[neurotic_emo]

I just pulled out our guitar and put some strings on it after wanting to play, one problem is i have no idea! I've looked at the lessons and such here but i don't understand them. I don't know how to actually read the diagrams and such of the guitar fret i think its called.

Any help for a newb in distress?

[Kirk Lorange]

I'm distressed! I created this whole site for you and you come to the forum to tell me you don't understand anything ... not a comforting feeling.

There's tons of info there, page after page. Get your fingers to curl around some of those chord shapes I posted; refer to the pictorials to see how to do that. That would be a good start.

[neurotic_emo]

Ok i'm starting to understand it and as my learning piece i'm trying to learn so impossble from dashboard confessional:

Eb--0----------------------------------------------
Bb--0----------------------------------------------
Gb--4----------------------------------------------
Db--6----------------------------------------------
Ab--6----------------------------------------------
Eb--4----------------------------------------------

I can't make my fingers go in that pattern! They just won't stay there is it just practice or am i just not able to play it?

Also i can't find anywhere answering this but see the above if the two 0's were not there do i still play those strings? Example:

Eb------------------------------------------------
Bb------------------------------------------------
Gb--4----------------------------------------------
Db------------------------------------------------
Ab------------------------------------------------
Eb--4----------------------------------------------

Do i somehow only play the 2 strings with 4's? I can't find any direct material to this. Thanks.

[6string]

I'm not about the song your trying to learn but maybe a capo would help

as for the tab question, if there's no number, including 0 on it, you don't play it, unless it's an X and then you mute it.

[randomaire]

Im pretty sure that a 0 on the tab means you play that string open and the X means you don't play that string.

[allthumbs]

Eb--0----------------------------------------------
Bb--0----------------------------------------------
Gb--4----------------------------------------------
Db--6----------------------------------------------
Ab--6----------------------------------------------
Eb--4----------------------------------------------

That is a very tough chord to play for someone just starting out. You need good finger flexabiliy to grab that Am or bAm since you have tuned down. Usually that would be a full bar chord. It is probobly unique to this tune. It sure has a nice sound to it though. You would be better served to put that on the shelf for a while and learn some basic chords and bar chords to get your fingers in shape for something like that.

[Matty22]

As you hold the guitar in playing position the bars running at right angles to the strings are frets.

As Kirk suggested, id get into some of the open chord shapes first.
Get the hang of the major (well common i should say) chords, C A G E D Am Em Dm
that will open you up to playing thousands of songs... Then look at barre chords, F & B and their minors, then the rest of it becomes a lot easier

http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/openchords.html

Kirk also has a heap of pictures of a lot of the common chords being played

http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/chord_picsA.html

that should help with the fingering...

[kev374]

welcome neurotic and btw great site Kirk!

[6string]

Originally Posted by randomaire

Im pretty sure that a 0 on the tab means you play that string open and the X means you don't play that string.

Yes & No
Yes if it has a 0 you play it open,
No X does not mean to not play it.
X means play it but mute it.
to indicate not to play a string, the tab will not have anything on it,
there will be no X, no 0, no 1,2,3 etc.
it will just be a string with nothing on it, so nothing happens to it, meaning it doesn't get played or touched.

[WernHalen]

Kirk,

Dont let the newbies hurt your feelings man...

[Matty22]

Originally Posted by 6string

Yes & No
Yes if it has a 0 you play it open,
No X does not mean to not play it.
X means play it but mute it.
to indicate not to play a string, the tab will not have anything on it,
there will be no X, no 0, no 1,2,3 etc.
it will just be a string with nothing on it, so nothing happens to it, meaning it doesn't get played or touched.

6String is dead right. But incase it causes confusiong.... in chord descriptions, an X means not to play the note.....
eg. Dmaj xx0232
Amaj x02220

means dont play the lowest 2 strings, and lowest string respectively
where a
Gmaj 320033 or 320003 you play all six strings

[6string]

Originally Posted by Matty22

6String is dead right. But incase it causes confusiong.... in chord descriptions, an X means not to play the note.....
eg. Dmaj xx0232
Amaj x02220

means dont play the lowest 2 strings, and lowest string respectively
where a
Gmaj 320033 or 320003 you play all six strings

Good point, that could cause confusion.
There is a difference between tab & chord descriptions.

[coldethyl]

Hi & welcome neurotic emo

Try and take some advice from the lads in G'N'R.......

...little patience, mm yeah, mm yeah,
need a little patience, yeah,
just a little patience, yeah,
some more patience..

You'll get there!

[6string]

Originally Posted by coldethyl

...little patience, mm yeah, mm yeah,
need a little patience, yeah,
just a little patience, yeah,

Sounds like a Pigmy Doctor who's just setting up his practice

[6string]

Hang in there neurotic emo, there's so much to absorb, If I ever get there I'll...........forget it, I'll never get there

I just enjoy walking towards that rainbow