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Ok, so I have suddenly decided that I want to do something a bit more practical with my spare time and one of the things I have said for years and years and years is that one day I want to learn to play guitar. So first question, how easy is it to pick up guitar and be playing decent if not basic tunes? Or is that an impossible question to answer? I can easily get my hand on a few different tutorial books but I know they don't always help. Secondly, someone once told me it's easier to learn on an acoustic guitar than electric, but in the long run I would like to pick up electric guitar purely so I can make lots of odd sounds and live out my fantasy of becoming the next Kevin Shields... So yeah, easy to learn or not? Acoustic or electric for a newb? |
How easy is it to learn guitar?
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M83J01P97 7,607 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 14 years ago -
If you have a reasonable musical ability it's fairly easy to pick up at a basic level - a few chords and such. You could learn most useful chords in an afternoon tbh. -
It hurts like hell, that's what surprised me the most about it all. -
Mageme 2,330 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 15 years agoI'm finding it hard even with a musical background. But that's really due to not putting enough time into it. You definitely need regular practise.
EDIT: And as Piro said, your fingers will hurt like fook -
M83J01P97 7,607 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 14 years agoI like to think I have a good musical background (used to play piano up until grade 3, but that was years ago).
But the time thing shouldn't be a problem - so yeah - acoustic first or straight to electric? Or does it not matter? -
simplerotation 332 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 13 years agoI actually think it's easy to learn on an electric (I found so anyway) but do some research before you buy anything, because if you buy a £20 electric guitar set from ASDA you could be put off for life! .gif)
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silentbob 29,527 posts
Seen 1 year ago
Registered 19 years agoPirotic wrote:
+4
It hurts like hell, that's what surprised me the most about it all.
.. very painful fingers -
warlockuk 19,519 posts
Seen 1 week ago
Registered 17 years agoYeah, it can hurt a bit depending on strings, guitars etc. As for Acoustic or Electric, they both have their points - get the one that you can play the sort of music you want to play with.
Don't get a cheap shitty acoustic, though, you'll probably give up in minutes if it's a bastard to play. -
Wastelander 1,848 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 13 years agoEverything you need to know is right here my friend. -
MrSensible 26,517 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 16 years agoI was trying to learn the bass recently but I've pretty much given up. It cripples your hands. -
FWB 56,369 posts
Seen 6 months ago
Registered 20 years agoIt's called muscle memory. As with any instrument it's just a question of training your fingers to do things they never did before. Some women might be thankful too.
Technically bass is much, MUCH easier. What you do need is a sense of timing and rhythm, something guitarists get away with lacking half the time. -
MrSensible 26,517 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 16 years agoWell it's not my fret hand that's the issue, it's the other one, plucking the strings. Jeeeeesus Christ it hurts. My hand actually seized up for over five minutes at once point. Couldn't move it and one of my fingers was stuck in a horrible bent fashion. I also got blood-filled blisters the size of the moon, on my fret hand. -
Wastelander 1,848 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 13 years agoBass is fun. Try playing with a pick. -
beachedvinyl 318 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 17 years agoeverything you need to know, literally everything, is here
edit link fixed -
Go acoustic if you can, you're more likely to pick it up and play it every day as one doesn't need to go to the trouble of plugging it in to an amp to get a decent sound. At worst you can then get a cheap pickup and plug it in anyway.
Make sure you get low guage strings when you're starting out, or play a nilon string, it does help.
Oh and for Bass, I've recently been trying to overdub some on a recording I did but I just can't get it to sound interesting at all, is there a specific technique that tends to bring things alive? -
Wastelander wrote:
Bass is fun. Try playing with a pick.
IMO don't do this. Much better to finger-pick right from the start. Much harder to switch later (and you will want to). -
istandfreed 2,438 posts
Seen 27 minutes ago
Registered 15 years agoOr play power chords, much better for attaining that heaviness!
Acoustic is better to learn on as it will be build your finger strength much more than electric but much more than that it will improve your technique as you can hear what mistakes your making. Electric guitar is much easier to hide behind.
And as a side note, practice, practice, practice but do not eat toast for at least an hour afterwards as it hurts...a lot. -
FWB 56,369 posts
Seen 6 months ago
Registered 20 years agothefilthandthefury wrote:
Well it's not my fret hand that's the issue, it's the other one, plucking the strings. Jeeeeesus Christ it hurts. My hand actually seized up for over five minutes at once point. Couldn't move it and one of my fingers was stuck in a horrible bent fashion. I also got blood-filled blisters the size of the moon, on my fret hand.
They'll heal and you'll get a nice layer of skin over the top which makes it painless in the future.
Sleep, don't fucking slap. Sounds like shit. Most important thing for bass is the groove. And I'm not talking about jazz style, but just the important feel. Do you listen to the Good, the Bad and the Queen? Check out some of their really cool lines for simplicity but magic rhythm.
Ohh and don't pick the bass. It'll seriously limit you. Mind you, I don't even like using picks on normal guitars.
EDIT: All about the spaces. Love their bass lines.
That said just listen to Joy Division for something also dead simple, but totally different. So driving. -
Post deleted -
FWB wrote:
Sleep, don't fucking slap. Sounds like shit. Most important thing for bass is the groove. And I'm not talking about jazz style, but just the important feel. Do you listen to the Good, the Bad and the Queen? Check out some of their really cool lines for simplicity but magic rhythm.
Ohh and don't pick the bass. It'll seriously limit you. Mind you, I don't even like using picks on normal guitars.
EDIT: All about the spaces. Love their bass lines.
That said just listen to Joy Division for something also dead simple, but totally different. So driving.
How did you know that was the first thing I started doing? :-D That's the thing, I'm working off a very basic B and E chord structure and in theory I should be able to capture something fairly decent (I'm a good guitarist after all) but so far it all sounds a bit crap. I think I might have to go very simple with it all just to add some bottom end dynamics.
I guess it doesn't help that i'm DIing the thing either, not much option there at the moment though. Really we're going for more of a laid back sort of bass line, something funky, rather than driving but I take your point, Hooky is a lege. I figured something would come to me but so far it's all a bit pedestrian and dull without adding any good dynamics. -
Salaman 24,162 posts
Seen 6 days ago
Registered 17 years agoIt's a very rewarding instrument.
After a 1 hour lesson, you can be sent home with a few chords to practise and a song or two to try and strum along with. It's quite satisfying to be able to "play" a tune rather than just dull excercises from the get go. Keeps you wanting to practise rather than giving up after 1 week.
Go for it.
I also told myself for years and years and years that I'd like to learn the guitar one day.
It was very satisfying when I finally did it. -
FWB 56,369 posts
Seen 6 months ago
Registered 20 years agoMr Sleep wrote:
How did you know that was the first thing I started doing? :-D That's the thing, I'm working off a very basic B and E chord structure and in theory I should be able to capture something fairly decent (I'm a good guitarist after all) but so far it all sounds a bit crap. I think I might have to go very simple with it all just to add some bottom end dynamics.
I guess it doesn't help that i'm DIing the thing either, not much option there at the moment though. Really we're going for more of a laid back sort of bass line, something funky, rather than driving but I take your point, Hooky is a lege. I figured something would come to me but so far it's all a bit pedestrian and dull without adding any good dynamics.
I'm a guitarist at heart and always will be. I started stepping down because, well, people always want a bassist and I'm lazy. Anyway, point being is I have no interest in elaborate, slapping bass lines because it's really not what I go after in music. Neither do I like fret wanking.
DIing isn't a major problem, unless you're super anal about tone. Just add some chorus with whatever plugins you have and then compress.
That said, if you want funk, then slap away. -
FWB wrote:
I'm a guitarist at heart and always will be. I started stepping down because, well, people always want a bassist and I'm lazy. Anyway, point being is I have no interest in elaborate, slapping bass lines because it's really not what I go after in music. Neither do I like fret wanking.
A bassist is a pretty important cog in some circumstances and being able to adapt to that is a good thing. Slapping can work in a few funk records by the likes of Sly and the Family Stone but it sounds pretty horrible most of the time and indeed, I've had to sit through a few electric bass solos before now and God they're horrible.
DIing isn't a major problem, unless you're super anal about tone. Just add some chorus with whatever plugins you have and then compress.
That said, if you want funk, then slap away.
It isn't a major problem but I think it might be why I think it sounds a bit poo. Unfortunately Pro Tools LE doesn't come with that many decent plug ins for that sort of thing but hopefully I'll figure something out, good idea. -
On impulse I've just gone out and bought an electric guitar, lol. Felt like doing something different in the evenings. I spent a couple of years learning classical guitar when I was at school but I didn't really enjoy it; but I reckon twiddling with knobs and getting interesting sounds out of a few chords could be quite a lot of fun. I'm going to give the lessons in Garage Band a go, for shits & giggles.
Let's see if I've just wasted a shit load of money.
When we bought a piano a couple of years back I really enjoyed getting back into that - I play like shit but just mucking about on it is really quite satisfying. And it's good to have instruments about the house.
I'm not going to get lessons (not counting those GB ones as proper lessons, obviously), so any top tips for teach yourself books or online tutorials? -
Wastelander 1,848 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 13 years agokalel wrote:
Wastelander wrote:
Bass is fun. Try playing with a pick.
IMO don't do this. Much better to finger-pick right from the start. Much harder to switch later (and you will want to).
Nah, sounds better with a pick, you get a proper hard clean edge to the sound, you can play faster or just downstrum and you get a much brighter note if you use effects.
My fretless does sound much better with fingers but it's got quite a hot set of active pickups.
I can play either quite proficiently though, in fact they call me Fingers 'Bassmaster' McGraw round these parts (my livingroom).
So THERE
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DJCopa 2,577 posts
Seen 3 days ago
Registered 15 years agothefilthandthefury wrote:
Well it's not my fret hand that's the issue, it's the other one, plucking the strings. Jeeeeesus Christ it hurts. My hand actually seized up for over five minutes at once point. Couldn't move it and one of my fingers was stuck in a horrible bent fashion. I also got blood-filled blisters the size of the moon, on my fret hand.
I've treated myself to a half-decent bass and have started the long journey you are on! It does hurt, but as others have said your fingers will get 'harder'. Just stop when it gets that painful - Start again when it feels better.
Check this place out - The dude posting has his own FREE online lesons - They have helped me enormously!!!!
Good Bass Resource
I also find it a lot easier to learn with others around (all my mates play guitars/drums/cello/something) - Not always easy so check out 'Band in a Box'. This software lets you setup music to a specific note and then lets you play along.
Anyhow, I'm loving it! It is hard work but putting the effort in does reap the rewards. Nothing like the sound of the Low-End to get a jig on! -
MrSensible 26,517 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 16 years agoI much prefer the sound of a bass when plucked with fingers. A plectrum just sounds a bit souless. -
MrSensible 26,517 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 16 years agoDJCopa wrote:
lots of stuff...
Thanks! I'll check that out later on. Sounds good to me!
I was already learning with other people. Unfortunately the guitarist is practically a god - good for him telling me what to do, bad for my confidence. It makes me embarrased. -
Well it goes without saying it all depends on the feel of the track so there's one way to add a feel. Could try switching between groovy and melodic lines from verses to chorus (something I did one of the last tracks I recorded). I also like my passing notes played out of place, but then I love my grunge.
.gif)
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