Guitar Knowledge

[PTony]

1. Search for a guitar that you feel comfortable with. Something that feels like you’ve always known it. And, buy something decent. It’s amazing what can be had for little money these days.

2. Have it setup by a qualified tech and don’t leave the shop before trying it.

3. Before plunking away...Make sure you’re in tune. Also, learning 3-4 basic chords (E-A-D OR G-C-Em-D) will help you learn a TON of songs.

4. Expect to be frustrated. When (not if) that occurs walk away for a bit. Then...

5. Listen to music that inspires you. Songs that you’d like to learn. This will keep you challenged and interested.

6. Play with others as often as you can. This will help you greatly as you will pickup different techniques, chords, rhythms, etc.

7. Use the vast online resources available. There are a TON of videos, knowledge based forums, etc. that weren’t available when I started (37 years ago).

8. Always make sure it’s in the stand properly.

9. ALWAYS sure the case latches are secure.

10. When taking it out of the case use one hand to hold the lid, then remove the guitar with the other. This prevents the case “teeth” from chomping on your guitar (ask me how I know...)

11. Most of all...have fun. Once you learn that first song...you’re off and running.

[BallisticSquid]

Don't worry about other players and how well they play. Focus on your own playing and develop your voice on the instrument. Your voice is unique...embrace that rather than fight it by trying to sound like another player. We are all on different journeys, don't compare them.

If somebody explained this to me 20 years ago, I would have been save LOTS of frustration .

[s2y]

1. Get a guitar set up properly. The guitar isn't easy. It's even harder when it's poorly set up.
2. Use proper technique and don't strain. I know a few guys whose technique required cortisone shots and carpal tunnel surgery. I'm not a rules kind of guy. I also want to play guitar as long as possible without pain.
3. Tune up first. This will help develop your ears, too.
4. Depending on climate, work on keeping the guitar stored at proper humidity. Big issue in my area because winter is dry and summer is extremely hot and humid.

[ship of fools]

Guitar is suppose to be fun and enjoyable. Callouses will come and so will finger memory and most important are you playing to become a working musician or are you playing for life's enjoyment.
And if you know players who have been at it for some time ask questions. I always remind my grand kids that the only stupid question is the one you didn't ask.
I had found in my life time that almost all musicians are always glad to help out a newbie because sometimes you may do something that catches are ears and we may say borrow it later for a song or two. So its a two way road.
Enjoy and have fun.

[619TF]

Originally Posted by ship of fools

I always remind my grand kids that the only stupid question is the one you didn't ask.

As someone who has spent years answering people's questions I assure you that is only one type of stupid question. Not P.C. to say so but yes, plenty of questions asked aloud really are stupid ones.

[mr. beaumont]

Learn music. Learn to read it, write it, communicate with it. Know your instrument, every note, every fret. The world has plenty of guitar players. Be a musician.

[RalphH]

Get lessons. Yes you will figure it all out eventually but it takes a LOT longer
Learn some music theory early on - it's far too easy to skip it on guitar, esp if self-taught
Learn how to look after and set up your instrument yourself, esp if there isn't a good guitar tech nearby

[islandguitar]

So many great comments on this thread that are part of the "essentials"!
I too believe that finding the best guitar (and set up) possible will make you want to practice. This is especially true with quality of sound and tone you like. At the beginning you have to "hear" yourself learning and you want that sound to be as wonderful as possible to propel you forward to the next wonderful sound. Hitting that full D chord or E chord and loving it makes you want more.....aka; practice big-time.
When I was learning to strum many years ago, one technique I found was to practice in front of a mirror. When you do this, you associate sound/rhythm you are making with a visual of what you're doing. I think it helps the brain interpret what's going on with keeping time and listening to what you're producing while watching this all take place.
Once you get through the "callous thing" ie: you have them through hard effort, try not to let them go...maintain them at least a little so you don't have to travel that journey again.
As others have said....have fun..........I won't repeat all the great stuff listed, but so much is really good info for starting out and maintaining with the instrument.

[whvick]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

1.) Have fun.

2.) Practice daily for short periods of time.

3.) Learn full songs.

4.) Practice with a metronome.

5.) Start a band. Or at least a duo.

6.) Sing.

7.) Play open mics.

8.) Gig.

Thanks
I needed that
I never finish a song
Got to work on that

[Rockysdad]

What I'd tell a newbie is :

Don't believe what everyone tells you, or what you read on forums, there's ALOT of misinformation out there, well intended maybe, but some folk seem to think they know it all.
Have fun !

[Deliberate1]

I offer this not as a guitar player of less than one year, but as a semi-pro clarinet and sax guy for more than 50 years.
It is this. Learn your instrument. By that, I do not mean just the mechanics of playing, which, of course, is critical. I mean, learn its vocabulary - the notes on the fret board. Learn it the way you know speech, intuitively selecting the right word and inflection to communicate a thought or emotion.
In college, I got the notion to put on a record (yes, a record) of Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond tunes that I had listened to throughout high school. And I played along. More than 40 years later, I still do that, riffing with the greats - Coltrane, Parker, Stitt, Evans. I listen to them, consider how they approach a melody and changes, how they converse through their horns or keyboard.
And over time, I developed an "ear" and musical vocabulary even in the absence of formal theory training. I now know my wind instruments. I know the sound they will make when I select a note. I know the intervals intuitively. I know how to converse through them.
And now I am doing this with the guitar even as I struggle as a beginner with clumsy hands and stiff fingers. The guitar is a stranger to me. But the sounds are not. A note is a note. An interval is an interval. Even as I botch chord transitions more often than not, I am beginning to pick out melody lines, though most awkwardly, as I do not yet fully understand the fret board as I do my horns. I listen to the bluegrass station on the TV. I listen to the changes and try to reproduce them. And I try to figure out lead lines using the chord transitions as a template. And I improvise what I can. At least for me, this is how I plan to learn this instrument. Though, unlike my horns, I am afraid that I do not have 50+ years to do it. But am looking forward to the journey.
David

[RHguitars]

As everyone else said...
My add: download Audacity on your pc and grab music from youtube.
w/Aud you can change the key, omit vocals and play along with whatever music you like. You can record yourself and see the improvement as you play more.
once you start to develop a repertoire and get better it will be easier to play out or along with friends...