Guitar Uebern00bness of Guitar Uebern00bery

[MrGeezer]

Since this is THE interneticalphaschizzleness board of the virtual, I need to ask some guitar questions.


First off:  One Fender Squire Strat, One Korean Red Bass, new sets of strings for both, strap, jumper, mini-amp, jumpers, pics, etc.

Skills:  Equivilent to a monkey with 4 fingers missing, N00b, cheeze whiz, The Pauly Shore of Guitar, unable to find butt in the dark with both hands.  Consider this guy as green as they come.

Willingness to Learn:  10

Mode Preference:  Internet

Cost:  Yeah, free is too much to ask, but I can pitch in for some.


Guitar freeks, axe wielders, Riff Rangers, Flyin Fingers & Burnin Strangs, David Gilmour, Eddie, Slash officianatos:

I want to learn guitar from an internet source.  I watch youtube videos on whow to SEE someone playing it, and I get that.  The Chord and Notes I have no clue on yet.  So sheet music learning is not appealing to me, especially as an old, disabled geezer.  I saw someone recommend a website of such a learning method a few months ago, but it wasn't worth raising the dead in a thread.     I want to learn Blues, 50's-60's simple pop-rock,  then Floyd, Van Halen, Ozzy, Rob Zombie.  In six months I want to open my garage door and crank out riffs so the bears start looking for a drum kit.

Help, please, informational and tips below...and thank you in advance.

An old geezer needs to work on dexterity after nerve damage and nerve ablasion operations.  Use it or lose it, eh?

God Bless,

ROX

[kvuo75]

I notice you say you would avoid sheet music. you don't really have to read music, they typically give guitar music with tabs (tabluature) which shows fingering with numbers. its insanely simple. I started 25 years ago with nothing but the book of sheet music / tabs for one of my favorite iron maiden records and just spent time working on it..

I think this is a more rewarding method than starting with "basics".  get the tab book of a record you really like and when you start playing it you can instantly tell if its working.

also get a tuner.

[The Fugitive]

Try this one here..... http://www.justinguitar.com/ I have picked up a few things there. He has a lot of things to mess with, and it is free. He does ask for donations, but it is not required.

[smoe]

This sounds similar to how Nikki Sixx started.

Start with this one first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an7fYTyYh0s&list=PLC26DCCD7954DA0B5&index=1

[FLS]

You should learn at least enough theory to understand why rock and blues is generally a 1 4 5 progression and how to spell chords. You will express yourself better when you know the language beyond memorizing phrases.

Work the neck with exercises, diatonic, major , and pentatonic scales to develop finger control.

If it's hard to press the strings down tune down a half step. Don't set your strings too low, that's a common newbie mistake.

[TequilaChaser]

I 2nd, what FLS posted

Also, I recommend you use light strings ( I prefer elixir brand )

Get your self a full size "all chords" wall chart to show finger placement... Should be easy to find

For trying to self teach, tablature/tabs is very easy...

I started around 12 yrs old with 2 different instructors and am now 46...  Get lost in yourself and realize that 4 hours just flew by while you was jamming...

Best of luck to you

TC

[ozrocker]

I would add that there are numerous free lessons on youtube that walk you through.
Start out with open(bar chords) to develop transitioning from one to next.
Learn a chord a day. Play it until you have finger positioning done without thinking about it.
You'll be jamming before you know it.
Don't listen to the nay sayers about open chords.
Malcolm Young from AC/DC played a very successful career using bar chords almost exclusively.


                                                                                                                                      Oz

[Thruster]

http://www.vanderbilly.com/

[cattb]

my 2 cents,
 youtube has basics, learn basic chords. many songs can be played with basic chords. build up your fingertips. then you can start to learn the scales. try to learn the notes then you will see how the scales interact with the chords.
 and I won't forget as you get going you can practice the string bending, hammer ons, pull offs etc.
Don't forget to watch a video on using your pick, important.

[quig]

First, learn the G chord.

Next, get the C chord down.

The D chord is a little annoying when you're starting out, but get it also.

Throw in an Am every now and then and you can scratch the 1st half off that bucket list of yours

[craz07]

wretched guitar.. took months for me to learn that awful stuff.. lol   

[MrGeezer]

First, learn the G chord.

Next, get the C chord down.

The D chord is a little annoying when you're starting out, but get it also.

Throw in an Am every now and then and you can scratch the 1st half off that bucket list of yours

AMEN!

[Bizman]

First, learn the G chord.

Next, get the C chord down.

The D chord is a little annoying when you're starting out, but get it also.

Throw in an Am every now and then and you can scratch the 1st half off that bucket list of yours

As FLS said, learn some theory. Knowing chord patterns helps a lot! And as ozrocker mentioned, even successful guitar heroes use bar chords. Learning how to bar the basic chords E and A and their minors and sevenths you can play almost any song in any key which is good if you're accompanying a singer or yourself. The pentatonic scale is worth learning, you can easily improvise nice blues/country licks using it.

[edit]There may be better, but I somehow like the style of SecretGuitarTeacher in Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1NLL4hFt-QcV_2F0PmxlvLp6H8HC8MDW

[jigsaw]

This guy has a lot of free tutorials as well as a bunch you can buy for really cheap and he'll send to you on a USB.

http://www.youtube.com/user/groovydjs/

Some people love his stuff, some people hate him. I will say that even after having been a player for nearly 30 years, I have been able to pick up some interesting ideas (mostly on the tech side) from him.

Warning though... if you're sensitive about foul language and cursing... you probably wont make it through more than sixty seconds of some of his vids.

General word of advice about anything you find on a "This is how to play X song" on places like youtube, vanderbilly, licklibrary, any "Tab" place, etc... 99% of them will show you the wrong way to play the song.  If you're at all serious, and have any decent tone sense, once you learn the chords, and more importantly, the different voicings,  figure stuff out for yourself.

[skorpx1]

I'm not going to give any advice on the lessons, but I will help you out when it comes to gear. Iv'e got two basses and two amps, along with 2 cords, 2 sets of strings for each bass, two straps, two stands, two cases and 2 pedals.

2 of everything helps. I mean that when I say it, lose a cord and you got another, an amp blows out and you have another. A guitar craps out and you have another. (However the last one might be a bit out of the picture).


As far as your amps, DO NOT EVER FOR NEVER EVER PUT THAT GUITAR INTO YOUR BASS AMP AND VISE VERSA! You will destroy that amp in absolutely no time at all! DO NOT DO THAT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT IN THIS WORLD!


Some additional gear that might be useful for you is a set of headphones for your amp, I have a pair of Behringer HPS3000 headphones for my bass amp and they work wonderfully. Extra picks is nothing to be ashamed of, the more the better. Cant be short of a metronome either and if you happen to have a tuner on you, that'd be great. Also don't solely rely on that tuner. Be sure you can tune without it through another guitar/player. Something not needed but rather helpful if you ever find yourself down a tuning peg is a tuning peg and screw just in case.