Home of the BrewNosers

My snow day project. Taking up the guitar again.

These are some links I really like that I found:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h32AbWD6sWs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYpp2Y_tALE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrNwOj9IPxU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAlyjGrThGo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just a beginner.

I bet there are some good musicians on here.

I took piano from the same lady in Winnipeg who taught Burton Cummings. He went alot further than I did. Guess I should have practiced more.

Did you get an instrument yet? I have an aversion to buying new gear. Especially if you have someone to help with the selection of a used one.

Sandy

Yes. I bought one for my kid for x-mas and took back that one because he wanted an I-phone instead, and exchanged it for one I liked. You're probably right though. I should have asked you to find me one on Kijiji. Might be one twice as good for half the money out there.

Played drums in a marching band as a kid, it was awful, so I started playing the bass in various garage punk bands as a teenager. Sold my gear before I crossed the pond, and all I have is an old deering banjo that I am trying to learn how to play (not going very well).

The best one I have seen so far is the one Kirsten posted

http://www.justinguitar.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

but I also like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJwE_5wZNo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I too am a complete beginner, but I love it so much, I can't see myself giving it up while I still have two hands and half my mind.

Tony L wrote:The best one I have seen so far is the one Kirsten posted

http://www.justinguitar.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've been having trouble dragging myself away from that site.

Thanks both.

I took piano lessons for 12 years (age 5-17), violin lessons for 3 (age 15-18), and played the clarinet for 4 years, including in a marching band.

I miss playing the piano, I was pretty decent at it. I don't have one anymore though I never got good enough at the violin to miss that, but I'd like to re-learn it! It's the only instrument I own at the moment, needs to go into the shop after being ignored for 12 years.

I did classical piano from age 6 to 17 or so and then a year or so of basic jazz.

Spent the 80s as a child in Pictou County so of course I learned to play ukulele in school. This came in handy later in life when I picked up the guitar.

It's amazing to me how the different ways I learned carry forward to today. With uke I learned to read chords and sing along so guitar came pretty naturally. I learned to add riffs and licks to basic strumming and improvise freely on the instrument alone and in group settings, never worrying too much about the song as recorded.

But my piano education was strict rote classical I learned to play the notes on the page, exactly as they were written and to the strict tempo of a metronome. Two years of jazz was enough to learn the theory, but I still have trouble relaxing and just trying to play songs. I know how I'm supposed to do it, but, for instance, if I play a song I know I can't help feeling like I should be playing the song note-for-note, not just comping within my capabilities. It's frustrating.

I currently do own a decent digital piano that I picked up off Kijiji from a graduating Dal music student. I will bring a guitar back into the house, but I'm trying to encourage myself to play piano more and if I get a guitar I can sit and play that on the couch

Becky, it’s sad you played for so long and are letting it all slip away. All that investment in time and money, you could be playing for your enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. “Music makes the world go round”. It goes well with beer too. You need to get some instruments.

Aaron, I learnt some classical guitar as a kid/teenager, and now I’m learning chords. I bought a classical guitar, because I like them, and plan to play a sort of hybrid and do a lot of finger picking. I hope to improvise and accompany Kathleen’s singing (she makes her songs up as she goes along too). The not reading the music and playing the notes thing, is niggling at me too, but I’m taking it as a freedom for now.

Anyone thinking of taking up the guitar, check out the getting started video lessons on the site Kirsten and Ton L recommended. There's a good one on what kind of guitar to buy there also: http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-000-B ... Course.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (scroll down for the video lessons..."getting started" section).

Some simple songs to strum and sing along with like songs by CCR, Bob Dylan, Bob Seager ( like this one I'm now learning http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/getso ... age.chopro" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;,) Lynard Skynard http://www.cowboylyrics.com/tabs/lynyrd ... -4093.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; all help with the enjoyment of learning the basics

I should have done this 50 years ago.

Tony, I'm really enjoying it also. Been at it all weekend. Now starting stage four of the beginner section. http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-000-B ... Course.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and I'm comfortable with the first 3 stages after only a long weekend (including the Friday storm day).

I was starting to look around for some songs to play so I'll have a look at that. Although I was thinking of looking into chord patterns i.e. groups of chords that go together so I can just play any old thing and improvise. Let me know if you know of anything on that.

Thanks



My Guitar:

So, Mark, how is it going with the music?

I'm slowly getting to where I can do a song that you can tell what it is,

I eventually got a nice acoustic guitar and also went for a Les-Paul knock off by De Armond. I love both of them.

Ahem ...I now know 16 chords and got quite good at changing. I want to get that going very smoothly before I move on. My attentions have moved back more in the direction of beer lately with my new system going, learning water etc.

Sounds good Tony. Keith says it's amateur if you can tell what the words are.



Can you post pics of your new guitars some time.

GuingesRock wrote: got quite good at changing. I want to get that going very smoothly before I move on.

Something I need to practice more of along with getting my fingers to stretch over more than 3 frets

It's a pain but there are finger exercises for stretching. Back when I started no teacher would touch me, "your hands are too small" I was told.

That was all I needed to hear at 16 years old. F-you I'll do it my self. So I did, met some great friends who were my "teachers" by default.

Now ear training that's another issue.

Sandy

GuingesRock wrote:Ahem ...I now know 16 chords and got quite good at changing. I want to get that going very smoothly before I move on. My attentions have moved back more in the direction of beer lately with my new system going, learning water etc.

Sounds good Tony. Keith says it's amateur if you can tell what the words are.



Can you post pics of your new guitars some time.

16 chords? That is a lot of chords.........

I am no expert but when I was practicing chord changes, I just played G D C at different speeds and strumming patterns while watching TV (and drinking beer)....over and over and over. After I was comfortable with that, I added the Em into the mix, then the E and then the A.....over and over and over. It keep things interesting, I started dropping my pinky on the bottom two strings on the 2nd/3th frets (unknowingly creating sus chords)...it makes cool sounds and the tunes sound more complex. After you get comfortable with G D C Em E A and a few pinky drops, you can play 90% of the tunes you hear around campfires.

Singing, bar chords and fills are the next level......but it takes time and a lot of practice.

My thoughts anyway, good luck.

Thanks for the tips.

I can do the E, A, G, EM, AM, A7, D7 no trouble and am getting the C and DM nice now also. The F chord is another matter...the finger exercises should help with that. All of the songs I plan on doing for the next little while can be done using those chords if I change the scale around a little Strumming and picking is another topic that I'm just starting to get into.

I'll take some pictures of my guitars later and post them up.

learn to play E with your pinky, ring, and middle finger. That way you can easily play barr chords, F is like E with a capo on the first fret so if you learn to use your index finger as the "capo" then you will know barr chords

This is the F Whole Tone scale. Not very useful unless you are with King Crimson or something like that but it makes fingers stretch and move independently.

Go slow and watch your left and right technique. You can focus on the left and not pick at all.

Use 1-2-4 and 1-3-4 fingering.

Brian is right. Most people play "Farmer Chords". If you can learn the correct fingerings it makes changes and moving up the neck easier.

Sandy

Sandy, have you ever seen Valdy play? I've never seen someone know so many chord positions and so easily switch so fast, he is awesome

Cockburn, Murray McLaughlan etc. I would never compare myself to a pro, but knowing the neck and making your fingers move efficiently makes life simple and fun.

Sitting around playing with friends or kids is great and easier once you have a solid base to work off.

I'm no technique Nazi but the more you have the easier it is on you.

Sandy

I have been trying to do these scales http://www.guitarhabits.com/the-5-penta ... must-know/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Learning to shape my fingers into shapes god did not intend them to form isn`t easy but I am getting there. Might be a while for barre cords yet.

The ones I have starting with my first to last.







I have been alternating practice on the acoustic and the De Armond

Nice! Tony.