Q. *I have two electric guitars and a small amp that used to belong to my brother. Both of the guitars are missing strings, the black one it's biggest string and the red(and black) one it's smallest string (I don't know the proper names of the strings). I don't have any spare strings, I don't know how to get new ones (yes, I have been to music store before when my brother used to play to buy strings, I just always got confused at all the different sizes and names and types, I would have no idea WHAT to buy) and I have no clue how to restring a guitar.
*I also don't have a guitar tuner, so they are often out of tune. I do get the opportunity to retune them every once in a while, and do so every chance I get.
*I practice evey day, although for me that means listening to music as I practice to make sure I am playing the correct notes up to speed.
*I have a guitar pick, but I prefer to play without it. I mostly used it when I was just starting, and my fingers often got huge bubbly blister and hurt to much to play with. Now that my fingers are calloused I usually don't use it.
*What I mainly want is to learn how to read music. My brother said I should learn tab, (what he started to learn), but I'd rather learn to read music properly.
My main problem is that I have no means of learning. I have pretty much infinite opportunity to play, having two electric guitars at my moms house and an electric and acoustic (missing a string) at my dads. I just am not able to be taught WHAT or HOW to play. No one in my family has any experience (except my brother) who stopped years ago and has now forgotten absolutely everything he learned.
I can't afford lessons, and I don't work well with books, (though I suppose I can use one when I have to). Also, I can't take guitar at my school. I've tried to use YouTube videos (because people post lessons on there all the time) but they usually expect me to know certain things already, or don't explain what I want to know.
I am a quick learner (when it comes to music), I have quick fingers (from playing piano), and I can play by ear (play a song just by listing to it once, usually), and I can sight read fairly well on the other instruments I play (perfectly on clarinet, fairly well on alto sax, and I'm improving on piano). So I am always getting better at guitar. My family doesn't understand that even though I'm getting better, I'm only figuring out how to use the instrument really. Without a teacher, I can't actually learn how to get good at it, or anything other than operating it. Like how to read music, among other things. The same thing happened when I learned piano, after I certain point I stopped making progress. I still practice and don't degress, like my brother did with guitar, but I just can't make progress anymore (with a half size keyboard without petals and absolutely ZERO touch sensitivity.
There is no way to convince my family I need lessons. Please just try to help me figure out what to do. I don't want to learn how to play by ear at first without learning to read music. I did that with piano and screwed myself from th start. I had to unteach myself everything (a hard enough thing to do as is) and then reteach myself from square one. I want to learn properly this time!!!
SORRY MY QUESTION IS SO DARNED LONG. PLEASE READ IT OVER AND ANSWER.
(To make it a bit shorter for you, I put *'s beside the more important paragraphs. Also most of the stuff in brackets is unimportant. It's just me going on about myself.)
A. Ok, I'll begin at the beginning.
First thing first, you need some new strings. Sets of strings are usually referred to by their size, or gauge (gauge being the thickness in thousandths of inches), and usually just by the gauge of the high string. For example, Ernie Ball Super Slinkies' gauges are 9-42, and will usually be referred to as a set of 9's. For you, as a beginner, I would recommend a set of 9's, whatever brand you want, because they're a light gauge and are easier on the fingers. Personally, I use 11's, because I have big hands and a heavy attack on the strings. There are tutorials all over the internet on how to change strings, and if the dude at the music store is nice he might show you a thing or two as well. A good way to remember the notes for each string, from low to high, is "Edward Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Edward," EADGBE.
Get a tuner and use it. A chromatic tuner is best, average price is $20. It is a guitarist's best friend.
Practicing every day is how you eventually improve. Keep it up. I know using a pick is awkward at first, and although it's not entirely necessary you might want to eventually start using one. I'll point out, though, that not everybody does, but overall, most guitarists use a pick, and I for one would be lost without one even though I do like to fingerpick. Eventually fingers won't cut it and a pick becomes a necessity.
I don't think it's wise to altogether avoid tab. I admire that you'd like to read music "the right way," but ideally I think it's best to use both tablature and standard notation together. In my experience, any source of information can be used to learn. When you apply that to guitar and learning music, that means you should voraciously seek knowledge from whatever source makes itself available to you; whether it's from tabs, sheet music, by ear, or by watching someone else. Not one of these is perfect by itself, and each one can be the stepping stone you require to get where you want to be.
Also, when it comes to tabs, be realistic. Guitar seems to be the common man's instrument. Most music written for it winds up in tabs, or perhaps a bit more sophisticated in chord charts. Guitar music very rarely comes only in standard notation.
To be self taught requires lots of hard work and dedication. I know first hand; I've never had a lesson (directly) and I don't really intend to. One of the hardest things about teaching yourself I think you've already caught on to. There's no interaction; like you said about youtube, you're expected to know things and they don't explain the things you want to know. Well, that's what's supposed to push you to find out for yourself. Most of what I know about music I found out through research and experimentation.
From what I can tell, you're a reasonably intelligent girl (more so than many people whose questions I answer here - you can string together a sentence, hell, even a paragraph, logically) and you've already got a foundation in music. If you can sight read for clarinet, you're already light years ahead of your average beginner guitarist. I believe that you will be much more able than most at learning guitar, properly, even.
Do you think that I can take up guitar?
Q. I'm only 13 right now and I'm a girl (not that it matters) and I take piano right now and written music theory. I'm really good at piano and I'm working on grade 7 for the Royal Conservatory and grade 3 harmony too. I can read treble, bass, alto, tenor, and soprano keys but I think guitar is either treble or bass. I want to take electric with the amp and stuff. Do you think I will be able to learn it by myself? I am a pretty quick learner and if anybody knows stuff on guitars can you tell me that too!
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A. Hi
I would say to go ahead and start fooling around with it. I picked it up myself and for the most part, I learnt fast and within 6 months, i started studying, reading and writing but i had very good ear training by listening to lots of guitar work. So, you have a head start by knowing your music and harmony.
Plus, you have sense of independence and know how to use both hands.
Here is a good start if you feel the need for it :-)
http://www.8notes.com/guitar_chord_chart/C.asp
Their is even a guitar tuner there LOL
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