Help Improve Guitar Skills: Tips from Experienced Players

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around improving guitar skills, with participants sharing tips, experiences, and resources for self-teaching. The scope includes practical advice on song selection, technical exercises, and theoretical understanding, as well as personal anecdotes about learning methods.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests practicing Bach's Toccata repeatedly as a good exercise, while another recommends mixing it up with songs like Thunderstruck by AC/DC.
  • Several participants mention the difficulty of playing higher frets and express preferences for nylon strings over metal strings.
  • Resources for learning include websites and software like Guitar Pro, which some find helpful for practicing songs.
  • There are differing opinions on the effectiveness of tablature versus standard notation, with some preferring staves and others favoring tabs.
  • One participant advises learning pentatonic scales and open chords before moving on to barre chords and power chords.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of enjoying the learning process rather than focusing solely on playing songs.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of opinions on effective learning methods, song choices, and the use of different types of musical notation. There is no consensus on the best approach to learning guitar, indicating multiple competing views remain.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the challenges of playing certain songs due to technical difficulties, such as higher fret numbers and the transition from nylon to metal strings. Additionally, there are unresolved preferences regarding learning resources and methods.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in self-teaching guitar, those seeking tips on improving their skills, and learners looking for resources on music theory may find this discussion beneficial.

KLscilevothma
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I've been teaching myself guitar for about 2 months and I get addicted to it already. :wink: Now I can play simple songs, like the first half of Romance de a'mour. I can memorize the fingerings of several chords, but I find practising how to play chords is pretty boring. So I prefer practising songs.

I know some of you guys know how to play the guitar well. So do you have any suggestions for me on how to improve my skills? Also I downloaded a software called Guitar Pro and it's really a great software. :approve:
 
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Play Bach's Toccata about a hundred times, until you've well and truly got it nailed. Very good exercise. Then try Thunderstruck by AC/DC. Mix it up a little, try different things.
 
Sweet Child O'mine, Fantastic.
 
How'd you teach yourself? I'm kinda wanting to do the same.
 
I downloaded Bach's Tocata and Sweet Child O'mine. Both of them contain notes with fret numbers larger than 13, which I think is difficult to play. Perhaps it's because the design of the guitar isn't very good?

I started teaching myself guitar by reading books and browsing websites. This is a good one and it teaches you how to tune your guitar and read guitar tablature . After knowing how to read guitar tab, you'll probably know how to play songs or chords. http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/f/p/fpm108/glw/lessons/index.htm

Then I installed a software called Guitar Pro, which I think is very useful. I then downloaded lots of songs written by Guitar Pro and started practising simple songs. Then go on to play more complicated ones.

I borrowed a guitar from my friend and the strings are made of metal, My fingers really hurt when I played crazily in the first few days. It's easier to play using nylon strings but I think the sound produced by metal strings is better.
 
Thanks for the help! Much appreciated.
 
The site with which I taught myself to play a little:

http://www.cyberfret.com/first-fret/index.php

(beware for pop-ups though, otherwise an excellent site!)

I just fiddle around these days ... maybe get some real lessons when I have more time
 
If anyone needs help with the theory side of music or brass/woodwind advice. I am your man. Been doing it for 8 years and I can only not play the flute. Love it. I am also a pianist but a bit naff at it. I compose so anything to do with music then I can help. :biggrin:

Open a new thread for it though and add 'The Bob' at the beginning so I know. :biggrin:

Or just ignore me. :smile:

The Bob (2004 ©)
 
The Bob said:
Open a new thread for it though and add 'The Bob' at the beginning so I know. :biggrin:

Or just ignore me. :smile:

The Bob (2004 ©)
Your later suggestion sounds better. :devil:

If anyone needs help with the theory side of music or brass/woodwind advice. I am your man. Been doing it for 8 years and I can only not play the flute. Love it. I am also a pianist but a bit naff at it. I compose so anything to do with music then I can help. :biggrin:
I'd like to learn some theory as well. Any suggestion?
I can play the piano as well. I can play all the songs in Grade 1 piano books. :smile:
 
  • #10
KLscilevothma said:
Your later suggestion sounds better. :devil:

He He. Well I can only offer. I suppose I just wanted to be wanted. :shy: I mean what more would a 16 year of person want? :biggrin:

KLscilevothma said:
I'd like to learn some theory as well. Any suggestion?
I can play the piano as well. I can play all the songs in Grade 1 piano books. :smile:

Theory can be learned from the Royal Assoicated Board Books. Start with grade one and work up. Basic theory you can ask me about, though, and then apply it to the books. I don't know what you want to know though. There is so much.

Do you understand about music staves and different clefs? That is a start.

The Bob (2004 ©)
 
  • #11
Do you have an acoutic guitar or electric?
 
  • #12
Andy said:
Do you have an acoutic guitar or electric?

Yer good point. Which is it?

The Bob (2004 ©)
 
  • #13
The Bob said:
Yer good point. Which is it?

The Bob (2004 ©)

Since he said he finds playing higher frets more difficult and that he finds playing nylon strings easier, I'd hazard a guess that it's the bane of all learners, the classical guitar :rolleyes:
 
  • #14
jono said:
Since he said he finds playing higher frets more difficult and that he finds playing nylon strings easier, I'd hazard a guess that it's the bane of all learners, the classical guitar :rolleyes:

Oh Right :blush: well erm... We shut up.

The Bob (2004 ©)
 
  • #15
Ok, you should start to learn the pentatonic scales. Start with the minor, then the major. You then should learn the blues scale (the same as the pentatonic minor, except for two blues notes) You can find these easy enough on the internet. This should put you well on your way to doing solos. Every now and then, due the chords up on the fret board.

Then learn your open chords, no barred chords. Yet. E, A, D, G are good ones to start off on. I would also advise learning Am, Dm, Bm, for they are usually found in most non distorted songs. Once you got those down, learn you barre chords. Just put your pointer finger over all the strings on a given fret, and use the rest of your fingers to put in the position you would put you fingers for an E or a Am chord.

Last, and least, learn your power chords. You probably already know these. i.e.- (in standard tuning) put your pointer finger on the low E string 1st fret, and put your ring finger across both A and the D string 3rd fret. Use this finger positioning to play almost all distorted songs in standard tuning.

As for sweet child omine, I would put that in your piggy bank until you are a skilled player. If you do decide to play it, pick either Slash or A. Rose's guitar part. I have been playing for quite a while and I can only get through the first 45 sec. of the solo. Also, the beginning (basically) requires you to be able to barre on the 12th fret I believe.

Good luck. Look on the internet, that's how I taught myself. TABs are your friend.

Paden Roder
 
  • #16
PRodQuanta said:
Good luck. Look on the internet, that's how I taught myself. TABs are your friend.

Paden Roder

Hate TABS So evil. Pefer staves. Give me treble or bass clef anyday (and maybe tenor clef).

The Bob (2004 ©)
 
  • #17
As far as playing songs is concerned, that's the part you tend to enjoy the most, because it seems to be the most rewarding. But with any instrument, especially the guitar, try to enjoy learning how to play it rather than the end result of playing songs. Just use the songs as reward for your hard work. As I'm sure bob will tell you, like with Sweet Child O' Mine, (fairly difficult) once you learn how to play it, you will want to learn to play it better and better, or move on to something more difficult. But most of all just have a kickass time playing it and don't worry so much about what you're playing!
 
  • #18
thenorseman22 said:
As far as playing songs is concerned, that's the part you tend to enjoy the most, because it seems to be the most rewarding. But with any instrument, especially the guitar, try to enjoy learning how to play it rather than the end result of playing songs. Just use the songs as reward for your hard work. As I'm sure bob will tell you, like with Sweet Child O' Mine, (fairly difficult) once you learn how to play it, you will want to learn to play it better and better, or move on to something more difficult. But most of all just have a kickass time playing it and don't worry so much about what you're playing!

Yer I agree. Playing the cornet is not easy. (Side Note: Cornet is a more melodious version of the trumpet). You listen to people playing and you think 'it can't be that hard'. But it is. They just make it sound easy. It does make you want to work harder, or less (as I have found in teach some people).

Just don't get up off. Play to improve, not to play one piece and have done with it.

Still here for theory help :biggrin:

The Bob (2004 ©)
 
  • #19
I'm buying a bass guitar soon, just waiting for the money to come in. Easy to learn, difficult to master
 
  • #20
Yer. Fairly easy to learn. Tried to play Norwegian Wood but the harder version with harmonies. The stretches were not hard to get for my hands but the piece sounded tacky and not good. Can't contiune mind, it wasn't my guitar. Just tried it for half an hour. Can't even remember the music.

The Bob (2004 ©)
 

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