guitar players help me out and speak up

[fivespeedsteed]

so ive been on and off playing the guitar. i got a fender knockoff strat starter kit thing for my birthday once, and i messed around with it. then my uncle pulled an old nippon gakki yamaha fg360 out of a trashcan from my cousins roommates room and he gave it to me. its a little beat up but its acoustic and it playes. tuning knobs rattle some, pickguard isnt stuck down, and the bride is cracked. new strings and it plays nice, not a bad action and stuff. i enjoy it, but the only time im really motivated to play it is when i am with my friend who also plays, he has maybe 4 guitars? and he plays allot and is good. neither one of us have had any lessons. his dad taught him some stuff and he took over and started teachin me some stuff.

so my main thing, how do you stay motivated to play each day? id really like to keep it up but i cant keep it going? am i not a guitar player or do i just need to try something different?

post up pictures and stories of your guitar experience stuff if you feel like it, im just making conversation and asking for advice. i appreciate it.

 

[Rtanger84]

Well to be honest if you dont feel the drive to play it enough your not really a guitar player at heart. I got my first guitar for my birthday 10 years ago tommorrow and havent put it down since. Its taken me a long way across the country failed record deals all the way to a sweet tour with the Crue and Aerosmith. If you had the heart for it it would take you a long way.

 

[fivespeedsteed]

happy birthday and thanks for your honesty. ill just see if i get interested in it i guess. other opinions are welcome.

 

[86mustang5.oh]

this sounds stupid but if you can just sit in a room by your self and play for hours and not be bored.. and your just tryin to make something up or just playing one riff over and over then you should have the motavation to play..... or just find a band you really love and play the hell out of there music....

 

[86mustang5.oh]

and i used to have a fender knock off.... they arent bad... but there sh it to my richie sambora fender stratwith emg pick ups lol

 

[uneverkno]

I agree with Rtanger84. I got my first guitar when i was 10 and havent put them down yet. This might sound boring, but for the first 2 years, i could only play the first couple notes of the 12 bar blues. It was the only thing my dad showed me. 12 years and 9 guitars later, i still play everyday. Anything from jimi hendrix to some new stuff, might even throw a little prince in every now and then.

If you really want to learn, take some lessons, learn the theory.

 

[Darkwriter77]

I picked up a Gibson Epoch (basically a cheap-o Gibson SG) early this year and I've been fiddling and farting around with it off and on. Time is a major factor in the deal, as you can only get better by devoting lots and LOTS of time to practicing. Learn scales, learn chords and how to transition from one to another smoothly, learn to read tabs (tabs are my bestest friend), play around with different equipment to keep things fun, and don't let frustration get the better of you. Everybody sucks when they first start ... especially if you're almost 30 when you first decide to pick one up, like I did.

FWIW, the easiest song in the world to play for a beginner is "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - the whole song is only four chords and two single notes. Good luck!

 

[Ozz]

Darkwriter is right, once you get basic fingering and picking down, grab a Nirvana songbook and learn some riffs and songs. Even if you don't care for 'em. Their entire catalog is quite simplistic, easy to remember, and will give you an accomplished feel once you get to know them. Even if you learn them rough, you can remember them and play along until your timing gets better and better. After that, you can step up to more involved techniques and songs much more easily.

It's tough only at the very beginning because you have no idea what you're doing. After you get a bit of learning under your belt, you have a better idea of everything and it all makes sense. The only thing to work on from that point would be speed and accuracy.

 

[rd]

I agree that if you have to ask, you may not be sufficiently motivated.....

I tried it in the 70's, but just don't seem to have the fingers for it. Yard saled that puppy. Old Fender acoustic, but the neck was warped and it was a long way from the strings to the frets.

However, I couldn't type then, and I had to learn it to work, so maybe these old fingers could still learn.

Jimmy Buffet wrote in one of his books that he played until his fingers were bleeding when he started.

However, nothing seems to get in the way of hot rodding and making cars faster.......

 

[Strype]

I got my first guitar 12 years ago when I was 15. For the first five or so years I was off and on with it... being I'd just got my license and first mustang.

When I was about 20 or 21 I got a little more serious and I've been practicing for 30 minutes to an hour every night for 7 years. It never gets old for me.

If you have to ask how to stay motivated, you may want to pick up a bass or a set of drums. When you find something you really love you don't have to try to be motivated

Like Manson said, Nirvana is a good band to learn riffs from. Alot of bands are very simple such as Green Day, Bush and Live. Make sure you take the time to pick as well... don't become a power chord junky like me

 

[fivespeedsteed]

thanks guys keep them coming.

 

[Rtanger84]

I disagree about learning the scales and theory and all. I read an interview with slash not to long ago and he said when he learned to play guitar he never bothered with that stuff. He said on all the GNR albums he just played by the feel and emotion of it. I never learned a single friggen scale or study theory at all. I can still rip it up with the best of them. One of my big problems with all theese scales and theory and stuff is part of why metal became so glam in the 80's and everyone was ripping off eddie van halen and sayin oh i was clasically trained and that became the fad amongst guitar players it still is today. Most of the guitar players who are still known are the ones who showed origionality and did their own thing. When i play i go by feeling and put my heart into it. I dont care if im playing an E penatonic or a jazz scale. I just play by heart and if you cant play by heart then you shouldnt be playing and become sterile sounding like everybody else..

 

[Rtanger84]

FWIW, the easiest song in the world to play for a beginner is "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - the whole song is only four chords and two single notes. Good luck!

Not true there are at least 8 different chords in the song if played correctly and a solo. The easiest song in the world is Glycerine by Bush.

 

[Metalcop]

Rtanger84 X2. What he said. If you don't feel the physical need to sit down and practice for 1/2 -1 hour on a daily basis, you probably never will. You have to practice at least a 1/2 hour, 5 (or more) days a week, or you just won't see any results. I think a lot of guys have the desire inside, but get easily frustrated. The guitar is not something that you are going to see instant results on, it takes a lot of time. The more time you put in, the better you will get, and your skills will increase exponentially!

You need to decide if you have the actual desire to play and are just frustrated OR you don't really have the fire and you are just wasting your time. I have been playing for 22 (!) years now, and I never put it down, so I speak from experience.

 

[Ozz]

Pfft. Easiest song in the world is Mr. Crowley by Ozzy, including both solos.

 

[Strype]

Not true there are at least 8 different chords in the song if played correctly and a solo. The easiest song in the world is Glycerine by Bush.

First song I learned after "Losing my Religion" was "Glycerine"


Easiest song on earth is anything by Green Day or Hole

I'm rockin Puddle of Mudd today... they kick booty yo

 

[TRWXXA]

Ramones songs are the easiest -- 3 or 4 chords, tops. I was told that they would work out the songs by playing with only one string, then converted the open notes to chords.

It's nice to know that if you break 5 strings, the show can still go on.

 

[fivespeedsteed]

haha

 

[Ozz]

Misirlou was originally written to be played on one string.

 

[Lyncher]

I tried the whole guitar thing...I got an ESP LTD 202... it was a nice guitar...i took some lessons but it just wasnt my thing, so i sold it...just didnt have the passion