Graceland

For years I have owned a strat replica - nothing fancy, just something that sits in the corner really in its little bag

Now all this time I have owned the instrument, I have occasionally picked it up and attempted to try to get to know it a bit and get some decent notes out of it - without any success really

So what am I asking? well, lessons - not something I have looked into, but I feel I would majorly benefit from using a few. I'm never going to my any sort of Hank Marvin or Jimmy Hendrix, but I would love to be able to pick up the guitar and have some nice sounds emerge down the wire

The only thing that I feel is majorly putting me off is my left hand co-ordination. Years of abuse with hammers, spanners, welding and general garage type things have made my fingers not do as I ask them to the best of their abilities - I'm guessing this would be a bit of an issue for the fingering of the frets

Anyone got any ideas on the best way to go bar leaving the guitar in the bag?

skeg

Do you understand guitar tab at all? It's really easy and tells you where to play the notes of a certain song, you should probably buy a guitar magazine like Total guitar from the shop as it has songs in their each month and tells you how to play and understand it. The basic single notes picking is easy with only some of the harder techniques trickier to play.




Above ^ you can see the fretboard and the numbers just tell you where to pick the notes one after the other in the above case, so top string first 5th fret (a note) then same string pick the 8th fret after it (c note), then just down to the next string etc and count the frets to work it out.

If you download powertab software for your PC you can then download the songs file for any song you like and try learn it, pick and easy one that you know at first and try break it down into small chunks so its far easier to remember. http://www.power-tab.net/guitar.php , as I say have a quick glance/listen to it all first on the software then start with a very small piece at the start.

After you get cracking with that get yourself a guitar book like The complete guitarist or a good rated one from Amazon.co.uk and try play some basic chords just to get you used to the shapes of placing fingers, like say E, A or G etc. The site below shows you shome pictures of some basic chords and also Cyberfret is quite good resource for everything as you begind and get better. http://www.guitarchordsmagic.com/bas...ar-chords.html

http://www.cyberfret.com/chords/beginning-7/index.php

Also I recommended playing a basic Chromatic scale every day for a quick warm up for ten minutes os so before you learn something or practice chords, this will warm up your hands and also combat some of those spanner like hands you talk of. Something like the one below but that changes up on each strings so you can start more boring with say 1,2, 3, 4 all the way down to the high string and then back up to the top if you want. Play that all down the fretboard and if you can download a free metronone to practice to like Weird metronome. That will keep your picking in time and help you see how faster you get over time. Use alternate picking for the notes below or 1,2,3,4, down, up, down, up etc not down, down, down.



This is an online metronome you can use for free, http://www.metronomeonline.com/

Also some basic none 'playing' tips are, leave your guitar out of its bag all the time in an easy accessable corner so you can just pick it up quickly for a quick 20 minutes. That way its not a chore to get out and encourages you to play more. Also try practicing in smaller blocks when you get going rather than hours at a time. Playing hours at a time can be great but it sometimes pisses you off and keeps you from playing the next day. Such a cliche but practice makes perfect and your hands will get quicker and smoother with time. You'll actually notice your hands warm up and feel better just after a while of doing the chromatics or other scales to a metronome or just in free play.

Start with that see how you get on, sorry if its a bit choppy to read but mine's on my lap now, lol.

skeg

Forgot to say you can get guitar tabs for songs on the site below, just search for a song name you know. Not all are fully accurate but plenty are there or there abouts. Once you download powertab you can then download the file from there and listen to how it should be played as you do but they ALSO have tabs written in just text like above if you can't be bother for all that.
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/

Pardeep

Hello matey. I maybe able to help you out real soon. I am currently getting into the world of Session Guitarists and also am working with Nick Tauber (Thin Lizzy's Producer) on his upcoming Pop Rock Project. As for session work, i thought it'd be a good idea to start my own website. My website (www.pardeepbhachu.com) will be coming up in the next month and will be linked to a new youtube channel which will have lessons for Beginners (Understanding the fret board and simple music theory and Chords) to really Advanced lesson (Music Theory including Octaves, Roots, Circle of Fifths, Triads, Sequencing and etc).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3skgomhZzWE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4w6TSsdFR4

^ 2 vids of just fucking around on guitar. 1 from a show from 2007 and the other was testing out some of the Mesa Boogie Rectifiers Amps.

Until then, look up a load of tabs like 'Skeg' has advised. Don't worry about your left hand as with practice you'll be able to play notes and chords without looking at your left hand. Hendrix is not as complicated as it sounds. Simple Pentatonic scale which is pretty much in shape of a square.

Will keep you updated

warleydaddy

Ive never had a lesson in my LIFE!!!!!! And have been playing for over almost 19years now!!!! All i ever had,was 1 book with how to play chords,and then the rest was history.. Bare in mind,the internet wasnt about when i was a kid,so i just used to listen along to song,and just get an idea how to play them... Strats a good 1st guitar to start with.. Just stick with it,and dont give up.. Can be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO rewarding in the end

Pete...

Graceland

Cheers boys

I have a basic understanding of music, rythem, timing and keeping a steady beat (used to play a bit on the drums when at school) so not a complete retard in that respect

The thing I am after is technique - how to handle the frets with my left hand and tame my spanner fingers so they do as they are told

The tip of leaving the guitar in an easy corner is a good one - I'll start doing that

Pardeep

Technique comes with practice mate. If you think the left hand is tough. Just wait till you discover the picking techniques for your right hand. Where most people do hammer ons and pull offs i tend to pick every single note as i thing it sounds alot better.

You will get it, just got to make yourself do it

xr_craig

iTrader: (2)

If i can do it so can you, my fingers are fucking useless

Ginge !

keeping the guitar accessable is the best tip EVER,,,, i used to always fuck about with my guitar when i lived at home or even when i just poped over to see them,,, also when drunk too i used to have a play about

now its been put in the garage at the back and been there for 6 years and i dont even think about it these days,,,,,, i keep meaning to bring it home but the missus dont want a guitar cluttering up the place,,,,, trying to explain what a gibson les paul is just falls on deaf ears,,,,,,, though i think is the marshall halfstack shes scared will come with it

Daveyboy

the strength in your left hand will come with practice - its just strengthening muscles - same as any other muscle in your body, and your fingers dont normally get a great work out with everyday stuff, so it will take time, but it will come.

All the above is good advice but seems to centre around chords. Personally i would recommend having a few lessons and learning to read music, not just strum chords - this will make a lot more music accessible, rather than just strumming along to an Oasis track, you could also play classical music, flammenco.......

Elvis

iTrader: (1)

Most of my guitar playing is self taught.

If you cant play by ear, learn some songs by strumming them,
Try some early Elvis songs or Johnny Cash songs, they are really easy to break down and to play..
Something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0NAt...eature=related


You can find lessons on youtube etc.

in nime you will be doing this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQz-d...eature=related