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Post by secondcoming on Mar 2, 2011 12:05:05 GMT
Yo ladz,
I'm thinking about picking up playing guitar. I've never played an instrument, must be an absolute mong at it (god bless my neighbours) but you need something to do when you're bored. Someone knows where to look for a good, but not too expensive acoustic guitar? Also, what would you do? Take lessons or learn it at home, by yourself?
Thanks in advance x
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2011 12:17:24 GMT
I pretty much learnt myself on a cheapo starter electric guitar. For a long time I was really shit and it was really frustrating but then one day something just clicked and I could suddenly string together lots of different chords, it was awesome.
I wouldn't consider myself a great guitarist but I'm happy with the level I can play at and it enables me to record stuff at home which I have a massive passion for.
I wouldn't pay anymore than £60 for a guitar to start out on tbh and would maybe even suggest starting with an electric guitar as they're easier on your fingers as the strings tend to be closer to the fret board (or so I've found)
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Post by phieniac on Mar 2, 2011 13:09:49 GMT
It all depends how good you want to be. I'd recommend starting with an acoustic, playing electric with distortion is a lot of fun when you begin but the distortion hides your mistakes which makes it more difficult becoming a good guitar player.
I'd start out by checking out tabs for my favourite songs (Oasis is a really good starting point if you want to learn guitar, Noels chords are often really simple). Just keep practising songs you love and with time you'll learn different techniques, strumming patterns etc.
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Post by barny on Mar 2, 2011 13:12:33 GMT
I went to a teacher when I started, cos you need a lot of practising and paying was a way to force myself to train. Good luck man, will you collaborate with me in two years time?
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Post by secondcoming on Mar 2, 2011 13:59:13 GMT
Thanks for the advice people, think I'll do what phieniac says and start with an acoustic. Noel G style, ask Weller to write a couple of songs for me and so on.
Ofcourse I'll collaborate with you barny. What do you play? Acoustic or electric?
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Post by Simone on Mar 2, 2011 13:59:30 GMT
I liked this. Anybody with me? I'm not a fanatic of this kind of music but I thought it was catchy and well built, no? I'm sure the people on here who like instrumentals could add their inputs. And Jorn, it's great that you want to learn the guitar! I recommend you to borrow one: 90% of the people I know have a guitar they don't use. Or buy a cheap one, even second hand, but don't waste money on something semi-decent now, wait until you learn the rudimentals and buy something more than decent later. A classic guitar or a simple acoustic are perfect. There's a lot of tutorials on Youtube nowdays, there's people explaining any chord in great details: I'd search a video that explains how to tune the guitar, another that explains what the strings are and then I'd go straight to learn the first 4 chords and I'd pratice them until I can play them smooth and fluid and play the first songs. |
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Post by secondcoming on Mar 2, 2011 14:00:57 GMT
Thank you too Simone, useful tips. Only problem is that I'm left handed. Are these harder to find?
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Post by Simone on Mar 2, 2011 14:04:08 GMT
No problem, you can just get a regular guitar and reverse the order of the strings!
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Post by secondcoming on Mar 2, 2011 14:07:06 GMT
Didn't think of that   Thanks. Think I'm going to buy one if I see a decent one for 70 to 80 euro max. Have been thinking about for it ages but now the time has come for action  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2011 14:09:18 GMT
Or you can play it like Gruff Rhys
Rhys plays the guitar in an unusual style. Although he is right-handed, he learnt to play left-handed on his brother's left-handed guitar. Once his brother left home, however, Rhys only had access to a right-handed guitar. As he had already learnt to play left-handed, and rather than invert the nut and re-string it, he taught himself to play the right-handed guitar upside down so the bass strings are on the bottom. Today, Rhys still plays left-handed on an upside down right-handed guitar.
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Post by secondcoming on Mar 2, 2011 14:16:05 GMT
Doesn't Macca also play left handed on a right handed stringed guitar?
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Post by ton on Mar 2, 2011 14:32:17 GMT
I started on electric and switched to acoustic about half a year later. Its nice having the variation imo, ill be damned if ill ever learn to do a proper solo on an acoustic tho  . Yeah.. for about three months i only practised the D, A, G and E chords, absolutely horrible but somehow i kept at it. Then when you notice youre getting better it starts becoming really fun and you practise even more and in no time youre blasting out oasis covers like your Scott McLeod  also, youll always have something to do so as you said thats good if youre bored. edit: soms wordt ik gek van the beatles  |
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Post by secondcoming on Mar 2, 2011 14:36:46 GMT
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Post by barny on Mar 2, 2011 15:42:42 GMT
Thank you too Simone, useful tips. Only problem is that I'm left handed. Are these harder to find? I'm left handed and learnt with a regular one, you start from scratch anyway. The special ones are way more expensive and you won't be able to play at some friend's home or switch it to your band mates, which you will surely have. The conversation of Supernova's song freaked me out, but yeah, good work |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2011 16:21:06 GMT
Doesn't Macca also play left handed on a right handed stringed guitar? I don't know. He's not as famous as Gruff Rhys so I wouldn't know. |
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Post by secondcoming on Mar 2, 2011 16:41:29 GMT
True I've been looking and coming across the 'HUDSON HC1NLH GRADUATE CLASSICAL GUITAR'. New price is 89 euro and it's the same price right handed as it is left handed. Is this a good guitar? And what should I do? Buy it left handed or buy a right handed? Am seriously considering buying the left handed one, it's the same price anyway. Am not in a band or won't play somewhere else for the first few months/years/decades anyway because it'll take some time to learn |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2011 16:50:19 GMT
Whatever you think you'll be most comfortable with I'd say was your best bet.
I am currently in retirement. I gave too much last year, two albums in two months. The weight of expectation has hit me to the point where I don't think I can create any longer.
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Post by chuzeville on Mar 2, 2011 16:56:32 GMT
Doesn't Macca also play left handed on a right handed stringed guitar? I think he did it in the old days, when they needed to be able to switch instruments. Go for it, secondcoming! I learnt mostly on my own on a classical guitar. I had a handbook for the basics and a card with all the chords. Be prepared for your fingers to hurt in the early days. The skin will thicken eventually. Also don't be disheartened if you don't manage barre chords at first, they're not that easy. In that respect, stay away from with Eb in them! In other news, yesterday I sat down at the piano to write a song for the first time in 7 months... And it worked! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2011 16:58:40 GMT
Go for it, secondcoming! I learnt mostly on my own on a classical guitar. I had a handbook for the basics and a card with all the chords. Be prepared for your fingers to hurt in the early days. The skin will thicken eventually. Also don't be disheartened if you don't manage barre chords at first, they're not that easy. In that respect, stay away from with Eb in them! I still don't do barre chords, I've had a guitar for 10 years now Fuck that shit. |
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Post by Simone on Mar 2, 2011 17:00:35 GMT
uh, that Gruff Rhys thing split my mind in two. It looks more like a puzzle than a real story ehe.
However yeah, you won't be able to play a borrowed guitar if you learn it left handed by reversing the strings. You won't be able to play "La Bamba" around the fire on the beach in a hot summer night. Just kidding. Well you have a choice.
You'll find out that most of the guitars are symmetrical, so you can buy a right handed or a left handed, it's just a matter of how you set the strings.
That guitar sounds alright. I'm sure you can get one for less money though, but if you want, go for it. I'm all for starting with a classical one (I started with an shitty Eko) and when you get a bit better, switch to a very good acoustic. If you learn the basics on the classical guitar (which has a wider keyboard and thicker nylon strings), then playing the acoustic (which has a smaller keyboard and steel strings) will be a piece of cake.
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Thanks. Think I'm going to buy one if I see a decent one for 70 to 80 euro max. Have been thinking about for it ages but now the time has come for action 
. 
also, youll always have something to do so as you said thats good if youre bored.