Complete Beginner at EVERYTHING guitar

[komrad20]

Trying to learn and have fun, I didn't start a post to have criticism about the gear I currently own, but perhaps to get insight on what and where to start, and maybe someone or people to do it with.

 

[pima1234]

It's difficult because we all started at different places. I had a small Hal Leonard chord book for the longest time, and that was it. A few informal lessons, a not so great group class, and then a few formal lessons from a really good instructor who didn't quite know where to start with me.

26 years later, I'm still learning, even now, when I can't play.

Try different things: chords, simple songs or maybe just riffs, that is (Smoke on the Water, Iron Man, etc.). But definitely learn some scales, at least simple minor pentatonic scales, and try to at least plunk out some major scales (just do-re-mi, etc.).

 

[Gong8659]

Komrad20, I had to laugh when I read this thread about you buying everything up front before knowing if u even like playing guitar haha. You remind me of the way my mind works too lol. Why go invent the wheel, just skip to the end right? hehe.
So I really hope you find a way to get started because I've totally felt this way about things since day one. Did you know bull pythons eat a month sometimes year's worth of food and water supply all at once and in their mind food is basically conquered. Conveninent isnt it? You've already bought it all and made a fun investment in something you might love, bu dont know yet. Like that crazy guy who enters the casino first time ever and immediately goes to the high stakes poker table and announces 'I'm ALL IN' before there's anybody to even play with lol.

I'd say the most important thing is to fall in love with playing guitar so they dont become trophy wives. So learn all your favourite songs and guitar solos. Learn the names of chords and notes AFTER you've learned to play something you already love to hear on your favourite songs. Once you love picking up the guitar without any idea what you're going to play, either carry on learning what you already love hearing or get creative and imitate the sound of life - microwaves, ringtones, toilet flushes, cockaldoodledoos etc. OR let your fingers do what they want on the guitar, without any intention or judgement whatsoever. That's going to bring you a whole nother level of love for your guitar. Keep everything else simple until you've reached this point. Factory patches on axe fx, stock pickups. Seriously keep the 'investment' mind out of it. You've done really well with your mind, now allow your heart to sing!!!

 

[cakewalkgg]

Looking at my golf clubs I am realizing I should not mock the OP...

Lol i was just going to say this...

I can relate. Its probably not the best way, but if i take something new on that im excited about i usually buy much more stuff than i really need.

I agree with prior posts.. If your brand new to guitar playing, get yourself attached to that 6 string. Maybe let them extended range guitars hang out for a while.

 

[cakewalkgg]

everything is getting interesting. a little steep at points but understandable.
Let me re-impose my position in life.
I'm in the Telecommunications field, I'm married, have a house, have 2 kids, and 1 on the way.
I'm the sole provider here at the house, I pay my bills like everyone else does, and when I have extra money I spend it on my lifetime hobby of guitars, etc...
Everything I've bought was never handed down to me easily, or given to me. I worked for everything I've got now.
Now that's clear and out of the way. I completely understand starting slow and building my craft from the floor up.
For the record, there hasn't been any luck on my side, Im not a spoiled bastard, none of the above mentioned describes me.
I would like to have someone here in Florida that I can get lessons from, and progress with, if thats possible?

Good for you man..

There may be some auto-jealousy because most guitarists i've known, and thats quite a few, start out with something like.. a Hondo guitar.. a 5 watt peavy amp that sounds like an out of tune fart.. and spend a year or two learning def leopard tunes (the early stuff) before even getting a proper guitar strap, and 5 years later step up into the big leagues with their first Ibanez..

ahem.. so its sorta like whooa .. when someone starts out with gear like you. Good for you to have the money to start out your guitar adventure with a bang! I don't see anything wrong with that.

BTW i'm in telecom as well

I think you have a pretty healthy (albiet aggressive) approach. Learning the guitar just isn't going to be any faster because you have the nice gear.

I do think though that if someone really takes a responsible approach and is ultra dedicated (like you seem to be).. one could get to some pretty good proficiency within a few years.

You are in a good place here.. as I mentioned in another thread. I'm blown away at how many highly skilled players are part of this forum. That in itself may justify you starting out on an axefx (you are pretty lucky to be doing that BTW.. I think most of us dreamed of it for a few years and pleaded like a child with their wives before getting permission to get one lol)

The absolute best of luck to you! If I can help you with anything, I will. I've done this stuff for about 30 years so I can at least tell you what not to do

 

[cakewalkgg]

I forgot to mention,

You have the resources for good gear.. so definitely use a bit on some personal lessons as has been mentioned. You should be able to just google some local instructors. Read some reviews on them. There should be quite a few that are qualified to get you started in the right direction. Based on you guitars, and your reference to guitar heros, I suspect you are attracted to the more advanced (maybe even shred type) players. The real ones have extraordinary technique. If you don't develop good habits out of the gate, you'll really have trouble advancing.

 

[komrad20]

@cakewalkgg, Thank you for the kind words of advice.
I was wondering what your thoughts were on getting the MFC-101 Mark 3? just to finish my collection of Fractal Gear, until they come out with something totally re-designed, other than the FX8....
I have put both the 7 & 8 strings back in their cases, and have stored them away in my closet for the time being.
What kind of Telcom work are you into? climbing towers like myself?

 

[Saabmugen]

Not sure why you would invest in a 7 and 8 string guitar at this point unless u r collecting them as a hobby. I'd rather spend a small fortune on getting a few private lessons by a reputed tutor who is proficient in the styles you r interested in.

Try to learn ur favourite licks and riffs by ear. It does not matter if u play them completely wrong at thus point. After learning them by ear, then play it to ur tutor for corrections etc. There is no substitute for learning things by ear if u want to progress at an exponential pace as time goes by.

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[Zwiebelchen]

Thanks for typing what I was thinking as well haha...

Oh, quite the opposite. Thank you for not typing what you were thinking.

Seriously guys, who are you to judge someone for buying expensive gear? What if he got lots of disposable income and doesn't care how much it costs? Guess what; there are people in this world that have money and don't want to pointlessly sit on it just for the heck of it.
They (mostly) earned that money through hard work.
Saying that highend gear is only for pros is bullshit. People sometimes invest money in their hobbies, even if they just started out. So what? This is what finances your constant free firmware updates, after all.

Playing electric guitar is not only about the playing skills. It's the full package. People dig computers as a hobby. What if he likes tinkering with IT and enjoys making new sounds? What if he also likes electronics?

Sorry for the rant, but some guys seriously need to get down from their horses sometimes and accept that a hobby can take many different shapes. I know a guy with a boat, yet he almost never sails. Why? Because he enjoys tinkering around with his boat more than actual sailing. I know a guy who enjoys cleaning his car and does it almost daily. Who are we to judge fun?


EDIT: Even if I quoted you, this is not aimed towards you specifically but towards every other response along these lines. I just randomly selected a quote and you were the winner. So don't take it personal.

You can even bring it to the bathroom (adds nice natural reverb too) .... if you're prone to constipation then I suggest learning a few old Bob Dylan songs and singing along for extra authenticity.

This is one of the weirdest comments I have ever read. And I'm a frequent 4chan user. :/

I do think though that if someone really takes a responsible approach and is ultra dedicated (like you seem to be).. one could get to some pretty good proficiency within a few years.

This. Heck, there are 12 year old kids who let it rip on the guitar neck.

 

[Severed]

Everyone starts somewhere.

In this day and age though you have youtube for free lessons. Use it.

IMHO keep things simple until you get a grasp on it. For example spending hours tweaking effects instead of just practicing playing.

The biggest thing about playing guitar is practice.

The biggest thing about gear is reading the manuals and the applying it to what inspired you in the 1st place so you have a reference as to why things are used for this or that.

Have patience. It will take time and effort and can be frustrating but don't ever give up.

Finally. ... as you've noticed.... there are a lot of pricks out there. They will heckle and be rude. Ignore them. They are only going to hold you back from enjoying your journey.... because it is your journey.

Good luck!

 

[Edrod]

When I first started, I had a Horner acoustic guitar. My first guitar pedal was a zoom, what a POS those things were haha

 

[symphx]

I started in 5th grade playing a nylon classical/acoustic. Mel bay. Real music notes no tab. For 2 years. All I wanted was an electric and to play kiss.

One day 2 years later I walked into a room with a sunburst les Paul and never looked back! Still have it 30 years later. Maybe if I had it on day one I wouldn't have worked so hard and given up. On the other hand I was TEN! After medical school I increased my collection by 19 guitars. Which did not of course make me better.

Also be careful the axe has greatly taken away from my improvement. In fact it has become a hobby to craft sounds rather than music. But it sure is fun!!!!


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[Edrod]

Also be careful the axe has greatly taken away from my improvement. In fact it has become a hobby to craft sounds rather than music. But it sure is fun!!!

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I have to agree with this. For me, I've caught myself spending more time trying to find the "perfect" tone rather than playing and improving my skills. In other circumstances, I've bought some really nice gear the last couple of months only to have it collecting dust. I remember when I started with my crappy Horner nylon guitar, my progressed was a lot better. I went from 6 months in beginners class to advance which was very hard to do at my hs.

No I just suck at times and go play video games haha

 

[pima1234]

^^ Why I had begun practicing classical guitar again.

I can dial up the basic stuff I need out of the Axe FX pretty quickly and easily now.

Anything complicated, and I can just check the forum, wiki, and manual.

 

[lqdsnddist]

Nothing at all wrong with being a gear enthusiast/collector or whatever you want to call it. I have a good buddy who really doesn't play guitar but who has about 40+ fuzz pedals. He's technically got a couple cheap guitars and I suppose occasionally makes some fuzzy noises but his real passion is collecting the pedals. Loves trading them online, finding ones with really unique artwork and enclosures, bidding on rare old collectibles etc. More power to him, its a pretty cool collection he's got, it makes him happy, and I'm sure if he ever sold it he'd back a nice profit.

Thing is though that all those pedals don't make him a better guitar player. If anything they probably make him worse, because instead of maybe sitting down for an hour and learning how to play his guitar, he'd rather be searching B&S forums, reading reviews of pedals etc.

Same thing holds true for gear like the Axe-Fx honestly. You could spend 2 hours just playing the guitar, which you'd do with a basic amp setup, or, you could spend 2 hours sitting there strumming the exact same chord and checking out different amp or cab models. Its still fun, and nothing wrong with have a dialed in tone, but there is only so much time in the day....

If someone wants to have a nice guitar collection, own a bunch of rare pedals, enjoys the thrill of the hunt and the fix of the UPS truck pulling up, more power to them. Fun stuff. None of it really has anything to do with playing guitar though.

If one wants to become a good guitarist, the path is pretty simple. Get good instruction and then practice, practice, practice.

Don't spend 3 hours after working watching YouTube clips

Play your guitar

Don't spend 3 hours searching for Ebay deals, reading/posting in TGP threads, searching google for X vs Y type review articles etc

Play your guitar

Don't have your guitar in pieces on the work bench because your refinishing it or "relic"ing it.

Play your guitar

Don't have no strings on your guitar and some new pups half soldered in.

Play your guitar

Amps, modelers, preset exchanges, IR cab packs, swapping pups, reading product reviews on different string brands et al., is well and good but none of it make you the least bit better at playing guitar

Simply play your guitar....

With the caveat that one really doesn't have to be a master. I'm sure as heck not, never will be, and don't have a desire to become so. I enjoy lots of other aspects such as the gear, doing mods etc. I can play well enough to enjoy my equipment and its just a fun hobby anymore.

Its like golf. I'm not great but I can play well enough to enjoy the game, be competitive with co-workers etc, but I'm not trying to get on the PGA tour. As such, I'm not going to spend hours a day at the range, hit a 1000 balls a night etc. For those who do have that dream/goal though....better put in the work

 

[jrh_67]

well I totally admire your gumption to just dive in.

Just don't forget to have fun.

You have great gear. The hard part is learning to play


a couple tips I can share as just pointers I wish I had followed when I was starting.

1. Develop a practice structure.. it does not have to be some ultra rigid routine but try to have some organization to your practice and set some short and medium goals. As you reach those goals.. make new goals..

2. Use a metronome or a drum machine or backing tracks or something when your practicing stuff that has rhythm. It really is important to develop a good sense of timing.

3. feel absolutely free to ask questions!

^^ This is probably some of the best advice anyone could give you...

Don't listen to all the "nay sayers"

 

[markmusicman]

I'm willing to do a video call with you sometime using a Google Hangout if your interested. Let me know!!

Im new to the forum, playing guitar, effects, and everything associated with guitar.
I however have been infatuated with guitarist and guitars ever since I was first able to listen to Ozzy Osbourne, ever since then, I've been a die hard fan of all things guitar. I picked it up when I was younger, then put it down due to lack of lessons, and time. Then just recently I've picked it back up 15 years later, (Life Evolved for me). I currently have no experience at playing guitar, but have just started taking lessons online, and trying to see where things go from there.
I have over the years of not playing or crafting my ultimate goal in life, have been educating myself somewhat with book knowledge on guitars.
I recently just purchased several pieces of high end gear, including guitars, a pedal, AxeFX2 XL+, and some other odds and end things.
My current gear consists of the following:

Ibanez Komrad20 (2014 Brian Head Welch 7 string guitar/Black & White Splatter)
Ibanez RG6003FM 6 String guitar with pickups that I upgraded to the Dimarzio Titan Neck and Bridge
Ibanez RG2228GK 8 String Guitar (Galaxy Black) Mint condition 2008 model
Fractal Audio AxeFX2 XL+
Fractal Audio Cab Lab+Plugin software
Ibanez Jemini Distortion Pedal
2EA- JBL LSR305 studio monitors


I purchased all of this stuff to start learning to play on higher end stuff since I was going to be doing this for a couple of years, I wanted to make sure I had gear to last my entire journey of guitar playing.
I truly need help and support on understanding everything guitar related, as well as everything AxeFX related. I wanna really learn all there is to know about everything guitar.
Like I said before Im completely new at all of this so bare with me over the course of my learning curve. Any and all help is openly appreciated!

Thanks!!

 

[komrad20]

how about tonight? are you still up for it?

 

[vinnyburns]

There is no easy route through all of this. You are only going to get out of the guitar what you put into it. There are no shortcuts. No one can make you into a good guitarist but you. They can advise and give lessons but if you are not going to put the serious hours in, you won't get anything back out of it.
Having decent gear as good and a good guitar undoubtedly makes playing easier but throwing more money on gear after the guitar and a decent amp(Axefx) will not improve your playing. Especially if you are too distracted tweaking sounds rather then practicing.
It's all down to you. Get stuck in and enjoy it. You will probably find the first year very frustrating but after that, everything will state to fall into place.
Walk before you can run. Spend as much time learning the basics like bending a string and vibrato from the wrist before moving onto things like alternate picking.
There is only on pace and that is your pace. It's not a competition and everything will fall into place when it is ready to.
Like I said, enjoy it.
Good luck.

 

[Char2000]

Holy gear batman. You got a Lambo, porsche and several other sports cars as a first car metaphorically. My advice man, Stick with the 6 string and Axe FX when learning.