Alright, i am looking into playing a guitar, and i basically know nothing about it. I do admire guitar players a lot, thats why i am doing it, that and the main reason, is that i think it would be so cool to be able to play songs i love on the guitar whenever So, tell me the basics, provide links, whatever you can, im tryin to learn here I don't have much money at all to spare, so i might be looking for a cheap used guitar, thats how I stumbled upon this site
EDIT: I also have some pretty fat fingers, and i held a guitar, and when i would hold the strings, i would touch the other ones a little bit, is this a problem?

When you buy your first guitar, bring a guitar-playing buddy with you. Have him do a strum and check. Good luck.

You are in exactly the same boat anyone of us have been in. Here are a few tips. Start slow. Everybody crawls first. There is no instant play. Learn the basics - string numbers, open string notes, 1st, 2nd & 3rd string notes up to the 3rd fret (starting with the thinnest). The first 3 strings are relatively easy to grip for beginners so you will learn basic melody and chord structure here. Learn to string and tune your guitar. Learn the parts of your guitar (Neck, body, bridge, nut, saddles, frets, truss rod, etc.). If you plan on using a pick you will probably want to start with something thin but a heavy pick gives you the most control. You may not prefer it now but most likely you eventually will. Right now you are disconnected from 3 things - touch, pitch and note. You have to develop some finger strength and coordination to play the right note for the pitch that you hear when you hum "Mary Had A Little Lamb". It's just a kids song but even Zak Wylde had to start somewhere.

I read somewhere that Zakk didn't start playing until he was 19 and he got the Ozzy gig when he was 25. I guessthat means there is hope for all of us.

Lawrence D.

Hi Rick, what's it been, 22 years/25 years. You're still the Dude!

To play guitar is to struggle.
The struggle and the upward path of the stuggle is your worth.

To play it right means to play it again.
To play it wrong means to play it until you play it right.
Most of the time you practice to play it right.

Once in a while you play something you are proud of.
Once in a while you play something and it makes everything worthwhile again.
It is the struggle and the path that keeps you playing.

Hiya Ken,
It's been too long! You are too kind.

Rock on!

nevermind, i was mixing it up with another story, sorry

Anyone remember their first guitar teacher?

Mine was Mrs. Soglin. I was in 5th grade with her daughter Audrey, and Mrs. S. was our neighborhood guitar wizard. I had this little 'folk guitar' with nylon strings, and a cardboard guitar case. I loved that guitar. If you picked very close to the bridge you'd get that 'electric guitar' sound out of it. Especially with a song like Secret Agent Man. But Mrs. Soglin didn't start me off on leads, she was strictly a chord person. My first song was Shoo Fly. Followed up by Michael Row That Boat Ashore. Very hard chord changes. That Damn D Chord!!! That's what's hard with beginning to learn. Switch chords in time is everything. If guitar playing was easy, then Doctors and Lawyers, and Astronauts would all be jammin'. We are the special few, we are the elite, and as special as we are, we still just love to please. Something about Rock and Roll, and sharing the love, is like beautiful.

I've been playing guitar for almost 18 years and just took my first lesson about 3 weeks ago. I am actually a more polished player than he is but he knows things that are really helping me.
Technically, I guess my older brother was my first teacher because he was the guy who taught me those first chords and those first songs. The first song I ever learned to play was by the band "Accept", it was "Balls to the Wall".
The second was Highway to Hell. I still remember how hard those chord changes were when I was 10 year old.

Lawrence D.

Anybody remember their first guitar teacher.
This isn't about my first teacher but I remember I was about 6 years old, and back then Sears & Roebuck sold musical equipment. I was shopping with my mom, and there was an acoustic guitar up on a stand. This man, with his girlfriend on his arm, walked up to it, picked it up, and strummed some chords for her. I think that was the very first time my jaw dropped open from watching others play guitar. My jam still does that.

My very first experience is when I was 6. My brother came home from the service and he had a classical he played flemenco on. I used to hold the strings down with my thumb and he would always say use your fingers. I began using my fingers 4 years later taking organ lessons. 4 years after that is when I met you Ken. Remember when you were teaching Larry on 61st and Lawndale? How did you meet him anyways?

Hey Rick,
I remember your brother. And I remember Larry!! I had an ad posted up at the record store on 63st, looking for guitar students. Larry's mom called me. I thought Larry was going to be some little kid. Was that record store Yardbird or Ears, I forgot? There were 2 owners, one was a long hair dude who scared me, and remember Arnie, the other one? He died a couple of years later. Sad business, got sick. Arnie was a great guy. And always helpful. I was in there to buy some silly 8 track, and instead he handed me the first Queen on 8 track, and gave me a poster of them. He was that kind of guy. Always up on the newest, and always telling about it. He's the one who got me into Trower. Then I met my to-be wife, and she was already into Trower. I think I remember the first time meeting you. I'm sure if you jog my head I'd remember for sure. Was it at Larry's house? You remember how Larry was. We would have the most bizarre guitar lessons. Kinda smokey, too. We learned bits of everything. He tried so hard. But sometimes he be a bit 'too wasted' to learn. Remember Johnny D, and Bill. Bill's mom had one of those Silvertone guitars with the amplifier and speaker built into the guitar case. She sold it to me, and dummy me sold it to another student. That was a great concept. The thing about Larry, he always practiced what his teacher showed him, so that the next lesson he was prepared. I always loved that. That's how you were, too. But, Larry never could play. You could, and still do from what I hear. Remember when we played that Dentist convention party together? How could you have ever been 14?

So for all you beginning guitar students, it ain't really a struggle, it's worse, it's infuriating. That's why when someone asks me if I think they should start learning guitar, I just smile. But if they already are doing the struggle, then I really smile. Keep doing them chord changes, and learn your lead box.

Yeah, I remember that gig! Didn't they do that fraternity spanking thing? Lol! And that record store was Yardbird Records. What a great store. I think the albums were like $3.69 or something. And what a great time to buy albums, Budgie, Camel, Nektar, early UFO, etc... I was always looking for something off the mainstream (just like you would) and they had it. It would be like, "Wow, what's this?!", and then just buy it on instinct not really knowing what to expect. Sorry to hear about Arnie. Sounds like a great guy. Yes, it was at Larry's house. He told me about you and invited me over to meet you. The rest is history. And about those gigs we played, thanks, you were very generous. What ever happened to those guys?

I think you're all taking this stuff too seriously. To play guitar is not necessarily to struggle. Granted, it can be difficult at times, but in the year and a half i've been playing, I've already surpassed the guitar teachers at the local music store.

Guitar is fun. But in response to the original question, my advise is this: buy Guitar Method book 1 (Hal Leonard). It will teach you how to read music off of a treble clef and it will teach you some basic chords, with some songs along the way. Learn to play the basic chords on frets 1 thru 3. C, G, G7, E, Em, D, Dm, D7, A, Am, A7...you know, the basics. Once you get proficient in those, learn to play major and minor barre chords...those are used in basic riffs, anywhere from Bob Dylan to Goldfinger. Then expand on your barre chords... lear maj7, min7, learn different fingerings for each type of chord. Then learn the modes...I'd start with the 4 basic modes: Mixolidian (dom7 chords), Major(major chords), Locrian(half diminished), and Dorian (minor, minor7). Learn to play around the circle of fifths with one octave scales in each of those modes, this will help you with soloing.

Perhaps the best piece of advice I can give you is this: You are never good enough. There is always one more thing you can learn.

Good luck.

And if you're looking for advice on what kind of guitars to buy... I'd recommend Fernandes guitars for just about anybody. They have cheaper models for beginners, like the Raven X, and more expensive models like the Vertigo Elite and Revolver Deluxe for better players (or really rich beginners). Or if you're REALLY in the money, I will recommend the Brian Moore i1. Hope this helpz