Guitar tips for beginners

[Rosemary]

I've finally progressed from iPhone pocket guitar to a beautifully restored acoustic guitar as a first instrument!
Full of enthusiasm and motivation from seeing The Shads and Cliff last Thursday and with a week of holidays to practise I'd be very grateful for any tips for beginners.
I have a handful of books and have watched a couple of YouTube instructional videos but my immediate problem seems to be getting the notes to sound without cutting them off mainly when attempting chords. There doesn't seem to be enough room for my fingers without touching adjacent strings yet my hands aren't very big so there's obviously something very wrong with my technique. Any tips would be very welcome.
Thanks and best wishes
Rosemary

[Paul Creasey]

Hi Rosemary,
I'm "only a Drummer" - so what do I know! Anyroadup, I'll comment anyway - based on experience of my Son -Dave - for whom we bought a first Guitar MANY years ago.
I think the first point is KEEP AT IT - Dave went through many, Many, MANY periods of frustration.
Second is - DON'T LEARN IN ISOLATION - mix with other guitarists, exchange ideas, share frustrations. Your nearest Shadows Guitar Club will likely be VERY useful in this respect. Formal lessons are a possibility, but I have to say that Dave found these to be of limited value.
Third - and I know that this bit isn't always appropriate/possible - PLAY IN A BAND, even if it's just for your own enjoyment. Not everyone is going to be (or WANTS to be!) a "Rock Star", but the beauty of playing in a Band is that it happily combines points one and two.
No doubt some "proper" Guitarists will be along soon with more "hands-on" advice, but GOOD LUCK!
Regards
Paul

[Rosemary]

Thanks for the tips, Paul.
The nearest Shadows Club is a long way from us but who knows, perhaps one will start up in Brisbane after the concerts last week.
All the best
Rosemary

[Bob Dore]

The answer is slow down when you're practicing. Move your fingers very slowly at first and make sure they're going to the right place at the right time and coming off the strings when you want them to. If you don't like the way it sounds, try to work out a different way. Don't rely on other people's tabs, they may not work for you. If you want it to sound very smooth from one note to the next you can't move your hand very much. Can you finger the next 3 or four notes at once, i.e. form a chord and play the individual notes in sequence? Probably not at this stage but possibly if you take your time over it.

And finally, slow down even more. Think on it this way, if you were to play a 2 minute tune and take half an hour over it then provided you knew what the notes were you could probably make a half decent rendition of it. So do so and only speed up when it all feels comfortable and you know you're not going to make a mistake and speed up very slowly until you can play it reliably at full speed.

Whatever you do, don't start learning the guitar by putting a backing track on and trying to play it - you've got no chance. You have got to learn the individual phrases and practice them as slow as you need to to get it dead right. It can take a long time before you've mastered your first tune but when you have you'll be able to play it without messing it up provided you've been practicing properly.

Bob.

[Rosemary]

Thanks for your help, Bob.
That's encouraging news. I'm going very slowly.
best wishes
Rosemary

[Mikey]

Hi Rosemary

Well done for taking the plunge!
That's good advice from Bob, walk first and run later. What I found was the thrill of getting something right after persevering gave you such a boost that it makes you want to carry on. Think of it as building blocks - one chord becomes two, becomes three, becomes a tune. Well, in rock and roll music it usually does
One thing I would add is don't practice when you're tired.
I hope it gives you great pleasure. I'm sure it will.

[Rosemary]

Thanks Mikey.
That's so true. Even at my absolute beginner level I notice a few things seem easier the next day though I still have a long way to go before it makes a nice noise. Half the time it sounds like violin pizzicato. For some reason I do better on the lower strings. Not sure if that's just because they're not as hard on the fingers.
All the best
Rosemary

[Bill Bowley]

Rosemary,


Have you ever heard the song 'Six String Orchestra' by Harry Chapin? Great song about a struggling guitar player, a classic in my opinion that 'says it all'. Worth a listen, I think you won't feel so alone in your 'struggle' after you hear it!

Regards

[Rosemary]

Hi Bill
Thanks. Had a listen then. Good song and those sounds are very familiar. Sadly.
Best wishes
Rosemary

[Paulps]

Thanks Mikey.
That's so true. Even at my absolute beginner level I notice a few things seem easier the next day though I still have a long way to go before it makes a nice noise. Half the time it sounds like violin pizzicato. For some reason I do better on the lower strings. Not sure if that's just because they're not as hard on the fingers.
All the best
Rosemary

Hi Rosemary
The more you play, the harder the skin will get on your fingers, thus lessening the discomfort you will feel on the higher strings. Look at any guitarists fingers and the tips will feel like leather. When George harrison started to play, he would play till his fingers bled. I don't recommend that, but regular playing will toughen up your fingers. Good luck with the playing and keep it up.