gidday from Oz

biki · #1 April 15th, 2008

Hi,

i am actually an artist - an oil painter, but i recently lost the sight in one eye - temporarily, i hope.

i actually don't know what to do with myself. All of a sudden i remembered that i have an old guitar lying around. i had a few lessons many years ago & loved it, but painting won my heart & i left it behind me. I also learned a little piano & lesrned to read music, so i don't think it will be difficult to pick up the reading again.

what i am looking for first is a chords chart - and some simple lessons.

i will click around & see what i can find, but if i get stumped, will you lend me a hand.

si16 · #2 April 15th, 2008

Welcome biki. We should have what you're looking for but if you get stuck just ask. Good luck with you vision.

mattz196 · #3 April 15th, 2008

Hi Biki and welcome

biki · #4 April 15th, 2008

hey - thanks for the welcome & the kind thoughts.

i fiddled around a bit today & remembered why i found guitar playing so hard. = my fingers do not sit on the strings comfortably.
i guess it takes practice.

i tried to find some finger exercises to do, but failed.

is there any here on the forum to guide me.?

when i look at people playing, their fingers are seemingly relaxed - yet i feel i must press down really hard to make the chords - and if i barely touch the next string, i am lost.

i have small fingers & small hands - yet little kids can play the guitar just fine.

i really need to be doing something creative & stretching myself
or i will go insane.

starsailor · #5 April 15th, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by biki

hey - thanks for the welcome & the kind thoughts.

i fiddled around a bit today & remembered why i found guitar playing so hard. = my fingers do not sit on the strings comfortably.
i guess it takes practice.

i tried to find some finger exercises to do, but failed.

is there any here on the forum to guide me.?

when i look at people playing, their fingers are seemingly relaxed - yet i feel i must press down really hard to make the chords - and if i barely touch the next string, i am lost.

i have small fingers & small hands - yet little kids can play the guitar just fine.

i really need to be doing something creative & stretching myself
or i will go insane.

Hi Biki, Welcome to the forum, I put a load of exercises on a thread a few weeks ago here's the link, please don't get too frustrated it is hard at first but it does get better so hang in there

Wrist Pain

knight46 · #6 April 15th, 2008

Hello biki, welcome.

biki · #7 April 15th, 2008

thanks Sailor for the links, - this is a great start for me.

allthumbs · #8 April 15th, 2008

hi. Start here.
Brand new to playing the guitar?...read this first.
Then move on to the beginners lessons for some simple songs and chords.

biki · #9 April 18th, 2008

thanks allthumbs - good one.

biki · #10 April 18th, 2008

allthumbs,

is there a way i can listen to the sounds on that link, without jumping thru the Real Player hoops.?

Noodler · #11 April 18th, 2008

Hi Biki,

I'm from Ballina but live in Brizzy now. Have you gone to any of the Blues and Roots festival? It seems to have changed a lot from being just about blues. I'd love to be down there. For the Americans who might not know where this guy lives, it's pretty much paradise. It used to be a bit hippy-cool and much quieter, but it's still got a lot of it's charm. The park across from the Beach Hotel is my "happy place" where I go to mentally when I get stressed out or bored at work. Halcyon days.

A fun way to just be creative if you have a tuner is to tune your guitar like this (from thickest to thinnest strings): D,G,D,G,B,D. If you strum without holding anything down when you're tuned like that, it's a G chord. Then just whack a slide on your finger and create away. Hell, a lighter held between your fingers will do in a pinch. You need to press gently on the strings with the slide exactly over the fret, not pushing the strings all the way down to the fret though. The 5th, 7th and 12th frets are "safe." But you don't want too much info, just make sounds you like. Anyway, that's a fun, easy way to get some creative joy with lots of fun for little effort.

Welcome.

biki · #12 April 18th, 2008

Hi Noodler,

thanks for the welcome.

Yeah, i do the Blues Fest each year. It is great. This year was fantastic. Speaking of guitar - one fo the highlights this year for me was Rodrigo y Gabriela - and that guy that plays with Chris Wilson. i missed Stanley Clark tho - which was a real shame.

thanks for the tip for the slide. sounds easier - but i am willing to do all the exercises to build up my fingering in the meantime.

windsong · #13 April 18th, 2008

hi there