Learn to play Electric Guitar.

[Dave Lehnert]

Sometime in the future I would like to BUILD an Electric Guitar. But first I would like to learn how to play.

Any recommendation on a self help way to play? I have found many videos, games. apps etc but have no idea what one is good. I have no experience playing a musical instrument at all.

The local vocational school has beginners class in the fall I may invest in but would first like to gt my feet wet on line.

[Jim Tobias]

Dave,
I was in your exact situation a few years back. I had retired and had always wanted to learn to play the guitar. My kids and wife gave me a electric guitar for my birthday. I thought I could maybe learn on my own, but after trying that for a year(books, web, youtube, etc), my wife gave me lessons(once a week for 3 months) with a young man( mid 20's). I learned more in 2 lessons than I had learned in a year on my own. I would say it's similar to woodworking, an experienced woodworker can teach you things that you won't learn from a book as easily.
Anyway, I am still a novice, but can play enough riffs/rythms, etc to enjoy it.
my recommendation is find a good teacher and take a few lessons. If you are like me, you don't need to read music and understand all music theory, you want to play some things that you can recognize.

Jim

[Jim Koepke]

+1 on getting "live" lessons. A good teacher will have you do some exercises to not only learn the strings, their note and cord changes but to also strengthen your fingers.

I didn't take classes long enough to read music, just learned how to make cords and some finger pickin'.

jtk

[Prashun Patel]

Definitely pay for live lessons. some online resources that I like once you gain some level of ease with basic chords are:

Justin guitar
Jamplay

I also am interested long term in building a guitar.

[Stan Calow]

It can de done on your own, from books and/or videos. However, lessons will make it much easier and faster to learn the basics. Strongly recommend private lessons, versus a class. A class will slow you down because it can only go as fast as the slowest person. Part of the learning is about the operation of the guitar, amp settings, and especially tuning your ear, so that you know when the sound is not right. A good teacher will be a shortcut to it.

[John K Jordan]

Dave,

I play piano, guitar, french horn, trumpet, etc. and have dabbled in mandolin, string bass, ukulele, harmonica, and even a bit of musical saw. (My wife threatened divorce.) I'm not even close to being a "professional" but I started on piano, guitar and some others almost 60 years ago and I've played in churches, for weddings, small bands, and casual gatherings, mostly for fun. I mostly like classical and improvisational hymn playing with a touch of the blues and enjoy creating arrangements. I have played electric guitar but prefer finger picking on a classical. I have a son who is quite good on the cello. My Lovely Bride started piano lessons at age 66 and is advancing nicely. All this is only to indicate I have some level of experience.

Over the years I have watched and listened to many people start and work on learning an instrument.

While I am self taught in several fields and have even made and retired from a career based on a couple, for music I very strongly recommend starting with an instructor. One observation is universal: people who approach learning to play an instrument without a teacher usually don't do well and often don't stick with it. That's not saying you can't, but it takes a special level of determination, self control, and a good ear for timing and intonation. You can certainly learn the fingering and notes from books and videos but those can't listen to you play, judge your progress, correct mistakes in timing and dynamics, suggest exercises and pieces to strengthen your weaknesses and build on your strengths, and provide motivation.

People who are self-taught often seem to get off to a good start but quickly reach a plateau and have trouble advancing further. Many get frustrated or lose interest and give up. Some stick with it and are happy with reaching a lower level of expertise which is fine. But I believe starting from scratch with lessons is well worth it. If situation or interest doesn't warrant long term lessons, even a few lessons or better, a few months would far better than none.

I found it is easy to get started with any instrument, but hard to excel! My piano teacher used to say "Everything's easy once you know how." I always thought, yeah, right, everything except piano! - probably the hardest thing I've ever attempted in my life. (For me guitar was far, far, easier. Even the french horn was easier...)

All that said, I would NEVER discourage someone from starting even if it is without a teacher. Life making any kind of music is far better than life making none! However you approach it, good for you!

And that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. :)

JKJ

[Dave Lehnert]

Definitely pay for live lessons. some online resources that I like once you gain some level of ease with basic chords are:

Justin guitar
Jamplay

I also am interested long term in building a guitar.



Thanks everyone for the info.

The Justin Guitar web site looks good. But already dislike the TAKE IT TO THE MUSIC STORE comments adjusting the action etc... Want to learn that stuff too. Maybe more than how to play. :)

[Ted Calver]

I've taken live lessons and done the on-line thing too. I found it easier to learn from Jamplay than my instructors, with the primary reason being convenience and repeatability. At a time of my choosing and without having to get in the car and buck traffic, I can loop Jamplay lessons or parts of lessons and just keep doing them over and over until I get it. This method works for me. The site offers some excellent lessons on theory that helped gel all the things the instructors were telling me.

As a footnote, I used a national chain music store for lessons and they used local instructors. I had two. One of them was an excellent guitarist, but spent at least half of the lesson time hand writing chords and practice pieces on yellow legal paper while I played around doing scales. The other guy showed up stoned more than once and was barely coherent. After that, I gave up on lessons and joined Jamplay.

[Dave Lehnert]

I've taken live lessons and done the on-line thing too. I found it easier to learn from Jamplay than my instructors, with the primary reason being convenience and repeatability. At a time of my choosing and without having to get in the car and buck traffic, I can loop Jamplay lessons or parts of lessons and just keep doing them over and over until I get it. This method works for me. The site offers some excellent lessons on theory that helped gel all the things the instructors were telling me.

As a footnote, I used a national chain music store for lessons and they used local instructors. I had two. One of them was an excellent guitarist, but spent at least half of the lesson time hand writing chords and practice pieces on yellow legal paper while I played around doing scales. The other guy showed up stoned more than once and was barely coherent. After that, I gave up on lessons and joined Jamplay.




I was looking over the Jamplay site. I did not see any info on cost. Only Sign up for free lessons.

What does it end up costing?

[Jim Becker]

I'm a multi-instrumentalist, albeit primarily keyboards. My advice for learning guitar would be a combination of lessons and self-study/experimentation. Pick up a reasonably priced acoustic guitar to use for that as well as to be able to play literally anywhere. You don't need the expensive of electric out of the gate as learning the fretboard, pick/strum and reading music can and should come first. Although I never took formal lessons, myself, having that acoustic guitar was definitely a "gateway drug" to playing electric guitar and bass later on. I actually still have that same acoustic instrument that I bought for a song in the late 1990s.

[Mike Cutler]

Thanks everyone for the info.

The Justin Guitar web site looks good. But already dislike the TAKE IT TO THE MUSIC STORE comments adjusting the action etc... Want to learn that stuff too. Maybe more than how to play. :)

Dave

As others have stated, take lessons to learn. You should get an acoustic, or be willing to invest in a nice amplified headset setup for an electric, if you want to start straight away on an electric.
I have both taken them and given lessons in my life. The hardest part is finding a teacher that is adept in the style of guitar you wish to play. I had zippo interest in learning rock riffs and power chord progressions as a younger person. My interest was in jazz and fusion. I had a very difficult time finding teachers that could teach, play, and read, the modes and arpeggios necessary for jazz and fusion.

The above statement should not turn you off, it's actually good advice for most people. The equipment required to set the action, and intonation, of a neck can be a bit pricey to just "have around". If that is where your interest lies though, and you're willing to invest in the equipment necessary, than I say go for it.

[William Adams]

Rocksmith is supposed to be a very good way to encourage and reinforce practicing --- bought a copy a while back, now need to get it loaded on my new tablet, buy a Realtone cable, and get a guitar.

[Ted Calver]

I was looking over the Jamplay site. I did not see any info on cost. Only Sign up for free lessons.

What does it end up costing?

Dave,
IIRC it's something on the order of$125/year. There is a coupon for a cheap membership on the site now.

[John K Jordan]

...I actually still have that same acoustic instrument that I bought for a song in the late 1990s.

Me too! I bought a yamaha classical acoustic in the '70s and still use it today. (Well, not literally today - I need to replace my D string. :)) I've had steel string acoustics, a 12 string, and electric but I always liked the softer sound of the classical, especially after I learned the Travis style of finger picking. I mostly prefer the "old" folk music, Arlo's Alice's Restaurant, Bob Dylan, Peter/Paul/Mary, etc. I recently got one of those neck harmonica holders (to use with the piano) and want to try it with the guitar too!

What you said about being able take the acoustic and play anywhere is so true, even if it's not a Martin.

BTW, I believe you know Ellis Walentine up the road from you, right? I was quite impressed by his guitar playing and singing. I want to buy his recordings if he ever makes some - he told me he knows the words and music to probably 1000 songs! Yikes.

JKJ

[Jim Becker]

Yes, I know Ellis, although I haven't seen him for a number of years...I think we talked about that awhile back around the idea of you visiting here next time you visit with him. :)

My original acoustic is a "really cheap" classical guitar. It's still kicking, although hard to keep in tune. I'm going to be putting my electric up for sale one of these days...a Kramer with the aluminum "horseshoe" neck. Amazing instrument, but major-heavy. :)

[John K Jordan]

Yes, I know Ellis, although I haven't seen him for a number of years...I think we talked about that awhile back around the idea of you visiting here next time you visit with him. :)

My original acoustic is a "really cheap" classical guitar. It's still kicking, although hard to keep in tune. I'm going to be putting my electric up for sale one of these days...a Kramer with the aluminum "horseshoe" neck. Amazing instrument, but major-heavy. :)

Ellis is in Canada now, his place up for sale, so unless you move to Canada I may have to plan a trip just to visit you. :)

Further off topic: Will you get any honey this year? I pulled 10 supers on Thursday and started extracting today. Hot, hot, hot here - way too hot for working in a bee suit in the sun! Got about 13 gallons from about 1/2 the frames and might get another 8 or 10 from the rest - some supers were only partially filled.

And even further OT: Finally, a bee building! The guy I get hay from called and told me about a portable building in a field where he cuts hay. Good price, I had it moved to a flat graveled area about 150' from my bee hives and plan to use it to store bee supplies, tools, and supers and maybe even to process honey. It's 10'x20', very well built, two windows and a double door. The guy selling it had insulated the walls and ceiling and paneled the inside. I put it a few feet from where I had already run power and water so I can have lights and hopefully air conditioning. No more handing supers down the ladder from the barn loft and traveling 1/4 mile back to the shop to get that smoker I forgot!

364356

JKJ

[Greg Peterson]

Adjusting the action and other configurations on an electrick guitar are not difficult, but does require a fundamental understanding of how to play the guitar.
String gauge, action, intonation, type of music, pick, finger style.... are all variable to account for in setting up a guitar.
You might be best served having someone setup your guitar. From there, you can 'edit' the configuration.
High action isn't a bad thing neccasarily.

[Jim Becker]

John, we're extracting our first frames of honey this afternoon. There will be more, but capping is going slow this year due to the excessive humidity. :) Nice bee building. :) The Professor uses our front porch for that now and we have storage shelves in the garage for more stuff. LOL