Todd asked:


I have started taking acoustic guitar lessons with a friend and would like to hear your opinion on songs to listen to for inspiration, and to become more familiar with the general style. I have pretty wide ranged tastes in music, but I am aiming for classical to modern rock.

ivans_nightmare asked:


I would like to learn the basics by the end of the summer, and my preference would be to use a book or a website, but I am especially skeptical of the majority of websites as most are maintained by amateurs. Is there a particular book or website that is very effective? Also, what should I learn/practice first?

Ricky Sharples asked:




The guitar has always had a unique appeal to music lovers. Listening to and watching accomplished guitar players perform astonishing feats of dexterity as they coax from their instrument sounds that touch the souls of their listeners automatically makes some people want to emulate the guitarist’s achievement. But this is the glamorous side of guitar playing. When we are pulled out of ourselves by musical excellence, our egos want to attract the admiration of crowds of people. We could be inspired to be guitarists today, and tomorrow we want to be circus acrobats. Such is the fickleness of the human psyche.

If you learn to play guitar are you offered any real and lasting benefits? Is there a lifetime of ongoing rewards that lasts beyond the initial thrill? Well, yes, and they can be roughly divided up into physical, emotional and mental benefits. A life devoted to the guitar has meaning beyond the extraction of music from an inanimate object.

If you learn to play guitar you are refining skills which we all have in a small way. Most people’s motor skills are developed to the point of being able to throw and catch a ball or get dressed in the dark. Learning the guitar enables us to meet challenges of a kind that no other musical instrument can offer. The opportunities to refine your motor skills are endless as you learn more chords and scales, more music which demands instant coordination between the left and the right hand with a control of the fine muscles that no other instrument demands of you.

Of course, nobody can spend an hour or two a day maintaining a relaxed posture while holding a guitar and practicing barre chords without lifting their level of fitness. This aspect of learning guitar may depend on what kind of teacher you have because many amateur guitarists have actually done damage to their bodies by trying to play the guitar with too much tension in their bodies.

You will not believe it unless you try it, but a long guitar practice session enhances your mental capacity. The act of trying to interpret a piece of music on the guitar awakens the parts of our brain that delight in asking questions and solving problems. Once you have settled down to a serious study of guitar music, you will find that organizing your guitar practice, finding time in your day for restringing your guitar and learning new music has taught you how to organize the other sides of your life. That is assuming you do not have a housekeeper.

Now to the emotional benefits of learning to play guitar. The study of any kind of music brings about an emotional change. There is a distinct difference between listening passively to music and trying to play it. If you think of yourself as a not particularly sensitive kind of person, you might be surprised at the shades of feeling you are capable of as you make your own interpretation of a piece of music. It is a whole new game of soldiers when you are experiencing music in separate passages that need to be strung together to make a whole new song or instrumental with your personality stamped all over it.

Gabe asked:


What video camera from Best buy under 300$ that will record good quality of a garage band and guitar playing?
Or if there is a better one at wal-mart/circuit city/ whatever that has good sound quality for recording loud guitar distortion noises/garage band practices that is under or near 300$, please post it here

thanks!

emusedone asked:

Incubus video Love Hurts cover on bass guitar, how to play bass, learn to play bass guitar

Dazed and Confused asked:


Ok I’m 14 and I want to start playing guitar. I know it will take a while to learn and I can’t just pick it up and play so spare me that. I just want any advice on how to get started and learn and any tricks or anything to help. Thanks!

ripbang1 asked:

An excerpt from the first beginner’s guitar lesson from the Nils Lofgren Guitar School available at www.nilslofgren.com

rockongoodpeople asked:

www.nextlevelguitar.com Click thelink above to receive free exclusive videos, newsletters, playing tips, and lots more free guitar and music goodies from Next Level Guitar. In this video we teach some basic concepts for the technique of sweep picking Many more full on video lessons at the full on video instructional website at: www.nextlevelguitar.com

codwhy047 asked:


I am just beginning guitar and want to take lessons. I am wondering who and where the best teachers are in Chicago.

Paul Benfort Harrison asked:




For beginning guitar players who want to plug in and really develop their talents, an electric guitar lesson DVD is a great way to get started. For those who have only tried to play an acoustic guitar, you may be quite impressed with how much easier it is to play an electric guitar.

In addition to how much louder the guitar can be when it is run through the amp, the electric guitar can be made to sound so much better through the use of reverb and distortion. Searing guitar solos just won’t happen with an acoustic guitar.

Because the frets are lower on an electric guitar, the strings are closer to the neck and are much easier to play than on an acoustic. Electric guitars are designed for loud, fast playing, mainly because they don’t require the same finger control and precision as an acoustic. On top of that, acoustic guitars typically have strings that are of a higher gauge. This means that more strength is needed to hold down on the strings and this can be very physically demanding on new players who have less finger strength.

If you have some basic guitar knowledge but are new to the world of playing guitars, guitar lessons on DVDs can help you develop that speed of shredding the guitar. If you have no guitar experience whatsoever, a DVD course can really speed up the learning curve. You can progress at your own pace without having to wait for the next lesson with a private teacher. It can also teach you to use the guitar’s tone knobs and the amplifier’s components.

Most guitar teachers and music store owners will tell you that electric guitars are easier to start with, which keeps you motivated to keep playing. Players switching from acoustic guitars will probably agree and I have personally done it as well. Keep in mind that even “cheap” or used guitars can cost hundreds of dollars.

You don’t want to spend that kind of money on an instrument that is just going to sit in a case because it’s too hard to play. If you want to jump right in and start playing, start with the non-acoustic guitar. Get an appropriate guitar lesson DVD for your skill level, a cable and an amp, and set aside some time to study the instrument. Practice regularly and your efforts will pay off sooner than you can imagine.