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Position:Home>Performing Arts> How to be good at guitar?Question:I just got an acoustic guitar and plan on teaching myself how to play it. Besides learning the notes (which I already know, since I've played a bit of classical guitar before) and chords, what else do I need to do to become good? Like, what else do I need to learn? Any specific techniques? Any online tutorials you guys can redirect me to? Yes, I know practice, blah blah blah is the obvious answer. Anything else? Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I just got an acoustic guitar and plan on teaching myself how to play it. Besides learning the notes (which I already know, since I've played a bit of classical guitar before) and chords, what else do I need to do to become good? Like, what else do I need to learn? Any specific techniques? Any online tutorials you guys can redirect me to? Yes, I know practice, blah blah blah is the obvious answer. Anything else? Listen to as much guitar music as possible. Blues, Jazz, World Music, Classical, Folk, Country, everything. Even if something isn't your favorite genre, if you are listening for technique and inspiration as a musician it suddenly becomes vastly more interesting and listenable. Learn scales. Major, Minor and their respective pentatonics are good places to start. Begin familiarizing yourself with the modes of the major scale, as well as the different minor scales (harmonic, natural, melodic). Don't just learn the notes- learn the theory behind it and the way you ought to play them. Write as much music as possible. Try writing a song a week. Don't just learn the open chords; learn how to construct chords and make them up on the spot all over the guitar neck. Basically, guitar playing has three segments that need be understood: Technique (your physical ability to play), Theory (your mental understanding of how music works), and Creativity (your ability to be innovative and put feeling into what you play). By exercising all three of these on a regular basis by practicing a lot, studying theory and writing songs, you should become a great musician in no time! Technique just comes down to practice. Play scales, play chords, find songs you like and learn them. Music Theory: http://www.musictheory.net http://www.petethomas.co.uk/jazz-theory.... Creativity: http://youtube.com/watch?v=CKhSzbhn_oo http://youtube.com/watch?v=hpmLruCcZMA Try learning the power chords. They seem to make life a lot easier. just screw around on your guitar. since you already know the notes, you can just pretty much listen to the song you want tot learn how to play and try to play by ear. thats what i did and i dont mean to boast, but im pretty good. you dont really need to know the notes in order to become a great guitarist. i just found it a burden between me learning the songs. it confused me. best of luck :) Learn power chords, bar chords, string bends, slides, vibratos, palm mutes, hammer ons, pull offs, and finger picking. Well how I did it was with a good teacher, years of practice, hours a day !!!!!!!! I did it the correct way, I have yet to have a student who was self taught that was good, all they seem to know are are few chords, can't read music, only tabs, have no idea what key their playing in....and know nothing about theory. Most seem to be very proud they can play a few power chords....but can't play a complete song.....when I ask if they know any scales, they don't......One came here wanting to learn "Stairway to Heaven" before he left, he told me he know quite a bit about playing and had been playing for about four years, well, all he knew were a few chords to the into, he didn't even know what key it was in.....when I showed him how the barre chords went he said, " I don't play it that way", when he came here telling me how much he know....and when he left he know how much he didn't know !!!!!!!!! Learning guitar to become a good musician is not easy....if you want to learn the correct way you must have a live good teacher or a tutor....on line today they have quite a few good ones, there are tutors, DVDs, Cd's, and videos, some of the free ones aren't very complete, there are two that aren't to bad to get you started, I'll give you those at the end ! Here's a list of sites that you might find interesting : http://www.guitarchordsmagic.com/ http://www.billbrutal.com/ http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/ http://www.8notes.com/ (click on the guitar, there's a free electronic tuner on their homepage, and there's a section where you name the chord and they show you how to make it, there's also a lot of good information for guitarist ) http://www.wiki.com/ (this site claims to teachs you to rapidly learn how to play acoustic, I don't know about that, but check it out ) http://www.worldguitar.com/ http://www.infiniteguitar.com/ http://www.justinguitar.com/ http://www.chordfind.com/ http://www.fretplay.com/ http://www.learn-to-play-guitar-online.i... http://www.absolutelyunderstandguitar.ne... http://www.guitartutoronline.com/ http://www.learntoplayguitar.net/ http://www.playingnotesyablog.com/-guita... http://www.guitar.about.com/ http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ http://www.jamplay.com/ ( this site has six free lessons) http://www.cyberfret.com/ Free Sites : http://www.dirk.meineke.free.fr/ http://www.freebasicguitar.com/ http://www.abclearnguitar.com/ http://www.learnhowtoplayguitar.com/ Paying Sites : They either have Cd's, video's, or tutors !!!! http://www.get-tuned.com/old-guitar-tune... http://www.learnand masterguitar.com/indexktm http://www.looknohands.com/ (click on guitar and then easy) http://www.top100guitarsites.com/ http://www.guitarlessons.net/ Please make a print out of these sites....so that you'll have them for future refferences....I hope that something here helps to get you started !!!!!!!!! |