I posted a question a few months ago that you guys helped me out with so I figure why not drain some more knowledge for ya'll

Sooooo I go two questions. First I have been playing my accoustic for about six months now and I am getting kinda fustrated. Im not taking leasons just playing by myself. The problem I have is while I know all my open chords (E, Em, A, Am, D, D7, C, G and a few others) I cant switch fast enough between them to play. Unfortunatly due to my deployment schedule I can't play every day . Im not going to give up but should I be futher along then that?

Second question: I want to learn a certin style that I dont know what it is called. Its not really country but kind something you would play sitting around a camp fire (I know it sounds cheesy but thats the best way I can describe it) Kinda just hitting one note/string at a time instead of full chords. And Im not talking solos either just good old relaxing music. Any one know what I am talking about and have suggestions. Remember Im strumming an acoustic here.

 

There's no best way to learn. I play by ear, but I know just about all the chords. I'd say start out with the easiest chords first like D, C, G, A, E, F, Am, G7, and get used to switching from one chord to another. Listen and pay careful attention to the sound of the chords. You'll start out very slow, but just keep at it. What I do is listen to a song or remember one, then sit down and figure out the chords in that particular song. Once you learn the chords in the song and how they sound, you'll know what chords to play. If you have any rythem at all, you'll know when to switch chords. You can play certain songs by just hitting one string at a time in certain parts of the song. Freebird comes to mind. I'm not really into "playing" heavy metal, but I listen to it ALOT. All I know is a few GNR and Metallica songs as far as metal goes. Mostly I play Lynard Skynard, The Eagles, Stevie Ray Vaughn, ZZ Top, Bob Seger, Hank Jr and Sr, Merle Haggard, just about all country old and new. There are a few places online that show the chords to just about any song. Pick you out a few and learn the chords. Then work on putting them together to make a song. Practice, practice, practice, and more practice is what it takes. Good luck, and don't get discouraged. If you do, and I'm sure you will, just keep picking that guitar back up and try it again. You'll get it eventually.

 

Thanks for the reply. Thats pretty much what I do. I got online and get the 'tabs' that show the chords. But I just can move my fingers fast enough. I feel like I have plateaued already after six months.

31C

 

It will come with practice. Do yourself a favor and throw all the tablature out and learn how to read music.

What will help is to not just strum chords. That is lame and you will be stuck there with Hootie and John Cougar Melon *****. Find some music that is a little more intricate and challenge your self.

Good luck.

Remember its better to play accurate than fast. It will come with practice. 15 years going and Im still learning.

 

I play, some guitar, some piano, and more sax.
I was taught sheet music in band back in Jr High. when I learned to play the sax. but now you might as well put a foreign lanuage in front of me. I play by ear, after I've heard a song once then I can play it just like I heard it while it's playing the second time. By the third time, I start putting my style to it. My brother taught himself to play the guitar, my dad taught him the basic cords on a mandolene (sp) then he finally got an accustic then he would strum and pick at it while listening to his music (heavymetal/rock) for 3 hours or more a day. 2 Years later at the age of 17 he was and still is one of the best electric lead, or rythm players in town. He writes his own songs for his band and I don't belive that he ever knew how to read music. Never picked up a book either.

 

change your strings to a lighter gage if you want to bend your strings, helps you change up chords quicker, if your strickly a strumer, I find heavy gage strings work best, I have a mixture of light, medium and heavy gage strings, it is harder to tune, but I have my own unique sound.

 

I would suggest this.

Go to Wal-Mart. They sell two posters for learning chords and scales. The chords chart is white, and the scales chart is blue. You can't go wrong with them. I bought these for my daughter 3 months ago, and she is kicking butt and taking names.

I've been playing for over 20 years now, and there are no overnight tricks to learning to switch from chord to chord. It's all in the amount of time you put into practicing, and "feel" comes with time and experience. You can't rush it.

As far as camp fire music goes, if you learn the scales and chords on those two posters, you will be able to figure out any sound you want.

If you are deployed somewhere that you can't get to a Wal-Mart, I would be happy to buy these for you and send them to you at no charge in thanks for what you are doing for this country! Just let me know where to send them.

 

Hey thanks for the suggestion and the offer! I am actually going on leave/R&R in about a week (pretty excited about that). I am going to take my guitar with me and I plan on getting some light gauge strings for it. Also a problem I realized I (my guitar) have is the strings are too high off the neck. So when I re-string Im going to sand down the bridge in hopes to be able to move a little faster. Thanks for the reply's, Ill post in a few months to let you guys know Ive been doing.

31C

 

One other thing I would tell you is this.

If you truly like playing, and you feel that you always will want to play, I can't STRESS ENOUGH how much better one guitar is from another. If your guitar has bad action,(high strings, rattleing frets), I would leave it alone, and trade it in on a better guitar. A properly set up accoustic is EASY to play right out of the store. I have yet to see a guitar under $400 that plays like a $1700 Martin or Taylor. I have seen some as cheap as $500 that play nearly as nice, and I would HIGHLY recommend you consider that instead of nickeling your current axe.

I promise, you will not regret it years from now. The difference is night and day. You will also progress much faster because you won't be dealing with the cumbersome setup. It's much like driving a 1975 F-150, and then driving a 2006 F-150. They both do the same thing, but the 06 is SO much more comfortable to do it in.

And buy it from a reputable dealer with a good in-store shop. An experienced tech is needed to set the guitar up right!

 

Id agree with that, but right now being overseas I couldnt justify spending a lot of money on my first accoustic guitar. Maybe next Christmas Ill treat myself to a better one.

31C

 

I agree with 1969Mach, It's well worth the money to buy a playable guitar.
I have low end Taylor that cost around $1100. You can find a Baby Taylor for around $400 that I heard is great .

As far as entertaining yourself, I would recommend learning a combination picking/strumming where you connect the chords with a low string run. Alot of old timey country/bluegrass songs feature this method.
"Will the Circle be Unbroken" "Footprints in the Snow"
http://www.roughstock.com/cowpie/songs/ has a huge inventory of songs with the lyrics/chord changes.

Good Luck, Be Safe, and thanks for serving,
Jim