teaching yourself guitar

I don't know any songs yet. I'm just beginning.

I did figure out how to tune it. Well, almost. At any rate, it's getting closer.

 

Fuck chords, fuck theory.

The wise are not learned, and the learned are not wise. It's as if Lao Tzu were directly speaking of rock and roll.

 

And just how do you suggest playing guitar without chords?

 

Touche. I misspoke.

Fuck learning chords. Put your fingers on strings until it sounds good. I've been teaching myself for a month, and I've written three songs, have taught myself one Flaming Lips song, and am working on another Flaming Lips song.

Fact: Jimi Hendrix couldn't read sheet music.

 

Still, learning BASIC chords will NOT hurt at all. I did that as I was starting out, and I still don't really read music after 14 years of being a musician. I can "kind of" read, and figure out what kind of chords I made up, but that's about it. Besides, knowledge IS power. If you don't have ANY foundation, what you can achieve is limited. Learning chords HELPS, and what's wrong with doing something that will HELP you achieve your goals? You don't have to be a monster reader to write a good song, but you need to at least know SOME stuff in order to actually play music. Even avant-garde stuff like John Zorn's music has certain structures, if unrecognizable to nobody else but John Zorn himself.

Basic chords... Why the heck not??

 

I completely disagree with this statement. If you go into it with no knowledge, you're drawing only on your emotion and your creativity. And if you are an emotional and creative person, this can only lead to great things.

I'm not against learning chords, this is just my advice.

 

Ok then. I'm sure kitty can find the happy medium that works well for her. She's been getting a lot of advice on here as it is.

 

Well, I know how to read music. I play Piano, Sax, and Flute. But let me tell you...I can't strum to save my life!

I try and try and try lol But it doesn't work out right. I can chord very very well. But strumming is another story

 

Well, I am learning the basic chords because it's easier for me. I'm not just learning to play, I'm learning to listen too, and I get frustrated easy because it's like learning a new language. I would like to learn to read music eventually, if for no other reason than to prove to myself that I can do it.

 

start off by playing songs that you like by looking up the tabs online or if your ear is good enough then you can play them by ear. then just lern what you think you need to lern

 

many people cant read sheet music but whoever said fuck chords and fuck theory will never get anywhere in guitar. im sorry but not one good guitarist will say fuck chords and fuck theory you need to know what you are doing with the guitar to really make good music

 

Agreed. You need to know chords. Every successful musician knows chords. Most know quite a few. If you start out not playing chords, you'll just have to learn them later. You can't play on key of you don't know chords. If you don't know the notes the chords are made up of, you can't make sure you stay on key except by ear. Even if it could be done that way, which maybe it could, it would be so much harder than just taking the time to learn the basic chords that it wouldn't be worth it.

 

I can't read music...

http://www.myspace.com/georgesnowmusic

I still manage (particularly song two)

 

I can't read music either. But parts of theory, time in particular, are pretty essential. Being able to read a music staff is not.

 

I had training as a visual artist, and I use it today in my sculpture. Not sure whether or not that's a good thing, but I do use it. It might make music easier for me to understand if I learned at least a little theory, for the same reasons.

 

Yeah. Time, like I said. Know the difference between playing 8th notes and 4th notes, different tempos, etc. Know how to speed something up to double time or slow it down to half. Those kinds of things. When you're playing alone they aren't that important, because your voice and guitar are always in time. Can't sing out of time with the guitar, or vice versa. But once you're playing with other people you'll need to know how to groove with them, which means knowing those bits of theory.

 

Just pick it up and have it in your hands as much as you possibly can. No one ever learned to do anything by reading about it alone. Guitar is something you have to DO with your hands, your ears and your heart. Feel the fret board and feel the strings until they become a part of you and you become a part of it. Then and only then should you start to expand on what you can do. I am glad you bought a fender...my personal favorite for no other reason then I like fenders.

Learn the basic scale...do, ray, me,etc. In any key and all keys. Don't worry about E, A, B etc just yet. All chord theory is based on the do, ray me...one two three thing and really its petty simple when you keep it simple.
Mostly just love the guitar and play as often as you can...the rest will happen.

 

and lern your rythem
time signatures note durations. anybody can play a bunch of notes but if you can arrange them in a nice sounding rythmic pattern then you will be sounding great.
and playing over odd times like 9/8 and 5/4 is always fun

 

If she's just learning the guitar I don't think she needs to immediately dive into odd time signatures.

 

and guess what i bet u suck and cant play anything good so yeah fuck chords and fuck you ha! (just kidding about fuck chords)