I just bought a guitar today. - Page 2

ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes · June 6th, 2006

First time i've held one... I thought it would be a good thing to know how to play, I'm useless and it feels like im not going to get anywhere with it, ever...

I've been reading online lessons, I can't even grasp basic chords... can some one dumb it down for me or am I wasting my time...

ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes · #16 June 7th, 2006

lol, i just learned wonderwall by oasis... But not by reading the diagrams... Just by watching some one else play it... I still dunno what chords im playing.. lmao.

It's a start right?

Jim · #17 June 7th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes

lol, i just learned wonderwall by oasis... But not by reading the diagrams... Just by watching some one else play it... I still dunno what chords im playing.. lmao.

It's a start right?

You bet it is! Learning by observing others is how many guitarists got started. You've only just started today - if you can play ANYTHING already by ANY means, you're doing well!

Jim

ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes · #18 June 7th, 2006

Wow, the brother just threw a spanner in the works... he ****ed about with the guitar now it's completely out of tune, and im new to guitars so i can re-tune it myself...

Do i have to take it back to the store?

si16 · #19 June 7th, 2006

Click here for a guitar tuner. Click on each note and tune the relevant string on our guitar to that note.

ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes · #20 June 7th, 2006

I don't have speakers on my pc! My brother's a !@#£4$%&$£

allthumbs · #21 June 7th, 2006

You should be tuning your guitar almost every time you pick it up to play so learning to tune it yourself should be at the top of your to learn list.

ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes · #22 June 7th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by allthumbs

You should be tuning your guitar almost every time you pick it up to play so learning to tune it yourself should be at the top of your to learn list.

But i havent held a guitar before until yesterday, I dont even know what each string is supposed to sound like...

bluesguy · #23 June 7th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes

edit - any one want a guitar?

Look at the image. The letters represent the note if you strike that string without putting your fingers anywhere on the fretboard. The thickest string is E and the thinnest string is also E, just an octave higher. The numbers represent the frets on the guitar. Zero (0) is the nut - farthest away from the soundhole or pickups. So you place your fingers on the strings & frets as indicated in the picture. Then by struming those strings you will get an A Chord.

Everyone starts out where you are at. I would suggest finding a friend who plays guitar and ask them for some help.

Clancy · #24 June 7th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes

But i havent held a guitar before until yesterday, I dont even know what each string is supposed to sound like...

Most laptops come with built-in speakers, most towers don't. Simple solution, just plug some headphones into the headphone jack at the back to hear the tuner.

Clancy

ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes · #25 June 8th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clancy

Most laptops come with built-in speakers, most towers don't. Simple solution, just plug some headphones into the headphone jack at the back to hear the tuner.

Clancy

Yeah that's a good idea (based on the assumption i have head phones)

God I'm underprivelaged.

Clancy · #26 June 8th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes

Yeah that's a good idea (based on the assumption i have head phones)

God I'm underprivelaged.

You don't have a pair of headphones in the house? Well you can get a little pair of earbud type headphones for just a couple of bucks... so don't let that stop you.

Clancy

ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes · #27 June 8th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clancy

You don't have a pair of headphones in the house? Well you can get a little pair of earbud type headphones for just a couple of bucks... so don't let that stop you.

Clancy

Oh i was thinking along the lines of headphones that come with the computer...

Only headphones i have are ipod and xbox 360...

Clancy · #28 June 8th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALittleDeathAroundTheEyes

Oh i was thinking along the lines of headphones that come with the computer...

Only headphones i have are ipod and xbox 360...

Well try them out. I'm sure they'll work. I don't have an iPod or an Xbox but I would think they are just normal headphones that'll work with your computer.

Clancy

737blues · #29 June 8th, 2006

Do this to tune the guitar relative to the sixth string, that is so each string is in tune with the others.

Fret, (hold finger and press) the sixth string (the fat one) at the fifth fret and play both the sixth string and the fifth string. The two notes should sound the same, so use the tuning key to make the open fifth string sound the same as the fretted sixth string. The note should be A.

Now fret the fifth string, fifth fret and play the fourth string open. Same idea, the fourth string open should sound the same as the fifth string fretted. The note is D.

Repeat for the fourth and third strings. The note is G.

Repeat for the third and second strings except this time, use the fourth fret of the third string. This is sometimes referred to as the tuning kink and you can worry about why it happens a bit later. The note is B.

Finally, do the second and first strings but go back to using the fifth fret. The note is E. Thats it! Your guitar will now be in tune with itself and sound sweet. Remember, that does not mean it will be exactly in tune with other guitars. Obviously, if you are playing with somebody else just make sure you use the same starting note and ultimately, (so long as one of you can use this method) you can get all get in tune together.

Important note, remember this is relative tuning and ideally you would first use a, tuning fork, piano, other guitar or a just a pretty good ear to first tune the fifth string (open) to A=440cycles. That is known as concert standard and is obviously very important when playing with other instruments or against backing tracks. In the meantime, a little common sense should prevail if you are tuning only by ear. If the thinner strings are becoming too tight using this method, your starting E note is too high and you should lower it so that the top string does not end up too tight because you will break it. Your guitar will finish up being tuned to EADGBE. Notice the top and bottom strings are the same note, (E) just different octaves. In other words, compare the top and bottom string in terms of string tension before completing the entire tuning process.

Probably every guitarist should know this method because it's always available and with a little practice, you will be surprised how close you can get that initial E or A pitch.

The best and easiest way has of course, already been mentioned. Buy a chromatic tuner and/or use one of the many sites on the web providing the reference notes. Good luck.

737blues · #30 June 8th, 2006

BTW Clancy, I was trying to post a link to the Ralph McTell, 100 easy guitar songs thread, (the no dots movie) but the movie appears to have gone. It was pretty big, about 9 something MB's, I think, so I didn't want to upload it again here. Don't know if you had to remove it or if I just didn't look in the right place?

(<== not really, I just liked the smilie)