Learning the guitar and/or keyboard
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- omg
Any good resources to learn guitar and/or keyboard?
- VectorMasked0
I've no clue about keyboards or pianos, but been playing guitar guitar for close to 20 years.
I don't think there is a really good resource site or something you can just buy to "learn", and honestly 99% of the instructional stuff out there for guitar is useless since that 1% fits your musical preference.
Just learn the 7 basic chords and few extra ones to get you started (google "chord chart pdf"). I highly recommend buying Hal Leonard songbooks. Like lets say you want to learn all the songs to Radiohead's Kid A album... get this http://www.halleonard.com/produc…
They are probably the closest tabs out there. With these books not only do you learn the songs you want to learn, but it's great for reference showing you a lot of chords, common things like pull-offs, bending, pick scraping, harmonics, palm-muting, and you can start learning a thing or two about reading music.
Get a few of these books and you'll be playing the things you like and when you actually do that, you start unconsciously discovering and figuring out things and you'll start coming up with your own style and techniques.Do suggest you google a little about warming up exercises and pentatonic scales. Memorize and practice a few of these scales to gain a little dexterity.
- Centigrade0
Hmmm not sure but I thought guitar training was built into Garage Band?
- Centigrade0
here's more info:
http://www.apple.com/ilife/garag…
- locustsloth0
i second Vector's notion. It was easier (and somewhat cheaper) when i was learning, as magazines like Guitar World and Guitar for the Practicing Musician were out there every month with 3 or 4 songs tabbed out.
Not only does it help train you mind and fingers about the chords and techniques, it helps train your ear. You can then go on to listening to your favorite music and trying to figure out what they are playing. Soon enough you'll be recognizing patterns that are fairly ubiquitous in songwriting
- mg330
Any of you longtime guitar players ever see a question like this and take all the hundreds of hours you've spent playing for granted for just a split second? I've been playing for 20 years now and I wish every single person who wanted to do it could just do it instantly. But I guess most of the fun is the year after year after year that you work at it and devote so much time to figuring it out. I'm glad I was 14 or 15 when I started. Was lucky to be in a band in high school a couple years after I started. I mostly taught myself, being in band in junior high really helped with understanding music in general. Spent 5 years in college without a band finally learning to sing and play at the same time. At the most I have only known maybe four cover songs in this whole time.
Anyhow, here's your best resource: free time. The things that VectorMasked mentioned - practicing scales, learning techniques, trying to make things your own: do them as frequently as you can and don't stop. I don't play guitar at 34 now as much as I did when my band here in Chicago in my mid - late 20s and it was really in full swing, but it's funny how engrained everything still is - old songs, styles, etc. Playing guitar is still probably the one thing I spent the most time doing for my entire 20s. I can't wait for winter to get here; that's usually the one part of the year where I write songs the most.
- boobs0
Honestly, you'll learn and remember songs better if you work them out by ear. Start out with simple songs, and learn and play them all the way through. (Lots of people learn bits and pieces of songs, and then when it comes time to play a full song, they're fucked.)
Just put the song on in iTunes, and play it over an over, while you sit with your guitar and figure out the notes and chords.
Also, tabs are really limited, since they don't show things like how long each note is (eighth, quarter, half, etc.). It's much better to learn how to read music properly, and it isn't all that hard. I learned how to do it when I was 9 years old, so anybody with half a brain can do it.
Also, if you want to get fast, practice with a metronome. Play something slowly until you can play it accurately. Then increase the metronome speed about 10%. Learn it accurately at that speed. Keep increasing the speed until you're blazing away.
If you want to develop a unique sound, that's different from other guitarists, don't cop licks from guitar players. Take licks from horn players, clarinetists, piano players, etc. You'll sound more musical, and less "guitar cliche player," if you swipe from those other instruments.
- JackRyan0
If you have a PS3 I highly suggest Rocksmith: http://rocksmith.ubi.com/rocksmi…
Its filled with tons of instruction, "learns" your skill level, has tons of exercises. Plus playing along with songs, its like Guitar Hero, but with an actual guitar. Super fun!
- JackRyan0
I've been playing since I was 14 or so, and got it to play with my wife...she's always wanted to learn. Got to cables and she plays rhythm while I play lead.
- boobs0
There's a lot of good information on youtube. This guy on youtube is worth watching to learn a bunch of classic rock songs:
- boobs0
Also, for piano, this guy is very helpful:
- omg0
Dude, i forgot about this thread... Many, many thanks to all the inspiring posts. Now, all i need is more time so I can practice!
- doesnotexist0
learn some scales
- beav0
www.justinguitar.com - He has helped me a lot. My musical tastes aren't typical to what he plays. but the fundamental lessons are quite good (and mostly free)
- Stian0
Whenever you are watching tv, have the guitar in you lap and try to follow the songs you hear. I´m 18 years into guitar playing now, and that is the most effective way of connecting your head and hands to the guitar.
If you´ve never touched a guitar before, learn some very basic songs and play them until it begins to sound good.
On behalf of everyone that has ever worked in a guitar shop, please stay clear of Nothing else matters, Stairway to heaven etc.. :)- Very true. Add Enter Sandman and Smells like teen spirit.VectorMasked
- TheBlueOne0
I've played guitar since I was 9, so that's 33 years ol' fret grit under the fingers. There is no easy or fast way to learn but there are smarter ways.
First - plan to learn what you love. If you love folk, or metal, or blues or led zeppelin or mumford & cunt strummy bullshit or whatever..pick a couple of songs and learn to play at least their signature bits.
As for basics - get the callouses on your fingers, figure ou those first position chords. As for scales I always recommend learning the pentatonic scale up and down the fret board. You can figure out most pop/rock songs based off of that and then it's just a matter of filling in notes if you want more classical/jazz tonalities. Heck John COltrane was all about pentatonics, as was every hairy rock guy that ever strapped on a les paul. You can not go wrong with pentatonics. And their easy and your ear will definitely pick up the sounds.
And use your ear. Oh, did I mention use your ear. And sing what you play, even if you have a voice like a croaking frog (*raises hand). Music is primal, not academic. Keep it primal and fun. And get the callouses.
You'll learn more if you pay attention to the lessons in this video than any guitar specific video:
