Playing 6 Years... I Know About 3 Songs

[lw216316]

Originally Posted by urbanfarmer

You might check out Harvey Reid's "Song Train"-it is a great compilation of 2-chord songs, comes w/ cd and a book that describes how to play each one. It is a really neat deal and I was surprised how many great 2-chord songs there are!

It can be found here: http://www.songtrain.net/

I wish I had that available when I first learned to play !

It was so very difficult to change chords and keep the timing right
when I was trying to learn my first song.

It actually turned out to be a 2 CHORD SONG - skip to my Lou

Having a book of 2 chord songs for beginners to learn on is a great idea.
- Larry

[uncle_w]

A lot of good info here. Not completely discounting in person lessons but I'm from the YouTube booster camp. My problem with lessons in person was unless they tabbed the lesson for me I couldn't remember anything the next day. On YouTube you can pause or rewind infinitely and hear the song without drums, bass, etc at your leisure. Along with the tabs from UG or where ever you can spend as little or as much time as you please. Another plus is the explanation of different fingering for certain situations.

There are some excellent lessons on there from classical to blues. The better ones are usually a series of ten minute videos and have two passes, one for the left hand and one for the right. Also a few of the YouTube teachers have their own sites with tabs and most importantly some of their own arrangements of popular songs graded from beginner on up. I think that was key in jump starting my progress because I didn't have to be a slave to learning someone else's song note for note.

Here's a couple of sites that really helped out in the beginning.

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/ST-000-SongsTAB.php

http://www.learnclassicalguitar.com/...ar-lesson.html

[Fliss]

Originally Posted by uncle_w

... My problem with lessons in person was unless they tabbed the lesson for me I couldn't remember anything the next day....

One of the things I do (by agreement with my teacher!) is use my digital camera to record parts of my lesson, when he is demonstrating how I need to do something.

I use a standard digital camera, not even a proper video camera, but it records video well enough, and a phone camera would probably also do the job. When I get home after my lesson, I transfer the video files to the computer, set up a file with the date of the lesson and the name of the song(s) covered, and then I can refer back to it as I'm working on what my teacher showed me. I find this a big help.

Fliss

[GibbyPrague]

Thats a very good idea. I do the same except i record the audio rather than video. But since i have video possibility on my laptop i think my next lesson will be video so i can see all those horrible mistakes im making .. and learn from them

Originally Posted by Fliss

One of the things I do (by agreement with my teacher!) is use my digital camera to record parts of my lesson, when he is demonstrating how I need to do something.

I use a standard digital camera, not even a proper video camera, but it records video well enough, and a phone camera would probably also do the job. When I get home after my lesson, I transfer the video files to the computer, set up a file with the date of the lesson and the name of the song(s) covered, and then I can refer back to it as I'm working on what my teacher showed me. I find this a big help.

Fliss

[daza152]

Looks like we have a couple of You Tube novices here LOL. kidding but hey why video you own lesson when there is a perfect video lesson on You Tube? I would even rate this better than learning from a guitar teacher once a week when you can rewind the whole lesson or just one part and see it played over and over exactly the same way, in the comfort of your own home and free....did I miss any benefits?

Daza.

[Fliss]

Originally Posted by daza152

Looks like we have a couple of You Tube novices here LOL. kidding but hey why video you own lesson when there is a perfect video lesson on You Tube? I would even rate this better than learning from a guitar teacher once a week when you can rewind the whole lesson or just one part and see it played over and over exactly the same way, in the comfort of your own home and free....did I miss any benefits?

Daza.

In my experience, there never is a perfect video lesson on YouTube; they tend to be targetted at the wrong level, or at a style I'm not interested in, or there isn't one for the specific song I want to learn.

For me, there are lots of benefits to having lessons with a teacher. Firstly, he knows my level of abillity and will tailor his teaching to my specific needs. Second, he can give me feedback on how I'm doing. Thirdly, he can come up with suggestions for what I should work on next. Fourth, if I think of a song I want to learn, he will work it out and teach me how to play it - if I was using lessons from YouTube, I'd have to make do with whatever someone has already done a lesson for, Fifth, he can give me encouragement and inspiration. Sixth, he helps me with my songwriting, for example helping me work out guitar arrangements for my songs, and on a couple of occasions, putting a melody and accompaniment to my lyrics.

There are probably lots more, but that's a few to be going on with

I thought of another one - having my next lesson lined up each time gives me an additional incentive to practice, as I want to be able to show my teacher how I've progressed.

Fliss

[uncle_w]

Originally Posted by Fliss

One of the things I do (by agreement with my teacher!) is use my digital camera to record parts of my lesson, when he is demonstrating how I need to do something.

Good idea.

Originally Posted by daza152

.did I miss any benefits? Daza.

You don't have to keep an appointment...

Originally Posted by Fliss

In my experience, there never is a perfect video lesson on YouTube; they tend to be targetted at the wrong level, or at a style I'm not interested in, or there isn't one for the specific song I want to learn.

I agree there's definitely some undeniable advantages to taking lessons in person. My point was that for the O.P. there's plenty of good lessons on YouTube with all of it's advantages to jump start his playing.

There's nothing wrong with trying to play someone else's music note for note but for that matter nothings perfect even authorized books or a teacher's interpretation of what he hears.

[Fliss]

Originally Posted by uncle_w

...My point was that for the O.P. there's plenty of good lessons on YouTube with all of it's advantages to jump start his playing...

I don't disagree - there are lots of good options available, I think it's just about each person working out what works best for them.

Fliss

[uncle_w]

I agree. The other most important aspect is practice, practice, practice.

[Badfrog]

I enjoy the vids from Marty on Youtube (I think it's Marty Schwartz?, Daza linked him, it's Martyzsongs). He's keeps it simple enough that even I can figure out what he doing but he doesn't make it boring.

Sounds to me that the OP knows plenty of chords and plays them well and can probably play lead good enough to get going. Hell, just pick out a song or two that you like that isn't difficult and go with it. I think you've got the skills, you just have to put two and two together.

[daza152]

Originally Posted by Badfrog

I enjoy the vids from Marty on Youtube (I think it's Marty Schwartz?, Daza linked him, it's Martyzsongs). He's keeps it simple enough that even I can figure out what he doing but he doesn't make it boring.

Sounds to me that the OP knows plenty of chords and plays them well and can probably play lead good enough to get going. Hell, just pick out a song or two that you like that isn't difficult and go with it. I think you've got the skills, you just have to put two and two together.

Hey Badfrog, Marty is great he teaches all levels and covers a wide range of music genres, between him and Justinguitar why would you use any other teacher? on you tube sure there are a couple of songs he doesn't do but you will definately like his style of teaching

[Badfrog]

Originally Posted by daza152

Hey Badfrog, Marty is great he teaches all levels and covers a wide range of music genres, between him and Justinguitar why would you use any other teacher? on you tube sure there are a couple of songs he doesn't do but you will definately like his style of teaching

I watched the A7 blues video from Marty last night and enjoyed it quite a bit. I've only seen a couple of his vids but all have been good.

I still have a teacher though. He's a helluva guitarist, has been through it all and knows his stuff. However, I have to pull/pry music theory information out of him. That's the stuff that I just can't get from watching videos. I not only want to be able to play but also be able to understand why I'm playing what I'm playing.

Either way, marty and justin do a great favor to a lot of people.

[Backslider]

Originally Posted by Badfrog

I not only want to be able to play but also be able to understand why I'm playing what I'm playing.

...and I always thought the "why" was because it sounds good

[daza152]

Originally Posted by Badfrog

I watched the A7 blues video from Marty last night and enjoyed it quite a bit. I've only seen a couple of his vids but all have been good.

I still have a teacher though. He's a helluva guitarist, has been through it all and knows his stuff. However, I have to pull/pry music theory information out of him. That's the stuff that I just can't get from watching videos. I not only want to be able to play but also be able to understand why I'm playing what I'm playing.

Either way, marty and justin do a great favor to a lot of people.

yeah that 'Land of A7' is a good one to play around with. I'm only playing guitar for my own pleasure and can't see the need to learn to read music as I don't think I'll ever be performing anywhere....just wanna play songs that mean something to me, but good on ya.

[daza152]

Originally Posted by Fliss

In my experience, there never is a perfect video lesson on YouTube; they tend to be targetted at the wrong level, or at a style I'm not interested in, or there isn't one for the specific song I want to learn.

For me, there are lots of benefits to having lessons with a teacher. Firstly, he knows my level of abillity and will tailor his teaching to my specific needs. Second, he can give me feedback on how I'm doing. Thirdly, he can come up with suggestions for what I should work on next. Fourth, if I think of a song I want to learn, he will work it out and teach me how to play it - if I was using lessons from YouTube, I'd have to make do with whatever someone has already done a lesson for, Fifth, he can give me encouragement and inspiration. Sixth, he helps me with my songwriting, for example helping me work out guitar arrangements for my songs, and on a couple of occasions, putting a melody and accompaniment to my lyrics.

There are probably lots more, but that's a few to be going on with

I thought of another one - having my next lesson lined up each time gives me an additional incentive to practice, as I want to be able to show my teacher how I've progressed.

Fliss

Ahhh Flis, I've semed to have struck a nerve sorry about that, hey You Tube isn't for everyone, and finding a good teacher can be hard, however I have and I feel that I have learnt so much already from him.