Originally Posted by: adoser93I'm an advanced pianist and know my music theory, have a good ear, etc., and while I've always wanted to pick up another instrument I'm apparently too stubborn to tolerate being incompetent at music again and have started and stopped guitar too many times to count over the past decades. I think I finally have it in me this time to give it a real try. I'm wondering if people have any advice for books, videos, general strategy on how to learn for someone who's already coming in with very solid musical knowledge and really is just looking to pick up non-obvious technical skills. I have a hard time working with learning material that's geared toward people who don't know what a chord is yet.
I'm pretty sure I can learn all the basic chords on my own and really hammer home getting used to smoothly changing on these basics. From there I'd love some advice on how to advance my technical skills beyond knowing like 10 chords.
Thanks!
If you're looking to give guitar a go, there are a couple things I think are useful. It's funny though, I've played guitar for decades and have (somewhat) started playing a little piano. The linear nature of the piano is foreign to me. Even though it totally makes sense, you get so used to the way you 'know' that when it's on a different instrument, it creates mental friction. I'd also picked up a little mandolin but there, the stringed notes are (heavy to light): G, D, A and E. So if I can think 'upside down', I can muddle my way through mandolin. Good thing I can think upside down![br][br]Anyway, a few thoughts:
(1) Since you've got a lot of theory in your basket, you understand intervals and connections between chords and notes etc. So, you've definately got a jumpstart on what most guitarists struggle with, that theory junk. I was one of them for a long time.
The tip is; as part of practicing, just find those intervals. Not as a means of playing but a mental, mapping excercise. On a keyboard, you already know the steps from a 5th, or 7th or an octave and so on, if you're on a guitar, where is that 5th/7th/Octave etc.
(2) Which leads me to number two; jump ahead and learn the scales/modes.
Even if you're not going to use them like a rockstar right away, if I were to surmise one thing from your post above, that your challenge is that; while you know you need to learn physically to play the guitar, starting with the so-called 'cowboy chords' (Gmaj, CMaj, DMaj etc) and going on from there, it's a bit like training for a the 100 yards dash for years (piano) and then they tell you that you're gonna pilot a bobsled (guitar). Yes you can run but how do you drive the thing!!
The point is that you have very useful knowledge that will translate but there is a physcial skill as well as application of known theory transposed to the guitar that creates some friction. Undertandable. It's why I suggest jumping ahead a bit just to see how the fretboard is laid out with the scales/modes you already know. It'll help you map over what you know. If you understand the notes and differences between an A Major versus an A minor chord on piano, what does that look like on guitar? (which is easy, it's the adding or removing of one finger). Stuff like that.
(3) Physical patience; the above stuff is to keep the musician in you engaged but the immutable fact is that you will still need to build the physical ability and familiarity with guitar which can only come from practice. Something you also know but it can't hurt as a reminder.
(4) Learn some chords and play some songs. Much of the above is more about the knowledge of the instrument. If you got some chords under your belt, just play some stuff. Learning songs is a very important part of building skill as a guitar. I mean, for the first number of years, songs was it for me. I started some theory understanding after playing for a few years (and I barely bothered at that!). Songs build up skill and also remove the drudgery of just learning the what and how.
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So, just my thoughts but ultimately, whatever it takes to have fun, that is your priority. It's the point of playing.
