learning to play the guitar...

[isaluteyou]

no way of cheating really other than to learn barr chords just practise em 20 mins a day everyday and sure enough you will get em synched. A good trick to learn as well is that if a song is barr predominant (which is a wrist killer) is to learn monkey barrs that is you play a chord in the F position but latch your thumb over to hit the bass thus easing the pressure on your wrists.

Dont worry though most new guitarists find the F chord the stumbling block. But rest assured its comparatively easy to some chord positions. Practice makes perfect

[Knightsy Boy!]

just learn the bar chords, then you can play whatever tune, and then power chords are easier! then pentonic scale, which is real easy to start solos!

[tomcat360]

I agree with everyone saying learn barre chords. I see it as a new level of guitar, everything opens up. Then learn how to adjust them and you can make any chord you want within reason.

[isaluteyou]

then pentonic scale, which is real easy to start solos!

Well i wouldnt bother at the learning stage with scales thats something you can descide to do later on or not. Scales although usefull are not the be end all of soloing i dont know a single scale and can improv just as well as most people. The thing is scales just make it easier but if you can play 100% by ear theres no substatuting that

I agree with everyone saying learn barre chords. I see it as a new level of guitar, everything opens up. Then learn how to adjust them and you can make any chord you want within reason.

Totally with barres in place everything sorta slots into place and those funky classical structures arnt so difficult then well within reason of course

[Knightsy Boy!]

then pentonic scale, which is real easy to start solos!

Well i wouldnt bother at the learning stage with scales thats something you can descide to do later on or not. Scales although usefull are not the be end all of soloing i dont know a single scale and can improv just as well as most people. The thing is scales just make it easier but if you can play 100% by ear theres no substatuting that

But then you just make it harder for yourself, its soo much easier learning the scales, knowing where route notes are, then being able to solo up and down the neck, its no even that hard tbh and after you have the hang of it, you can solo to anything!

[jethrodog]

Practicing scales (any scales) teaches your fingers how to hit notes cleanly and evenly, and is great for someone who has just started learning to get the feel of playing single note solos, even if they aren't at that level yet.

[garbarrage]

with isalute you on this one, learning scales early on is a quick way to fall into a rut... i've seen many promising guitar players just get to grips with chords then learn a few scales and think that they can solo, when in actuality they are just running variations of scales, which is really noodling.

solos more often than not are pretty indulgent and way over-rated... learn your chords through songs, learn how to improvise ornaments within those ssongs, always to add flavour, never to show how "good" you are, and eventually you get to a point where you don't have to learn how to "solo", you just know how to do it. the added bonus is that your soloing is fluid and appropriate.

if you really want to learn the feel of playing single notes, i would suggest that "baa baa black sheep" is of way more benefit than just learning off scales by rote, as you are singing in your head as you are playing thereby connecting your fingers to your head, which is the key to all good improvisation.

anyway, before i run away with the thread, how ya gettin on thaya? glad to see you've got your teeth into something. what you working on at the moment?

[GoatRider]

if you're interested in soloing I highly recommend looking into Yngwie Malmsteen. He invented neoclassical shred guitar. He sports a perfectionist style in which every note is totally clean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H66aYu6k ... re=related

You might also want to check out his boyhood heros: Jimi Hendrix and Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple and then Rainbow

[RJD]

Uh steer clear of major boring Malmsteen who could have done with some listening to Vai and Sach.

Yes technicaly very good, souless twiddling.

[flyingvee]

Uh steer clear of major boring Malmsteen who could have done with some listening to Vai and Sach.

Yes technicaly very good, souless twiddling.

Yeah, just keep it simple

[essex sucks]

o i got a new guitar on my hol hehe

[flyingvee]

o i got a new guitar on my hol hehe

lets see some pics huh?

[GoatRider]

Uh steer clear of major boring Malmsteen who could have done with some listening to Vai and Sach.

Yes technicaly very good, souless twiddling.

I for one find Yngwie to play very passionately. Indeed, too complex for someone just learning, but definitely worth checking out to get a feel for soloing.

[essex sucks]

its nothing speical its the vintage its a small lillte guitar so i can take it places abit easyer just for jams

[garbarrage]

real nice.. what's the 12-string... thinkin of gettin one...
gone on a john butler buzz at the mo... stuff he does with one of those things... wicked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeV9N_tmTiQ

[essex sucks]

its only a cheap thing the 12 string think it was like 60 pound or so did not want to spend to much on it as i knew i would only use it evrey now and again because its only anygood for sertan(sp) songs

[flyingvee]

This may not be everyones' cuppa tea, but check when David Rawlings whacks on the capo mid-song. Cooool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7knB3VtAqY

[essex sucks]

thats not bad good good

[garbarrage]

This may not be everyones' cuppa tea, but check when David Rawlings whacks on the capo mid-song. Cooool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7knB3VtAqY

well good... very o brother were art thou

american friend got me into bluegrass years ago... actually starting to get good at flat picking. slide capo mid song a bit myself occasionally throw one off... not really that hard... paritcularly in DADGAD or open G cos you can just dtrum open strings and you're still in key.

[flyingvee]

This may not be everyones' cuppa tea, but check when David Rawlings whacks on the capo mid-song. Cooool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7knB3VtAqY

well good... very o brother were art thou

american friend got me into bluegrass years ago... actually starting to get good at flat picking. slide capo mid song a bit myself occasionally throw one off... not really that hard... paritcularly in DADGAD or open G cos you can just dtrum open strings and you're still in key.

Wasn't infering it was difficult, just appreciating his playing style