hey guys, i want to learn to play the guitar, any tips on what type of guitar would be good to start with, also is it possible to learn with like a book or do i have to take lessons?

just take lessons its so much easier

the book sucks i had one

i also had a computer program

its no good

take lessons

yeah my advice is to take lessons and practice practice practice and play with other people that are better than you who can teach you some new things...

 

seriously, the more you play the better you get

i know it would be better to take lessons but there expensive....

no need to take lessons if you cant afford them. All you need is a chord chart. and the ability to read tabs. Tabs can be found at http://www.tabcrawler.com, and you can search on yahoo for more, tabs are everywhere. just find a song that you know/have on CD. and read the tabs while you're listening to the song. If you dont know how to read tabs, it goes like this...

 

 

1st string (high E) ---------------------3---------------------

2nd string (B) ---------------------3---------------------

3rd string (G) ---------------------0---------------------

4th string (D) ---------------------0---------------------

5th string (A) ---------------------2---------------------

6th string (E) ---------------------3---------------------

 

the lines represent the fretboard and each string. the numbers on there represent the fret that you play at. the chord here is a G. so you'd be playing

6th string 3rd fret

5th string 2nd fret

4th string open (not fretted)

3rd string open

2nd string 3rd fret

1st string 3rd fret

 

use your fingers and find whatever is comfortable to play the G chord.

 

chord charts look different, but they're also easier to figure out.

 

as for a good starting out guitar, I'd recommend these brands that you can find for around $200. Any lower, and you'd be getting a crappy guitar.

 

acoustic: Takamine, Washburn

electric: Squire, Epiphone

yep it's true... but lessons... are much better

you should start with a classic guitar, because both acoustic and electric guitars have steel strings, and they hurt your fingers pretty bad, i mean if you don't play ussualy... on the other hand, the classic guitar has nylon string, much better to play with BOTH your hands

things to remember about classical guitars:

 

a) the strings are thicker

b) the neck is wider

c) the frets are bigger

 

It is for this reason that you'll still find it tricky to begin with - and while it may be less than with steel strings, the pain in the fingers will still be there to begin with.

 

Electric guitar strings are generally thinner than on steel-strung acoustics, and are much easier on the fingers, as well as having the same scale frets and neck. You get used to it after a while. After a little while, the skin on the tips of your fingers will harden, and you'll notice very little to no pain in the fingertips whatsoever.

 

Lessons are good - but there's one major flaw. 9/10 people will teach you how to play exactly the way they do. This limits your creativity somewhat, and you'll find it harder to play the sort of songs you really want to play. This applies to any instrument. Make sure you find someone who can play many different styles.

 

Teaching yourself isn't really that hard, but it does take a little longer at the start. Teach yourself very simple chords first - I find the most comfortable ones are E, A and D - and practice changing quickly between chords. Then you can start stringing chords together and playing songs.

 

What I would suggest is to get someone to teach you to begin with, then when you know the basics and think you can stand on your own two feet, take it from there by yourself.

I suggest that too...

Lessons are good - but there's one major flaw. 9/10 people will teach you how to play exactly the way they do. This limits your creativity somewhat, and you'll find it harder to play the sort of songs you really want to play. This applies to any instrument. Make sure you find someone who can play many different styles.

 

I don't think this is true at all. My guitar teacher has never "limited my creativity." He encourages me to develop my own style. He is simply there to teach me how to play guitar, and however i apply that knowledge is up to me. Why on earth would it ever be a bad idea to learn a very complicated subject from someone who knows a whole lot more that you do, and has years of experience with the subject. Also, by playing with him for a half-hour every week, i doubt that has corrupted my ability to be different.

 

Pretty much what i'm saying is that you should use all the resources available to you. Books, videos, watching players, talking to players, as well as sitting with players who make a regular habit of transferring their knowledge and abilities to others (teachers) should be used if at all possible, ESPECIALLY in the beginning.

As I said - 9/10 people.

 

The best instrument teachers are those who encourage you to be creative with your playing style and technique. Clearly your guitar teacher is one of them - great. But many instrument teachers will teach you to play exactly in the same way that they learned, which will eventually lead you to play exactly how they do, rather than developing in your own way.

 

I'm not against having lessons - they're the best way to learn a lot very quickly. But if you do choose to get them, just make sure you get someone that does encourage you to play your own way, rather than forcing you to play a certain way. It's a lot more enjoyable that way.