Looking for tips, motivation and advise on learning to play acoustic guitar
Do I start by learning all the chords or learning songs with minimal chords or both or strumming patterns?
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Looking for tips, motivation and advise on learning to play acoustic guitar
Do I start by learning all the chords or learning songs with minimal chords or both or strumming patterns?
learn the cowboy chords. Start with C, A, G, E, D, Eminor, Aminor.
Learn the basic strumming pattern: D - D U - U D -
Then learn to play along to a few songs.
I recommend www.justinguitar.com as a starting point for beginners.
Cowboy chords sounds like a great and fitting start 🤠
Great advice thanks
Yep, if you can play those chords and change between them on a half-beat, you can basically strum and sing along to like 90% of songs (maybe using a capo).
Great way to get motivated because it puts your guitar to actual use.
After that, you can invest in improving specific skills or growing your repertoire in a certain style.
Yeah this is great thanks looking forward to seeing some progress
I'd start with stuff you're interested in. That will give you the motivation to keep learning. Then start playing with people that are better than you. You will learn so much.
Everything about learning is on the internet. The problem is finding the good stuff. If you're interested in jazz I have some great videos to introduce on YouTube. But you'll probably want to get started with the blues. Its so much easier.
I'd be interested in your recommended jazz (and blues) youtube videos
Here's a short one, but solid advice!
view on youtu.beImprovisation, though quite long.
Perfect advice.
I find it hard to play without a pick is that a bad habit using a pick or is that all sweet?
It's neither good or bad. But there are some things you can't really do with just a pick, and other things you can't really do with just your fingers. So eventually you'll want to learn to do a bit of both. Early on, go with whatever is more comfortable for you.
Nice good to know. I’ll try and do more with out the pick each day as well
Start from here - Step by Step Free Beginner Guitar Lessons.
Great share thanks 🙏
One piece of advice I give you is: Learn musical perception right from the start. Stimulate your ear to differentiate major, minor chords, intervals and pay attention to the lowest note of each chord. Don't be discouraged and always move forward
Thanks great tip I’ll do that
Guitar fingering is actually the first step you need to learn before you learn all the chords and songs. You can learn the chords faster and esier after you do the first step i said. Never jump into the second step before you pass the first step. I hope it can help you
I haven’t heard that one so will look into that thanks
Have fun and enjoy your ride!
Thanks it’s been a learning journey for me so far! Been good can’t wait to be able to jam some songs
Your finger tips may hurt a bit at first but keep going and it will pass!
Thanks will push forth
Play every single day even if for only 15 minutes. Once it starts collecting dust it becomes much harder to get back into it.
Your hands become uncalloused, you forget how to strum and where your fingers go and lastly your guitar is out of tune. Once you start keep at it!
I did notice my finger tips were sore after the first few days haha they will get better I’m sure
I learned ukulele a couple years back. So easy and sweet. Guitar is great too (I don't play anymore) but if you want something tons easier, ukulele is out there for you as well...
Yes another great idea. Maybe I will learn it as well . Is it chords based like guitar or different
Yes, the fingering is different, of course, but most people play chord based. You can also do finger picking.
Only 4 strings!
Yeah true and they have definitive sound for sure
Learn chords and have fun strumming for a bit, then try a song. My style was to alternate between the two, each rotation making the next one better.
Granted I'm no pro.
Learn transitions between different chords as a starting point?
Start with e minor to c and g major.
Just worked out that the x means you don’t play that string like with the c chord
Great choice.
Do you play any other musical instruments?
You probably want to start with some basic chords if you just want to strum some songs but you can also start learning the notes of the fretboard and some scales.
Does air drums count if so I’ve been playing them for years 🫠
But in all seriousness no instruments or musical history
Then best bet is just work on some basic chords. C, G, A, Am, E, Em, D.
Work on making sure you aren’t muting strings when playing. Play slowly so you can learn how to change chords.
Start by down strumming only and then when you can alternate down, up, down, up etc.
Strings are numbered 1-6 from bottom (thinnest) to top (thickest). Open string notes are:
E(6) A(5) D(4) G(3) B(2) E(1)
The high E (1st string) is 2 octaves (Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do x 2).
That’s probably enough info to get you started.
Great tips. I’ve found doing up strumming a lot harder to get all strings. Probably just getting ahead of myself
That’s why it’s best to start with down only. Focus on working on your chords and chord changes. You can learn basic strumming patterns pretty easily with a bit of practice.
Once you feel comfortable with the chords you are working with and changing them without long pauses to adjust your fingers you can work on your strumming.
Honestly for now I would just strum 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 and then change chord and repeat and then change back and repeat and then add a couple more chords and do the same.
Would you learn all the majors first or do you learn all the g variants
Makes sense.
I'm no expert, but for me youtube was a dream come true. Personally, I have known most of the basic chords since high school, but I still was not a complete guitarist. I'm still not, but I made the most progress by learning the songs I love from great teachers. For pure acoustic, Stefan Grossman videos are fantastic IF your interested in fingerstyle country blues.
Here's a free youtube lesson:
view on youtu.beFor more general stuff, this guy is an excellent teacher:
view on youtu.beFinding a lot of apps as well that break songs down so that’s been good so far as well
What type of acoustic guitar would you be most interested in learning?
What do you mean what genre of music or 6 string etc?
No, I meant genre, like fingerstyle, acoustic blues, classical, folk, spanish? I kind of lean heavily towards acoustic blues.
I like some of the country or alternative acoustic tracks
Like this. I’d like to be able to just play and make my own songs haha but ambitious maybe
view on youtu.beYes i am
Best guitar to get going on? Currently borrowing a tanglewood