rather than across all 6. ( :? )

thanks for the pictures Rudel!