33 replies to this topic

[Ancient Ways]

YYZumbi, on 28 March 2017 - 01:45 AM, said:

J2112YYZ, on 27 March 2017 - 09:51 PM, said:

If you're looking to play stuff at the same level as Rush or a band like that, there is no fast way.

Have you played any instruments before? Already having some experience would help. If not, there is no guarantee that you will take to playing and learn how to do it. You may pick up the guitar and see you have no feel for it.

Just because you're a big music fan doesn't mean you have the music in you. So don't get your hopes up too high in case playing isn't your thing.

I have never played any instrument.

And yeah, Im starting to think its not my thing...

That makes me sad

Have you even tried?  I agree with some of what has been said above and disagree with some of it as well.  If money is an issue lessons are probably out.  Forget about learning rush songs for now.  The number one thing you need to do is learn how to tune the instruments properly.  Then you need to learn what your capable of learning not what you are most interested in.

[vaportrailer]

Learn bar (or Barre) chords. Easy.
Learn a pentatonic minor scale (5 notes). Easy.
Move this sh!t around.
You can now play many, many things.

It's also important to train your ear, not just your fingers. Once you have the basics, try to play along with some old blues. Blues is the foundation of basic rock music. Go there and learn.
And get yourself a teacher as a reward for getting a job.

Oh yeah: be patient. It's worth it.

[Hatchetaxe&saw]

All very valid answers, but we all know there is only one way to learn the fast way.....

....who needs a silly old soul anyway?

[Narps]

The same way you get to Carnegie Hall...

[J2112YYZ]

YYZumbi, on 28 March 2017 - 01:45 AM, said:

J2112YYZ, on 27 March 2017 - 09:51 PM, said:

If you're looking to play stuff at the same level as Rush or a band like that, there is no fast way.

Have you played any instruments before? Already having some experience would help. If not, there is no guarantee that you will take to playing and learn how to do it. You may pick up the guitar and see you have no feel for it.

Just because you're a big music fan doesn't mean you have the music in you. So don't get your hopes up too high in case playing isn't your thing.

I have never played any instrument.

And yeah, Im starting to think its not my thing...

That makes me sad

Well, you won't know if it's your thing unless you try. You said you don't have a job right now, so just dedicate all the free time to trying to learn to play the best you can. This will not be a fast process though. I'm sure looking up training videos will help to some extent. But you should take lessons in person with a teacher. That way you will have an idea of what you're playing is right or makes any sense. Youtube videos aren't gonna give you that instant feedback if you get or don't get right what they're asking you to play. Taking lessons will at least have a person there to help you.

[apetersvt]

Don't start off trying to play Rush tunes either (would be like your first time snow skiing and trying the black diamond hill).  That's what I did when I started and I got discouraged very fast.  Learn some easy tunes to build up confidence.

[greyfriar]

Learn the Am-chord and the G-chord and try to switch fluent. Within a few days you should be able to play a (poor) version of Lady In Black by Uriah Heep.

Edited by greyfriar, 28 March 2017 - 05:15 PM.

[TFEman]

There's trade-offs with both going to a teacher or doing it yourself. I started when I was around 7. Since then most of my time is spent playing guitar. I went at my own pace and learned everything my own way, and doing it yourself definitely helps you create your own stle of playing that's unique to you. The downside is I don't know a lot of "fancy" chords, basically those really complex ones that take all of your fingers and they're just weird.

With a teacher, you may learn those chords, but you'll be learning their style. You're essentially copying the teacher. You'll learn more and probably faster with a teacher, but you won't get that style thing I keep talking about. Then again, for some people, that doesn't matter one bit. It really depends on what you want.

[Stugotz]

I took bass lessons from the age 9 till 11, from there I locked myself in my room wearing the grooves off RUSH albums for another 5 years. Time takes time.

Edited by Stugotz, 28 March 2017 - 07:48 PM.

[greyfriar]

Fook them teachers! None of my guitar heroes ever had one. Autodidactic rules! I'm the living proof.

Zumbi, give yourself a few weeks time, learn to think that it's only PLAYING, invented just to have some fun. Create your own style, find your own comfortable technique and make sure that you get a feedback from your friends and neighbours.

[Mr. JD]

Zumbi, even you can become a guitar god in just a few easy steps;

Step 1. Procure guitar (check)
Step 2. Take some lessons of some sort. Either on line or in person. Whatever works for you.
Step 3. Practice for hours on end from now until the end of time because you will never feel you're good enough.
Step 4. Procure another guitar.
Step 5. Procure an(other) amp
Step 6. Procure some effects.
Step 7. Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 over and over until the end of time because you feel what you currently have is not good enough to get the tones you want. Of course, you won't sell anything because you may need it to get the tones you'll want in the future.
Step 8. Repeat step 3...again.
Step 9. Repeat step 7...again.
Step 10. Repeat step 3...again
Step 11. Repeat step 7...again
Step 12. Repeat step 3...again
Step 13. Repeat step 7...again
Step 14. Repeat step 3...well...you get the idea.

And for you Zumbi, since you only listen to records, you will have to learn how to cue and re-cue the same spots on the LP you're learning a song from. I remember having to do that when I first started too. I thought it was so cool when CDs' came out and made that process SOOOO much easier!

Now that MS has taken control of my body, I can't play anymore. I really miss it. Playing guitar can be a great friend and your worst enemy, all in the same day. Hell...all in the the same hour. Hell...all in the same 5 minute song!

Good luck friend.

Edited by Mr. JD, 29 March 2017 - 12:21 AM.

[condemned2bfree]

vaportrailer, on 28 March 2017 - 08:20 AM, said:

Learn bar (or Barre) chords. Easy.
Learn a pentatonic minor scale (5 notes). Easy.
Move this sh!t around.
You can now play many, many things.

It's also important to train your ear, not just your fingers. Once you have the basics, try to play along with some old blues. Blues is the foundation of basic rock music. Go there and learn.
And get yourself a teacher as a reward for getting a job.

Oh yeah: be patient. It's worth it.

This is a good starting point, barre chords power chords basic chords.. If it still tickles your fancy, move on to learn from a teacher, maybe.

I have never had a formal teacher, still learning. I'm currently ooking at Procal harums chords. Really interesting as its classical played on the piano, over to guitar - not a standard rock structure.

The quest is never ending, it won't be something you own, if you know what I mean.Enjoy it for what it is.

Edited by condemned2bfree, 29 March 2017 - 02:18 AM.

[JARG]

YYZumbi, on 27 March 2017 - 08:19 PM, said:

I am getting more and more jealous on all the great guitar players out there. It seems to be such a nice feeling to play guitar. So now Im wondering how do I learn to play real music on guitar the fastest/easiest way with no teacher?

Practice every available minute. There's no magic formula and no shortcuts. If you want to learn to play, you have to put in the work. Expect a fair amount of discomfort until you build up calluses. Don't let the pain of that process beat you.

Pick an easy song -- I'm talking "Puff The Magic Dragon" sort of easy -- and work at it until you can literally play it with your eyes closed.

[404-ed!!!]

I remember casually playing for a year or so, and trying to learn just some parts of 2112.  I just couldn't move fast enough or wrap my head around how things should be fingered to move from one riff to another.  I revisited 10 years later and could play about half the song.  Like everyone says, it is slow and painful to reach a position of actually being good.  The youtube videos are helpful and can give you some lessons/tips.  I'd print a few easy tabs of songs you like (nirvana/greenday) even if you only learn pieces of songs it builds confidence.  Same with some songs that are just 2 or 3 basic chords (C, Am, G, D).  I remember laying in bed about 10 minutes each time I played, so I couldn't see the fretboard, and just trying to build muscle memory to change chords better and learn new ones.