Help in learning guitar

Discussion in 'Beginner's Q&A Forum' started by Coolfire, Aug 24, 2004.

  1. Coolfire

    Coolfire New Member

    ineed somes advice i have just purchased aguitar and i want to learn guitar stuff some one tell mee wat should i do first . tell me step by step
     
  2. rabi_sultan

    rabi_sultan <Bulla Ki Jana>

    well for starters its best to get your fingers calloused at their tips (make them hard), right now if you press down on the strings you will notice that it hurts your fingers (unless you play sitar) especially on the thinnest string.

    First off it would be good to know the different parts of the guitar and to know the names of the strings.
    Secondly would be to learn how to read tablature.
    Then once you've done that its time to learn a few chords so that you can play some songs.
    I remember my first time in playing the guitar I couldn't hold the chords properly and changing was a nightmare but i got there after enough practice.
    just try to hold the D major chord and keep strumming, then slowly try lifting one finger off while your strumming and then put it back on, do this with each finger until your confident you can take your whole hand off the note strum twice/thrice and then place your fingers back down on the chord again. It'll be tricky but soon it'll be a piece of cake.
    Best chords to learn in no particular order: C major, D major, E major, E minor, G major, A major, A minor

    This will take a little time.
     
  3. DrSaurabh

    DrSaurabh Wh@+s Up D0C

    actually if u r leaning d...and g.....
    Dsus4 Dsus2 and G5 arent too diff either...or for that matter...
    Dm and D7 and Asus2
     
  4. rabi_sultan

    rabi_sultan <Bulla Ki Jana>

    yeah but its better learning the major and minors first. by the time you've learnt them you should then look into a bit of chord theory and learn about triad formations etc (no not the chinese gang, triad = three notes) and from there the suspended seconds, fourths, fifths (power chords), major/minor sixths, major/minor sevenths, major/minor ninths, major/minor elevenths etc all begin to make sense
     
  5. Coolfire

    Coolfire New Member

    i have done enogh practise and my finger are now adjusted they dont hurt now i have tried tabs i have learned to plays them and now i can play some songs wats but the anoying me is CHORDS ,minor ,major i dont know wat that tuff is i have learned the stings name e(sharp , then b ,g,d, a, e(bass) then wats stuff (G#4 ) then G* etc wats that stuff Eminor C major Amajor etc
     
  6. rabi_sultan

    rabi_sultan <Bulla Ki Jana>

    ok let me provide you with some of the notations:

    Major Chords
    will appear as either CM, Cmaj or C
    Minor Chords
    will almost always appear as Cm but can be Cmin
    Seventh
    always C7 but remember the major/minor rule so C7, C7M and C7maj aren't the same as Cmin or Cm
    Ninths, Elevenths
    hold the same rule as Sevenths
    Fifths (aka normal Power Chords)
    there are no major or minor in playing fifths, this is because in a fifth note you only play the tonic and the dominant notes (I and V) for a note to be a major the third note is played (III) and for it to be a minor you flatten this note (IIIb)

    Thats a VERY BASIC look at chord theory, best is to either grab a book or check this forum for either a more detailed explanation or a link.

    to add Chords are basically a triad of notes played together, the groups of triad combinations explained above (major, minor, sevenths etc) provide a different sound for each group. Emajor will sound brighter than Eminor and thats because major chords are supposed to be brighter sounding chords where Eminors are slightly sadder sounding chords.

    Now although I have said chords are a triad the fifth is an obvious exception as it only uses two notes and not three. but don't worry about fifths, in chord theory they are largely ignored for some reason
     
  7. Gai

    Gai New Member

    i had read this book called the guitar handbook...its avaialble at crossword...they give u chord theory..very well too...another book is Guitar by dan morgan....
    but i couldnt understand the deeoer paarts of it :( so help...
     
  8. rabi_sultan

    rabi_sultan <Bulla Ki Jana>

    sorry i should have said in TRIAD chord theory they are ignored.

    Power Chords have a theory all to themselves
     
  9. Sonali

    Sonali ::>> Welcome <<::

    you should learn this 7 first (Em, C, G, D, Am, E, and A) (the ones with the small m's are the minors and the ones by them selves are majors)
    https://www.cyberfret.com/chords/beginning-7/index.php

    https://www.cyberfret.com/chords/index.php
    this site can teach you all you need to know abt cords

    also this site has all the cords, just press on the buttons to finds which fingers are supposed to press whare (1=index, 2=middle, 3=ring, and 4=pinkey, you'll figure it out)
    https://www.chordbook.com/cb100/vguitar/guitar_chords.htm

    this is how i am learning so i thought i'd share what i can....good luck
    BTW rabi i think you confused the heck out of the poor guy or gal
     
  10. rabi_sultan

    rabi_sultan <Bulla Ki Jana>

    thats why i told him to look it up ;) but you've already done that for him :D
     
  11. Coolfire

    Coolfire New Member

    hey rabiand sonali thanx for help
    but i am still confused a bit
     
  12. Sonali

    Sonali ::>> Welcome <<::

    you are supposed to use four of your left hand fingers (1=index, 2=middle, 3=ring, and 4=pinkey) on the fret bord....the diagrams on the first website uses these numbers to represent those corresponding four fingers....the diagram represents the neck of the guitar in the order from thickest to thinnest (the first one on the left is the thickest or E, then its A, then D, G, B, and the last one is e.

    (remember you were saying that you knew the strings...welll three or more strings or notes make a chord...you are supposed to strum them together while you hold down those fingers on the fret bord....how many strings are held down at a time varries from chord to chord....minor chords are usually a small variation of it's major counder part...you will see this if you just look at E major and E minor) i hope you already knew this...its difficult at first to change between cords but gets easier as you practice

    look at the pictures on the websites for a while...you should understand them once you know which finger stands for which number (which i have already provided)

    is it making more sense?

    @ rabi - you just are a bit too advanced for him :) thats it...
     
  13. jayanth

    jayanth &lt;.: : Call Quits : :.&gt;

    Try Rock Dicipline - John Petrucci..
     
  14. Coolfire

    Coolfire New Member

    hey sonali thanx in that .which chord i should learn first the majors or minor o tell me the pairs in which i can do switching

    that virtual guitar is great now i understand wat is chord thing but teel like i want switch with some chord wats the intial pairs which i shuld try to switch and to practise on
     
  15. highwayman

    highwayman Eternal Bachelor ! ! !

    Hey Sonali....
    thats one amazing virtual guitar site yaar.
    I am in my office so can't actually listen to the strumming...but i just can't wait to go home and try it out.
    Thanks..

    Rock On!!!
     
  16. jayanth

    jayanth &lt;.: : Call Quits : :.&gt;

  17. Sonali

    Sonali ::>> Welcome <<::

    @haywayman - i know thats an amazing website...i've been messing with it even before i got a guitar :)
    i already told you that you should learn {Em, E, C, G, D, Am, and A} first.... instead of switching between two chords first try playing the Em chord and taking your hand off then placing it back on, learn doing this so you don't have to look at your fretting hand when you are doing it....learn whare the fingers should do and which fingers are used for each of these 7 chords....then try switching between two chords...i started with Em and G but you can do what ever seem easy to you....if this gets boreing then try to play an easy song that uses only these chords (i suggest aksar by shaan, it only uses E, A, D, and C) this will help with your switching between chords.....after you learned these 7 chords then add F and Dm (the F major chord is really really :cen: hard ) barre chords are alway hard so i try to stay away from them but you should deffinately not stay away from them....

    heres some words of wisdom....don't tense up your fretting hand, that will make things harder than they are.....always use your pinkey when you are supposed to :)....and always play tabs to keep your self entertained coz at first chords pretty much sounds like crap....
     
  18. rabi_sultan

    rabi_sultan <Bulla Ki Jana>

    here's my tip.

    learn the seven chords, then move to scales practice where you build your finger strength and speed and then come back to those barre chords you'll find it easier (imo)

    As for chords here's some songs:
    Nirvana - About a Girl (Em, Gmaj)
    REM - Everybody Hurts (Dmaj, Gmaj)
    Beatles - Twist & Shout (Dmaj, Gmaj, Amaj)
    Bryan Adams - Summer of 69 (D,A)
    Metallica - Nothing Else Matters (Emin, Dmaj, Cmaj)
    Troggs - Wild Thing (i cant remember to be honest)

    look for the bryan adams and rem song in the english tabs section.
    when you find the summer of 69 one LOOK AT THE TABS I SUBMITTED not only are they the correct tabs but they are a form of D and A.

    There are plenty of other songs as well. millions of them
     
  19. jayanth

    jayanth &lt;.: : Call Quits : :.&gt;

    Learn Scales first and Build chords.. Everyone makes the mistake. Including me.. :(
     
  20. rabi_sultan

    rabi_sultan <Bulla Ki Jana>

    its not a mistake. when you have a musical instrument that says there is no set way to learn then you aren't making a mistake if you learn chords first is there ;)

    You can easily revert from chord theory back to scales theory, they are both intertwined with each other from a theoretical pov so really it doesnt matter which way you learn it because you'll eventually have to learn it in the end ;)

    But I agree with you jay, it helps if you follow this method imo is to understand basic scales, then move to chords (major, minor, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths, suspended 2nds and 4ths) and come back to complete the scales then move to the advanced chords (9ths, 11ths, diminished, augmented, jazz chords)
     

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