Just some advice and tips please? i am new at guitar

Jb21 · #1 November 18th, 2008

I am new, name is jason.
i would just like to know, did anyone else have trouble with the A major chord when starting guitar? and is it sometihng that will come to me on time? my dad also plays guitar and says my technique is good and i just need some time. second opinion please?

Cheers

Jb21

knight46 · #2 November 18th, 2008

Jason,
All things come with time, patience and practice. If you have good technique the rest will follow. You will hear this a lot I am sure but remember the three "P's":
Practice, Practice, Practice.
So hang there, it is a great journey, enjoy.

starsailor · #3 November 18th, 2008

Hi Jason, +1 to Knights comments, practice is the key, that A chord is a pain, does get mentioned quite a lot, you just need to work on getting the finger placement right it's a bit of a squeeze when you're starting out but you'll get the hang of it ok, just takes a bit of time.

Jb21 · #4 November 18th, 2008

Cheers guys, i'll practice hard

LeeB · #5 November 18th, 2008

I think E maj, A min, & Em may have been the only chords I didn't totally struggle with.
Its a never-ending process with no destination Jason..so remember to enjoy it along the way... sounds like father knows best on this one.
I know for me fingering an A chord with my middle, ring & pinky fingers really helped... Many people finger it in a D7 shape which is easier for some I hear.

fghtyrdmnsx · #6 November 18th, 2008

I have a new question, but it relates to this thread. I played guitar about 5 years ago, but stopped pretty abrubtly due to other priorities. I'm starting to play again, but I don't know where to start. I still know a decent amount of chords and scales. Should I start from the very basics and refresh everything and work myself up? Or is there another way you suggest I go about getting back into it?

almaink · #7 November 18th, 2008

Try just barring the A chord across all 4 strings, and don't play the high e string. Although it's a crutch, it will help you along and let you play a few songs until you can get the three finger way down. With practice you may also be able to play that bar on just the three strings, leaving the high e string open.

starsailor · #8 November 19th, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by fghtyrdmnsx

I have a new question, but it relates to this thread. I played guitar about 5 years ago, but stopped pretty abrubtly due to other priorities. I'm starting to play again, but I don't know where to start. I still know a decent amount of chords and scales. Should I start from the very basics and refresh everything and work myself up? Or is there another way you suggest I go about getting back into it?

Hi fghtyrdmnsx, In my opinion it would probably be best for you to start from scratch with the basic chords and scales and get the hang of changes etc again, just to get back in the swing once you've got going it will jog your memory and the knowledge you have stored away will come back, this would probably be better than playing bits of things you remember and you'll be able to have more structured practice sessions so you'll know and feel you've achieved something each time you practice this will keep you motivated, I've stopped and started a few times over the years, I now know that the reason a few of my retries failed was because I wasn't organized properly so didn't really get anywhere bit like a rower with one oar. hope this helps a bit

knight46 · #9 November 19th, 2008

Hello fghtyrdmnsx and welcome to the forum. I agree with Chris, begin at the beginning, always a good place to start.

SkbRsh90 · #10 November 21st, 2008

"A" was a hard chord for me, too, but with practice I don't even think about it anymore. I use ring,middle,and index finger when playing it. But I play a Seagull which has a slightly wider nut width and that helps some.

Maddog54 · #11 November 21st, 2008

Good stuff posted up there....I fought that A chord for about a month of steady practice and now its probably one of the easiest chords for me.

fireblade · #12 November 24th, 2008

YouTube - No:1 A D & E munsonandrew

watch from about 4.15. Don't bore yourself with the rest.
May be useful.

joshimax · #13 November 24th, 2008

+1's all round kids. I played then stopped abruptly and then 10 almost 10 years later have started again in January this year. I started right at the beginning and found that I spent less time re-learning things that i used to know than what I thought I was going to. It's a bit like building a house right, you might build some strong foundations but if you leave them without finishing off the house they won't be as strong as you thought when you come back to it after a couple of years. Best to rebuild them.