rmcelwee

iTrader: (1)

I haven't played in years (25?) and only then just screwed around with some power cords and stuff. I traded an old 19" TV to a friend for one of those cheap Esteban guitars and then took that to a guitar shop in town and traded that and some cash for:



Yes, it is just a cheap Strat but I had one of my friends who has been playing in a band for the past 30 years check it out. He said it was a great guitar with good action that he would have no problem playing on stage. Cheap amp as well but it has a ton of settings and allows for audio in. I've already plugged my computer into and it piped in "def leppard - rock of ages.mp3" (so you can play along with it). Lots of fun...

wayne_curr

iTrader: (8)

I've been meaning to pick up my guitar again lately. Every time I do, though, I have less and less patience with how bad i've gotten and thus no patience to practice.

I dont even have calluses anymore so my ***** fingertips start to get sore :(

9671111

iTrader: (10)

I wonder how many of you guys play instruments / are musicians.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

This is the exact setup and thing we do with my BIL & FIL every Sat night. We use a Peavey Vypyr amp with the iPhone plugged into it. Karaoke and playalong FTW. Who the hell needs guitar hero when you have a cheap Strat and an amp with audio in?

Bad *** deal...enjoy.

jacob300zx

Violin 3 years, first chair the whole time. I quit because I got caught forging my parents sigs that I practiced everyday. My Mom told her that I never practiced, teacher demoted me to third chair. We got in a heated debate that the chair you sit in is your skill level not practice hours. Told her that was stuped to get demoted for not practicing and bounced. Wish I could play like I used to. I can't even read music anymore...

rmcelwee

iTrader: (1)

I played 1st chair trumpet and moved to tuba (I love that damn base sound even though tuba kind of sucked) in school. Read treble and base clef (is that what it is called) back then but can't read music now. We had a guitar class as an elective in 8th grade. I wish I had jumped in it at that time. Ugh!


Very easy song to play on guitar (I need some easy stuff to start with):



I did a DIY alignment on my Geo Metro today (http://www.lightweightmiata.com/geo/alignment/ and heard the song as bumper music on Rush Limbaugh when I was doing a test drive. I notice that when I listen to the radio now I am scoping out easy songs to play.

jacob300zx

I want to play some guitar too. Worse part is my wife has two up in the attic. Wish I had someone to teach me. If I could play these couple I'd be in heaven.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

I do the same thing with songs to sing.

I met with more success in choir than I did with the trombone. Hell, I think they only let me stay in band because I could march.

My father in law asks me to sing all kinds of old music (including Spanish language), so I study up during the week, and try and find songs I can handle.

Music is good for the soul, especially when you're making it.

rmcelwee

iTrader: (1)

This would be a hard solo to play. I've never linked to a certain part of a youtube video before so bear with me if I screw it up (trying to link straight to 2:25 of the video):



Well, it didn't work but I think you can click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-KACyK50sY#t=02m25s

dpexp

iTrader: (6)

I played Guitar for 25 years, Im in self imposed Guitar exile now,I got so disgusted with my playing I had to stop. Thats where the Miata came in, substitute one addiction for another.

Cococarbine3

iTrader: (1)

Well I guess the first step is to get the guitars out of the attic. Is either of them a six string acoustic (has a hole in it)? That's where I would start for the sake of simplicity and learning. It may be harder to press the strings, but it's better to learn with. Buy a tuner, and tune the strings from biggest to smallest: E,A,D,G,B,E. Hopefully you have all 6 strings. If not, go to a music store, or even wal mart, and pick up a pair of acoustic or electric strings, depending on if you have acoustic or electric(there is a big difference). Can't go wrong with Martins or Ernie Ball Slinkys. Also pick up a little winder to make twisting the tuning keys faster. Look on youtube how to string a guitar... it's pretty easy.

Are you all tuned up? Good. Now you're ready to play. I have a chart with some basic chords used in music ever since 1548. I have highlighted some of the most important ones that are easy to play and detrimental in music.



Hopefully you are right handed. If leftie, you need a different guitar or learn to hold this way. Hold the neck in your left hand, and move your right hand down across the strings. That is one strum. You can hold a pick or just use your fingers. Okay, back to the chords. Your (left) fingers are supposed to be pushed on the black dots. Let's start with Em (Eminor - sad sounding). By the way, fingering is 1-index finger, 2-middle, 3-ring, 4-pinkie. Those dots in the picture don't have fingering, but you can find them somewhere for all the chords, or figure out what works for you. For Em, hold both your middle finger (2) on the second biggest string, and your ring finger (3) on the third biggest string, both two frets up on the neck as pictured. The open circles above the strings mean that they can still be played, even though your not pushing the strings down. If there is no circle and you pluck that string, it will sound wrong/bad. For Em, they all are open, so right now all you have to do is STRUM AWAY. Hopefully it sounds right. If not, come back here.

GOOD that is your FIRST CHORD!!! Now start figuring out how to play the others, mainly the circled ones. Play these chords till your fingers bleed. Your left hand fingers will feel awkward and uncomfortable, but if you keep at it, you will be able to play them in your sleep. Don't be afraid to experiment with fingerings, playing one string at a time and arpeggio, and strumming patterns. There is no set way to play a chord. Once you get that, look up tabs for some of your favorite songs, and the rest is legend.

I started with my dad's old Martin and an old Mel Bay's book of chords. Every night I would play these chords over and over until my fingers bled and eventually developed calluses. Then I moved to bar chords and then all the scales. Now, I can play very well and can play all sorts of songs by John Mayer, Led, Vanhalen, Jack Johnson, and many others with %100 accuracy, as well as anything with sheet music. Blues, folk, rock, metal, jazz, improv, solos, you name it. It all comes back to a basic knowledge of these chords. I started only 2 years ago back in high school to play a song for a girl I liked. No one has ever taught me how to play. Guitar is very easy to learn to play. Somewhat difficult to master.

Hustler plays trombone

miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

I have been playing the piano for years. After college, I pretty much stopped until my mother called me and said "Do you want this piano? If so get it out of my house."

I brought it home, and have been playing it almost every day since. Still suck though.

Bond

iTrader: (6)

I have been playing music in my car for a few years now. I have gotten pretty good at it...to say the least.

rmcelwee

iTrader: (1)

I tried picking up the acoustic (I have a REALLY nice Spanish acoustic made in the 60's) but since I didn't know anything and it was so hard to play I put it back down and started playing XBox again. With an electric guitar and an amp that will give you lots of distortion just a few simple strums makes you feel like a guitar hero and it is more fun to play. This will probably keep my interest long enough for me to learn a little something. I was looking to have fun not learning to play.

I bought a tuner off Ebay for $12 (search for NEW!!!! QWIK TUNE GUITAR PROFESSOR TUNER, CHORD FINDER). Works fine.

Just bought 4 sets of these strings off ebay:
Fender Super Bullets Electric Guitar Strings - 2 Sets - eBay (item 360211753142 end time Dec-25-09 14:45:02 PST)

Hustler plays the RUSTY trombone.

dpexp

iTrader: (6)

C,D and G almost every country song ever written. A,D and E almost every rock song ever written. Heres a fun one, Rockin in the free world- Em,-D-C. chorus- G-D-C-Em. Get a decent steel string Acoustic guitar and keep it near the couch and play with it while your watching Tenacious D the complete master works and Zappa plays Zappa DVDs, when you pick up your Strat you will play like buttah.

boileralum

iTrader: (8)

What has nine arms and sucks?

Saml01

iTrader: (9)

Been playing sax since sophomore year of high school marching band.

9671111

iTrader: (10)

Any of you guys into recording?

NastyNate

iTrader: (1)

I've been playing the drums since I was in 5th grade. I'm 28 now.

miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

Do you mean ****?