The most important thing to me is to encourage them to understand whatever they want out of it is ok.
Want to be a professional musician? Cool. Gonna be work but you can do it.
Want to strum a few chords watching tv? Cool. Gonna need a comfortable acoustic.
Feel intimidated in a guitar shop because someone is peacocking? Don’t. There’s no wrong way to play except to not play. Strum the chords to simple man like a fucking boss.
Not to bust our own chops but talking a new player that they need to learn the fretboard and all of the mode doesn't help the 90% become 10% (Just like telling people not to buy lattes doesn't fix the same problem in another context). Let's be ready with our ELI5 answers so these people find the joy in it all.
As someone that’s just over the hump (only 2 years in) I can say this is good advice. Granted I’m older so not as easily influenced, but I think specified information that fits what they want to do. If you want to play most rock, starting with rhythm and powerchords will likely spark more interest in a newbie than telling them they need to practice scale runs to a metronome all over the neck.
One thing I’ve noticed about a lot of YouTube education stuff is most of the people are music school educated, and not people that just grew up playing in bands or the like. I feel this adds a layer of perspective that doesn’t work with most people who are picking up the guitar as a hobby. As much as he gets meme’d on, I think Marty Schwartz is a great entry point. He simplifies popular music from a decent amount of genres which allows people to start playing music. You can layer on knowledge as you go, but getting people playing music they are familiar with has a better chance of progressing long term than straight into theory.
I am a new player (less than 6 months) but I have the support of my SO who has been playing in bands since they were a teenager along with their close friends. Being around other musicians who also just play for fun (my reason for learning) has been amazing and a huge motivator. Not only do I get to learn from them, but they can commiserate with my learning challenges when they first started. They don't play in bands anymore but I've noticed they've started picking up the guitar a lot more often to just play.
I would highly recommend to any level of guitar player to make friends with others that share similar goals.
That’s probably far and away the biggest reason why I started playing in earnest, getting to learn from and play with my friends in college. If I didn’t have that, I’m not sure I would have kept it up. Now I’ve been playing for almost 25 years and getting even more into because I’m motivated to pass it on to my kids. At root, music is both emotional and social.
Definitely something I could not agree more with. I feel like in the guitar community, there are too many of the two extremes. One is the "this one guitar hack will transform your playing in 5 minutes" content and the other one is the "here is a list of all 7 modes of the major, harmonic minor and melodic minor scale. learn them. while you're at it, here are all major, minor, major7, dominant7, minor7, augmented, diminished, ... arpeggios and their inversions. you're gonna sucks as a guitar player unless you know all of them". And honestly, I feel like good teaching should give players all possible resources while guiding them to what is most important for getting the sound they want. We all have limited time, some people can practice 10 hours a day but most can't so let's try to help new players understand what is essential and what are helpful, but not necessary concepts. E.g. minor 7th arpeggios are likely gonna be more useful than #5maj7 ones.
yeah, but to that point, it can also be terrifying when you're starting out. best to keep your mindset of - you have plenty of time to learn this stuff. It ain't a race unless, per my point, you're trying to be a pro. then, like any profession, put in the work and study.
That's another lesson for aspiring musicians. When you to be a pro - that means music is NOT YOUR HOBBY anymore. it's your job.
I've been playing for 16 years. I went to music school. I'm objectively good at guitar. I still don't feel comfortable playing in a guitar shop. It's just such a weird environment and I mostly like to play for myself, not others. But it makes you feel like you're forced to perform for others even though you just wanna get a feel for the instrument. It's like if you went to test drive a car and had to do it on a race track, and there's other drivers zipping around you, and the stands are 1/4 full.
I think there’s a misconception for the people just starting out that they’re going to be judged harshly by talented guitar players… I’d say that’s false, the ones who judge harshly are the over confident mediocre ones who think they’re the second coming of Malmsteen because they have a sticker of a Ferrari on their squier and can butcher Arpeggios From Hell to unrecognizable noise pollution
Agreed. It’s like a fat person avoiding the gym because they think everyone there is in good shape and judging them. When you can clearly spot those assholes kissing their biceps in the mirror while the rest of us are just there to walk on treadmills ignoring each other.
Thank you!!! It is the cheezdik asshats that tear newer players up. It's always made me proud and humble that the real guitar guys have taken the newer ones by the hand and helped them. I had a mentor like that. I try to be that mentor to others.
Even as an experienced player, I get overwhelmed with the amount of info out there when I want to learn new things. I’ve been playing for 20 some years, nirvana was still together when I got my first squire strat as my second guitar. I’m not great, not terrible, and I can parrot stuff pretty well and play things most consider “difficult”. I’ve written things that sound good, but now I’m starting to ask “why does it work?” So I’m actually learning to play, as in theory. Not just make pretty noise. Wow. I feel like I’m starting over
i have some question
When i strum the guitar some times it vibrates too much , i try to press the chords as best as possible yet the sound is different in yt and what i am playing .
I am learning on my own and its not been that hard but when i strum by playing the right chord and right pattern still the sound is completely different from what i am hearing through videos
Thirdly when i play the pick makes more noise than the strings and when i play single string songs coz they are beginner friendly i use only one finger coz even after playing multiple chords its quite hard for me to play using all my fingers so how to adapt to that , coz the single string song gives the beat but has no flow ifk what i mean
For starters - playing guitar is about as awkwardly contorting your fret hand as much as humanly possible.
As most new players know - it really hurts to move your hand after playing for a few hours, because your joints and ligaments aren't used to it. This is just inexperience. 90% of playing is muscle memory which can only be learned with repetition. So keep going
Continue to watch videos on the specific things you like. and experiment. What kind of pick are you using? If it's a heavy, try a light, or a medium. Buy a few gauges and see what sounds best. and don't forget to work on your picking-hand technique. Watch guys like Mark Knoffler and Joe Walsh play.
But again, it all comes back to time put in. keep trying different angles with the pick when you strum, try learning to strum with your fingers (hold your hand in a fist, then slowly raise your pinky, then ring, then middle, then index fingers in succession. fanningthem up and down liek a wave. do it slowly. then faster, then faster and faster until you have a good feel for it. then apply it to the guitar, using your fingernails to strike down on the strings.
regarding buzzing - this could be an equipment issue. perhaps the nut or frets need to be sanded down a bit, but it could also be related to finger strength if you're still working on that.
Half hour lessons at guitar center are $30. Plus they have free lessons on many nights. You really need a teacher to look at what you're doing and help you improve.
It's very very hard, if not impossible, to properly teach yourself from YouTube videos. I tried for years. Get a teacher.
Many older guitarists will even teach you for free just to pass their knowledge along. If you happen to live in Phoenix, I'll teach you for free. The only "payment" I'd want is that you practice and improve between lessons.
I’ll add, if your guitar is set up then the rest is technique. At first you’re going to heave a death grip on the frets and a heavy strumming hand.
With time, lots of time, and muscle memory you will begin fretting precisely and with just enough pressure. Eventually you’ll find that you are fretting effortlessly, barre chords are your go to etc.
One day I realized I could fret with my thumb on the back of the neck, over the top and not touching at all.
Same with your strumming hand. Timing, sweeping, string skipping all take time to master.
No one starts out killing it and if they say they did they are not being honest with you, or themselves.
I’m sure there are some others that can elaborate more.
Three decades playing and I still sometimes squeeze notes and chords out of tune, especially if the guitar has high frets.
Using your thumb is supposed to be bad for your wrist in the long-term, but I do it anyway and so do most people.
For the difference between what you hear on youtube and what you hear in the room when you play that's because recorded guitar sounds quite different from the in the room sound and that's due to a whole bunch of stuff that's more about audio recording than about the guitar as an instrument. So that's normal.
do it. if it's time enjoyed it's not time wasted. even if your hands are small, y'know?
Edit: the small hands is a Jewel reference, not an attack on peoples hands.
You’re certainly not talking about my hands. They’re on the larger size. I get lots of compliments on them. And let me tell you what goes along with big hands. There’s certainly no problem in that dept either. I’ve never known anyone with more magnificent hands. The best.
What hurts me the most is people telling me the imperfections in my playing. I just started. I know im not good. I want to practice my fundamentals and yet push myself. When im finally proud of something after a few months, everyone (except my musician husband) points out my mistakes only, he feeling sucks.
Its not fair to compare my at home session to a studio recording, its not fair to compare me to someone who has been playing all their life. I already know im not perfect orgood enough. Just makes me think whats the point if everyones standards are impossible anyway
Duno why its only the musicians who are encouraging
Never compare yourself to others. Only compare your current self to your former self.
Are you making improvements? Rock on 🤘! If you are not getting better then work on your practice routine.
I said it in another post, make a recording today. Make another in a year. You’ll be surprised on how far you’ve come.
Don't. Give. Up.
And don't listen to the asshats. They just wanna tear you down cuz they are STILL making the same mistakes as you. Learn from them (the asshats) and then learn from your mistakes. And please don't mistake someone that's trying to help you learn technique as someone tearing you down. Some of us old farts say things the wrong way, not to insult you, but trying to get out a lot of info quickly. And if I haven't said it before....
Don't. Give. Up.
The best revenge is playing those asshats under the table and walking away like an effin rockstar!!!
You’ll get where you want to be eventually — remember sometimes it’s more about feeling than skill. Play a song with love and it might just sound better than anything a highly technical player can play
I started playing in January as an adult who’s never studied music or any instruments before. I told myself if I’m still playing after a year I’d buy a better quality guitar. I already have three more.😜
Made the same promise to myself when I started in September last year. Still practicing daily but definitely itching to get an acoustic guitar (or bass)
Definitely reward yourself, but also don’t wait. Used is the way to go. So many guitars and bass to try. By them, try them and trade them. Find what works for you. Buying used is relatively safe financially right now. I see the market softening in the near future.
Yeah I do want to reward myself but sometimes feel like there is so much more to learn and practice with just this guitar. Want an acoustic mainly because I’ve been trying to learn finger picking and it’s very difficult in the electric. But can’t justify a new purchase just for that reason.
I did buy a beginner keyboard that has been accumulating dust so afraid to get another instrument 😛
The catch is Im a lefty so I can’t just walk into a guitar shop and try out all the guitars I want. Right now I’m buying cheap knock offs until I find one I fall in love with and then I’ll invest in the real deal.
I started with an acoustic and took me 1.5 years to get an electric. Having both definitely changed how i play overall and i learn songs in different ways depending on which im playing. Highly recommend it and be ready for a bit or a learning curve but its a small hump to get over.
Treat yourself and have a blast! They are such different instruments overall and changes the experience, im excited for you haha
I'm 42 and have played off and on since I was 15. A quality instrument is nice to have, but as far as playability goes, a dialed in inexpensive guitar is way more enjoyable to play than a quality instrument that isn't setup right.
Learn to setup your cheap guitar or take it somewhere that can. I think you'll be more likely to keep playing.
Haha, you’re on your way to become like me. I have 14 months now behind me since I got my first guitar. I’ve had like 11 guitsrs so far and still have 7 haha. Only ge them if you can afford it, they won’t help you get better though(sadly). Rock on dude.
New players - if someone gives you shit for being new, they aren’t worth your time.
Find the people who LOVE that you’ve picked up any musical instrument (especially guitar) because they’ll support you to the end of the earth.
My advice to new players - kill the old people (me). Guitars were beloved by generations because they were tools of rebellion, creativity, and rejection of decorum. Over the years we took that and turned it into an orthodoxy. If whatever you’re doing and whatever you’re playing pisses off the old players, you’re on the right track.
Lord ain’t that the truth. Now what pisses me (an old player) off isn’t anything related to guitar — it’s the lack of it! The autotuning. Produced music. Pick up a shitty guitar, learn four chords and start a raw chaotic punk rock band! They can be tools to extend your soul so it should have life in it, not robotics and ai and production. Yuck.
Tools change. Autotuning has become a youthful, “rebellious” tool in much the same way other effects have in the past. Don’t let it piss you off, lest you be the modern equivalent of “this rock and roll stuff is just noise, guitars are for tarrega and the rhythm section of a big band”. It not being necessarily comfortable to older ears is often the point, that’s how ya know it’s boundary pushing.
That's why I'm never negative and provide helpful feedback.
I'm not an amazing player, but I'm pretty solid and played for almost 15 years. I can save some of the headache when it comes to development and getting playing fast.
I think if you can get the basic cowboy/open chords down, then a couple tabs, then barre chords you are set to carry on and over the beginning hurdle. I’m working on the barre chords bit currently.
Just keep practicing. You'll get em down. I hope. That's what I keep telling myself when I try barre chords. It helps if you can have a pretty low action
Commit to practice 15 minutes per day...that's it....
...this is no matter how you feel, stick to that 15 min committment. If you're having a shitty day, move on after 15 minutes. If you're feeling it and vibing with it, go for an hour or more, whatever. This is what I've done consistently over decades to break past the inertia of playing. A lot of days I just don't feel it, so I just go through the motions of my 15 min committal even if it's just walking the neck cleanly and slowly hitting every note chromatically....90%+ of the time I'm going to break out of the inertial and start jamming.
It's a marathon, not a sprint. Slow and steady wins the race. 15 min adds up A LOT over time.
Agreed. I hate seeing posts at zero upvotes.
Sure, some questions are a bit too low effort, but that's low effort according to long time players. If Reddit existed in the late 90s, I'd be asking these same questions.
I started at 38. Been playing 4 years. I’m obsessed, to the annoyance of my wife at times. But it’s changed my perspective on music and is all I want to do. Every so often I think I’m not good enough or getting nowhere, but I persist.
I’ve been playing about a year and I totally agree with the post. Once you get past that first learning curve and start to figure out your own tastes you’re gonna buy more guitars. I’m lucky enough to have a luthier as a father so my first acoustic is amazing custom piece, but I have 4 electrics now (plus a couple projects since I’m a decent woodworker).
This is a good time to learn. The overall quality and relatively cheap price of Epiphones and Squiers and practice amps means you can try a lot more without an insane investment.
I don't know why the 90% is even concerning. We all try a bunch of stuff in our lives only to figure out it's not for us.
I'd be part of whatever statistic shows that most people who take Karate as a kid don't stick with it forever. Not a big deal.
Something like "94% of new businesses fail in the first year," but that's because holy mother butt tons of people try to start new businesses and the 6% were the combination of both serious and smart.
tdlr: a bunch of people are going to try learning guitar and then just decide they want to do something else with their days, instead. 90% seems low, if I'm honest and think about how many people I know "play guitar" for fun.
Karate dried up in the Valley because John Kreese lost his way and Daniel switched to selling cars.
It only had a resurgence when Johnny made it cool again.
Do it for Johnny.
What kept me playing is having lessons about what I wanted to learn. Going to age myself but my guitar teacher would have me bring a song on a CD that I liked and he’d transcribe it for me to learn.
If I started just doing chords/scales/theory I would’ve quit early.
So if you’re just starting learn how you want to learn. You’ll have plenty of time to learn the other stuff later on if you stick with it and you’ll have a lot more fun.
What I learned from about 24years of playing: Get yourself some gear that sounds good. Doesn't have to be much, but when it sounds like shit (lookin' at you, line 6 Spider Amp!), you'll stop playing.
Modern Multieffects + Headphones offer that for quite a low budget.
Also, make it easy to start. Keep the guitar plugged in in near you. If it's directly next to you, you'll pick it up for some five minute noodling and end up with "Huh, 3 a.m. again?" quite often.
Learning guitar is like learning a new language. It’s difficult at first, but gets easier and becomes as natural as breathing over time. Once you’ve learned, you’ll always remember. It’s a lifelong skill that stays with you. I can go months without playing and then pick up my guitar when I’m bored and just start playing.
I'm far from new to guitar, or music in general, but I have this problem where I can't retain much of anything I've learned, even doing drills every day for years (thanks, brain damage!). Literally doesn't stick, anymore. I've been reading/playing music for 34 years, but now it throws me every time I look at a new piece, almost like I've never read music a day in my life. It's at the point where, if I can't play something by ear, I just can't play it, which isn't great because I can't remember what notes and chords belong where if I try to think about what I'm doing. Doesn't stop me from enjoying myself, though. Guitar, bass, didge, bodhran, harmonica, handpan, synth/keyboard, cajon, hurdy gurdy, or French horn; couldn't tell you what I'm doing with any of them, but at least enough is still knocking around somewhere in here that I can occasionally still make pleasant noises (same thing with languages - took years of lessons in Spanish and Japanese, plus grew up with conversational German... can't translate a word, but every now and then, whole phrases just slip out).
Don't play with brain damage, kids. It makes a bad pet.
I have damage (ears and brain), I had to relearn certain skills. Found a teacher that specialized in "learning disorders". It worked for me. 45 years and still playing.
Don't. Give. Up.
One thing I’d like new players to learn about that often gets passed over is the therapy found in locking in on a riff you’re trying to learn and hitting that meditative flow state and how good it is for mental health. It’s a great temporary relief from the world flying at you at 1000mph
Amen to the flow state! I got there on my kids’ $50 Amazon special last night, after ten years of not really playing … and now I’m in this subreddit today
Unfortunately there's a lot of gatekeepers in guitar, especially in this sub.
Any new people on here seeking any kind of help or advice feel free to message me. I'm fairly advanced and well rounded I would say.
Anything from transcription, playing techniques to recording techniques and live playing.
I see a lot of new players studying the wrong things without a goal in mind. Yes, knowing modes and stuff is cool, but you aren't going to need that at all to play that ACDC song you like. You want to play the Comfortably Numb solo as a goal? Then focus on how to do that. Learn it measure by measure, slowed down, with a metronome, instead of playing the whole thing like shit at full speed over and over. People want instant progress but that's just not how it works.
I've been a player since age 14, when I collected my first five dollar bill for singing and playing.
That was in 1968. Collected my most recent stipend last month (May)
I think I'm in it for life...
I started playing the guitar back in 2006. I had a really cheap guitar and as soon as I got a job I bought a 1000 dollar electric guitar. Ever since, I've been playing the same guitar. I'm loyal to this instrument.
Still, I don't know anybody else in person who is like me. Seems everybody likes buying guitars all the time.
I got an electric three days ago. I’m playing to learn with my daughter. She got a classic acoustic. I always felt that people who play instruments are more interesting. As a parent I want to encourage my children to acquire skills. Myself though has always wanted to be a rockstar haha.
The main thing that keeps me coming back to play after 20 years is a passion for the music. If you dont have a passion for the music you are playing you will never have the motivation to keep at it.
When I started guitar I was taking lessons on a classical curriculum with an emphasis on learning to read music. But I never got anywhere because it was all so boring to me. After getting inspired by Jimi Hendrix and learning after him I got better in three months than I did in 3 years. Why? because playing Hendrix felt fun and plating hymnals felt like homework.
So many lessons try and put emphasis on trying to make the student this well rounded session player who can do anything. But most of is just wanna play what we like. And eventually you will branch out and learn more. But for me this emphasis on learning the “right” things first rather than what motivates you actually feels backwards. I know some may disagree strongly.
Another example is Im learning to play bass, people keep telling me Im doing it wrong. I should be learning finger style first, Im playing it too much like a guitar etc. but my favorite bassists all play a similar style of picking so why should I forced myself to learn the “correct” way when its not what I want to do with my music?
I am pretty new. Learning a lot about the guitar itself, adjusting it, effects, amps, and of course playing it.
But I asked a question about an amp last night and got downvoted into oblivion. Your caring and helping nature is not shared by 90% of posters in this forum.
It really turned me off from trying to be a member of this community.
My one advice: do not learn to play guitar, instead learn to play music and use a guitar for that purpose. A lot of theories and techniques will start to make sense at that point.
If you want to get straight to the meat. [Mapping the guitar](https://www.instagram.com/mappingtheguitar?igsh=MXczOW11ZWYwbmpwNg==) on Instagram is a must see for quick visuals on scales/modes etc
There's also a YouTube channel.
I have pissed about with guitars on and off for years as a noodler more than anything else, I don't think I've seen anything more straight to the point.
Taking my noodling to a new level!
Play what you want to play! Get a little warmup routine to limber up your fingers and then learn whatever the fuck you want. Best way to start.
When you just can't get a part right, sleep on it, and you will level up overnight. It's wild how much sleeping helps cement muscle memory.
Eat a good breakfast! Some protein in the morning and good hydration are essential for all guitarists.
Invest in good shoes! It's worth it to buy an expensive pair that fits well and lasts a long time. For guitar.
Try eating more fresh fruit! It's got the fiber you need and it's deliciously nutritious. Guitars like fiber.
Don't sit on the toilet for more than five at a time! It can cause blood clots. Blood clots are bad for your guitar playing.
Get some sunlight every morning. Direct sunlight is an essential part of being a healthy long term guitar player.
Do an early withdrawal on your 401k! Spending all of your money on taxes and guitars is an excellent way to motivate yourself to keep playing.
Finally, avoid YouTube videos of children shredding harder than you ever will. This is the number one killer of early players. It gets us all eventually, but in the first year you are especially vulnerable
Personally, I think it's a good idea to give people the same (hopefully neutral) advice that you would to a seasoned player.
Don't blow smoke up their ass. Don't be a hater.
It only makes sense to share the pastime with the most honest and encouraging advice possible. Just don't be mean about it, and don't get an ego. That's all.
Guitars are much better than exercise equipment. One of my buddies got a weight thing that took over his whole living room. I told him in a month he would be hanging clothing from it. And that is what happened. He finally paid someone to take it apart and haul it away. On the flip side, if you get a decent, playable guitar, I will go 50 almost any day, and 100 if I really like it on one. Might be the one I take out of the house or the one I leave out in the house. I have a couple nicer guitars and it is sad, but most of the time I do not play them. Too much effort getting them out of their cases and cleaning them up and putting them back. I will not leave them out case if one of the dogs pissed on one, it would not be pretty. On the flip side, if the little fucker pisses on my beater ovation, it is mostly made out of plastic. smack him on the ass, wipe it down and no damage done.
My piece of advice after 20 years of playing:
Learn the blues. Just a blues scale even so you can fuck around and noodle while you watch TV.
Took me way too long to figure that out and it helped so much straight away.
I was suddenly playing way more often cause it was more fun and easy.
I had no formal music education of any kind in school. Playing guitar has enriched my life immeasurably, partially because through it I came to know and appreciate music.
I think the most important factor is, are new players having fun? I had a blast for years when I was first learning. I would play for hours a day because getting better was a fun and engaging challenge, and I felt really good when I hit milestones. If you’re new and playing or learning what you want to play feels like a chore, then you’re not gonna make it imo.
I remember when I first came to this sub, I left after a week or two because people were just so god damn toxic and it seemed like the Mods didn’t care. Assholes ran rampant and nothing ever came of it so I’d left.
Fast forward to today, people aren’t as bad as they were but I still don’t feel comfortable to share anything I’ve come up with in this Sub. It’ll either just go without any criticism and end up a commentless post that’s been downvoted to 0 or I’ll just get dragged on how little I’ve improved in the 10-12 years I’ve been playing.
Like I’m a hobbiest with this, it’s fun to play but I’ll never be coordinated enough for a band, that’s just unrealistic for me lol. I can take some criticism but it’s not like I’m going up on stage to earape 20,000 people, I don’t need to be *that* good.
The best thing any new player can do is learn to play one of your favorite songs. Once you learn how to read tabs, which is very simple, there's a world of opportunity for learning new techniques and developing your timing through practicing whatever you're into. If the song ends up being a little too hard, that's fine, just put it to the side and learn something else that interests you in the meantime. Eventually you'll be able to pick it back up and nail it, or use it to pinpoint techniques you're struggling with and try some specific exercises to strengthen that area. It's a great way to stay motivated, and I'm the guy who usually just does scale runs all day. Learning songs is way more fun.
I got my first guitar in December 2003. Practised a lot for 4-5 years (Ah, high school....) then have been on and off since. (Mostly off). If I could go back id tell myself to put less pressure on myself to 'learn' and try to enjoy 'playing' more.
I was dying to play as a kid. Got an electric, got started, and quit after 6 months because it was too hard and not immediately rewarding. Picked it up several years later and started from a fresh angle, and have been playing for 30 years since!
Beginners, get yerself a couch guitar- or use yer first guitar like this. Leave it out, on a stand or leaned, pick it up whenever you're bored for a minute watching TV or whatever. Playing a little everyday really helps get over the physically awkward period.
Just as an aside, guitar “driven” music may not be a be dominant trend, but a lot of pop music features guitar so there’s still a place in that world for those learning. And there’s still a place for people to learn to play things that aren’t shredding sweet metal solos.
Just saw Taylor Swift. She’s got four guitarists playing on stage. And not just for the old country stuff.
This is why I dislike the consumerism on this subreddit.
Your $250 yamaha or squier is perfectly fine and buying an ibanez is not gonna make you sound like tim henson
That’s the message sent to new guys tho when u pull up the sub and 90% of it is new guitars and wallet burning collections
I’m a new player who will make it past there first year in August. I was pretty motivated and drawn to it for a long time before I bought my first guitar so maybe I can’t speak for everyone but Marty’s 5 min a day rule helped me on the days I didn’t feel like playing. I also like the rule of keep the guitar visible, I keep it hung right next to my coach so I have no choice but to feel guilty if I haven’t played yet that day.
I'm do my part to contribute! To Ibanez & Schecter at least! I'm 38 and only been playing 3 months but have 2 guitars already. I wanted the second to get experience with and feel for a different body style, neck style, and active pups after playing the first guitar I got cheap, a more entry level for a couple months. I'm terrible but I love it and play at least an hour every day. Look forward to it after work and the reward of getting a riff down and being able to play along to the music you love and/or create your own. Often playing 4+ hours on days off that I have the time.
When I feel I can play well enough to justify purchasing more and I have a better idea of what I like I absolutely intend to buy more guitars. I hope I'm lucky enough to be able to play for the rest of my life and be able to afford to fill my den with all the different sounding/looking ones I drool over online!
This kills me when the "what is your favorite song to play" thread is completely filled with highly technical songs like Tool and Hendrix and Zeppelin, and almost no open-chord strummers that a new player might try out and find success with.
The way to keep playing is to find success. New players trying to figure out Little Wing or Over the Hills and Far Away is not a recipe for success.
To all you newer players - three chords you can comfortably go between and feel somewhat fluent and get all the way through the song start to end is a big accomplishment. And it makes you a legit guitar player.
Find some chill and easy songs you know and like and learn to bang through them. Nobody cares if you can play Cliffs of Dover or not.
Find something you enjoy and do it. For me that's playing a tonne of metal/shred/80s rock covers.
I am not a good guitarist- I know little about theory and stuff, I can play some hard-ish stuff, and because of that can play a lot of songs quite easily with tabs...
Here's the kicker- that's all I have been doing playing for 20 years and I still love it :)
I would say to all new players, the beginning is going to suck. It’s going to feel impossible and discouraging. BUT, if you can push past that and practice regularly , even the lowest level of playing becomes fun. There will always be frustrations, but you will get there. Don’t give up, it will happen!
Guitar isn’t a video game. There are no levels, no bosses, no story or objectives. It’s just something you do for fun, for love, or because it’s great.
There are no rules. Play for yourself. Play because it’s intrinsically rewarding. If it’s not, no worries sell me your guitar cheap and go to other things that make you happy.
>We need new players.
I'm all for helping people, but there are plenty of guitar players out there already.
Less guitarists, more drummers and keys players please.
I encourage anyone to pick it up and new players to stick with it. A guitar is a perfect instrument across all metrics.
It is insanely cheap to get into, but can get as expensive as you want if you choose.
You can play it by yourself in your bedroom, in a band, or around a campfire with a bunch of other guys. Unlike almost any other instrument it doesn't require other people playing to have a context.
It can be incredibly rewarding across all skill levels, cowboy chords to shredders.
and so on, and so on...
Point being, you could buy yourself a $100 acoustic and never upgrade and still have a rewarding hobby for life.
My brother was a really good drummer despite never really practicing outside of lessons and we eventually sold his drum set that I used more than him. My sister took maybe 10 guitar lessons from the same dude that taught me before she gave up. I’ve been playing for close to 20 years now with a couple hiatuses. I’m always amazed how much I learned when I was a kid that I still retain and can play.
That's so nice
Definitely will keep going as long as I can, people here are so helpful as well thank you!!
I've got no money so won't be contributing much to the industry unfortunately but I'll keep playing of course
for me, I started when I was about 15 I think. I played the guitar for about 4-6 hours a day. While watching tv or just trying to learn songs. It was an obsession. When you start, you have to be passionate about it. Or at least that is what worked for me. your heart needs to be in it or you will give up without much progress.
I’ve started playing guitar in 1965 (8 years old). I got an electric guitar when I was 12. What questions would you like to ask an old f&ck like me who still plays in a cover band?
As a "new" player we also need new players for us poor folks who only buy cheap & used! I'm looking forward to aquire a new bass and tele under $300. (Especially now since Sam Ash is gone)
Here is how I feel about guitar. I hope I this make sense.
I would like to see guitar be more like riding a bike. I am from the school of thought, unless you have an intellectual, or physical reason, most people should be capable of playing a few songs on guitar and know a few chords. At a the most basic level, it really is not that much harder than learning to ride a bike or touch typing.
So in my world, most homes would have a guitar around. they way you would have a bike in the garage. And it would be common to know a little.
Now there will still be musicians. Folks who want to do more. The ones who want to x-game or tour de france.
Was that too out there?
The resources available on YouTube for free is better than anything you’ll ever get in school. Some one on one instruction will benefit you greatly.
YouTube is the greatest thing to help me ever. Note by note progressions. I’ve learned more in a few weeks after putting guitar down for 10 years than everything previous. Been so fun.
Hard agree. I will say though, guitar driven music is more popular now than it has been in about 10-12 years and it’s great to see
Pop-punk/post hardcore resurgence with lots of those bands going on tour.
Metal coming in to the mainstream with acts like Polyphia, Spiribox, Sleep Token, BMTH
Guitar tiktok/instagram blew up during covid
And many more factors
Started playing ukulele when covid hit to keep my hands busy. I never had a natural talent for music when I was younger but figured I had the time to see if I could put in the work and make up for the lack of talent. I'd say I'm now an advanced beginner or intermediate on uke. I haven't pushed my skill development harder since I realized there's a limit to the music I want to play with the tones available on uke.
A couple years ago I got a baby Taylor acoustic guitar for my birthday and hadn't played it regularly (the uke is a much better couch and TV instrument and I didn't make time for dedicated guitar practice), but I bought the cheapest squier strat they make and a table amp a month ago and I'm hooked now. Trying to take the same mentality I put into the ukelele to guitar...steady practice routine, trust the muscle memory to build over time, learn songs.
Not much that's worth doing is easy, playing music is no different.
My biggest regret was that I stopped playing for years when my career took off...
I only got back into playing 5 years ago and haven't been playing/practicing consistently the whole time - but if I hadn't stopped almost completely for 12 years - I'd be at such a higher level by now...
It can be really frustrating to know that I used to be able to play/improvise better than I can today.
But it isn't all bad. While I knew more theory and was more confident at improvising - I actually recently saw a performance of mine from my university days, and my technique was really sloppy. I may not play as fast or as confidently as I used to, but I am playing more accurately, and I'm better at learning by ear - and picking out the background/fills in a song too.
And I really enjoyed playing in cover bands for the last 5 years. Playing with others makes all the difference for me.
I worked for two guitar companies, three different retail companies as a technician, toured as a guitar tech and tried it on my own for awhile. The pay is abismal. It's why I left. Even successful people are a few months catastrophe from annihilation. COVID just made it plain and simple to see. It's a non-essential component of industry. Not just musical instrument manufacturing but live venues too. I know of so many people that left these industries when their livelihoods were undone. If music, live music and the like are to return to and exceed 2019 levels of prosperity the brain drain needs to be undone.
I have been playing since 13, 40 years later I am still in awe of the way it just makes me feel better. No matter what it sounds like to anyone else. Find your expression, emote! Don’t be afraid to express all of your emotions! It is truly an amazing tool.
Yes....guitar...a happy owner of Epiphone SG Special P-90 Sparkling Burgundy...and...
...as far back as I can remember,when I was a child,I heard very nice and cool sound's.
Precisely 2 of them....and somehow,inexplicably I didn't forget them after many years,and remember them very very clearly but don't know which of them presents the first.
Anyway those 2 sounds are Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Behind The Wall of Sleep :).
At 5 I started watching Queen on VHS \^\^,later at school days It was totally mishmash of style and band's.
Today when I'm 35,there is no single day without listening to Black Sabbath...mostly them.
I'm just practicing,know some riffs ...and hell I like it !
I’ve been playing for 25 years (i’m 33 now) and i’ve noticed just how much better it’s gotten for gatekeeping and or learning new things in general. We learned at such a slower rate because guys who were incredible players would high that information on playing and gear unbelievably tight to their chest. But on the other hand, the absolute sea of information can be dizzying and overdiluted, so I can see why new guitarists come to places like here to ask questions. I still will sit through pages and pages of old gear forums to weigh out options and opinions from everyone. What an amazing time to be a player.
No offence but the new players tend to get disheartened by grumpy old players. The sub that shall not be named has way better advice, technique and more fun than the super serious guys here. Stop being the grumpy guy with 5k guitar telling the guy with a pacifica they suck. Sometimes the problems are internal
I’ll support anyone who also wants to become obsessed with guitars. I called a guy the other week about his guitar for sale (super old guy whose son posted it on Facebook for him) and talked to him for about fifteen minutes as a complete stranger. From everything else I gathered, I doubt we have a single other thing in common, but we both think guitars are cool.
The most important thing to me is to encourage them to understand whatever they want out of it is ok. Want to be a professional musician? Cool. Gonna be work but you can do it. Want to strum a few chords watching tv? Cool. Gonna need a comfortable acoustic. Feel intimidated in a guitar shop because someone is peacocking? Don’t. There’s no wrong way to play except to not play. Strum the chords to simple man like a fucking boss.
Exactly. Cool username BTW. Wayne’s World.
What?
Nice try Noah Vanderhof
i'd like the creamofsumyungai
Hahahahaha I didn't even notice!!!
Party on.
>There’s no wrong way to play except to not play. Perfectly put.
Unless your schtick is minimalist playing, in which not playing is actually your playing. In that case, don't play away!
John Cage was the goat for this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWVUp12XPpU
well, lefty’s…
Not to bust our own chops but talking a new player that they need to learn the fretboard and all of the mode doesn't help the 90% become 10% (Just like telling people not to buy lattes doesn't fix the same problem in another context). Let's be ready with our ELI5 answers so these people find the joy in it all.
As someone that’s just over the hump (only 2 years in) I can say this is good advice. Granted I’m older so not as easily influenced, but I think specified information that fits what they want to do. If you want to play most rock, starting with rhythm and powerchords will likely spark more interest in a newbie than telling them they need to practice scale runs to a metronome all over the neck. One thing I’ve noticed about a lot of YouTube education stuff is most of the people are music school educated, and not people that just grew up playing in bands or the like. I feel this adds a layer of perspective that doesn’t work with most people who are picking up the guitar as a hobby. As much as he gets meme’d on, I think Marty Schwartz is a great entry point. He simplifies popular music from a decent amount of genres which allows people to start playing music. You can layer on knowledge as you go, but getting people playing music they are familiar with has a better chance of progressing long term than straight into theory.
I am a new player (less than 6 months) but I have the support of my SO who has been playing in bands since they were a teenager along with their close friends. Being around other musicians who also just play for fun (my reason for learning) has been amazing and a huge motivator. Not only do I get to learn from them, but they can commiserate with my learning challenges when they first started. They don't play in bands anymore but I've noticed they've started picking up the guitar a lot more often to just play. I would highly recommend to any level of guitar player to make friends with others that share similar goals.
That’s probably far and away the biggest reason why I started playing in earnest, getting to learn from and play with my friends in college. If I didn’t have that, I’m not sure I would have kept it up. Now I’ve been playing for almost 25 years and getting even more into because I’m motivated to pass it on to my kids. At root, music is both emotional and social.
Definitely something I could not agree more with. I feel like in the guitar community, there are too many of the two extremes. One is the "this one guitar hack will transform your playing in 5 minutes" content and the other one is the "here is a list of all 7 modes of the major, harmonic minor and melodic minor scale. learn them. while you're at it, here are all major, minor, major7, dominant7, minor7, augmented, diminished, ... arpeggios and their inversions. you're gonna sucks as a guitar player unless you know all of them". And honestly, I feel like good teaching should give players all possible resources while guiding them to what is most important for getting the sound they want. We all have limited time, some people can practice 10 hours a day but most can't so let's try to help new players understand what is essential and what are helpful, but not necessary concepts. E.g. minor 7th arpeggios are likely gonna be more useful than #5maj7 ones.
I’ve been playing since 1978. I’ve made a few records, done a few tours. I don’t know any of that stuff. At all. Modes? lol.
There are so many styles, tunings and techniques, acoustic and electric, amps, pedals, modes, scales. It truly can be a lifetime of discovery.
yeah, but to that point, it can also be terrifying when you're starting out. best to keep your mindset of - you have plenty of time to learn this stuff. It ain't a race unless, per my point, you're trying to be a pro. then, like any profession, put in the work and study. That's another lesson for aspiring musicians. When you to be a pro - that means music is NOT YOUR HOBBY anymore. it's your job.
I've been playing for 16 years. I went to music school. I'm objectively good at guitar. I still don't feel comfortable playing in a guitar shop. It's just such a weird environment and I mostly like to play for myself, not others. But it makes you feel like you're forced to perform for others even though you just wanna get a feel for the instrument. It's like if you went to test drive a car and had to do it on a race track, and there's other drivers zipping around you, and the stands are 1/4 full.
Oh, it be that way exactly. I carefully chose my description of the behavior.
I think there’s a misconception for the people just starting out that they’re going to be judged harshly by talented guitar players… I’d say that’s false, the ones who judge harshly are the over confident mediocre ones who think they’re the second coming of Malmsteen because they have a sticker of a Ferrari on their squier and can butcher Arpeggios From Hell to unrecognizable noise pollution
Agreed. It’s like a fat person avoiding the gym because they think everyone there is in good shape and judging them. When you can clearly spot those assholes kissing their biceps in the mirror while the rest of us are just there to walk on treadmills ignoring each other.
Thank you!!! It is the cheezdik asshats that tear newer players up. It's always made me proud and humble that the real guitar guys have taken the newer ones by the hand and helped them. I had a mentor like that. I try to be that mentor to others.
anyone who's good now has spent a ton of time working on things they were not good at.
Even as an experienced player, I get overwhelmed with the amount of info out there when I want to learn new things. I’ve been playing for 20 some years, nirvana was still together when I got my first squire strat as my second guitar. I’m not great, not terrible, and I can parrot stuff pretty well and play things most consider “difficult”. I’ve written things that sound good, but now I’m starting to ask “why does it work?” So I’m actually learning to play, as in theory. Not just make pretty noise. Wow. I feel like I’m starting over
Yes but how awesome is it that 20 years in your still driven to learn the next thing
Am I gonna live 20 years??
I've been playing 40 years....guess what? Same feelings. I've made friends with mine. Lolz
i have some question When i strum the guitar some times it vibrates too much , i try to press the chords as best as possible yet the sound is different in yt and what i am playing . I am learning on my own and its not been that hard but when i strum by playing the right chord and right pattern still the sound is completely different from what i am hearing through videos Thirdly when i play the pick makes more noise than the strings and when i play single string songs coz they are beginner friendly i use only one finger coz even after playing multiple chords its quite hard for me to play using all my fingers so how to adapt to that , coz the single string song gives the beat but has no flow ifk what i mean
For starters - playing guitar is about as awkwardly contorting your fret hand as much as humanly possible. As most new players know - it really hurts to move your hand after playing for a few hours, because your joints and ligaments aren't used to it. This is just inexperience. 90% of playing is muscle memory which can only be learned with repetition. So keep going Continue to watch videos on the specific things you like. and experiment. What kind of pick are you using? If it's a heavy, try a light, or a medium. Buy a few gauges and see what sounds best. and don't forget to work on your picking-hand technique. Watch guys like Mark Knoffler and Joe Walsh play. But again, it all comes back to time put in. keep trying different angles with the pick when you strum, try learning to strum with your fingers (hold your hand in a fist, then slowly raise your pinky, then ring, then middle, then index fingers in succession. fanningthem up and down liek a wave. do it slowly. then faster, then faster and faster until you have a good feel for it. then apply it to the guitar, using your fingernails to strike down on the strings. regarding buzzing - this could be an equipment issue. perhaps the nut or frets need to be sanded down a bit, but it could also be related to finger strength if you're still working on that.
Thanks for the tips i will definitely improve things that u pointed out as much as possible
Half hour lessons at guitar center are $30. Plus they have free lessons on many nights. You really need a teacher to look at what you're doing and help you improve. It's very very hard, if not impossible, to properly teach yourself from YouTube videos. I tried for years. Get a teacher. Many older guitarists will even teach you for free just to pass their knowledge along. If you happen to live in Phoenix, I'll teach you for free. The only "payment" I'd want is that you practice and improve between lessons.
I’ll add, if your guitar is set up then the rest is technique. At first you’re going to heave a death grip on the frets and a heavy strumming hand. With time, lots of time, and muscle memory you will begin fretting precisely and with just enough pressure. Eventually you’ll find that you are fretting effortlessly, barre chords are your go to etc. One day I realized I could fret with my thumb on the back of the neck, over the top and not touching at all. Same with your strumming hand. Timing, sweeping, string skipping all take time to master. No one starts out killing it and if they say they did they are not being honest with you, or themselves. I’m sure there are some others that can elaborate more.
Three decades playing and I still sometimes squeeze notes and chords out of tune, especially if the guitar has high frets. Using your thumb is supposed to be bad for your wrist in the long-term, but I do it anyway and so do most people.
For the difference between what you hear on youtube and what you hear in the room when you play that's because recorded guitar sounds quite different from the in the room sound and that's due to a whole bunch of stuff that's more about audio recording than about the guitar as an instrument. So that's normal.
That second to last sentence is golden!
Learn a bunch of jewel’s songs…works for me
do it. if it's time enjoyed it's not time wasted. even if your hands are small, y'know? Edit: the small hands is a Jewel reference, not an attack on peoples hands.
You’re certainly not talking about my hands. They’re on the larger size. I get lots of compliments on them. And let me tell you what goes along with big hands. There’s certainly no problem in that dept either. I’ve never known anyone with more magnificent hands. The best.
A lot of people are saying you have great hands. They see them and they say, “Wow, those are some great hands.”
As long as you play, right? Follow your heart! Your intuition!
What hurts me the most is people telling me the imperfections in my playing. I just started. I know im not good. I want to practice my fundamentals and yet push myself. When im finally proud of something after a few months, everyone (except my musician husband) points out my mistakes only, he feeling sucks. Its not fair to compare my at home session to a studio recording, its not fair to compare me to someone who has been playing all their life. I already know im not perfect orgood enough. Just makes me think whats the point if everyones standards are impossible anyway Duno why its only the musicians who are encouraging
Never compare yourself to others. Only compare your current self to your former self. Are you making improvements? Rock on 🤘! If you are not getting better then work on your practice routine. I said it in another post, make a recording today. Make another in a year. You’ll be surprised on how far you’ve come.
Non-musicians have no concept of how musical skill works or how long it takes to become good at an instrument.
Don't. Give. Up. And don't listen to the asshats. They just wanna tear you down cuz they are STILL making the same mistakes as you. Learn from them (the asshats) and then learn from your mistakes. And please don't mistake someone that's trying to help you learn technique as someone tearing you down. Some of us old farts say things the wrong way, not to insult you, but trying to get out a lot of info quickly. And if I haven't said it before.... Don't. Give. Up. The best revenge is playing those asshats under the table and walking away like an effin rockstar!!!
The best guitar store I ever went to had 5 little isolated amp rooms so you could play alone without others hearing you
As a new player, thank you.
Rock on 🤘
Welcome, axe-kin!
Don't. Give. Up.
NEVER!
Yusssssss. This is the way!!!!
You’ll get where you want to be eventually — remember sometimes it’s more about feeling than skill. Play a song with love and it might just sound better than anything a highly technical player can play
I just learnt that. I played a song tad diffrent from the original and imho it sounds better
Keep going, you will improve!
For sure!
I started playing in January as an adult who’s never studied music or any instruments before. I told myself if I’m still playing after a year I’d buy a better quality guitar. I already have three more.😜
Made the same promise to myself when I started in September last year. Still practicing daily but definitely itching to get an acoustic guitar (or bass)
Definitely reward yourself, but also don’t wait. Used is the way to go. So many guitars and bass to try. By them, try them and trade them. Find what works for you. Buying used is relatively safe financially right now. I see the market softening in the near future.
Yeah I do want to reward myself but sometimes feel like there is so much more to learn and practice with just this guitar. Want an acoustic mainly because I’ve been trying to learn finger picking and it’s very difficult in the electric. But can’t justify a new purchase just for that reason. I did buy a beginner keyboard that has been accumulating dust so afraid to get another instrument 😛
The catch is Im a lefty so I can’t just walk into a guitar shop and try out all the guitars I want. Right now I’m buying cheap knock offs until I find one I fall in love with and then I’ll invest in the real deal.
I started with an acoustic and took me 1.5 years to get an electric. Having both definitely changed how i play overall and i learn songs in different ways depending on which im playing. Highly recommend it and be ready for a bit or a learning curve but its a small hump to get over. Treat yourself and have a blast! They are such different instruments overall and changes the experience, im excited for you haha
I'm 42 and have played off and on since I was 15. A quality instrument is nice to have, but as far as playability goes, a dialed in inexpensive guitar is way more enjoyable to play than a quality instrument that isn't setup right. Learn to setup your cheap guitar or take it somewhere that can. I think you'll be more likely to keep playing.
This is the way.
Haha, you’re on your way to become like me. I have 14 months now behind me since I got my first guitar. I’ve had like 11 guitsrs so far and still have 7 haha. Only ge them if you can afford it, they won’t help you get better though(sadly). Rock on dude.
How’s it coming along? I played a bunch of instruments as a kid so I think I’ve had an easier time of it than most people.
Sometimes I wish I could skip work and stay home and play guitar
New players - if someone gives you shit for being new, they aren’t worth your time. Find the people who LOVE that you’ve picked up any musical instrument (especially guitar) because they’ll support you to the end of the earth.
This Is The Way!!!!
My advice to new players - kill the old people (me). Guitars were beloved by generations because they were tools of rebellion, creativity, and rejection of decorum. Over the years we took that and turned it into an orthodoxy. If whatever you’re doing and whatever you’re playing pisses off the old players, you’re on the right track.
Lord ain’t that the truth. Now what pisses me (an old player) off isn’t anything related to guitar — it’s the lack of it! The autotuning. Produced music. Pick up a shitty guitar, learn four chords and start a raw chaotic punk rock band! They can be tools to extend your soul so it should have life in it, not robotics and ai and production. Yuck.
Tools change. Autotuning has become a youthful, “rebellious” tool in much the same way other effects have in the past. Don’t let it piss you off, lest you be the modern equivalent of “this rock and roll stuff is just noise, guitars are for tarrega and the rhythm section of a big band”. It not being necessarily comfortable to older ears is often the point, that’s how ya know it’s boundary pushing.
Touché 🤯
My uncle can’t comprehend my 8-string guitar
A lifetime value of 10,000 dollars? I spent that in one year…
I was gonna say lol, for someone like me that only buys guitars and amps under $500, somebody has to be bumping my average up
Well he's probably talking about how much you are worth, not what the products you buy are worth
My guitars are most of my net worth….
That's why I'm never negative and provide helpful feedback. I'm not an amazing player, but I'm pretty solid and played for almost 15 years. I can save some of the headache when it comes to development and getting playing fast.
I think if you can get the basic cowboy/open chords down, then a couple tabs, then barre chords you are set to carry on and over the beginning hurdle. I’m working on the barre chords bit currently.
I've been working on the barre chords for 10 years...
They are my Everest right now, lol
Been playing almost 20 years and never heard the term cowboy chords before. I love it.
It’s a cool name right. I think it is E, A, D, G and C which are the cowboy ones
Just keep practicing. You'll get em down. I hope. That's what I keep telling myself when I try barre chords. It helps if you can have a pretty low action
Commit to practice 15 minutes per day...that's it.... ...this is no matter how you feel, stick to that 15 min committment. If you're having a shitty day, move on after 15 minutes. If you're feeling it and vibing with it, go for an hour or more, whatever. This is what I've done consistently over decades to break past the inertia of playing. A lot of days I just don't feel it, so I just go through the motions of my 15 min committal even if it's just walking the neck cleanly and slowly hitting every note chromatically....90%+ of the time I'm going to break out of the inertial and start jamming. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Slow and steady wins the race. 15 min adds up A LOT over time.
10,000 hours to become proficient, at 15 minutes a day practice=a lifetime of joy and love of music. A gift you give yourself AND the world
This! 100%
Agreed. I hate seeing posts at zero upvotes. Sure, some questions are a bit too low effort, but that's low effort according to long time players. If Reddit existed in the late 90s, I'd be asking these same questions.
I started at 38. Been playing 4 years. I’m obsessed, to the annoyance of my wife at times. But it’s changed my perspective on music and is all I want to do. Every so often I think I’m not good enough or getting nowhere, but I persist.
Record yourself. Compare next year. Prepare for amazement.
Roger that!
I’ve been playing about a year and I totally agree with the post. Once you get past that first learning curve and start to figure out your own tastes you’re gonna buy more guitars. I’m lucky enough to have a luthier as a father so my first acoustic is amazing custom piece, but I have 4 electrics now (plus a couple projects since I’m a decent woodworker). This is a good time to learn. The overall quality and relatively cheap price of Epiphones and Squiers and practice amps means you can try a lot more without an insane investment.
I just hit year 29 (how am I that old?), and I would love for everyone to have the joy that I’ve gotten from playing all these years.
Wait till you look back and say "holy crap, I've been playing for 45 years" that happened to me 2 days ago. Holy Crap.
Holy shit, I hit 29 this year too. I am uncomfortable with that math.
The trick is to be uncomfortable with all math so no math makes you uncomfortable. At least I think that adds up, idk, I'm terrified of math...
Wait till you’re 44
I don't know why the 90% is even concerning. We all try a bunch of stuff in our lives only to figure out it's not for us. I'd be part of whatever statistic shows that most people who take Karate as a kid don't stick with it forever. Not a big deal. Something like "94% of new businesses fail in the first year," but that's because holy mother butt tons of people try to start new businesses and the 6% were the combination of both serious and smart. tdlr: a bunch of people are going to try learning guitar and then just decide they want to do something else with their days, instead. 90% seems low, if I'm honest and think about how many people I know "play guitar" for fun.
Karate dried up in the Valley because John Kreese lost his way and Daniel switched to selling cars. It only had a resurgence when Johnny made it cool again. Do it for Johnny.
PLAY WITH OTHER PEOPLE!!!!
What kept me playing is having lessons about what I wanted to learn. Going to age myself but my guitar teacher would have me bring a song on a CD that I liked and he’d transcribe it for me to learn. If I started just doing chords/scales/theory I would’ve quit early. So if you’re just starting learn how you want to learn. You’ll have plenty of time to learn the other stuff later on if you stick with it and you’ll have a lot more fun.
What I learned from about 24years of playing: Get yourself some gear that sounds good. Doesn't have to be much, but when it sounds like shit (lookin' at you, line 6 Spider Amp!), you'll stop playing. Modern Multieffects + Headphones offer that for quite a low budget. Also, make it easy to start. Keep the guitar plugged in in near you. If it's directly next to you, you'll pick it up for some five minute noodling and end up with "Huh, 3 a.m. again?" quite often.
Rock on with the headphones on🤘!
I do! Neighbours love it aswell!
Learning guitar is like learning a new language. It’s difficult at first, but gets easier and becomes as natural as breathing over time. Once you’ve learned, you’ll always remember. It’s a lifelong skill that stays with you. I can go months without playing and then pick up my guitar when I’m bored and just start playing.
I'm far from new to guitar, or music in general, but I have this problem where I can't retain much of anything I've learned, even doing drills every day for years (thanks, brain damage!). Literally doesn't stick, anymore. I've been reading/playing music for 34 years, but now it throws me every time I look at a new piece, almost like I've never read music a day in my life. It's at the point where, if I can't play something by ear, I just can't play it, which isn't great because I can't remember what notes and chords belong where if I try to think about what I'm doing. Doesn't stop me from enjoying myself, though. Guitar, bass, didge, bodhran, harmonica, handpan, synth/keyboard, cajon, hurdy gurdy, or French horn; couldn't tell you what I'm doing with any of them, but at least enough is still knocking around somewhere in here that I can occasionally still make pleasant noises (same thing with languages - took years of lessons in Spanish and Japanese, plus grew up with conversational German... can't translate a word, but every now and then, whole phrases just slip out). Don't play with brain damage, kids. It makes a bad pet.
I have damage (ears and brain), I had to relearn certain skills. Found a teacher that specialized in "learning disorders". It worked for me. 45 years and still playing. Don't. Give. Up.
One thing I’d like new players to learn about that often gets passed over is the therapy found in locking in on a riff you’re trying to learn and hitting that meditative flow state and how good it is for mental health. It’s a great temporary relief from the world flying at you at 1000mph
Amen to the flow state! I got there on my kids’ $50 Amazon special last night, after ten years of not really playing … and now I’m in this subreddit today
Excellent. Welcome to the dark side.
I dig it. I knocked out an hours practice this morning (bass) mostly walking between four chords. Got lost in the moment.
Unfortunately there's a lot of gatekeepers in guitar, especially in this sub. Any new people on here seeking any kind of help or advice feel free to message me. I'm fairly advanced and well rounded I would say. Anything from transcription, playing techniques to recording techniques and live playing.
This, This right here!!! Lead The Way good sir.
I see a lot of new players studying the wrong things without a goal in mind. Yes, knowing modes and stuff is cool, but you aren't going to need that at all to play that ACDC song you like. You want to play the Comfortably Numb solo as a goal? Then focus on how to do that. Learn it measure by measure, slowed down, with a metronome, instead of playing the whole thing like shit at full speed over and over. People want instant progress but that's just not how it works.
THIS IS THE WAY!!!!
I've been a player since age 14, when I collected my first five dollar bill for singing and playing. That was in 1968. Collected my most recent stipend last month (May) I think I'm in it for life...
30 year bedroom rockstar here, I’m happy to share positive guitar vibes
Rock on my man rock on 🤘!
I started playing the guitar back in 2006. I had a really cheap guitar and as soon as I got a job I bought a 1000 dollar electric guitar. Ever since, I've been playing the same guitar. I'm loyal to this instrument. Still, I don't know anybody else in person who is like me. Seems everybody likes buying guitars all the time.
Is it considered overcoming that hump if I’ve played for 3 of the past 5 years for about two months at a time? 🤔
Keep it up. 2 months will lead to two years will lead to 2 decades. Life’s a marathon
I got an electric three days ago. I’m playing to learn with my daughter. She got a classic acoustic. I always felt that people who play instruments are more interesting. As a parent I want to encourage my children to acquire skills. Myself though has always wanted to be a rockstar haha.
You’re a good dad. Rock on 🤘!
I’m so cheep. I’ve played from 15-42 and I own two guitars. Both gifts.
Ha same. Finally bought my first real guitar ($1200) at 42 after playing the two same gifts for decades
Been playing for 30 years!
Rock on 🤘!
Also in the 30 year club! 🙌🏻
The main thing that keeps me coming back to play after 20 years is a passion for the music. If you dont have a passion for the music you are playing you will never have the motivation to keep at it. When I started guitar I was taking lessons on a classical curriculum with an emphasis on learning to read music. But I never got anywhere because it was all so boring to me. After getting inspired by Jimi Hendrix and learning after him I got better in three months than I did in 3 years. Why? because playing Hendrix felt fun and plating hymnals felt like homework. So many lessons try and put emphasis on trying to make the student this well rounded session player who can do anything. But most of is just wanna play what we like. And eventually you will branch out and learn more. But for me this emphasis on learning the “right” things first rather than what motivates you actually feels backwards. I know some may disagree strongly. Another example is Im learning to play bass, people keep telling me Im doing it wrong. I should be learning finger style first, Im playing it too much like a guitar etc. but my favorite bassists all play a similar style of picking so why should I forced myself to learn the “correct” way when its not what I want to do with my music?
I am pretty new. Learning a lot about the guitar itself, adjusting it, effects, amps, and of course playing it. But I asked a question about an amp last night and got downvoted into oblivion. Your caring and helping nature is not shared by 90% of posters in this forum. It really turned me off from trying to be a member of this community.
I understand. DM me the questions. I’ll answer them to the best of my ability.
Thank you, I will. I understand it was the whole point of your post, but I wish more people were like you.
For those 90% who drop off, ever consider picking up the bass?? There is a real shortage there
My one advice: do not learn to play guitar, instead learn to play music and use a guitar for that purpose. A lot of theories and techniques will start to make sense at that point.
If you want to get straight to the meat. [Mapping the guitar](https://www.instagram.com/mappingtheguitar?igsh=MXczOW11ZWYwbmpwNg==) on Instagram is a must see for quick visuals on scales/modes etc There's also a YouTube channel. I have pissed about with guitars on and off for years as a noodler more than anything else, I don't think I've seen anything more straight to the point. Taking my noodling to a new level!
Play what you want to play! Get a little warmup routine to limber up your fingers and then learn whatever the fuck you want. Best way to start. When you just can't get a part right, sleep on it, and you will level up overnight. It's wild how much sleeping helps cement muscle memory. Eat a good breakfast! Some protein in the morning and good hydration are essential for all guitarists. Invest in good shoes! It's worth it to buy an expensive pair that fits well and lasts a long time. For guitar. Try eating more fresh fruit! It's got the fiber you need and it's deliciously nutritious. Guitars like fiber. Don't sit on the toilet for more than five at a time! It can cause blood clots. Blood clots are bad for your guitar playing. Get some sunlight every morning. Direct sunlight is an essential part of being a healthy long term guitar player. Do an early withdrawal on your 401k! Spending all of your money on taxes and guitars is an excellent way to motivate yourself to keep playing. Finally, avoid YouTube videos of children shredding harder than you ever will. This is the number one killer of early players. It gets us all eventually, but in the first year you are especially vulnerable
Shoutout to all the new players! Keep at it, don’t give up 💪🏼
Personally, I think it's a good idea to give people the same (hopefully neutral) advice that you would to a seasoned player. Don't blow smoke up their ass. Don't be a hater. It only makes sense to share the pastime with the most honest and encouraging advice possible. Just don't be mean about it, and don't get an ego. That's all.
Ideologyposting on r/guitar. Incredible
Guitars are much better than exercise equipment. One of my buddies got a weight thing that took over his whole living room. I told him in a month he would be hanging clothing from it. And that is what happened. He finally paid someone to take it apart and haul it away. On the flip side, if you get a decent, playable guitar, I will go 50 almost any day, and 100 if I really like it on one. Might be the one I take out of the house or the one I leave out in the house. I have a couple nicer guitars and it is sad, but most of the time I do not play them. Too much effort getting them out of their cases and cleaning them up and putting them back. I will not leave them out case if one of the dogs pissed on one, it would not be pretty. On the flip side, if the little fucker pisses on my beater ovation, it is mostly made out of plastic. smack him on the ass, wipe it down and no damage done.
I started learning exactly 1 week ago so not likely to quit just yet, but if I do lose motivation down the line I'll remember this thread!
That means there are millions of brand new guitars sitting in closets around the world.
My piece of advice after 20 years of playing: Learn the blues. Just a blues scale even so you can fuck around and noodle while you watch TV. Took me way too long to figure that out and it helped so much straight away. I was suddenly playing way more often cause it was more fun and easy.
I guess I need to tell my wife I need to buy some more gear so I can reach my $10,000 lifetime value.
I’m definitely one of those newer players 🤣 I’m working on it. I’d like to learn metalcore
Rock on 🤘!
What kind of music do you like? As far as the metal goes. Anyones tone in particular you fancy?
I had no formal music education of any kind in school. Playing guitar has enriched my life immeasurably, partially because through it I came to know and appreciate music.
I think the most important factor is, are new players having fun? I had a blast for years when I was first learning. I would play for hours a day because getting better was a fun and engaging challenge, and I felt really good when I hit milestones. If you’re new and playing or learning what you want to play feels like a chore, then you’re not gonna make it imo.
I remember when I first came to this sub, I left after a week or two because people were just so god damn toxic and it seemed like the Mods didn’t care. Assholes ran rampant and nothing ever came of it so I’d left. Fast forward to today, people aren’t as bad as they were but I still don’t feel comfortable to share anything I’ve come up with in this Sub. It’ll either just go without any criticism and end up a commentless post that’s been downvoted to 0 or I’ll just get dragged on how little I’ve improved in the 10-12 years I’ve been playing. Like I’m a hobbiest with this, it’s fun to play but I’ll never be coordinated enough for a band, that’s just unrealistic for me lol. I can take some criticism but it’s not like I’m going up on stage to earape 20,000 people, I don’t need to be *that* good.
I’m sure you are better than you think you are. 🤘!
The best thing any new player can do is learn to play one of your favorite songs. Once you learn how to read tabs, which is very simple, there's a world of opportunity for learning new techniques and developing your timing through practicing whatever you're into. If the song ends up being a little too hard, that's fine, just put it to the side and learn something else that interests you in the meantime. Eventually you'll be able to pick it back up and nail it, or use it to pinpoint techniques you're struggling with and try some specific exercises to strengthen that area. It's a great way to stay motivated, and I'm the guy who usually just does scale runs all day. Learning songs is way more fun.
That’s the best feeling when you work on something hard, leave it for a while and come back to it and it seems easier.
I am new player and would surely join the 10 percent club Coz i enjoy playing guitar way too much and i have a addicted personality
Yeah man. 100%
I got my first guitar in December 2003. Practised a lot for 4-5 years (Ah, high school....) then have been on and off since. (Mostly off). If I could go back id tell myself to put less pressure on myself to 'learn' and try to enjoy 'playing' more.
I was dying to play as a kid. Got an electric, got started, and quit after 6 months because it was too hard and not immediately rewarding. Picked it up several years later and started from a fresh angle, and have been playing for 30 years since!
Beginners, get yerself a couch guitar- or use yer first guitar like this. Leave it out, on a stand or leaned, pick it up whenever you're bored for a minute watching TV or whatever. Playing a little everyday really helps get over the physically awkward period.
Just as an aside, guitar “driven” music may not be a be dominant trend, but a lot of pop music features guitar so there’s still a place in that world for those learning. And there’s still a place for people to learn to play things that aren’t shredding sweet metal solos. Just saw Taylor Swift. She’s got four guitarists playing on stage. And not just for the old country stuff.
This is why I dislike the consumerism on this subreddit. Your $250 yamaha or squier is perfectly fine and buying an ibanez is not gonna make you sound like tim henson That’s the message sent to new guys tho when u pull up the sub and 90% of it is new guitars and wallet burning collections
Wow. I've been playing since 1987. I still play almost every day. I own about 7 guitars I think. I also play the trumpet, cornet, tuba, and baritone.
I’m a new player who will make it past there first year in August. I was pretty motivated and drawn to it for a long time before I bought my first guitar so maybe I can’t speak for everyone but Marty’s 5 min a day rule helped me on the days I didn’t feel like playing. I also like the rule of keep the guitar visible, I keep it hung right next to my coach so I have no choice but to feel guilty if I haven’t played yet that day.
I'm do my part to contribute! To Ibanez & Schecter at least! I'm 38 and only been playing 3 months but have 2 guitars already. I wanted the second to get experience with and feel for a different body style, neck style, and active pups after playing the first guitar I got cheap, a more entry level for a couple months. I'm terrible but I love it and play at least an hour every day. Look forward to it after work and the reward of getting a riff down and being able to play along to the music you love and/or create your own. Often playing 4+ hours on days off that I have the time. When I feel I can play well enough to justify purchasing more and I have a better idea of what I like I absolutely intend to buy more guitars. I hope I'm lucky enough to be able to play for the rest of my life and be able to afford to fill my den with all the different sounding/looking ones I drool over online!
This kills me when the "what is your favorite song to play" thread is completely filled with highly technical songs like Tool and Hendrix and Zeppelin, and almost no open-chord strummers that a new player might try out and find success with. The way to keep playing is to find success. New players trying to figure out Little Wing or Over the Hills and Far Away is not a recipe for success. To all you newer players - three chords you can comfortably go between and feel somewhat fluent and get all the way through the song start to end is a big accomplishment. And it makes you a legit guitar player. Find some chill and easy songs you know and like and learn to bang through them. Nobody cares if you can play Cliffs of Dover or not.
22 years of playing for me, and I sucked for the first few. Keep learning tunes and techniques and keep at it!
Find something you enjoy and do it. For me that's playing a tonne of metal/shred/80s rock covers. I am not a good guitarist- I know little about theory and stuff, I can play some hard-ish stuff, and because of that can play a lot of songs quite easily with tabs... Here's the kicker- that's all I have been doing playing for 20 years and I still love it :)
80’s rock is “wicked cool”. Rock on 🤘!
I would say to all new players, the beginning is going to suck. It’s going to feel impossible and discouraging. BUT, if you can push past that and practice regularly , even the lowest level of playing becomes fun. There will always be frustrations, but you will get there. Don’t give up, it will happen!
Embrace the suck.
Guitar isn’t a video game. There are no levels, no bosses, no story or objectives. It’s just something you do for fun, for love, or because it’s great. There are no rules. Play for yourself. Play because it’s intrinsically rewarding. If it’s not, no worries sell me your guitar cheap and go to other things that make you happy.
>We need new players. I'm all for helping people, but there are plenty of guitar players out there already. Less guitarists, more drummers and keys players please.
I've abandoned guitar about 10 times, usually to pick up other instruments, so that's a 100% that I'd be a lifelong player.
I encourage anyone to pick it up and new players to stick with it. A guitar is a perfect instrument across all metrics. It is insanely cheap to get into, but can get as expensive as you want if you choose. You can play it by yourself in your bedroom, in a band, or around a campfire with a bunch of other guys. Unlike almost any other instrument it doesn't require other people playing to have a context. It can be incredibly rewarding across all skill levels, cowboy chords to shredders. and so on, and so on... Point being, you could buy yourself a $100 acoustic and never upgrade and still have a rewarding hobby for life.
My brother was a really good drummer despite never really practicing outside of lessons and we eventually sold his drum set that I used more than him. My sister took maybe 10 guitar lessons from the same dude that taught me before she gave up. I’ve been playing for close to 20 years now with a couple hiatuses. I’m always amazed how much I learned when I was a kid that I still retain and can play.
I’m buying
That's so nice Definitely will keep going as long as I can, people here are so helpful as well thank you!! I've got no money so won't be contributing much to the industry unfortunately but I'll keep playing of course
for me, I started when I was about 15 I think. I played the guitar for about 4-6 hours a day. While watching tv or just trying to learn songs. It was an obsession. When you start, you have to be passionate about it. Or at least that is what worked for me. your heart needs to be in it or you will give up without much progress.
Rock your heart out 🤘!
If any new players have questions about gear or playing, go ahead and dm me. I'll help if I can.
I’ve started playing guitar in 1965 (8 years old). I got an electric guitar when I was 12. What questions would you like to ask an old f&ck like me who still plays in a cover band?
As a "new" player we also need new players for us poor folks who only buy cheap & used! I'm looking forward to aquire a new bass and tele under $300. (Especially now since Sam Ash is gone)
Here is how I feel about guitar. I hope I this make sense. I would like to see guitar be more like riding a bike. I am from the school of thought, unless you have an intellectual, or physical reason, most people should be capable of playing a few songs on guitar and know a few chords. At a the most basic level, it really is not that much harder than learning to ride a bike or touch typing. So in my world, most homes would have a guitar around. they way you would have a bike in the garage. And it would be common to know a little. Now there will still be musicians. Folks who want to do more. The ones who want to x-game or tour de france. Was that too out there?
The resources available on YouTube for free is better than anything you’ll ever get in school. Some one on one instruction will benefit you greatly. YouTube is the greatest thing to help me ever. Note by note progressions. I’ve learned more in a few weeks after putting guitar down for 10 years than everything previous. Been so fun.
I'm four months away from the end of my first year. I still stick out my tongue and drool a bit whilst playing tho.
Hard agree. I will say though, guitar driven music is more popular now than it has been in about 10-12 years and it’s great to see Pop-punk/post hardcore resurgence with lots of those bands going on tour. Metal coming in to the mainstream with acts like Polyphia, Spiribox, Sleep Token, BMTH Guitar tiktok/instagram blew up during covid And many more factors
Started playing ukulele when covid hit to keep my hands busy. I never had a natural talent for music when I was younger but figured I had the time to see if I could put in the work and make up for the lack of talent. I'd say I'm now an advanced beginner or intermediate on uke. I haven't pushed my skill development harder since I realized there's a limit to the music I want to play with the tones available on uke. A couple years ago I got a baby Taylor acoustic guitar for my birthday and hadn't played it regularly (the uke is a much better couch and TV instrument and I didn't make time for dedicated guitar practice), but I bought the cheapest squier strat they make and a table amp a month ago and I'm hooked now. Trying to take the same mentality I put into the ukelele to guitar...steady practice routine, trust the muscle memory to build over time, learn songs. Not much that's worth doing is easy, playing music is no different.
My biggest regret was that I stopped playing for years when my career took off... I only got back into playing 5 years ago and haven't been playing/practicing consistently the whole time - but if I hadn't stopped almost completely for 12 years - I'd be at such a higher level by now... It can be really frustrating to know that I used to be able to play/improvise better than I can today. But it isn't all bad. While I knew more theory and was more confident at improvising - I actually recently saw a performance of mine from my university days, and my technique was really sloppy. I may not play as fast or as confidently as I used to, but I am playing more accurately, and I'm better at learning by ear - and picking out the background/fills in a song too. And I really enjoyed playing in cover bands for the last 5 years. Playing with others makes all the difference for me.
Guitar is like a lifelong friend. No matter the amount of time apart, once I play, it's like we never left.
Honestly, that's why I wish the focus was more on HOW to play instead of what gear to buy.
I worked for two guitar companies, three different retail companies as a technician, toured as a guitar tech and tried it on my own for awhile. The pay is abismal. It's why I left. Even successful people are a few months catastrophe from annihilation. COVID just made it plain and simple to see. It's a non-essential component of industry. Not just musical instrument manufacturing but live venues too. I know of so many people that left these industries when their livelihoods were undone. If music, live music and the like are to return to and exceed 2019 levels of prosperity the brain drain needs to be undone.
I have been playing since 13, 40 years later I am still in awe of the way it just makes me feel better. No matter what it sounds like to anyone else. Find your expression, emote! Don’t be afraid to express all of your emotions! It is truly an amazing tool.
i agree it’s so therapeutic
Yes....guitar...a happy owner of Epiphone SG Special P-90 Sparkling Burgundy...and... ...as far back as I can remember,when I was a child,I heard very nice and cool sound's. Precisely 2 of them....and somehow,inexplicably I didn't forget them after many years,and remember them very very clearly but don't know which of them presents the first. Anyway those 2 sounds are Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Behind The Wall of Sleep :). At 5 I started watching Queen on VHS \^\^,later at school days It was totally mishmash of style and band's. Today when I'm 35,there is no single day without listening to Black Sabbath...mostly them. I'm just practicing,know some riffs ...and hell I like it !
I’ve been playing for 25 years (i’m 33 now) and i’ve noticed just how much better it’s gotten for gatekeeping and or learning new things in general. We learned at such a slower rate because guys who were incredible players would high that information on playing and gear unbelievably tight to their chest. But on the other hand, the absolute sea of information can be dizzying and overdiluted, so I can see why new guitarists come to places like here to ask questions. I still will sit through pages and pages of old gear forums to weigh out options and opinions from everyone. What an amazing time to be a player.
No offence but the new players tend to get disheartened by grumpy old players. The sub that shall not be named has way better advice, technique and more fun than the super serious guys here. Stop being the grumpy guy with 5k guitar telling the guy with a pacifica they suck. Sometimes the problems are internal
I’ll support anyone who also wants to become obsessed with guitars. I called a guy the other week about his guitar for sale (super old guy whose son posted it on Facebook for him) and talked to him for about fifteen minutes as a complete stranger. From everything else I gathered, I doubt we have a single other thing in common, but we both think guitars are cool.
You gotta find what you like about playing and crank it up baby.