Advice from the foc-u guitar fiends

[joebloggs]

Seasick Steves ' Started out with nothing and got most of it left' is my life story'  :eek

[mickvp]

Nog,

To be honest mate you sound like your on the right track, the guys are all giving you really sound advice.

If it were me, I would want to be playing something more than just  scales to start with, so what I would do is start with the major chords, learn how to finger them, and switch between them smoothly, learn how to strum them cleanly, and once I could do that I would then start picking at the strings and playing the individual notes within the chords rather than just strumming.

Once you know that then it's simply a case of expanding into minor chords, 7th chords, barre chords etc

That might not sound like much, but even at 30mins a day, there's well over a months learning in there if you consider your fingers taking time to toughen up etc.


Once you have a good grasp of the main chords (read some of the tabs for your favourite songs, some chords are used a lot more than others), you can then look into scales and see what's what with regards to making your own finger shapes and chord patterns.

Chords are the key to good fingerpicking though nog, and scales are the key to understanding how chords are built up, it's all inter related.

That's if it were me anyway.

[noggythenog]

Cheers Mick thats great mate.


Between all the replies ive got pretty much all i need and plenty to go over again.


Looking forward to it....bit of time for myself even if only 30 minutes...been so busy that even going out on the bike was becoming a real fight and when youre fighting for time like that it ends up not being as enjoyable.....the wee one is at the nursery now so my wife could go back working part time and eventually with my shifts ill end up getting whole days to myself and thats when between the gym, dog walking and general dogs body duties i fully intend on just chilling out and getting into it properly 8)


Thanks again for all the replies and ill keep yous posted by the time the next guitar thread pops up.....oh it will....it is winter.

[johnakay]

have you thought of a 3 string cigar box guitar? a lot of blues players inc BB king started off on these.
easy to learn you can either play fretted or slide.
once you've mastered them you will no doubt enjoy playing them.
you don't have to learn cords et.you can play 1 string or 2 strings aswell


https://youtu.be/YKfamQl1YSg



https://youtu.be/Sdhg31qY7js


https://youtu.be/wN7nVZbZue0

[Exupnut]

[quote author=Exupnut link=topic=18701.msg215825#msg215825 date=1447319810]
The lottery

I could write a blues song about that:-


Woke up this mornin..1....2.....3....4.....said to my wife........if i won the lottery would you go halves babbyyyyy......... & leave me.....1....2.....3.....4...5....6....7.....8.......


My baby said.....1....2......hellllllll yeh!!!................i said here's a fiver fiver fiver fiver.........fuck off then
[/quote]

Here's a fiver... Fuck off then.....hahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaha

pissing myself lol

BRILLANT GENIUS POST!!!

I needed that Fraser

[nick crisp]

I went into Oxford today for some guitar strings - the little local shop has closed down 


Got tempted by two guitars; glad I went on the bike, if I'd gone in the car I'd be about £800 poorer now  :lol


Noggy, why not have a look through some of the basic course and some blues stuff on that justinguitar site right now? Might clear a few things up for you and give you a good idea of what to start with, and it might make you get cracking sooner, he's quite a good motivator, just watch a couple of his videos. Worth watching some of the more advanced ones too, get you wanting to achieve. Half the time you spend on here, or watching the telly, or just between doing stuff for the sprog, you could be strumming away. Don't put it off, don't find excuses to wait - I'm playing bits while waiting for my dinner to cook, and between faffing about on the forums. Do as Exup says and get that guitar set up by someone if it needs it - have you even tried anything yet?

[bri h]

Noggy I don't think anyone has mentioned a tuner yet they only cost a few quid and can help a lot till you can tune it by. ear.

[fazersharp]

I use a korg tuner.
I have tried by ear and each string sounds ok and also the one next to it but then when I strum it sounds way off
Cant do it by ear will stick to the korg tuner

[noggythenog]

Ive got a tuner already for the bass bri but good shout...i think itll still work with any guitar since it is just notes......theres also some online tuners or ipad app tuners i could use.


Had a deek on justunguitar nick....lallot of lessons on there and seems well structured....i also googked finger picking and there was quite a few basic teaching videos on there.......the world is my oyster, especially with the internet.


Sadly i still havent got my mitts on the guitar as I've been too busy and it is in the loft and the hatch is in the spare room full of crap so i cant get in there right now......back to work tomorrow and i foresee allot of you tube going on during the night shifts hopefully if things are quiet. 8)

[joebloggs]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grBmQwLSlDw

Maybe more rock and roll than blues but Stevie Ray Vaughan has to be worth a mention....

[joebloggs]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqGHE5GqZ44

Oh and Michael Hedges wasn't to bad

[nick crisp]

That ^ reminds me of a guy I saw doing a solo acoustic cover of a Hendrix tune a while back at the Colne Blues Festival. Can't remember his name, and don't recall which tune he did, but I do remember it being a stunning performance. I had never seen anything like it on an acoustic guitar, and was gobsmacked that it was even possible. Bruv might remember, I'll ask him later.

[fazersharp]

We should get a band together- I will do the drums, what about a name
The F Zeds  ?

[nick crisp]

We should get a band together- I will do the drums, what about a name
The F Zeds  ?

How about the Exup Nuts? Maybe not, bit too slow  :lol

[johnakay]

fick eds might be more appropriate

[nick crisp]

fick eds might be more appropriate

And what will be your chosen instrument...Dullcimer?  :lol

[johnakay]

at least I can play it.

[fazersharp]

Here you go cica 1991 at the peak of our fame we were headlining and commanding £1.50 on the door

[Exupnut]

Is that Eroll Flynn playing the drums?

[fazersharp]

Why thank you, I will take that one.