Beginner Guitar Tips?

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: Don Firth
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 07:18 PM

Ricarco Iznaola, director of the conservatory program and chair of the guitar and harp department at Denver University's Lamont School of Music, has written a number of books and manuals for classical guitar, but much of what he says about practice applies to just about any musical instrument. In his little book, On Practice, he suggests that rather than thinking in terms of daily practice, the time-unit of practice should be the week. Set a goal that you want to accomplish that week and decide what you need to work on to accomplish that goal. Then, at the end six days, evaluate your progress, determine if you have accomplished your goal or not, then decide what you need to do the following week. Do you need to work on the same things some more, or can you move on to some new?

He says, "The week should consist of six days only, with a seventh day of rest from practice (although you may play all you want that day!)." In short, all work and no play, and all that. Have some fun with the instrument. Goof around. You can never tell what you might learn in the process.

Very important! Keep your hands relaxed. Most guitarists mash the fingerboard much harder than they need to, and this inhibits the left hand, slowing it down. When fretting the strings, don't use more pressure than you need. Put a left hand finger on a string and press it down very lightly toward the fret (behind the fret, of course). Play the string with the right hand. At first, it shouldn't sound, other than a dull "fump!" Gradually increase the pressure on the string until the note rings clearly. You'll notice that you don't really have to drive the string into the fingerboard. Practicing this a bit will give you a good feel for just how light you can keep your left hand. That'll pay off later in speed and dexterity.

Lots of folks seem to hate scales, but they're what music is made of:   notes, played individually and played together. I think practicing scales is kinda fun. Besides, you'll need 'em for bass runs, picking out melody lines, and such. Arpeggios:   that's playing the notes of chord one at a time. Knowing a handful of arpeggio patterns can come in handy for song accompaniments. There are a few classic guitar technique books that have loads of arpreggio patterns in them, but they're not that hard to invent. Alternating bass finger-picking is actually a mixture of different arpeggio patterns.

Cautionary note:   Early on, I wanted to learn alternating bass finger-picking so badly I could taste it, and when I finally ran into someone who showed me some basic patterns, I practiced them so constantly and intensely that after a week or ten days, I started getting cramps in my right hand and my thumb developed an involuntary twitch. I had to lay off the guitar entirely for several days. Don't overpractice!

Good luck. Have fun!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: Tweed
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 06:43 PM

Sleep with it laying by your head at night. I dress mine up in Frederick's of Hollywood costumes on weekends.

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 05:55 PM

So ,first catch your guitar then kill it, and then skin and gut it it......sorry wrong thread!

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 04:40 PM

Don't put it away in it's case. Leave it out where you can get to it and pick it up at odd spare moments.

I totally agree

Practice for a minimum of an hour each day. Three is better.....



Learn and practice your scales daily.........


In my opinion, if you follow these two pieces of advice, it's likely that your guitar will be back in its case within three weeks.

Learn something simple but interesting (even Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is more interesting than scales ) and play it whenever you can – while watching the TV, waiting for dinner to arrive on the table, that last minute before you leave for work. You'll find that you probably average more than an hour a day, just not in one solid, boring, block.

See if you can find someone else to play with. It will drag you past those stumbling blocks that tend to make you give up when things get too difficult. It doen't have to be somoene better than you – think of it as a mutual self-help group.

Above all, make your guitar playing fun otherwise it's not really worth doing.


DC

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: Greg B
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 03:45 PM

Look up Woodie Guthrie's 'Talkin Guitar' blues.

You're at a point in your career where you can
truly appreciate it!

(Matter of fact the basic talking blues riff
that Woody and Cisco used ain't a bad beginner's
exercise in putting some interest in your playing
rather than just whanging away.)

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: Fortunato
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 11:50 AM

Learn and practice your scales daily. Don't look at your left hand (if playing right handed).

You can't look at and think about chord changes they must be second nature.

To learn the alternating bass mentioned above:

Sit and without looking, start by striking with your thumb pick first the 5th string and then the 6th string while playing the C chord. Do this until you can talk to someone or sing a song without looking or missing a beat.

then add a pinch, 2nd string and 5th string, to replace your 5th string strike. When you can do this will talking or singing without missing a beat, PM me and I'll give you the next step.

Chance

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: GUEST,Ian Pittaway
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 05:24 AM

Listen to huge amounts of music, not just guitar music. As you get more proficient, try to sound like bagpipes, accordion, etc. It depends what you want to do. If American style, get that thumb working on the alternating bass or just the downward flick of thumb-on-bass then finger flick. If English, avoid chords: work on just playing the tune or counter melodies with passing notes to harmonise the voice. Try to learn by ear. If you can't do that, learn tablature.

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: Bert
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 04:24 AM

Good point Peace, and remember, most professionals work at least 8 hours a day at their jobs.

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: Peace
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 03:41 AM

Practice for a minimum of an hour each day. Three is better.

Do NOT skip any days. That means you practice 365 days a year.

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: Bert
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 03:16 AM

Don't put it away in it's case. Leave it out where you can get to it and pick it up at odd spare moments.

Subject: RE: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 12:39 AM

When you get the chord changes to happen smoothly, start working on some bass runs with your left hand. Also you can start experimenting with finger picking or flat picking with you right hand and figure out what your preference is.

Subject: Beginner Guitar Tips?
From: Johnhenry'shammer
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 12:06 AM

So I bought my guitar a little over a week ago and I was wondering if all of you fine people could give me some tips on what to do now? I've learned a few songs here and there (Dylan's Man of Constant Sorrow, The Long Black Veil, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, and a few more I think) and I know some chords so what next?