My First Guitar!

[bcadoo]

Learn the Am and Cm open chords:

Am            Cm

0               0
1               1
2               0
2               2
0               3
don't touch the E string (thickest).

Strum: down down up (pause), up down up.

Hope that helps.

I don't think that C is minor....lookes like C major to me.

[BrownBaron]

If ur fingers get real bad, get a little bottle of super glue, put it on ur finger tips, on ur right hand too if u pick with ur fingers, and let it dry a bit...should make ur skin both hard to the touch, and almost completely free of ur sense of touch.....

learn to read tabs,
i never lerned chords, and that worked out okay for me,
and finaly- have fun

[100Coogn]

I don't think that C is minor....lookes like C major to me.

I have to agree there myself.  That is a 'C'  (C-Major)

[VonMessa]

I have to agree there myself.  That is a 'C'  (C-Major)

What he said.....


Good luck.  Learn some theory (and this coming from a drummer  )

I actually started by playing piano when I was 8.  Then guitar, bass and finally the drums by the time I was 20.

Learning some theory will help you understand the music.  Learning to read will help you learn music faster.  Once you can learn AND understand the music you will become more than just a guitar player (bassist, drummer, etc), you will be a musician.  Then you can play music with other like-minded people and speak the same language.

Lastly (IMO), two major things that make for a crappy guitar player

1) Learn to tune it !! (as stated in this thread there are not many things that sound worse than a poorly tuned axe)

2) Play with a metronome.  Yes, it blows.  Yes, its difficult. Yes, they are evil, but... The MOST annoying thing that can happen when playing with other musicians is playing with someone that has an undeveloped sense of timing.  Anyone that wants to argue that point (the metronome) and says it is not necessary has never been in a studio.  When you get in that booth and you are handed a chart and a pair of headphones, it can be intimidating, to say the least.  Especially when you don't get the benefit of backing tracks to play with.  You strap on those headphones and all you hear is......

CLICK, click, click, click, CLICK, click, click, click

You'll wish you had used that metronome.

A good example (and they aren't even my favorite band) is Malcom Young, the "other" brother in AC/DC.  I'll wager that someone with a rock solid sense of rhythm as keen as his can't be found in modern music.  He just OWNS it.

Keep on playing, bro.   

[lyric1]

My collection of Washburn PS2000's.

[Xasthur]

Lastly (IMO), two major things that make for a crappy guitar player

1) Learn to tune it !! (as stated in this thread there are not many things that sound worse than a poorly tuned axe)

2) Play with a metronome.  Yes, it blows.  Yes, its difficult. Yes, they are evil, but... The MOST annoying thing that can happen when playing with other musicians is playing with someone that has an undeveloped sense of timing. 

This is sound advice.

ALWAYS tune your guitar before you play. I practice with my band every week and the first thing we do is tune up through the same tuner. While our amps are warming up, we make sure that we are completely in tune with each other. We use my BOSS ME-50 pedal to tune and it's a ritual that must be done before a sound gets made.


Number two is just as important....

I can't even begin to explain my frustration with that factor. We've had to boot TWO guitarists recently. After going to all the trouble to train them up.... we figured out that whilst they can play really well by themselves... they just can't bloody play with anyone else.

It was annoying because one was a friend who we stuck with, despite his poor performance, for years. Because he was such a good friend we let a lot of things slide....

It all came to a head when one our other members said it "It's me or him".... and the other member was a great musician, reliable and contributed to 50% of the writing process.

He ended up leaving anyway, but we just weren't active enough to satisfy him, so I understand his decision.


It took us so f- king long to find another guitarist who could cut it.... and we don't even play technical music. It's supposed to be minimalistic.

We played as a 3-piece for so long (me playing guitar, the singer and a drummer).... now we have a guitarist who plays really well and is a great bloke.


I just got home from practice, actually, and if I'm honest, I never played to a metronome and I haven't been practicing much to do with precise timing (for solos and stuff).

It really showed, tonight. I need to crack the whip on myself and get back on top of it.

I like to think that I've got a bit of a natural ability with timing and a bit of an 'ear'.... I'm no guitar wizard and don't try to be, but I can play and I can play in time.

I write songs with little to no theory at all.... just by ear.

I don't know any chords or anything like that... but the only music I play is supposed to be a bit..... chit... for lack of a better word. It's not about being Mozart or Yngwie Malmsteen...

[Xasthur]

My collection of Washburn PS2000's.

Haha! My brother would love that Kiss one.

I just emailed it to him.

Nice guitars, Lyric. I didn't know you played!

[Xasthur]

Does anyone have expierence with re-locating strap buttons?

My Ironbird neck-dives like a cheap hooker.  


You can see where the tail strap button is in this picture:



Any suggestions?

[lyric1]

Haha! My brother would love that Kiss one.

I just emailed it to him.

Nice guitars, Lyric. I didn't know you played!

There all Kiss ones No idea how to play don't even own an Amp. Just for collection purposes. Wanted an Ibanez PS10 when I was a kid for $500.00 my mother of course said no. Now mint PS10's about 8K or so. Won't make the same mistake again. The flagged is one of only 6 the one with Stanley painted on it is 1 0f 1 and the Black Diamond is 76 of 100. All from the Washburn custom shop. Some pics of it being made at the factory.

   

[1Boner]

Does anyone have expierence with re-locating strap buttons?

My Ironbird neck-dives like a cheap hooker.  


You can see where the tail strap button is in this picture:

(Image removed from quote.)

Any suggestions?

Whats the body made out of?

[Xasthur]

Whats the body made out of?

Basswood, I think.

[Xasthur]

There all Kiss ones No idea how to play don't even own an Amp. Just for collection purposes. Wanted an Ibanez PS10 when I was a kid for $500.00 my mother of course said no. Now mint PS10's about 8K or so. Won't make the same mistake again. The flagged is one of only 6 the one with Stanley painted on it is 1 0f 1 and the Black Diamond is 76 of 100. All from the Washburn custom shop. Some pics of it being made at the factory.

   

That's pretty impressive, mate. 


You should learn! Guitar is easy. 

[Xasthur]

I have to get one of these!



 

[mike254]

I've taken the advice of a lot of people here, and I seem to be improving already. (I think) My fingers arent hurting as bad, and I can play the intro to a few Metallica songs! (Not really well and not the whole intro.  )

Thanks for the advice. 

[vorticon]

This is sound advice.

ALWAYS tune your guitar before you play. I practice with my band every week and the first thing we do is tune up through the same tuner. While our amps are warming up, we make sure that we are completely in tune with each other. We use my BOSS ME-50 pedal to tune and it's a ritual that must be done before a sound gets made.

locking tremolo. last time i tuned was when i changed strings 2 months back, still perfect. not that i play a huge amount.