I got my electric guitar today (I am 14), I never played a instrument in my life.

I getting so frustrated, as I find it hard to even make a chord. I know where the frets and notes are etc. My fingers really hurt, their really red.

My dad said after time, your fingers will heal and get harder and in the end, end up like leather.

I know all your going to say is Practice,Practice,Practice but I really want to play like the fratellis and the kooks.

Nathan

Do you think that they just picked up their imstruments and started playing? Arthur Rubinstein, one of the 20th Cerntury's greatest pianists, still gave concerts well into his 80s, and practiced every day.

Ah, minicooper, but have you got " Bert Weedon's Play in a Day Guide to Modern Guitar Playing" ? No? Then get it ! This man was responsible for a lot. It was his book that got the likes of Pete Townsend and Eric Clapton playing the guitar. It's available in paperback. Bert Weedon's books on guitar have taught hundreds of thousands, even millions of youngsters to play. Bert Weedon's stuff has been around since the 1950s and has never gone out of print, so he must have done something right in teaching by books. The man was the first man in Britain to be famous simply as a star of solo electric guitar.

I went on a website and this what someone said:

I hate to say this, but any aspiring rocker trying to learn the guitar with this book, will be VERY disappointed. The book has not been updated since its inception in the early sixties, and contains hopeless advice on playing in a band. You do learn a few chords and some folk songs, but there are better tutors out there, nore in line with today's advances in muisc tuition.
Sorry Bert, but if you must release another edition of your tuotor, for pete's sake, its 2006, not 1958!

Anyone else have any suggestions ?

Well, one opinion is just that. If you go to amazon.co.uk you'll find an overall estimate and two glowing reports in particular. Just ask yourself: how 'out of date' can a book on playing the electric guitar as a beginner be ? You are an absolute beginner and this is a book for absolute beginners that has stood the test of time. Perhaps you've never heard of Eric Clapton? If you haven't then google him or ask someone older who does know a little about rock music It was good enough for him and you might be modest enough to think that you know very little yet

quote:

Originally posted by mini cooper:
I got my electric guitar today (I am 14), I never played a instrument in my life.

I getting so frustrated, as I find it hard to even make a chord. I know where the frets and notes are etc. My fingers really hurt, their really red.

My dad said after time, your fingers will heal and get harder and in the end, end up like leather.

I know all your going to say is Practice,Practice,Practice but I really want to play like the fratellis and the kooks.

Nathan

...............................................

Hi Nathan:

By your own admission you have never played an instrument before ...you also said that you are only 14 years old.

Nobody is going to be able to pick up an instrument ,any instrument,and be able to play like a professional the first time.

It's just not going to happen.This is an unrealistic expectation.

It's going to take time,lots of time,and lots of practice for you to get to play like those musicians you admire.

Kids of 14 are very impatient...they want everything to happen,right now ,with little or no effort on their part.

You're going to have to be more patient with yourself...don't expect too much too soon.

Try to learn one new thing each day and you will make progress...slow but sure.

I've played drums,Vibraphone,piano and organ.I've spent the last 10 years playing guitar and it is ,for me,the hardest instrument to learn and play.

I would suggest that you take some guitar lessons from a professional .

You'll find out in a hurry how much you actually know ,or need to know ,before you are able to play like those musicians you admire.

Patience,practice and time are the only things that will make you better.

Good luck

hippolips

It's been a long time since I held a guitar, so I may not be aware of any changes in the last few decades. Is it still tuned the same as it was in the 50s? Are the frets still in the same place as they were then? Are notes and chords still fingeed the same? If the answer to those is "No", then by all means, get a more up-to-date book. If, however, things on a guitar remain the same, then the old book has exactly the same information as a new one with regard to learning how to play a guitar.

However, I don't think mini cooper wants to learn to play guitar; I think he wants to learn how to play music like some people whose music he likes. Of course, those of us who have actually studied music and learned how to play one (or more, in several cases) instruments know that you can't play like someone else until you learn how to play.

Mini cooper, I think your best bet is to get CDs of your favorites and play them. While you are listening, grab an air guitar (there is always one within reach), and go for it. In seconds, you will be as close to your goal as you ever will be without taking lessons.

Of course I want to learn to play the guitar.

I have made a improvement from last time, I can now play a C chord......and it doesnt sound to bad.

Hi Mini:


Okay ,so now you can play a C chord.That's good,that's a start.

The next chord you want to learn is the G7 chord.

If you learn to play this chord you can begin to play very simple songs.

Here's what you do.
Play C for 2 measures[8 counts],count 1-2 3-4...2-2-3-4.

then play G7 for 2 measures[8 counts],

then go back to C for 2 measures[8counts],

then G7 for 1 measure[4counts],

then back to C for 1 measure[4counts].

You will now have played a very simple 8 measure[8bar] song.

Many songs are based upon this chord sequence.

If you can't do this ,at the beginning,try going back and forth from the C chord to the G7 chord until you can do it smoothly and easily.Do it slow ...take your time.The speed will come later.


When you can do all of this ,I'll tell you the next chord to learn.

Good luck.

hippolips

I am currently on the G chord. I will have a go at a G7 Chord.

So One Measure is 4 counts?? so It would go:

C,1,2,3,4,G7,1,2,3,4,C,1,2,3,4,G7,1,2,3,4 ??

Hi Mini:

That's right,Mini,you've got the right idea.


What you want to do now is just go from the C chord to the G7 chord.


Keep alternating from the C to the G7th until you can do it smoothly.

Don't worry about how fast you can do it for now...that will happen in time.

When you can do that one ,try to do the other pattern I showed you.

But be patient...don't be too hard on yourself.It will take time.

Good luck

hippolips

When I strum the G7, It sounds all muted and wierd. I dont no what to do.

If you aren't getting the right sound, you might want to try the strings one at a time. Most likely the strings are not resonating. The other thing is they may be out of tune. Try tuning your strings. Do you know how to make them match? Get the low E string to sound on a piano (that string is the least likely to get out of tune), then hold your finger on the fifth fret to match the next higher string. Then go to that string and match to the next higher string. The exception is the fifth string, the B string should match to the fourth fret. My guitar has an automatic tuner, or you could use an electric tuner or pitchfork. It is important to train your ears to sound the right notes. A guitar is not very forgiving in that respect.

Have you tried getting together with any neighbors and friends? I learned to play on a borrowed guitar before I owned one. I joined a church folk group, and learned about simple chord progressions and tempos. With guitars, you can keep a tempo by tapping your feet, however, I used to drive my piano teacher crazy when I tapped my feet or sang. A beginner on piano should not sing. Singing while playing guitar may help you.

And you might try using very light sandpaper on your fingertips to get them calloused. Also, make sure to keep your fingernails short. Of course, for girls this may become problematic.

Learning guitar is a funny thing. At first, your fingers seem to be stuck, not going to the right places, and no matter how much pressure you apply some strings will be muted. All I can say is, keep at it. You will have breakthroughs in a week or two. Suddenly your fingers will develop their own memory for chords and it will take no more than a light touch to get a pleasing, clean sound. When you get to that place you are over the hump and can experience a lifetime of enjoyment.

Thanks for the help guys, Like I say, I can play the C chord ok at the moment, but I still finding the G7 Chord hard. It looks so easy when you see professionals do it.

Keep at it, Mini, and let us know how you're progressing.

Still struming away. I thought I am having ago at rock power chords at the moment.

Hi Mini:

So you are now working with power chords.Who showed you how to play them???

One big problem with power chords,they consist of only a root [or tonic] and the 5th.

In the key of C that would be C[root or tonic] and G[the 5th].

This means that you have no way of knowing whether the chord you are playing is a major,minor, dominant or what ever.

Without playing the 3rd or the 7th you can't tell what kind of a chord it is.

For example:

C E G B=Cmajor 7th

C E G Bb= C Dominant 7th

C Eb G Bb=C Minor 7th

Rockers love power chords because they don't have to really know anything about music to play them...it's also the reason all of their tunes sound the same.

If you only want to be is a rocker ,stick with your power chords ,but you'll never get to be a real musician.

It's up to you.But you will never really know what you are doing or why you are doing it.

If you never get beyond power chords you will be very frustrated by the things you can't play.

Each chord type has a purpose.Major chords are bright ,happy sounds.Minor chords have a melancholy[sad] sound.Dominant 7th chords are used to resolve[take you back] to the Tonic chord[C in the key of C].

Each chord type has a purpose and if you don't want all of your original tunes to sound the same ,you will want to learn these various chord types to get the sounds you want.

Good luck.

hippolips

Please could you give me the chords:

G#m

Gm

F#m

Thanks, please show me the easiest versions