Guitar playing

[gracepro]

My wife bought me a guitar about 3 years ago because even though I don't have a musical bone in my body, I thought it would be cool to learn how to play. Unfortunately I have never taken any lessons because of the price. Now it sits in the case not getting any use. Anyone around here a picker, and how much are lessons?

[jazzman]

You don't really need lessons from an instructor. There are a lot of good instruction books that can get you started. There are even some interactive books with a DVD where you just play along. Learn about six chords and you can play 80% of all the pop music ever written. You should buy an electronic tuner it will save you a lot of headaches keeping it in tune. After you have learned some basics an instructer can help you get better.

[gracepro]

The guitar I have is a Takamine acoustic, which is basic but not a bad guitar. Does an electric tuner work on an acoustic guitar? I know that sounds stupid but I had to ask.

[jazzman]

An electronic tuner is a little device with a microphone and some sort of display usually digital but sometimes a meter . You set the switches to the string you want tune and tighten or loosen the string and watch the display as you pluck the given string till it says the string is in tune. Then you move on to the next string till all are done. It works with either an electric or an acoustic guitar. Different models have different features the more you pay the more it will have but a basic unit can cost as little as $15 to $20.[/size]

[gitpikker58]

An instructor will help you learn reading tab, chord charts, finger placing, tuning etc, so it is good to get that part from an instructor. The main reason is that even though you can get millions of instructions from the net it just doesn't equal a one on one guide seeing and learning what is right or not quite so right in the way to do things. If you have questions just hollar, been playing for 35years guitar and bass so not much I haven't learned.
Plus you can find quick ways to do things depending on the person teaching. There are techniques to make you smoother in transitioning between chords and different ways and places to do any chords also.
Learning the guitar means more than playing music. You have an excellent guitar even for a pro, so beginning with a good guitar helps a lot, there's nothing like trying to learn on garbage equipment and keeping up the desire to learn and play.
As for prices it ranges or 15per half hour on up depending on the instructor and the location and ability. It sounds like a lot but if you go once per week and keep practicing you'll get the majority of everything you need to get you started and playing music. You'll also develop an ear for what sounds good and what doesn't. Find an instructor that will teach you music YOU want to learn and how to get there. When I started the instructor had me playing stuff that didn't appeal to me at all but I knew I had to do it to get somewhere, now I write my own music and do my own compositions.
Hollar back at me if you want some help, I'd be glad to do it.

My soundclick link is messed up in my sig, didn't realize it until now, but here's the link to some of my music and one video: www.soundclick.com/bands/pageartist.cfm?bandID=261749 the guitar in the video is a $50 pawn shop special that I got for the electronics (built in tuner) and once I played it decided to keep it as is. So if I can get that kind of sound out of a cheap guitar then you will get much more out of a Takamine.

[jazzman]

Being self taught in guitar playing, as well as most things, I guess I'm biased in that direction. But I actually did have some instruction from my older brother, so some basic instruction at the start would probably be a good idea. Once you have got some basics mastered I would go out and buy a guitar tab book for the kind of music you would like to play. For example something like the Eagles greatest hits. Learn to play a great guitar song like "The Best of My Love" which has four chords and a couple of variations, you will be hooked.

[gracepro]

Jazz and Git, thanks for the advice. Looking at your posts, there are many different ways to learn to play. I hope to take the time to take some beginning lessons. Git, I like your acoustic arrangement of Amazing Grace.

[princessbaybay]

So jazzman....you play mostly by ear???

Hi Grace!!!!! Good to see you here.

[jazzman]

princessbaybay said:

So jazzman....you play mostly by ear???

Hi Grace!!!!! Good to see you here.

I can read music and tablature but I can also figure out a melody by ear then what chords go with it from basic rules of tonal harmony. I don't play guitar now because of an injury to my wrist that makes playing very painful. I am learning to play dobro style by holding the guitar flat using a steel slide. I am going to convert my guitar to a dobro using a kit soon and I am thinking of making a lap steel from an old electric guitar.

[princessbaybay]

very cool!