Question: Getting better at guitar!?
Hello, I have been playing guitar for about a year and a half with no lessons or anything, just had a friend show me how to read music!. But I feel as if im not getting much better at it!. I mean I've definitly gotten better, but it doesn't seem like much!. I can play songs like Buckethead's Big Sur Moon, Tool's Schism and Jambi, and SOAD's Lost in Hollywood just for a few examples!. But I always seem to have major difficulties with things like solos, switching to other notes quickly, and some other stuff!. also I never learned much about chords, so I don't know what any of them are!. And I hear that chords are crucial to learn if you want to be good!. I just usually play songs that use a maximum of like 3 strings at once!. Any suggestions to help solve my problems!? Thanks in advance!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
definitely look into learning chords!. they're great for helping you move your fingers around faster and in more diverse shapes than standard power chords!.
i learned to play chords just using a book that had all the fingerings and it's helped a lot!. i've been playing for 4 or 5 years now and i still go back to the book regularly!.
youtube tutorial videos are also great!. they really let you see what you're supposed to do, rather than just reading about it!. also, find someone who knows how to play well and can show you about your mistakes!. if you don't really know anyone, you can always post your own youtube videos and seek advice there!. (gotta be careful though cause some people can be jerks!.!. helps raise their self esteem or something!.!. just learn to ignore those people)
also, if you have Guitar Pro!.!. a tab program for the computer that plays the tabs as a MIDI file so you can hear it as you read the tab!. you can also slow down the songs by choosing the tempo and they have an option called "speed trainer" where it loops the songs and can increase the speed each time through!. it's really helpful for learning solos or any part of a song you can't seem to get fast enough!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Start buying "Guitar World" magazine, they teach you everything and in a very simple manner, each month they feature about 5 songs you can learn, plus many more tutorials inside!. They will teach you all about chords etc!.
Guitar World is the best!Www@QuestionHome@Com
You should watch tutorials on youtube!.
All you need is practice!.
Youll get the hang of changing, and before you even nkow it, you will change chords/notes without looking
try
ultimate-guitar!.com
search your fav!. songs to playWww@QuestionHome@Com
It wouldn't hurt to buy a "chord book" of all the types of chords and different voicings of the chords!. You might find something along this line for free online, but there are lots of books out there in stores and on-line stores!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
The advice given thus far is good, but, by all means, get a chord book--one that has at least 2,500 chords to learn!.Www@QuestionHome@Com