I've Got Blisters On Me Fingers!

[thestrangequark]

I'm learning the guitar! On a whim I bought a used guitar off craigslist. It's in excellent condition, came with a case and a spare set of strings. It's not the finest guitar, but it has a decent sound and was very cheap -- a good thing since who knows whether or not I'll really get into it. I've been wanting an instrument I can take to school and play for my kids for sing-a-longs and the like, and the cello isn't really suitable. Plus, I've been feeling artistically blocked lately in both my visual art and writing, and so I think a new hobby will do me good.

I've played the cello since I was a child, but haven't really practiced much in the past 5 years. I also picked up the violin and mandolin as a teen quite easily. I'm trusting my musical experience and random youtube vids to guide me through learning the guitar, but I could always use some tips from musicians here!

I've learned a scale and 6 chords so far, and can pluck out pretty much any melody because of my other musical training. The difficulties I am having are mainly to do with the different steps between the stings on guitar as compared to violin or cello, and with my tiny hands. It's funny, in a way small hands are useful for the cramped positions of some of the chords (especially as opposed to cello on which I had to stretch, stretch, stretch my left hand). But small hands can make it very hard to reach around to the low E, and to place fingers on strings that are far apart.

Share your stories of learning a new instrument, or give me some tips on the guitar!

 

[iguana_tonante]

Oh, I can feel your pain. I got meself blisters with my very first guitar! It was a folk guitar with metal strings: those bitches hurt! I was completely self-taught, and I never went beyond the "play the intro from Nothing Else Matter over and over and over again", but I I had great fun. I sort of drifted after a while, and never really came back, but I loved it while it lasted. Some times a year I will take out the old lady, shake the dust from her, play the intro from Nothing Else Matter, and kiss her goodnight. She still have a special place in my heart.

Oh, and I can understand your problems with tiny hands. And I'm a man. So... yeah.

 

[TheBrew]

I went from classical bass to guitar, so it was an easier transition since the first four strings for both are E-A-D-G. Scales are pretty easy on the guitar once you get the forms down. If you have played piano and know your scales on that, it comes pretty easy.

The first song I learned to play on guitar was "Fur Elise". The second was "Good Riddance" by Green Day. Even though it is cliche, I would recommend learning "Good Riddance" as it is a good place to start adding to your chord repertoire. Just start learning songs you want to know and you will start building a library of forms that you can put together to write your own songs.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

The first songs I learned on the guitar were "American Pie" and "Suicide Is Painless". Make of that what you will.


But yeah, I found the transition from violin to guitar to be relatively good. The fingering of course was painful and I still haven't got to grips with barre chords. I guess I still need some practice.

Good luck on your bold new venture, tsq. And play us a song or two!

 

[LitmusDragon]

One of the first songs I learned was Stairway to Heaven. It's actually pretty hard!

I'm kind of a nooby guitarist. My advice is to use lots of power chords.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I've always wanted to learn to play the Theremin. I wonder if they have any used ones on Craigslist.

 

[thestrangequark]

^ You can find anything on craigslist!

One of the first songs I learned was Stairway to Heaven. It's actually pretty hard!

I'm kind of a nooby guitarist. My advice is to use lots of power chords.

Advice that should be followed in all aspects of life!

I am working on one song so far. It's only my third day but I'm finding the switching between chords is already becoming quicker and easier. I haven't tried barre chords yet, though!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

It would take me forever to learn guitar. I don't understand how people can do it. It just looks so damn complicated. There must be tens of thousands of combinations - where do you hold your hand on the neck, which strings you pluck, etc.

The only guitar I could possibly learn is the ones used by the Presidents of the United States of America. Their bass player uses a bass with only two strings, and the guitarist uses a guitar with only three. I think I could handle that.

That being said, I would actually love to try out the Chapman Stick. That looks really cool. You play it by tapping the strings (sort of like the keys of a keyboard) rather than plucking or strumming them. Since I'm a keyboardist IRL, I might have an easier time with that.

 

[thestrangequark]

^I never knew you were a musician!

 

[Trippy]

I played bass in high school, and fooled around with some chords on a cheap electric. My son is learning acoustic right now, so I've been helping him practice. He can play Jingle Bells using chords so far

I was all about Joan Jett songs when I played bass or the rhythm guitar

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Me? Yep, I play the keyboardy things. That's as complicated as I get.

seriously tsq, if you can learn guitar, then you are a smarter human than I. I can't even begin to know how to play that sucker. I wouldn't know where to start!

 

[RJDiogenes]

My Brother once tried to teach me guitar and I didn't take to it too well. Sometimes I feel like I should try again, though....

 

[thestrangequark]

Me? Yep, I play the keyboardy things. That's as complicated as I get.

seriously tsq, if you can learn guitar, then you are a smarter human than I. I can't even begin to know how to play that sucker. I wouldn't know where to start!

I started by imagining that it couldn't be more difficult than learning the cello.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Stringed instruments just seem way out of my league. Anyone who can learn them is OK in my book. I can play keyboards because they're easy for chumps like me - you just look at the keyboard and already know which key makes which noise. I look at a guitar and it's total confusion time.

 

[thestrangequark]

^I tried learning piano (not officially, just plunking the keys on my own). I can pick out pretty much any melody and play a few beginner level songs, but the playing two different things with the two hands at the same time? That baffles me!

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

That's awesome that you're learning! Also, i got the reference in your thread title right away.

I personally don't know how to play an instrument at all, even though we HAVE a piano, so there's no excuse to not learn.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Also, i got the reference in your thread title right away.

I didn't...

 

[TheBrew]

One of the first songs I learned was Stairway to Heaven. It's actually pretty hard!

I'm kind of a nooby guitarist. My advice is to use lots of power chords.

I actually found a pretty easy tab for Stairway a few years back. It wasn't too bad to sight-read if you have the song stuck in my head.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Also, i got the reference in your thread title right away.

I didn't...

From the song Helter Skelter:

After the 18th take, Ringo Starr flung his sticks across the studio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helter_Skelter_(song)#cite_note-FOOTNOTESpitz2005794-11and screamed, "I've got blisters on my fingers!"

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Also, i got the reference in your thread title right away.

Me too, but the anal person in me needs to point out that Ringo plays drums, no guitar.