Learning the guitar

Hi Tarah,

I generally always recommend taking lessons initially, even if it's only for a few months to get you jump-started. The biggest limitations of videos and books is that they can't tell you how well you're doing and you can't ask them questions. But there's also a lot to be said for playing with another person - there is an exchange of "musical energy" for lack of better words that you really can't get any other way.

I would expect to pay from $150-$350US for a decent first acoustic guitar. Features you may want to consider include:

1. Onboard electronics. If you plan to play onstage, you'll need a way to make the guitar heard. You can either hold it in front of a microphone or spend the extra money to get one with a built-in "pickup" which allows you to plug the guitar directly into the PA system like a microphone. Some folks prefer an acoustic guitar amp, and many of them have two inputs, one for the guitar and one for a vocal mike.

2. A solid (as opposed to laminated) top. A solid top costs more but it sounds considerably richer, even to non-guitarists who hear the two compared.

As far as brands, I'd start by looking at Yamaha, Fender, Takamine, Washburn, Seagull, and maybe Dean and Ibanez. If at all possible, I'd got to a real guitar store staffed by veteran musicians. Better still, if you have a guitar-playing friend who could go with you to help you try them out, that would be ideal.

Were we not separated by an ocean, I'd volunteer myself. I love new guitars, even if they end up belonging to somebody else!

Best wishes!!!

I'm really touched by your kindness, Doc.

I suppose to even consider buying a guitar on ebay would be totally out of the question. I went to a local music store yesterday and they said what I would need starts at £130 ($250) which is near enough what you were saying.

I then spoke to a local teacher who said if I had one lesson a week and practiced for an hour a day (gulp!) then I should be able to accompany myself within a year, although the man in the shop had said nearer two or three years as it's apparently difficult to do vocals and play at the same time.

I'm often in Florida (place called Eustis near Mount Dora) and although I see you live in SE USA, I don't suppose it's anywhere near. What a shame! :wink:

How sweet you are! But alas, you guessed correctly; Florida would be a bit of a drive to go guitar-shopping, even for a gear addict like me. :wink:

I wouldn't say eBay is totally out of the question necessarily, but there is, of course, a certain risk you'd have to take. There are two main reasons I suggested going to a shop.

First, until you've actually played a few guitars, you can't really predict what's going to feel and sound right for you. For example, I'm what might be called an old-school kind of player, having grown up playing traditional electric guitars like Gibsons and Fenders. Ibanez electrics, for all their quality and tone and endorsements, are all but unplayable to me. The neck profile (the shape in cross-section) is too flat for me and just doesn't feel right.

Now I did buy an electric guitar off eBay once - from a guitar shop with an excellent feedback rating - and I love it. But I had played a few of those models before and could at least make an educated prediction of what to expect.

The second reason I recommended going to a shop is that guitars need supplies and a little maintenance every now and then and I personally like having a regular shop where they all know me and I know I can trust them to take care of me, just like having a regular garage where you get your car repaired.

Again, an example: strings put a great deal of tension on a guitar neck, so to counter this, there is an adjustable steel rod, called a truss rod, inside the neck that puts tension in the opposite direction. If you live in the UK and buy a guitar that was adjusted for Texas or Japan, it's almost certainly going to need a truss rod adjustment (after you've had it for a week or two and it has aclimated.) You can learn to do this yourself, but I'd recommend taking it to a shop at first. If you buy the guitar there, they might adjust it for free, otherwise they'll maybe charge you about $30 US for a complete set-up.

And I'd have to throw in with your teacher that an hour a day for a year ought to get you where you want to be at this point. One of the great things about the guitar is that you can do that and get to where you can accompany yourself singing, or you can play six hours a day for ten years and be the next Liona Boyd, or, like most of us, you can find a place somewhere in the middle that's just right.

One practice tip, if I may: Let's say you've learned how to play a G major chord, a C major chord, and a D major chord, but changing from one to another smoothly and quickly is still a challenge. If you're watching a movie or a tv show, practice changing back and forth between chords while you're at it. You don't even have to strum, just keep changing chords in any random order. In addition to building up the callouses on your fingers and improving your dexterity, you'll soon have those chord changes so automatic you don't have consciously think about them. This, as you can see, is a big step towards being able to sing and play at the same time.

The best online community I've run across that focuses almost entirely on guitar is guitarnotes.com. The folks who populate it are as passionate about guitar as I am, and all are willing to help and to share ideas. We have members who just started playing and we have pros who have been teaching for thirty years.

Cheers!

Doc

I went to a fringe theatre this evening to see a one man show. I imagined how I'd fare with my performance poetry with such an audience and realized that without musical accompaniment it wouldn't be good enough to hold an audience.

I've noted the website you mentioned and I'll have a look at it. It's a particularly busy time for me at the moment (planning a wedding for May) but afterwards I'll have a little more time in which to make a decision.

Again, I'm really grateful and what a shame you don't live in London.

i wouldn't be so worrisome of ebay. i bought a $300 bass off ebay(retail price: $900). granted i had to pay to get new strings and a few adjustments, but that was only $30. it's not like the person is going to sell you a pile of crap.

i originally play bass but i started playing guitar in september without knowing any chords, i only knew notes from what i learned on the bass. guitar seems really hard at first, (and it probably is w/out any knowledge of a nother instrument) but i'd say after an hour or so of playing your first day you can play an extremely easy 3 chord song with somewhat smooth transitions. (if you want, you can email me and i'll tell you the 3 chords, uber uber easy stuff.)

as for lessons: i'd hate to say it but they'd probably help you. it's cool to say that you've learned how to play guitar on your own but if you want a more structured learning experience then i'd say go to a teacher. here they cost around $15 for 30 minutes. but it's just like learning a new language: you get what you put into it. i assume you know jack about music so if i were you i'd probably go to a local teacher.

what else what else? i think the 2 biggest problems you'll have will be 1, switching from chord to chord. but after a few weeks of good practice it'll be cake. the 2nd and biggest problem is singing and playing guitar. as i hate my voice, i don't sing and play, although i wish i could.

worth noting:
if you don't like playing guitar, then don't waste your time. you're not going to practice something you don't like, and then you'll feel guilty for not practicing. if you learn a few songs and don't like playing then just forget it, although i think you won't.

once you get your guitar, print out guitar tabs (simplified notes, really good stuff) of a simple song of a band and play along to a cd. i still do this, it's good fun. (i play along to the whole cd and pretend like i'm playing a little gig haha)

don't forget to check out pawn shops. i'm assuming they have those in england. i'm going to buy a guitar next weekend and that's where i'll get mine. i would avoid big guitar stores. they are ridiculous overpriced. but that's just me.

most importantly, if you can, if you have friends that play guitar or bass or drums or piano or anything, ask them if they'd like to "jam" or just chill and play some tunes or whatever with you. that's the most fun. you can also practice your poetry in front of them!

(sorry if this came out big and sorry i don't have the dollar/pound conversions. the pound is like roughly half though i think. the dollar is so flippin low...)

Although I learnt to play the piano (badly!) when I was a girl and can read music, I've got no idea of guitars as I thought that bass was a guitar.

It's kind of you to offer me the chords. However it's frustrating because I'm not able to send a PM and for all I know, you're not able to receive them. The way round it is for you to email me at my website (given below).

As I said, I'm a performance poet and want to accompany myself. The songs I parody range from Gilbert & Sullivant to children's songs so it may be difficult to find the appropriate sheet music.

You said you hate your voice, well my voice is probably ten times worse. But as my songs are comedy, I consider the (more than) occasional flat note to simply add to the atmosphere!

Of course until I try it, then I won't know whether or not I like playing the guitar. I certainly don't like the idea of callouses on my fingers.

Good idea about the pawn shop. There's one not too far away, although in the window all they ever have is jewellry, but it's certainly worth a try (that'll be an adventure in itself as I've never been in a pawn shop!)

My friend's son is a sound recordist (he recorded my CD) and plays guitar. He's the only person I know who does but perhaps I'll have a word with him. Whenever I go there I hear him practising so he probably takes it pretty seriously.

Thanks for your ideas and yes, your dollar exchange is about right.

I wouldn't worry too much about how long it's going to take you to teach yourself. To be fair i had the advantage that i've been musical all my life, so picking up guitar wasn't all that hard. But i learnt to play well enough to accompany myself singing (which is all i ever wanted to do) within a year, and the only lessons i ever had were a couple of starter lessons, maybe 6 or 8, at school

I HAVE A FENDER... FENDER GUITARS ARE THE BEST THEY RULE DUDE WOOO

Tarah,

Sorry if my allusion to callouses made you apprehensive. It's perhaps more accurate to say that the skin on the tips of your fretting fingers will just be tougher than usual. Cosmetically and for all other intents and purposes, you'll never think about it after the first few months of playing.

To clear up some confusion that a lot of people have, the electric bass guitar, usually just called a bass these days, was developed in the 1950's as an alternative to the big "stand-up" acoustic basses still favored by classical musicians and performers of traditional jazz and bluegrass. So yes the electric bass is a guitar, but it has larger guage (diameter) strings and a longer scale length to facilitate lower tuning than a regular guitar. There are now also acoustic basses that are essentially overgrown acoustic guitars with bass strings on them.

Cheers!