Playing guitar

[AreWeThereYet]

I was thinking about starting up guitar again, but its been about 25yrs since I have played, and at that time I didn't play well.

Now that I have gotten older and my fingers fatter from pulling wrenches I have decided to try playing again. I've got an old Studio Calidad that my dad gave me to pluck away on until I can get a better once I get more "rhythm" sort of speak

So here is my question, should a person start with tabs or chords. What I remember is tabs is easier, but it makes it harder to read music,.. am I right?

For those that started out,.. what did you do, or are you doing?

Thanks,

 

[Bogger]

I started playing about 7 years ago..... I learned quick for the first year.

Haven't improved in the past 6... I just do chords, campfire stuff. I'd love to get better but that would require lessons and a lot more practice.

Tabs will improve picking skills, of which I have none...

 

[fargineyesore]

Both are a good idea. All tabs are is they show you where to put your fingers to make a certain cord. I play by ear because I'm not too good at reading music. I listen to a song then try to play what I heard. Can be an advantage and disadvantage. That is a good way to learn, but to learn to play lead, etc. it's mostly just a matter of lots of practice.

 

[JaySimon]

I've been playing for quite some time, off and on. Frankly, if you aren't having fun, you aren't going to want to play.
Perhaps start out learning chords, and some songs. The songs re-enforce chord changes and help to speed up the process. When you are getting chords dialed you can try playing around with moving the same chords to different locations on the neck. If you are interested in playing lead, learn your scales, and learn them well. Learn where the notes are on the fretboard, as this will give you a 'landing zone' while you play. Every song is in a key, a guy just needs to find which key that is.

Bear in mind, learning a musical instrument is a lifelong learning process. One of the older dudes I used to play with was still learning stuff, up to the day he died.

Playing with other people will help tremendously. As soon as you can hold it together for a song or two, seek out some people to jam with. Nothing accelerates the playing process like jamming.

Kinda a long, drawn out answer, with no definative conclusion. I guess the main thing to draw from this rambling wall of text is to play lots, and have fun. What works for otehrs may not work for you, and you won';t know until you try.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

Thanks,.. I am not interested in playing any lead or being a fantabulous player. Just looking to be able to play a bit while out camping, or to entertain the kids or other family.

 

[Web Mobile]

It'll never heal, if you keep picking at it, just gives you a itch.

 

[tmix]

practive, practice, practice.......................

 

[AreWeThereYet]

Revived my topic,..

Been almost a year and I haven't touched my guitar,..

Does that make me lazy, or just a bum? I do go to work everyday so I guess I must be just lazy

 

[Hillbilly64]

Revived my topic,..

Been almost a year and I haven't touched my guitar,..

Does that make me lazy, or just a bum? I do go to work everyday so I guess I must be just lazy

Sometimes I don't play for months, then play for a few weeks. Usually I hear a tune I want to learn and that gets me going again.

Once you learn a few cords, try playing along to a tune on the computer or cd player, I-pod, whatever. Try to follow the song along and learn the way the cords all fit together.
You might find this a helpful way to learn, just don't try to hit every note yet, it wii drive you nuts.

I learned to play the eagles this way when I was a kid with an old cassette player. Wore the darn thing out, but learned a few tunes. It really helps with your timing to play along with someone else or music you are trying to learn.

Hope this helps, most of all have fun. :d

 

[Lanko]

If you wan't to impress people with 3 solos go with tab, I'm sure everyone will be impressed when you play the first 16 notes of either Sweet Home Alabama, Hotel California or Smoke on the Water, but the fact is chords are the route of string instrument. If you can master 5-6 basic chords and transition from each smoothly you can play a ton of songs, the beauty is chords and notes(tab) are closely related, so learn chords then learn tab. Ya I know its way phuqqin cooler to blast a cool mini solo than strum three weak azz cords, it does pay off if in the end, learn the chords and go from there, and like T-Mix said practice. I have started and failed with 3, ya I repeat 3 different instructors and all have said the same thing, learn chords learn any song. It's that easy, I call BS.

 

[TylerG]

I just got a guitar myself, traded off some old subwoofers from my old ranger for it and an Amp. Been watching lots of "learn to play" video's on youtube, haven't really done much with the guitar itself yet.

Contemplating an acoustic jam session on the friday night at the 2011 Jamboree though.....

 

[Mare]

I play some myself. Mostly self taught. I hear a song, get the chords off the net and go nuts. I have 3 guitars and they sit here collecting dusk most of the time. I really should get back at it though, my friends say I played well.. 7 years ago, might be a bit rusty now.. :d

 

[MOMMA]

I was thinking about starting up guitar again, but its been about 25yrs since I have played, and at that time I didn't play well.

Now that I have gotten older and my fingers fatter from pulling wrenches I have decided to try playing again. I've got an old Studio Calidad that my dad gave me to pluck away on until I can get a better once I get more "rhythm" sort of speak

So here is my question, should a person start with tabs or chords. What I remember is tabs is easier, but it makes it harder to read music,.. am I right?

For those that started out,.. what did you do, or are you doing?

Thanks,

Very very cool!!
I teach guitar each week. We do group lessons. I teach my little peeps chords first, and transpose songs into easy keys to keep it simple. This enables them to develop an ear for music and helps them learn to anticipate chord changes. Learn the relative chords. They can all go into any group of musicians and Jam now. I love my little peeps.

 

[MOMMA]

The poopy thing about only learning a few rifts is that you are so limited to that. Cool you can rock sweet home Alabama, but then that's all you got. You wouldn't be able to Jam with other peeps. One music teacher in town was doing that. I got a few of his students.. They could Rock Don't fear the reaper, but when you put other songs in front of them they had nothing else. A whole year and they learned how to play one song. If you learn Chords you can use a Capo, which changes the key you are playing in. You can basically always stay in first position chording, but play pretty much any song you want.

I can send you a whole bunch of songs that we play transposed into easy peasy chording if you'd like. Pm me!

 

[JaySimon]

Playing to the radio was mentioned. I find this a great way to train your ear. You can pick up tones and know which key things are in, which makes you an even more versatile player. Once again, this may not work for everyone, but it helped tons for me.

 

[Joholio]

ultimateguitar.com app is what I use to figure out new songs I want to learn...

 

[Joholio]

I started playing about 7 years ago..... I learned quick for the first year.

Haven't improved in the past 6... I just do chords, campfire stuff. I'd love to get better but that would require lessons and a lot more practice.

Tabs will improve picking skills, of which I have none...

Still playing and progressing?

 

[Bogger]

Playing occasionally... progressing - no not really.

I actually just picked it up again last week for the first time in a long time....all comes back pretty quickly but need to build callouses back up I can only play for 10-15 mins at a time right now.

Still playing and progressing?

 

[Joholio]

Playing occasionally... progressing - no not really.

I actually just picked it up again last week for the first time in a long time....all comes back pretty quickly but need to build callouses back up I can only play for 10-15 mins at a time right now.

Acoustic? Any electrics? What kinda stuff doo you play?

I have an old $40, 3/4 size, classical Yamaha strung with bronze here at the cabin. Great sounding old guitar! I play stuff from Metallica to Marshall Tucker to Johnny Cash. We do have drums, bass and electrics back at home that we sometimes get loud on!

 

[fnDan]

Songsterr is a great app if you're using an iPad. They have a website too. I like how they have tab for individual guitars in the song as well as a basic chord chart with lyrics.


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