begginer - chords

[An.Kn]

hi, im new to guitar and new to these forums.

I dont have a teacher, but my dads friend has given me a few chords to learn, and i am struggling. I have got the A chord so that i can get into position in around 15 seconds, but the others (E,C,D,G) are proving a struggle. I havent tried the G yet as my dads friend copied it wrong, but the others just seem to hard. I also have rather long, thin fingers wich i imagine would help.

any help would be appreciated

thanks, An.Kn

[crazyguy]

Sorry, man, but at this point you need some practice before you even consider playing a guitar. The chords will probably fall into place within a week or two, but there will still be a lot to learn. Depending on how serious you are (and $, obviously) I'd advise you to get an accoustic or classical guitar to start with. They tend to develop good habbits, like propper picking and left wrist position, rather than overdistorted wimpy picking and cramped left hand choking the guitar. The right hand rhythm work, as well.

P.S. Long fingers do help.

[hammetthead13]

hey there, welcome. don't despair on those chords. i remember wen i began learning guitar. i thought these chords were impossible to play on the nylon string acoustic i was learning on. so i quit 4 2 years. BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE SO FAR!!! seriously, don't give up. regular practice will make perfect. jus keep playing the 'D' chord at a steady, n slow count of 4. then switch to the 'A' chord then back to the 'D' all in the same timing. this will build up your finger strength. jus keep adding and alternating these chords and keep adding more. but do not give up unless u really want 2

[An.Kn]

thanks, i was told it is just the same learning on an electric as on acoustic, and seen as i only just got an electric it would be silly to go out and buy another guitar, and how can i practice before even playing the guitar. i would keep switching if i could do the chords, but it takes me a while just to get my fingers in the positions, so i cant see how could do that, though thanks for the positive feedback, it is much appreciated.

[Dr_simon]

Check out these tutorials:

http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=8505&s_id=79

[hammetthead13]

thanks, i was told it is just the same learning on an electric as on acoustic, and seen as i only just got an electric it would be silly to go out and buy another guitar, and how can i practice before even playing the guitar. i would keep switching if i could do the chords, but it takes me a while just to get my fingers in the positions, so i cant see how could do that, though thanks for the positive feedback, it is much appreciated.

learning on a nylon string acoustic does get u in to good habits. the idea of the chord switch is to do it in your own time, count slowly, and it will gradually build up.

[An.Kn]

my biggest problem is stretching my fingers to the frets, as when i try they seem to take on a mind of their own

[hammetthead13]

my biggest problem is stretching my fingers to the frets, as when i try they seem to take on a mind of their own

In that case, slowly put your fingers on whatever frets u want 2 play, and hold the same chord down and strum it for a while. then remove your hand and try to play the chord again.

[An.Kn]

thanks hammetthead, i realy appreciate all the help you are trying to give to me, especially seen as you dont need to because you are out of this stage and can play.

thanks to everybody else aswell, your help is greatly appreciated

[hammetthead13]

hey don't worry about it. it's important for you as a begginer to ask questions and get the most out of more experienced players as you can. fortunately you found this site, so you can ask as many questions as you like, and your more than likely to get a variety of good answers. feel free to ask as many questions as you like, make the most of it.

Good luck with all your guitar playing!! :D

[crazyguy]

Transition is the purpose of knowledge. :confused: (i.e. Good luck!)

[hammetthead13]

oh, btw, if you can manage to find a reasonably priced nylon string acoustic, then buy it. learning on an electric can be difficult, though it is not impossible. but, the neck of an electric guitar is a lot smaller for your hand to grab hold at this stage in your playing. a nylon string acoustic has a bigger neck, allowing you to grab hold of the chords a lot easier. this will also prevent your fingers from going ' all over the place' as well as increasing your finger strength.

[An.Kn]

how can i tell if it is nylon stringed, or is that usualy the case with acoustics that they are nylon stringed

[hammetthead13]

you can tell it's a nylon string as the g, b, and e string, the 3 thinnest strings look as if they are see through, kinda like a clear plastic as opposed to the metal steel strings of other acoustics

[An.Kn]

yes i thougt that would be the case, i would also like to know what a reasonable price is for an acoustic left handed, just in case i decide to buy one, though i feel it would be upseting to my parents who bought the electric for me for most likely an expensive price

[hammetthead13]

depending on where you are, the price may vary. i got an acoustic guitar when i strated for £5 but a reasonable price wud be sumthing like
£20-30 seeing as you are jus starting off. and don't worry bout not using the electric to begin with, as with a little practice, you'll soon be jamming away on it. as i said in an earlier post, it is not impossible to learn on an electric guitar, it jus takes a little more time and effort, that's why i reccomended the nylon string acoustic

[An.Kn]

£5 sounds right up my street, but ebays cheapest is 40 quid and its still got over a day to go. Is there any online shops that u suggest might have cheap ones, or am i going to need to scour the carboot sales for something cheaper

thanks again for the support

[hammetthead13]

don't worry bout the help, thats what we're here for!!

the carboot sales sounds a good place to search for one, as they usually do go cheap. i'm not to sure about places online to look for but if any of your friends have one, or if there is anyone u kno that has a guitar teacher, ask them. even if it is only to borrow it.

[An.Kn]

how long would you expect i would need an acoustic before i move on to my electric. also is there no way i could put nylon strings onto my electric, or would that be way to complex or impossible

[hammetthead13]

putting nylon strings on an electric guitar is a nice idea, but it is impossible. a nylon string acoustic has a bigger neck which makes chord changes easier for begginers.

and i would say once your are comfortable playing and changing chords on an acoustic, then try them on your electric.

[guitarkim5588]

thats so weird, because when i first bought my acoustic everyone told me it was better to learn on an electric. i just couldn't afford an electric ( i was making minmum wage *tear* ) and people here say it is better to learn on an acoustic..hmmmm

[hammetthead13]

the reason why i say, or i recommend learning on an acoustic guitar is because:

1. helps begginers with how to grip and hold chords
2. builds finger strength
3. bulids calices
4. it gets the begginer in to correct positioning of the right hand, as well as the handling of the guitar
5.helps with alternate picking for begginers as the distance between the strings is greater.

i do recommend it, but i wouldn't say it's the only way. i learnt on both, but i relied on my acoustic slighty more when learning chords and picking patterns

[An.Kn]

thanks, im looking to get an acoustic from a second hand shop ASAP and for my birthday in a few days im getting guitar lessons so i should improve in no time.
Thanks for all your help with my problems
An.Kn

[hammetthead13]

well enjoy your birthday :D and good luck with your guitar lessons!!!

[juggernaut]

Hey AKAN. I'm not a pro or anything far from it. Heck you are prob way better then me if you are working on cords. I just started playing 3 days ago. But what I can tell you from 20 years of playing drums is that anything worth having is hard. I to have tried to swtich cords and just cant do it yet. But that dont mean I will not be able to. It just takes time. When you get mad just stop for a few minutes and go back the next day. You dont have to be the best in 3 months. In fact there will always be someone better but dont quit. My drumming experiance has shown me that. Alot of people think drumming is easy but imagine someone telling you "take your left foot and do this, now at the same time take your right foot and do this, oh yeah now take your right hand and do this, and then your left doing this. All at the once and with differant timing." It can really make your brain go nuts. But then you keep trying and one day it just happens, and you have this feeling in your body that you know you did it right or at least you are close and its feeling that drives you to play more and more. Good luck and don't quit I'm sure in a little while you will be asking how to play that super complicated solo or something.

[hammetthead13]

.Good luck and don't quit I'm sure in a little while you will be asking how to play that super complicated solo or something.

that's exactly the point. after a little practice your progression as a guitarist will be everlasting and very noticable. keep at it!!

[An.Kn]

i dont think there is an awful lot that comes before chords, and seen as my guitar looks as if it cost somewhere in the region of £150-£200 i never really thougt i would quit, i was just having trouble, and iv never played an instrument before, so i couldnt anticipate anything like it. The closest thing i can imagine to it is learning to play footy? Probably nothing even close, but thats the only thing i can think of that i have done over such a long period and kept progressing at, until i am near the top of the ladder and can do the best that my body will allow me, which has carried me to a high level in the sport. I suppose thats sort of how it is in guitar, but i wouldnt know, as i am only on the very first rung of the ladder.
thanks for your support and advice all the same

An.Kn

[hammetthead13]

guitar is like sport. the more u practice, the quicker you'll progress

[werkinclashero]

I remember when I first began playing. It was on bass though and after doing that for a while I switched to guitar pretty easily. You should get some bass tabs and practice them on your guitar to kinda get your fingers coordinated with the strings and frets. Hope it helps and good luck, dont give up, this is something we've all had to endure. :)

[DagenhamGeoff]

Hiya folks, I`m a total newbie (whatever one of those is) to guitar playing, bought my first guitar approx. 9 days ago, put in only 30 minutes of practise a day (married 3 kids = no time) bought a blinding chord book from Amazon...have now learnt all the "basic" chords and I`ve even found chord progression getting easier.......so in ending, my advice to all newbies....practise, practise and practise, be patient, don`t mock yourself if you stuff up a few times, and try recording your "lessons"...after a week or so play back the recording and you`ll see that you HAVE progressed. No one can be a Steve Vai or good ole boy Zakk overnight so KEEP PLAYING and ENJOY!!!

[Nathan Hill]

hi, im new to guitar and new to these forums.

I dont have a teacher, but my dads friend has given me a few chords to learn, and i am struggling. I have got the A chord so that i can get into position in around 15 seconds, but the others (E,C,D,G) are proving a struggle. I havent tried the G yet as my dads friend copied it wrong, but the others just seem to hard. I also have rather long, thin fingers wich i imagine would help.

any help would be appreciated

thanks, An.Kn

Hi An,

I'm new to playing the guitar also. But recently I bought a music book from a guy named "Alfred's Max". Apparently he teaches Guitar, Bass, Keyboard, and Drums. You can find his book in just about any place that sells musical instruments. The book cost only $14.95 and it comes with a video but in my opinion, you can't beat this price with a stick. I've been playing now for just about a week and it shows you (through a video) how to hold your hands, strum a few notes, and YES even how to play chords. And I'm only a 3rd of the way through it (I'm trying to just focus on getting better with the A Natural scale before I move on).

What I like about it most is that it seems to be designed for people (like myself) who doesn't know a "string" from a "fret". I knew absolutely NOTHING when I began and now I can play a the "A Natural Minor Scale" using 3 strings (G, D, and A) I can even read music a little, at least the basic scale anyway. I've also learned how to play the "D Minor Blues" using 2 strings (G and D).

Everything I've learned so far I've learned from this book so give it a try. I think you'll like it. And let me know what you think if you do decide to purchase it.

Have fun!

Here's a link to the book: http://www.yourmusicshop.com/v/VHS/

[Tiddles]

The advantage of prcaticing on an electric guitar, is that you can unplug it, and it becomes very quite. This means that you can do physical practice (building up muscles and improving coordination) whilst watching telly. It might sound stupid,but when you sat watching telly, have your guitar with you, and rather than trying to actually play anything, just hold it properly, practice putting your fingers on different frets, one at a time at first, then maybe try changing chords. do it as slowly as you need (a minute at a time if you need to) but just keep doing it.
By the time you've finished watching Emmerdale or whatever - 30 mins practice!. I got into the habit of having my guitar with me when watching telly, and I was clocking up anywhere up to 2 hours practice a day without even noticing!!

Taping yourself once a week is a good idea too - and as early as you can, get yourself a metronome to practice with.
Good luck!!!!

[Pantallica1]

The advantage of prcaticing on an electric guitar, is that you can unplug it, and it becomes very quite. This means that you can do physical practice (building up muscles and improving coordination) whilst watching telly. It might sound stupid,but when you sat watching telly, have your guitar with you, and rather than trying to actually play anything, just hold it properly, practice putting your fingers on different frets, one at a time at first, then maybe try changing chords. do it as slowly as you need (a minute at a time if you need to) but just keep doing it.
By the time you've finished watching Emmerdale or whatever - 30 mins practice!. I got into the habit of having my guitar with me when watching telly, and I was clocking up anywhere up to 2 hours practice a day without even noticing!!

Taping yourself once a week is a good idea too - and as early as you can, get yourself a metronome to practice with.
Good luck!!!!

This is actually a very good idea.

First off, you don't need an acoustic. If you are just learning, there's no point in going out and buying an acoustic just because someone says it's easier.

I learned on an electric guitar, later bought an acoustic and there's not much difference.

Just take your time. When you first start doing anything, it's hard to do. Learning to play the guitar is a study and it takes time and practice to get better. Chords can be tricky at first, but with time, you'll be able to switch between them like nothing.

Sitting in front of the TV with the guitar is a great idea for any level player.

What happens is this: Your brain is telling your fingers to move. You are actually thinking about moving your fingers. Well guess what, when you think about moving your fingers, it's a lot harder to do. Sitting in front of the TV builds on your subconscious mind. Meaning that you start doing things without thinking about them. They become natural. This is a reason you'll see a lot of people on this board saying "I'm stuck in a rut."

The reason they get stuck in a rut is from playing the same things over and over. Eventually your subconscious mind takes over and thats all they want to do, play the same licks over and over again. Do you think when people change chords while playing a song, they have to stop and think about where there fingers have to go? No, they do it subconsciously.

Just remember this, if guitar was easy, there'd be a lot more Steve Vai's and Joe Satriani's walking around. There's not. These people have devoted a lot of time to playing the guitar and mastering it.

You're only going to get out of your playing what you put in.

My advice is play your guitar everyday. Don't play 2 hours one day, 15 minutes the next day, 4 hours the following day, and 5 minutes the final day. You need to set aside an even amount of time. Practicing 30 minutes a day is better than doing 2 hours and then 20 minutes.

Perfect practice makes perfect. Don't cheat yourself. If you aren't doing it right, stop and start over until you are playing the chord correctly, and all notes ring out that are supposed to.

Stick with it man, in a month you'll be looking back saying, man I can't even believe I asked that.

I hope that helps.

[CW14]

Finger tension is something to look out for when learning chords. It doesn't take much pressure to fret the notes so pressing too hard can slow you down. Read some of the info on this site: www.guitarprinciples.com

Also, make sure you teacher is good! An incompetent teacher can impair your playing. Read here: http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6630

most importantly... enjoy!