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Well I still do. I got the urge to finally pick up the guitar in college to attempt to play my adored favorite tune of the time, Bluebird by Buffalo springfield. For me formal music lessons didn't work-I've learned to read music four times, forgotten each time. I care about the tunes, and can usually pick things up by ear, much of it. The other 40% of guitar players are real musicians, but some of them cannot play without written music. I have been able to benefit from group finger-picking lessons 25 years after I started.
So you decide for yourself if you want the sound or the technical stuff more. Whichever, a beginner should buy songbooks and perform the tablature and also seek others to play with. A good musician is kind and supportive of beginners, so don't be shy. Generally try to play with your betters.
I was in a punk band for a year after college, only Ramones songs. Do-able.
Then I was in a Stones copy band for a year, Some Girls album only. Gotta know your limitations.
After 15 years of playing I finaly found natural rhythm. After 20 years my hands learned how to find notes without thinking. Boy, that helps. After 25 years I was able to sing and play. I kept my day job. Honestly, even though lots of people have passed me technically, it's the sound that nurtures me. No complaints.
I have a '74 Takamine starter guitar. It was the easiest to play for the money and called my name. I initially used light (always steel, I mean it) strings. They help the novice, but they don't rock. They also slap too much for a beginner, even when finger-picking, so I now exclusively use standard strings. The guitar continuously improved over 20 years, even turned darker, until it peaked and could not get any better. It's still my easiest guitar to play. Great guest guitar.
Then I got a great deal on a Takamine jumbo 12-string. It's brilliant for certain rhythm parts, and you can do Kottke finger-picking and slide on it. It's a bugger to keep tuned and doesn't really have a general-purpose sound.
Then I looked for a real man's guitar. I was playing slide, so I needed a fairly flat string placement. I still had rubbery fingers, so the action needed to be somewhat low. I wanted a guitar that could do everything, so I ended up with a sweet Larrivee. All the small-name guitars are individual, not so the bigger-names. Martins used to be very hard to play but not now. Can't go wrong with a Martin but there are so many nice guitars. One will eventually call your name. Just keep borrowing time with them at your music store.
I got a gorgeous Gibson SG electric. Poor mechanics and available voices, but fun to play and a good basic rock guitar. The real standard electric is of course the Stratocaster. This is the beginning of many arguments, but there, I said it.
I truly believe you should become fluent with acoustic styles before starting electric playing. There are just too many ignorant electric players with very restricted expression. It's also good to get your hands monsterized with an acoustic before playing an electric.
Since I really appreciated Ry Cooder's early stuff, I got a mandolin. It's a bit frustrating trying his mandolin/slide guitar/acoustic guitar arrangements by myself. Gotta get some help.
So good luck and have fun Yak
posted by 12.146.134...
, Tue, 31 Oct 2006 21:46:03, Wed, 7 Feb 2007 20:44:39
, Tue, 31 Oct 2006 05:15:01
, Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:40:08
, Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:00:20, Mon, 30 Oct 2006 09:31:09
, Mon, 30 Oct 2006 08:54:34, Mon, 30 Oct 2006 08:51:24
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