Q. I'm a long-term fan of the guitar and piano and have finally been able to sign up for guitar lessons at school. My friend has offered to help me with the guitar. I don't want to waste his time with the basics but I also dont' want to learn the fundamentals wrong. I've never held a guitar and I'm not sure if the new teacher teachs notes or tabs. I understand how to read notes and I get the idea behind tabs but besides that, I'm completely in the dark.Any tips or suggestions are more than welcome! Thanks!
A. Your thinking too much.
First off, you have knowledge of standard music notation and music theory!!!, you are way ahead of 95% of people who "play" guitar. No worries!
Second, Tab is just a visual representation of the guitar strings (low E/ the fattest strung on the bottom). Read it from left to right, the numbers just tell you where to press, which string when, in what order. No duration is given, it's just a road map that people practice to learn to play their favorite songs. No music theory involved. Again, NO WORRIES, you are still way ahead.
Don't over think it. You know much more than other people who are starting out. Just enjoy it. The hardest thing will be getting your fingers used to pressing the strings. Don't worry about it, you'll discover the simple things faster than the others, and grasp the more complex things in a way that will make the others dizzy.
The rock world is so full of cheats anyway. Power chords and drop tunings make the guitar so stupid easy that any 5 year old could be a super star. So many people use them and don't understand the theory of how it works. What's it matter, it still looks and sounds wicked awesome!!!>sarcasm<
Rock on!
How long will it take me to complete grade one guitar if I already play two inssturments very well?
Q. I have played flute for four years and piano for eight. I want to know how fast I could learn to play guitar.
A. Your biggest challenge is going to be to build up your callouses. Star out by playing about five minutes a stretch, two to three times a day, and build up your endurance over the space of about three months. When you get to the point where you can play for at least a half an hour, you should be well on your way to working on changing chords smoothly.
Remember, it isn't learning the chords that is the biggest challenge, it's learning to move from chord to chord smoothly. I start all of my students with the following chord:
E minor seven with a suspension
Emin7sus
All you do is strum across the strings with your right hand while you leave your left hand off the guitar completely! E / B / G is the E minor - D is the seventh, and A is the suspension. If the A was above the D, it would be the eleventh, but since it's below the D (the seventh) it's a suspension - even though there is a third in the chord!
Next you learn the E minor with a Dominant 7th
Emin7
Put your second or third finger on the second fret of the fifth string (A)
6/0 5/2 4/0 3/0 2/0 1/0
Next you learn the E minor
Emin
Put your second and third finger on the second frets of the fourth and fifth strings
6/0 5/2 4/2 3/0 2/0 1/0
Next you learn the E major chord
E
Put your second and third finger on the second frets of the fourth and fifth strings, and lay your third finger right down, where it already is, on top of the first fret of the third string!
6/0 5/2 4/2 3/1 2/0 1/0
Next, you learn the A minor chord
Put your second and third fingers down on the second frets of the FOURTH AND THIRD STRINGS! then put your first finger right down where it is, over the first fret of the second string (You just moved all of your fingers over by one string?)
6/0 5/0 4/2 3/2 2/1 1/0
move around back and forth between the chords until you can make the transition smoothly. Then learn some variations:
E7 - 6/0 5/2 4/0 3/1 2/0 1/0
Amin7 - 6/0 5/0 4/2 3/0 2/1 1/0
A7 - 6/0 5/0 4/2 3/0 2/2 1/0
You have probably noticed that I haven't gone anywhere near the C major chord yet. I try not to show that chord to my students for at least a month, unless they beat it out of me (and some do!)
C - (Actually C/E) 6/0 5/3 4/2 3/0 2/1 1/0 (That's a C major chord with the third (E) in the Bass)
C - (Actually C/G) 6/3 5/3 4/2 3/0 2/1 1/0 (That's a C major chord with the fifth (G) in the bass - which sounds fuller but is harder to play) < You generally play it first finger - 2/1 second finger - 4/2 fourth finger - 5/3 third finger - 6/3 >
I play it 1 / 2/ 3 / 4 though because it makes it easier for me to slide around!
Anyway, that should get you started. Let me know if you need more. Give me a shout and I will be glad to send you anything you need.
What some easy yet challenging songs that I can use as exercises for piano?
Q. Like songs with easy chords so that I can get my fingers used to the keys?
A couple examples that I have used already are some like Stars Falling Down by Kina Grannis
or A Warm Place by Nine Inch Nails or La Mer by Nine Inch Nails. I would like to stay in that genre range. :)
A. Clocks by Coldplay
Changes by Tupac
Boston by Augustana
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Title : How to prep for guitar lessons?
Description : Q. I'm a long-term fan of the guitar and piano and have finally been able to sign up for guitar lessons at school. My friend has offere...