More dust on me than my guitar.

[Blaksmith]

Hey folks! Nice site. I haven't picked up a guitar in 20 years or so and even then I really had to work at it to make any noise that sounded remotely like music. I have found that playing is not like riding a bike and I have forgotten much. I fear my ears may be made of tin. That being said, I am going to try to learn again and enjoy, perhaps even play a few songs in time..

Not much into metal, just a simple accoustic. My fingers are a little fatter and more than a little slower than they used to be so any suggestions on getting back to it would be a big help.

Thanks in advance! I will be making frequent stops here and learning from/with you all.

[Incidents Happen]

i think what you meant to say in your title was "more dust on my guitar than on me" , right?

[Blaksmith]

Nope, the comment was a joke. I meant there is more dust on me than my guitar. An age joke.

[James8831]

nice to have another member, have a look here for suggestions to get yer dust off :)

http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=3651

[HELLion]

dude, all u need is a little more of patience an a lot of exercise... this is main degreedient in my guitar education... all comes with time!!!!

[Blaksmith]

James and HELLion

Thanks for the tips and the words of guidance. So it begins with basic excersises. You guys are right, I can't walk without crawling.

I appreciate the time you took to reply and I know I will learn much here, from the folks that play metal and others who don't. I know you all have tricks that will be of help. For now, I'll get to work on something simple, like scales.

I am a fan of Don Felder and hope, in time, to have the same skill he has in his little finger.

:D

[PonyOne]

I have the same issue with my hands, even though I'm only 18; my 5'4 girlfriend's fingers are longer than mine, and they're slightly thicker than a Sharpie marker... it definitely makes it more difficult, but you can get around it.

I got a grip exersizer, like the ones that people use to get a good grip for tennis or martial arts, and started using that. You can get a set of two at any sporting goods store for like $5/pair. I take it with me to work, and do about 50 squeezes per hand every half hour or so; I feel way more accurate and can play faster than I could.

Another friend has hands that are almost as small as mine, and he got a guitar with a really thin neck. I don't think this is a really good idea; I play an SG electric guitar, which has a pretty thick neck, and it helped me work my hands out a lot. I'm very good at soloing now, tohugh chords are still a trick to handle.

[PonyOne]

...sorry to double post, but this is advice I give to everyone I know who's starting out. Pick up the CD Around The Fur by the Deftones or download a few songs off it (My Own Summer, Headup, Be Quiet & Drive, MX); it's metal/hard rock, which may not be your thing, but the guitar parts are really simple. You can get the tabs online, and then jam along to the CD; most of the songs have a single-string riff, followed by a similar chord progression. It's simple but it gives you confidence when you play along and hear yourself doing the same thing you hear on the CD. There are other CD's like that out there that are probably more up your alley, but I don't know em. I learned "Headup" and "My Own Summer" about thirty minutes after getting my guitar home.

In The House of the Rising Sun by Eric Burdon & The Animals is a good one, as well.

[Lordathestrings]

Originally posted by PonyOne
...In The House of the Rising Sun by Eric Burdon & The Animals is a good one, as well. Ahhh, a title I recognise! :D

About the grip exercisers... I found one called "Gripmaster" which has an individual spring-loaded plunger for each finger. That keeps my lazy pinky from just going along for the ride while the other fingers do the work.

[James8831]

Originally posted by Blaksmith

I am a fan of Don Felder and hope, in time, to have the same skill he has in his little finger.

:D

Blaksmith- I love Felder (and Walsh's) work in The Eagles, esp in the live Video for Hotel California.


I'll have to have a go at cracking the leads in that song..............one day.