Hands question.

Hey guys, I'm pretty much as big of a beginner as you're going to find. No music experience what so ever, no clue what I am doing, and I'm probably not even the brightest guy around. (Especially when it comes to reading music)

Either way, I've purchased my first guitar. I'm very excited and I start a few lessons with a local teacher after Thanksgiving, but one thing kind of bothers me: My hands. I wouldn't say I'm uncoordinated or anything, but did your left hand feel really awkward when you first started? I can't see how my left hand is going to manage the fret board and just hop and skip all over to hit the right chords.

My hand just feels awkward and I amazed at the skill it looks like it's going to take to be able to even play an A note. I'm not discouraged, but I'm curious as to if any of you felt like it was really hard to get your chords down and hands positioned right.

I can't wait until I know what I'm doing so I can practice better and actually play something that isn't racket ;

Thanks for any help guys.

Don't worry about it. It will all come with practice, practice, and more practice. Just start slow and do it correctly. Don't get sloppy. It will get easier and your speed will increase.

I hope your instructor teaches you theory along with the guitar. It will be easier for you if you start with theory now as to tiring to learn it later.

Just curious, how old are you? I started at 13, I'm now looking at retirement.

Good lucky and stick to it!

Originally Posted by: looneytunesDon't worry about it. It will all come with practice, practice, and more practice. Just start slow and do it correctly. Don't get sloppy. It will get easier and your speed will increase.

I hope your instructor teaches you theory along with the guitar. It will be easier for you if you start with theory now as to tiring to learn it later.

Just curious, how old are you? I started at 13, I'm now looking at retirement.

Good lucky and stick to it!

Hey, thanks for the words of encouragement. I'll request that my teacher explains "theory" to me.

I'm ashamed to admit that I just turned 23. I've wanted to get involved with a guitar for a while now, but all throughout school it was either sports or work in the offseason. I feel way behind now that I'm starting kind of late in life, so that could be why I'm so anxious to learn fast. ;)

Okay....... You just purchased your first guitar correct? That means you've been playing for about a week or so... Yeah it'll probably be awkward for like the first few months, unless you practice for a few hours a day. Playing the guitar is not just some "hobby" like playing video games, it requires hard work and tons of skill to be able to play well. It seems like your perception of the time that learning an instrument takes is a little skewed. Find an instructor in your area that plays your style of music, and is also a good guitar player and good teacher (very hard to find). Then once you do that, practice whenever you have spare time. You should be learning simple songs in no time. I have been playing around 5 years now, and I'm just now considering myself "good". Playing guitar (or any instrument for that matter) takes an incredible amount of commitment and skill. After a few months of practice, you won't feel that awkwardness anymore.

By the way, stick with it, and rock on. Remember that it's all about having fun.

when i first started playing i felt like a duck in water. my fingers just found the chords and all the strings and i was away at the speed of light.

I WISH

at first its very uncomfortable to play. you fingers are going to burn for the first few weeks but the mucles and skin. after you start to get callousis on your finger it will start to go away. the get your left hard around the idea of playing when your just sitting around keep your palm up. as for your right hand if your using a pick (most people do) remember its a small paint brush not a fire poker. you not need to bang on the strings just tap them.

heres a little tid bit for you.
the first time you used a computer did you sit there with open finger trying to find all the letters? pecking your way to 3 words a minute? now i bet you can type ok right? might not even need to look at your fingers while you type?

same goes for your axe. its gonna take time but it will be time well spent.

Thanks to you two above for all of the great advice. It's great to know I can always come here and get so many quick, intelligent responses. My only regret is not doing this many years ago.

I can't imagine how good it's going to feel when I nail my first "simple song" or even get semi-comfortable with my guitar.

This particular quote stuck out to me because it's so true.

Originally Posted by: BrokenJera
the first time you used a computer did you sit there with open finger trying to find all the letters? pecking your way to 3 words a minute? now i bet you can type ok right? might not even need to look at your fingers while you type?

That is EXACTLY how I was when I started using computers, and now it's like night and day. You guys are great.

These gentle men are absolutely correct, however, I would not start out practicing 2 hrs. a day. You will probably want to practice all night, but if I were you I would break into casually. Practice maybe 15 mins a day starting the first week. If you are suffering Guitarise and can't help yourself, practice 15 mins. twice a day. Like one session in the afternoon and the 2nd session later in the evening. If you try to do too much to soon, you will be so sore that you will not be able to play correctly and playing correctly is a must.

After the first week, add another 5mins., the third week add 10mins., the forth week add 15mins, and so on and on. Your goal is to practice 2 hrs. a day. It will be boring at first, because it's the same thing over and over, but after you build up your calliousises (Spelling ???) and finger muscles and start playing songs, you will get more and more excited and practicing will go easier.

Don't miss a day if it can be helped. It's important you practice every day even if only for your orginally 15 mins.

Also, I would try to get an instructor who teaches all kinds of music. A good instructor just doesn't teach one type. You may enjoy listening to one kind of music, but when you start playing and are exposed to different types from the playing end, you may find you like something better or just as well. A good guitarist can play anything. Don't limit yourself. Also, if you start playing gigs your customer may prefer different music or atleast to throw in his favorite song, etc.

Mr. Sasuke199 is correct. A good instructor is hard to find. If your instructor isn't doing the job, you can always find another. There are a lot of them out there, but there are a lot more that are not so good. As Mr. Sasuke199 implied, a good guitarist may not be a good instructor. You need one that is both.

Don't worry about starting at age 23, as if that was old. Man! To be 23 again. Anyway, the best time to start is now!

Good Luck!

Think about it this way. Your hands haven't really been doing anything other than opening and closing for 23 years. Your going to have to teach them how to move in ways that they never had to before. Its like learning how to walk. At first it feels awkward, then your muscle memory starts to build up, and it becomes second nature.

...and don't be concerned about starting at 23, I started 2 years ago and I'm 49. I always wanted to play and just figured thats it's never too late. I have also just started lessons 3 weeks ago to fine tune what I've already learned and also correct anything I was doing wrong, plus start learning more advanced stuff as far as theory goes. Take your time, practice everyday and have a lot of patience and you will get there, if i can do it you can too.

Rock on

http://www.soundclick.com/tzer

I started guitar a year ago when I was 26 and couldn't play a thing, it took me ages to get the finger position for a simple E chord, i had to look and think about what I was doing.

This lasted for a few weeks and it seemed like a useless task but I stuck at it and after a while that E chord came pretty easy and I have never been happier guitar wise.

A good thing to do is to ask for a simple song to learn, something like Wild Thing, even if you hate the song it's amazing how good it feels to play something you recognise instead of just hitting random chords.

Also keep at it, I remember the first time I had to try a barre chord, my fingers would not physically stretch that far apart without my forcing them into place with my right hand but again after time it got easier and almost second nature.

The start is the hardest part of learning the guitar, the more you know the easier it becomes and the quicker you will learn new techniques and skills.

Thanks for the good advice and encouragement. I'm starting lessons soon, so I'll definitely keep in touch.

Wow, this thread should be required reading for Absolute Beginners.

I just decided to learn about 2 weeks ago and I had almost convinced myself that there's something wrong with my left hand...I can barely reach across 3 frets with 3 fingers, never mind the strings. I don't even want to talk about my pinky.

I'm relieved to know this is (hopefully) something that can be overcome with continued practice and patience.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by: ross.cWow, this thread should be required reading for Absolute Beginners.

I just decided to learn about 2 weeks ago and I had almost convinced myself that there's something wrong with my left hand...I can barely reach across 3 frets with 3 fingers, never mind the strings. I don't even want to talk about my pinky.

I'm relieved to know this is (hopefully) something that can be overcome with continued practice and patience.

Thanks.

Absolutely! And do the exercises that are most challenging. Exercises that make you spread those fingers and force you to use that pinky. Just keep at it!

there is a whole series of thing you can do to get your fingers in shape. one to to play scales constantly and another is to start on the fith fert with you 1st finger and then play the 6th fret with your 2nd finger (but keep your first finger on the fifth fret) then move up one fret at a time (keep your frist finger on the fifth fret and play the 7th fret with you second finger) keep going up till you cant reach any more, then repeat with your 3rd finger, then the fourth finger. if you combine this with alternate picking (picking up and down not just down) and moving or even skipping strings youll see a boost fairly quickly. another way is to play thrills (rapid series of hammer-on and pull-offs) with all your fingers while watch tv. remeber to use the same method i said in the second example and STOP IF IT HURTS. if you feel any pain other then muscle soreness stop playing for a day and see if it goes away. if it doesnt see a doctor. the carpal tunner (not syndrome) where the radial nerve enters the hand (or is it the ulnar nerve) is very narrow and swelling can cause perinamte damage to your fingers or hand. just a little bit of caution.

sorry for the double post but i forgot to add this:

||-------------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------|
||--5--6-------5--7---5---8-----5---9-------------|
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
||-------------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------|
||-------------------------------------------------|
||--5h6p5-----5h7p5-------5h8p5------5h9p5------|
1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1

on the first one go as far as you can reach with one finger the use the next finger then the next. also play this on different strings up and down the fret board. practice this until you can reach as high as you want as easily as possible. the numbers below the tab are supposed to be the fingering but they dont line up right.

on the second the same as i said above aplies but a thrill is a rapid series not just one so hammoer-on pull-off a bunch fo times per 5h6p5. this will help build strength adn callouses on your fingers.

I am not a guitar player yet, but after holding one, I found out I play the guitar left-handed (which is weird because I do everything else right-handed.) Where can I get a cheap ELECTRIC guitar for leftys?

That is one of the beauties of guitar playing. It is the challenge. You will see that even after 10 years of playing, there will be things that you will see and think, "wow, I don't think I will ever be able to do that." Yet, trust me. ON the guitar, if you give it time and practice, anything is possible. After the impossible has been done, you can just go and find another goal. YET, the most wonderful thing is..... the goals will never end. That is the beauty of it.