Learning Guitar

[j-bug]

i bought a cheap classical guitar for £25 before i decided if i really wanted to play.it hardened my fingers up and gave me a base by which to compare buying a steel stringed acoustic.it also meant when i went to buy a new one i knew how to tune a guitar.when i was shopping for a new one i found some guitars where impossible for me to tune.the best way to buy a guitar is to go into a shop and try them.there will be a guitar in the shop that just feels right in your hands.

i bought a £200 steel string in August,i had been playing my cheap classical for 9 months at that pont,and it just felt like the right time to progress.

[megatron]

which part is giving you trouble on i am mine? i've been learning it too

I've got the 'a' progression at the start not to sound too terrible and the chorus is easy but I struggle with that AFCG in the verse. To be honest, I just can't play the F well yet! The rest sounds okay. My mate suggested that it's because I'm using a fat necked classical guitar so it is difficult to play the bar chords because the neck is so wide. He recommended buying an acoustic steel stringed guitar as it has a thinner neck and bar chords are easier to play. Personally, I think he was just being kind regarding my lack of ability but it's nothing a couple of years playing around won't cure

for the verse i use D, F, C, G.
but i keep the pinky down on the G note. 3rd fret of the high E string.
i could never find a good clip on youtube of ed playing it so i made sure to pay attention at ed's solo show in atlanta. lucky enough i was close enough to see and he played i am mine.
i'm not sure what it's called but he kept his pinky on the 3rd fret of the high E sting. the G note while playin a partial F and C

so it goes D

then the F type chord with the pinky
E--3--
B--1--
G--2--
D--3--
A----
E----
then the C with the pinky never movin
E--3--
B--1--
G----
D--2--
A--3--
E----
and then a G

after that the "i am mine" part he used a barred F into a regular G and then Am. i'm still workin on those barre chords as well. just takes time

[i shit and i stink]

for the verse i use D, F, C, G.
but i keep the pinky down on the G note. 3rd fret of the high E string.
i could never find a good clip on youtube of ed playing it so i made sure to pay attention at ed's solo show in atlanta. lucky enough i was close enough to see and he played i am mine.
i'm not sure what it's called but he kept his pinky on the 3rd fret of the high E sting. the G note while playin a partial F and C

so it goes D

then the F type chord with the pinky
E--3--
B--1--
G--2--
D--3--
A----
E----
then the C with the pinky never movin
E--3--
B--1--
G----
D--2--
A--3--
E----
and then a G

after that the "i am mine" part he used a barred F into a regular G and then Am. i'm still workin on those barre chords as well. just takes time

Ah, I meant to write 'D' progression and DFCG!

Thanks for that, it's easier to play and sounds better, too.

[Mattress17]

I play guitar and i am self taught. Im not the best i just look up songs i like and teach myself to play them. once you learn the basic chords alot of it is just variations. i got no idea how to read music a good website is ultimate guitar.com. good luck

[PJ73]

I'll throw in my 2 cents on http://justinguitar.com here. A couple of people mentioned it two or three pages ago and I just read about a few weeks past and so far I think it has been great! I have picked up more these past few weeks than I have either of the other numerous times I've tried to learn guitar. I'm 36 and haven't played a guitar since I was 21, and I was plain rubbish then, but his lesson plan has me improving and making actual songs and not noise.

Meanwhile, I cannot get a B7 chord to work - any advice (aside from practice, practice, practice)?

PJ73

[DeRamos]

I'll throw in my 2 cents on http://justinguitar.com here. A couple of people mentioned it two or three pages ago and I just read about a few weeks past and so far I think it has been great! I have picked up more these past few weeks than I have either of the other numerous times I've tried to learn guitar. I'm 36 and haven't played a guitar since I was 21, and I was plain rubbish then, but his lesson plan has me improving and making actual songs and not noise.

Meanwhile, I cannot get a B7 chord to work - any advice (aside from practice, practice, practice)?

PJ73

If

E--2--
B--0--
G--2--
D--1--
A--2--
E-----

(the open B7) doesn't work for you, try these barre chord versions:

E--2--
B--4--
G--2--
D--4--
A--2--
E-----

or

E--7--
B--7--
G--8--
D--7--
A--9--
E--7--

All B7 chords. I hope that provides some help (other than 'practice!' ). Cheers!

[PJ73]

I'll throw in my 2 cents on http://justinguitar.com here. A couple of people mentioned it two or three pages ago and I just read about a few weeks past and so far I think it has been great! I have picked up more these past few weeks than I have either of the other numerous times I've tried to learn guitar. I'm 36 and haven't played a guitar since I was 21, and I was plain rubbish then, but his lesson plan has me improving and making actual songs and not noise.

Meanwhile, I cannot get a B7 chord to work - any advice (aside from practice, practice, practice)?

PJ73

If

E--2--
B--0--
G--2--
D--1--
A--2--
E-----

(the open B7) doesn't work for you, try these barre chord versions:

E--2--
B--4--
G--2--
D--4--
A--2--
E-----

or

E--7--
B--7--
G--8--
D--7--
A--9--
E--7--

All B7 chords. I hope that provides some help (other than 'practice!' ). Cheers!

Thanks DeRamos! That does help - I've never had too much problem with barre chords, so I'll work with those until I get my fingers a little stronger and can move them independent of one another!

PJ73

[i_lov_it]

I've been trying to learn guitar for a while but I can never stick to it long. Recently I've started again and have been learning chords and what keys they go in, but I don't know what else I should be doing. I've been waiting on my only local guitar teacher to get a free space so I can learn, but in the interim I want to know some stuff before I do.

Just be prepared to PRACTISE "8" hours! ***E V E R Y*** SINGLE day! for 20 years!...to be as GOOD as 'MIKE'...PMSL

[Hawk Jam]

Just bought my first guitar, a cheap electric but am keen to learn. Always wanted to and at 36 years old I thought I'd better get cracking.

In a years time I want to be able to play along to the most basic PJ song, for the guru's out there am I kidding myself?

[StickmanJam]

Just bought my first guitar, a cheap electric but am keen to learn. Always wanted to and at 36 years old I thought I'd better get cracking.

In a years time I want to be able to play along to the most basic PJ song, for the guru's out there am I kidding myself?

You're not at all kidding yourself. With practice, you should be able to play the most basic of tunes sooner than later. I'd start with "Elderly Woman...."

Once you learn you G, C, and D chords, you can play the entire song and you'll feel really good about doing so, which in turn will make you want to learn and practice even more. Hope all goes well for you man!

[Hawk Jam]

Thanks Stickmanjam, I've gone down the TAB path. I read somewhere it was easier and quicker to learn but I should be more disciplined and learn chords also.
Anyway having fun, can play bits and pieces, so it's going well so far

[savman]

Just bought my first guitar, a cheap electric but am keen to learn. Always wanted to and at 36 years old I thought I'd better get cracking.

In a years time I want to be able to play along to the most basic PJ song, for the guru's out there am I kidding myself?

You're not at all kidding yourself. With practice, you should be able to play the most basic of tunes sooner than later. I'd start with "Elderly Woman...."

Once you learn you G, C, and D chords, you can play the entire song and you'll feel really good about doing so, which in turn will make you want to learn and practice even more. Hope all goes well for you man!

Learn A too. I think there is an A7 somewhere in the chorus of Small Town

[megatron]

yea there is an A7 i believe..
but i just play the Cadd9, G for the chorus. keeps it simple. good for learning rythym

[DeRamos]

yea there is an A7 i believe..
but i just play the Cadd9, G for the chorus. keeps it simple. good for learning rythym

Just remember Ed's count of "one, two, three, FOUR, two, three..." (6/8 time). He usually counts this off before the band plays the song live. It's very waltzy.

[i shit and i stink]

yea there is an A7 i believe..
but i just play the Cadd9, G for the chorus. keeps it simple. good for learning rythym

I play...

For the most part...

D, Cadd9, G, Cadd9, G

And for the two changes... ("all these changes taking place, etc" and "I change by not changing at all, etc"

A7 and Cadd9 several times with Em at the end before going back into the basic pattern.