PigLick on 4/2/2011 at 02:38
Django was indeed a freak of nature. A small suggestion, by acoustic do you mean steel-string, or a nylon string classical?(at henke) If its a steel-string acoustic, they can sometimes be quite hard to learn on, due to the heavier string gauge and (usually) higher action. As I am actually a trained guitar teacher, I often recommend to my students that an electric guitar is easier to start with a lot of the time (though usually more expensive), due to being a lot lighter to play, and generally lower action, which makes things like barre chords much easier.
Added bonus is that you have more sound variations, can use fx, and also plug into pc's and such. Anyway thats only if you are really serious about learning.
You dont sound that far into the whole thing, so no offense to demagogue, but I would forgo scales and such, and really concentrate on memorizing the basic 15 open chords, and being able to change between them without pausing. Now to a beginner that seems almost impossible, how can you change chords that quickly??
Obviously, rote memory learning is the key, simple repition over and over, just like any other skill.
However, there a some little tricks and such, mentally visualising stuff.
So here we have the basic 15 Open Chords :
E Em A Am C G D Dm F E7 A7 C7 G7 D7 B7
Now dont really worry about F and B7 at the moment, cos they are somewhat trickier in a pure physical sense than the other chords. The best way, IMO, is to learn the chords in little groups, as you will always get certain groupings of chord changes due to key signatures and such.
The song you were learning (Redemption Song) has the chords G-C, an incredibly common change. Now if we add 2 other chords that always go along with G + C in a lot of songs (due to the key), namely Em and D7 we have a grouping of 4 chords that will probly enable you to play 1000's of songs.
Now G + Em, and C + D7 both have a common note. For G+Em it is the low B on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, and C+D7 its C on the 1st fret, 2nd string. So when you change from G to Em, one finger stays on the B, and when you change from C to D7, one finger stays on the C note.
Pretty basic stuff, but this has really helped a lot of begining guitarists get playing a bit faster. Of course it also depends on the sort of music you want to play as well, but in my mind knowledge of the open chords is essential.
Aja on 4/2/2011 at 02:46
Pig makes a good point about starting on an electric. I almost gave up learning guitar initially because the steel-stringed acoustic I started out on had such high action that it was almost impossible to play.
SlyFoxx on 4/2/2011 at 03:13
Guitar is so cool. Keeps me fed and a roof over my head. This is what I began to toy with today. Finger style is not my forte, but I'm going to learn Paul Simon's fingerings these next couple of days. This is my first best guess as to the structure of the song. You Tube it. It's based off something Bach ripped off from somebody else.
Pig's list is a good one. You could play a 3 set bar gig with those fuckers! :)
American Tune - Paul Simon
[C]Many's the [F]time [C]I've [G7]been [C]mis[G]ta[E7]ken and [Am]many [E7]times con[Am]fused[C]Yes and I've [F]o[C]ften [G7]felt [C]for[G]sa[C]ken [Bdim7]and [Am]certain[E7]ly mis[Am]used[C9]Aw, but [F]I'm al[G]right, I'm [F]al[C]right, I'm just [F]wear[C]y [G]to [Ab dim7]my [Am]bones[A7][D7]Still you [G7]don't expect to be [C]bright [G7]and [D]bon vi[G]vant[C]So [F]far [C]a[G]way [E7]from [Am]home[Dm7], so [C/G]far [G6] away from [C]home
[C]And I don't know a [F]soul [C]who's [G7]not [C]been [G]bat[E7]tered. I don't have a [Am]friend that's [E7]feels at [Am]ease. I [C]don't know a [F]dream [C]that's [G7]not [C]been [G]sha[C]ttered [Bdim7]or [Am]driven [E]to it's [Am]knees[C9] . Aw, but it's [F]al[G]right, it's [F]al[C]right for we [F]lived [C]so [G]well [Ab dim7]so [Am]long[A7] [D7] Still [G7]when I think of the [C]road [G7]we're [D]travelin' [G]on. I [C]won[F]der [C]what's [G]gone [E7]wron[Am]g, I can't [Dm7]help but [C/G]wonder [G6]what's gone [C]wrong
[C] And I dreamed I was dying...I [C/G]dreamed that my [G]soul [G7]rose unex[Am]pectedly[D7/Eb]And looking back [G]down on me [F]smiled rea[C]ssuring[G]ly And I dreamed I was [C]flying....And high up a[G]bove my [G7]eyes could [Am]clearly see[D7/Eb]The Statue of [G]Liberty [F]sailing [C]away to [G]sea...And I dreamed I was [C]flying....
[C]For we come on the [F]ship [C]they [G]call [C]May[G]flower[E7]...We come on the [Am]ship that sa[E7]iled the m[Am]oon[C9]...We come in the [F]a[C]ges [G]most [C]un[G]certain [C]hours [Bdim7]and [Am]sing an A[E7]merican Tu[Am]ne[C9]...Aw, but it's [F]al[G]right, it's [F]al[C]right you can't [F]be [C]for[G]e[Ab dim7]ver [Am]blessed [A7]...[D7]Still to[G]morrow's gonna be a[C]no[G7]ther [D]working [G]day...And I'm [C]trying [F]to [G]get [E7]some [Am]rest, [Dm7] that's all I'm [C/G]trying [G6]to [G7]get some [C]rest
henke on 4/2/2011 at 11:59
Thanks for the tips demagogue, PigLick and all. :)
I'm making a belated new years resolution right now: make a habit out of practicing the chords every day. Learn how to play Redemption Song perfectly before 2012.
Quote Posted by PigLick
by acoustic do you mean steel-string, or a nylon string classical?(at henke)
It's nylon string. So certainly easier than steel. I have no intention of going electric though. I'm not that serious about it.
PigLick on 4/2/2011 at 12:31
any reason for the 2012 deadline?
henke on 4/2/2011 at 14:22
Did you not see that John Cusack movie!?
JediKorenchkin on 4/2/2011 at 15:13
I always used GuitarPro, which is a pretty similar little program, but tabs for it have gotten harder to find lately with the MPAA being douchebags and even going after tablature sites.
This site looks similar, except free and with a decent database. I'll be enjoying it more when I get home tonight, it's about time I picked up my guitar again. Thanks for the share Henke. :D
Aerothorn on 6/2/2011 at 01:06
(
http://www.songsterr.com/a/wa/song?trackPos=0&id=23255) This is single-handedly getting me back into finger-picking.
I have poor fine motor skills; this manifests primarily as dysgraphia but certainly doesn't make learning to play guitar any easier. The electric idea is definitely good, as I can't play a barre chord to save my life, though it will be a while before I can make that financial investment.
Anyway, PigLick: Thanks for the chord grouping recommendations. My main problem is that I don't practice nearly enough, but I also keep biting off more than I can chew song-wise, trying to play pseudo-complex rock songs before I learn three-chord basic stuff. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I should really focus on this rote practicing.
Thief13x on 6/2/2011 at 02:18
Quote Posted by Xorak
deathtoll, you should try playing left handed guitar. It kind of requires starting over, but you can use your right hand to do the fretwork.
A good example
(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf_i7TakXvI)
As a lefty I thought of starting over and trying to play left but it feels real akward
Also, I found that the best way to learn a tab for me is to start slow and make sure I can play it and have the proper rhythm at a slower speed before I increase it and eventually am able to play at full speed. This way I don't get discouraged and constantly see progress.
Aerothorn on 6/2/2011 at 15:23
Oh, definitely. As tempting as it is to try and play it with something approaching real-speed, it will just piss you off if you try.
