Hints and tips for guitar beginner

[Magz]

Ditto on the acoustic bass, there's a rather nice Ibanez one I have my eye on.

The bassline on the song I'm playing follows the vocal melody quite closely, but I still find it difficult! I think it's like the left and right sides of your brain fighting eachother which makes it so difficult.

Then again, Geddy Lee plays better while singing than most people do when they aren't singing so I have hope yet!.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

I'm doing lots of barre chord practice and am learning 'Paint it Black', using the barre version of the B7 chord (so I can put the above practice into a song). Thing is, the skin on my first finger is now peeling a lot - is that likely to stop happening once the finger gets used to playing barres?

 

[Magz]

I'm doing lots of barre chord practice and am learning 'Paint it Black', using the barre version of the B7 chord (so I can put the above practice into a song). Thing is, the skin on my first finger is now peeling a lot - is that likely to stop happening once the finger gets used to playing barres?

Yeah your skin will harden into a callus, although the skin on my fingers is very thick and still peels quite a bit. My thumb on my right hand is like twice the size of my left one coz of the calloused tissue.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Yeah your skin will harden into a callus, although the skin on my fingers is very thick and still peels quite a bit. My thumb on my right hand is like twice the size of my left one coz of the calloused tissue.

Why have you got callouses on your right thumb??

 

[pcfan123]

finger picking and not using a pick

btw any south paws here? Im a left handed guitarist myself and its quite annoying not being able to try out my friends guitars properly

 

[Simbazz]

finger picking and not using a pick

btw any south paws here? Im a left handed guitarist myself and its quite annoying not being able to try out my friends guitars properly

Me, ME!

Not being able to try out other friends guitars is annoying, most frustrating is the fact that left-handed guitars are more expensive. Makes me cry.

I love bass, but I only have one, were-as I have 5 guitars, 3 electric and two acoustic (1 of the electric and 1 of the acoustic are 3/4 size), but basses are far too expensive, they're like ?500 for a decent Fender (and even then, Fender isn't my first choice but they make a hell of a good jazz bass).

 

[pcfan123]

Yea I used to do the Jimi Hendrix deal (upside down righty) when I could not afford a proper lefty guitar.

Ibanez seems to be the most left-hand friendly company. They make leftys for just about most their models, its always 2-300 more though and has to be ordered factory direct :

 

[Manly]

I tried to play my acoustic for the first time in a long time.


My tip for the day, don't try and play guitar with a broken finger; you will do more damage than good.

 

[Magz]

Why have you got callouses on your right thumb??

From playing slap bass and fingerpicking the guitar I have calluses on all my fingers except my left thumb and right pinky lol.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

I've ditched the B7th barre chord for Paint it Black - playing with other fingering makes the change to Em much easier.

 

[Simbazz]

From playing slap bass and fingerpicking the guitar I have calluses on all my fingers except my left thumb and right pinky lol.

Slappa da bass

I don't like playing slap bass, the music I play doesn't really lend itself massively to it (I can do it, but not as well as with a plec).

I've got calluses on all my fingers, but the callus on my right thumb is more in the middle of it, rather than on the tip, from barring the bottom two strings (Obviously E & A in standard tuning) quite a few of the songs I play can be made easier at times by doing it.

 

[Chewie]

I've had a guitar for just over a year now, but haven't really got around to playing it a lot. Now that's it's holidays, I've decided to play it more, and I was looking for some tips to begin with I can read tabs, but apart from that assume I'm a complete beginner

I've got a Fender Squier Strat Nice beginners guitar.

 

[Dutch]

I've had a guitar for just over a year now, but haven't really got around to playing it a lot. Now that's it's holidays, I've decided to play it more, and I was looking for some tips to begin with I can read tabs, but apart from that assume I'm a complete beginner

I've got a Fender Squier Strat Nice beginners guitar.

There is quite a lot in the first few pages of this thread on ideas and tips. Have a read through. if you come across something that needs clarifying or more detailed questions, I am happy to help. I am after all amongst other things a guitar teacher and semi-professional player.

 

[Chewie]

I started reading but then I got kinda bored...I'll re-read it soon

 

[MasterBlaster76]

I've pretty much conquered the F Chord now - still a bit hit and miss during songs, but when played in isolation, it's fine and getting better all the time during songs as well. Took a few months - around three - is that a lot to nail the F Chord?