Guitar Players?

[benDASHDASH]

question: ive been playiing since the beginning of the year. right now im in to really strummy songs. i can sing them. i can play them. but i cannot for the life of me sing and play at the same time, even when im playing along with a recording of the song. any ideas?

also, ill find chords to songs.. but i can never get the strum pattern right. how can i practice strum patterns?

[GaryE30]

Thanks for the advice, I'll look into it. I've been browsing musiciansfriend and they seem to have some really nice deals.

I agree, get a decent guitar to begin with, you won't regret it. Playability will go a long way toward you enjoying the learning experience. My first acoustic's action was way to high and the neck was as thick as a baseball bat. Hard to play and made it more difficult to learn on. So spend a bit and get something with a low action and thin/fast neck.

:up:

[RCWells]

I agree, get a decent guitar to begin with, you won't regret it. Playability will go a long way toward you enjoying the learning experience. My first acoustic's action was way to high and the neck was as thick as a baseball bat. Hard to play and made it more difficult to learn on. So spend a bit and get something with a low action and thin/fast neck.

Guitar is awesome. I have also been playing for about 15 years. Guitar has a exponential learning curve. It is very hard at first, but then it gets easier and easier and easier. Don't buy a piece of shit to start out with -- you will get discouraged. At least buy something decent that sounds ok. I started out with an electric -- but fuck I had too -- I was only listening to death metal at the time. Hammer Smashed Face doesn't sound too good acoustic.

[GaryE30]

I'm looking foward to this!!! :D

[cgregory]

I just started in February...no lessons yet. I just used tabs for the first couple of months, then learned all of the basic chords. I used my Dad's Guild for a while, then decided to get my own. I bought a Fender DG-5 for $189 shipped from zzsounds.com. It looks great and sounds pretty good too, just a bit tinny. It also comes with a hard case, which is nice.

And some advice: you're probably really going to blow for a while, then all of a sudden you get a lot better. IDK why, but with me the first 2-3 months I didn't really learn a lot or make much progress, then all of a sudden it seems like it just came to me. I've talked with some other guys who've played for a while and they said the same thing happened with them.

[GaryE30]

Haha, It may be worth more than the e30...

[KenC]

Any specific fuitars you guys recommend for a beginner and college budget.

Edit: I may get one as a present from the parents, if that changes anything.

https://www.rettlerguitars.com

a friend of mine's dad makes them

(not college budget... more like sell your e30 budget lol)

[MattM20]

check the scratch and dent section on musiciansfriend.com. the stuff on there is usually in excellent, almost perfect condition and also heavily discounted. if it were me, i wouldnt spend more than 150 on an acoustic guitar if I was just learning or unsure if I would stick with it. i started with a $89 acoustic 9 years ago and it is still my only acoustic (mainly because i play with my electric 98% of the time).

[GaryE30]

Any specific fuitars you guys recommend for a beginner and college budget.

Edit: I may get one as a present from the parents, if that changes anything.

[Charlie]

chicks fucking dig it, even if you suck.

Amen.

-Charlie

[jex]

I've played guitar for about 10 years. I am self taught, but I am kicking myself in the butt for not learning more theory. I'm working on it now, but I wish I would have done it when I first picked up a guitar. I also started plaing drums about 3 years ago...OMG I love it even more than guitar.
Anyways, go for it. It isnt too hard to teach yourself. Just practice pratice practice!

[RCWells]

Word Rob. I have been playing for about 15-16yrs. Picked up electric first, it was a suck Yamaha, and dumped it for a cheap but solid Blueridge acoustic. That's when I fell in love. Had a buddy teach me a few chords, and I was on my own from there. Later in college, I took a couple classical courses to broaden my skills, but didn't take it very seriously. It did help my fingerpicking skills though. I have a Taylor 610CE from the Taylor Custom Shop, and had a Taylor K20 Koa that was gorgeous but I sold it a couple years ago to appease the wife (she didn't understand why I had 5 guitars and didn't play them all every day!). Both my daughters have been learning to play so I bought my oldest a Big Baby Taylor and my youngest a Baby Taylor. Neither one of the girls has taken it seriously at this point, but I don't press 'em because I don't want to turn them off to it.

As to lessons, take a few and see what happens. You may want more, and then again, you may take the basics and run with it. Either way, it's an awesome thing playing guitar.

[Rob]

yeah I wanted to be a rockstar, but have little talent. I got bored with acoustic (not cool enough during the grunge era), and got an electric, made noise with that for a while, then quit. I recently ebay'd the electric and made a killing, and started picking up the acoustic again and just messing around. Its a good thing to have around, and I tell you, chicks fucking dig it, even if you suck.

Sorry, just reminded me of a classic I couldn't resist posting...

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail36.html

Hilarious, the BMW lighter :P