Learning Guitar

[edinatlanta]

I want to learn to play Flamenco/bossa nova. I imagine the former is much harder to learn than the latter. Should I take up this new interest?

 

[willpower]

Of course!

Like anything new, expect to suck for a while. Take lessons if you can.

 

[edinatlanta]

well see i take my life cues from the great philosopher Simpson who once said "and the lesson is: never try".

What should I do for a first guitar etc.

 

[gomestar]

it just takes a little patience and willingness to never play in front of somebody for the first many months. And lessons no matter how painful they appear at first.

 

[willpower]

You can get a very decent Alvarez Nylon String Acoustic for $400 discounted. Alvarez AC60SC
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TIP: to embed Youtube clips, put only the encoded part of the Youtube URL, e.g. eBGIQ7ZuuiU between the tags. Also there's the very good Ibanez EW Series EWN28SYENTv for $400. These are hybrid instruments that will work well for many styles of music. They're easy to play and they sound good enough that you'll stay motivated to continue playing. You won't grow out of the quality for a least 7 years of playing. There's an exotic wood version for an extra $50, but it isn't necessary unless you want something more decorative. Ibanez makes really nice affordable instruments. I had an Ibanez steel string acoustic that I regret selling - it was great sounding. http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-E...98-i1389797.gc Here's the $450 model http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-E...46-i1389670.gc

 

[dtmt]

Sure, if you're willing to grow/maintain long fingernails on one hand.

 

[Matt]

you're a complete beginner, right edina? Maybe I am completely wrong here, but I would not imagine one goes straight into learning flamenco, before they can play, oh I don't know, About a Girl by Nirvana (hint, it's just two chords) I used to mess around with guitar like ten years ago, and recently had one made for me here in Vietnam, and have a private lesson twice a week. Normally I will pick a couple of songs I want to learn, email them to him, he masters them (in like four minutes, it's kind of impressive) and teaches me those, and from this my repertoire of chords/strum patterns/general skills increases accordingly. Not necessarily the most structured way to learn, but I'm happy. My teacher is actually a flamenco guitarist who plays at a rooftop bar at a hotel that is kind of a tourist attraction here, and he is kind of urging me to get a little Spanish with the stuff I learn, but dude, it's haaaard. So I guess it took me a whole bunch of words to say 'walk before you can run', but it's great fun, highly recommended

 

[onix]

Hmm, I am kind of interested in this too after listening to a bunch of Armik. Is there any good forum out there for this (ie, learning guitar, B&S for guitar)?

 

[willpower]

Aw come on, look how easy it is
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TIP: to embed Youtube clips, put only the encoded part of the Youtube URL, e.g. eBGIQ7ZuuiU between the tags. No question it'll be at least six months before you've trained your hands where to place your fingers and how to move from one chord to the next. Then it'll be another 1 year to 1 lifetime to perfect it all. I've been playing for decades and I still feel like I suck. But it's still incredibly fun and satisfying to play. The 1 year of lessons I took just after I started improved my playing significantly. I learned scales, how to figure out and play along with songs on the stereo, etc. It's a quick way of getting past all of the stuff you need to know in order to actually sound musical. And now there's countless lessons on Youtube to learn any song and any style. Start with the standards - Blackbird, Girl From Ipanema, Classical Gas - Not easy, but you'll impress your friends (eventually)
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[Thomas]

Actually, I'm picking it up again after just plunking around on a cheap strat in high school. Our little one was already taking lessons, so I read from his book and picked up his songs pretty quick. Now I'm taking my own lessons and thus far it's been scales and modes - playing them faster and clean.

The nice benefit is that I've had an impromptu lesson in chords just while hanging around the music shop waiting for my lesson. We spun through half-a-dozen songs in 15 minutes, just the chord progressions. That was a blast.

I'm enjoying the electric but also have an unrequited thing for classical/spanish, someday perhaps...

 

[Ace Rimmer]

For your first guitar I recommend buying used, and in-store only. There are some very cheap guitars with horrible actions. If you buy a mail order guitar with a high action it will be (literally) painful to play. You will get discouraged very easily and give up prematurely.

Go to a local store and check out their selection of used guitars. Look for guitars with relatively low actions and unwarped necks. The action should not be low enough to buzz the frets when a string is struck, but not too high. Sighting down the neck is a good way to check if the neck is warped.

PS isn't it "do or do not, there is no try"?

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by Ace Rimmer

For your first guitar I recommend buying used, and in-store only. There are some very cheap guitars with horrible actions. If you buy a mail order guitar with a high action it will be (literally) painful to play. You will get discouraged very easily and give up prematurely.

(...)

This is what I did and the store was kind enough to make the adjustments/intonation for me free of charge.

 

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Ace Rimmer

Look for guitars with relatively low actions

I am going to assume that since edina is a first time guitar person, he knows nothing, and that this is therefore lost on him.

This basically refers to the distance between the strings and the fret board, and therefore, how hard you have to 'press' the strings down to play it.

On a classical/nylon string guitar it matters a bit less, a steel string for a beginner with a high action, you are gonna get some evil calluses on your finger tips.

 

[edinatlanta]

Originally Posted by Matt

you're a complete beginner, right edina?

Maybe I am completely wrong here, but I would not imagine one goes straight into learning flamenco, before they can play, oh I don't know, About a Girl by Nirvana (hint, it's just two chords)

Yes.

But what do you mean? I was expecting to play like this in no more than six months. OK I kid. But yeah I do want to learn bossa nova first/more.

Out of curiosity, what's the deal with a bespoke guitar? Cost, deets, benefit etc.

Originally Posted by Ace Rimmer

For your first guitar I recommend buying used, and in-store only. There are some very cheap guitars with horrible actions. If you buy a mail order guitar with a high action it will be (literally) painful to play. You will get discouraged very easily and give up prematurely.

Go to a local store and check out their selection of used guitars. Look for guitars with relatively low actions and unwarped necks. The action should not be low enough to buzz the frets when a string is struck, but not too high. Sighting down the neck is a good way to check if the neck is warped.

PS isn't it "do or do not, there is no try"?

Thanks for this dude! Going to think about this for a bit before I head to the guitar store. I think I want to do this, being able to play some Jobim would be awesome.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by edinatlanta

Yes.

But what do you mean? I was expecting to play like this in no more than six months. OK I kid. But yeah I do want to learn bossa nova first/more.

Out of curiosity, what's the deal with a bespoke guitar? Cost, deets, benefit etc.

(...)

The only thing I can tell you is that a friend of mine went to college for a musical degree in classical guitar. According to him, his main guitar cost more than his car. He brought it in to a Toastmasters meeting one time as part of a speech he was giving, and he cringed every time anyone came near it.