Teaching myself electric guitar...?

[Allan]

Right, I got sick of my guitar teacher (he was dead embarrasing IMO, and I didn't learn ANYTHING!!!), and decided to try and teach myself how to play the guitar... but i've got no idea where to get started. Any ideas for ways to help myself learn the real basics, and get up on my own 2-ish feet, so I can play guitar right and show up my old guitar teacher...?

[Cureless_Poison]

When i started playing guitar,i never did try any lessons from teachers,i listen to music and find the notes on my guitar and play it,plain and simply,the best way to teach yourself,is not to try any certain styles or lessons,just play around,make your own little toons,till you get a feel for the guitar,and when you get more used to it and got the basic layout of notes in your memory,then try to copy riffs from other songs and eventually you can listen to a song and be playing it withing 10-15 minutes like what i do.

[Kamikaze]

If you do it that way though you'll never really know what goes into making a song. All you'll be able to do is copy what other people do. There are some good books out there for beginners, I can't remember the name of the one I used, but it taught you pretty much all the basics.

[Alistair]

I got a guitar teacher, learnt all my major and minor chords so I had myself a base. I quit and taught myself, at the moment im studying to read and write music in my spare time (when I get time hehe). Its hard to do everything at once, finger exercises are very important although. Also eventually you get a natural feel of the fretboard, so you know which notes sound good with each other without having to know what notes they are.

Heres a nice key (recognise the musical order of the notes? ABCDEFG) that I made for you of the notes across the fretboard, it will come in handy as tabliture doesn't really help you with learning music.

E/ F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B-B#-C-C#-D-#D-E(12 Fret and repeat pattern) Thick String
A/ B-B#-C-C#-D-D#-E-E#-F-F#-G-G#-A(12 Fret and repeat pattern)
D/ E-E#-F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B-B#-C-C#-D(12 Fret and repeat pattern)
G/ A-A#-B-B#-C-C#-D-D#-E-E#-F-F#-G(12 Fret and repeat pattern)
B/ C-C#-D-D#-E-E#-F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B(12 Fret and repeat pattern)
E/ F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B-B#-C-C#-D-D#-E(12 Fret and repeat pattern) Thinnest String

When you get to the 12th fret and beyond you are hitting an octave.
Eg, A String, 1st is B. A string 13th fret is also B but an octave higher.

Also if your wondering where the flats are, they are the sharp note but using the note in front and making it flat. eg, C# is D Flat. F# is G Flat. A# is B Flat.

One more thing, learn scales! http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/index.p ... tar_scales

[Allan]

I got a guitar teacher, learnt all my major and minor chords so I had myself a base. I quit and taught myself, at the moment im studying to read and write music in my spare time (when I get time hehe). Its hard to do everything at once, finger exercises are very important although. Also eventually you get a natural feel of the fretboard, so you know which notes sound good with each other without having to know what notes they are.

Heres a nice key (recognise the musical order of the notes? ABCDEFG) that I made for you of the notes across the fretboard, it will come in handy as tabliture doesn't really help you with learning music.

E/ F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B-B#-C-C#-D-#D-E(12 Fret and repeat pattern) Thick String
A/ B-B#-C-C#-D-D#-E-E#-F-F#-G-G#-A(12 Fret and repeat pattern)
D/ E-E#-F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B-B#-C-C#-D(12 Fret and repeat pattern)
G/ A-A#-B-B#-C-C#-D-D#-E-E#-F-F#-G(12 Fret and repeat pattern)
B/ C-C#-D-D#-E-E#-F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B(12 Fret and repeat pattern)
E/ F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B-B#-C-C#-D-D#-E(12 Fret and repeat pattern) Thinnest String

When you get to the 12th fret and beyond you are hitting an octave.
Eg, A String, 1st is B. A string 13th fret is also B but an octave higher.

Also if your wondering where the flats are, they are the sharp note but using the note in front and making it flat. eg, C# is D Flat. F# is G Flat. A# is B Flat.

One more thing, learn scales! http://www.guitarnoise.com/wiki/index.p ... tar_scales

Yeah, thanks for that, I'll have a look-sees ASAP. And I had a vague idea about one notes sharps being the next notes flats. I've also got a vague idea how to read sheet music, but no idea how to play it on a guitar, so I'll stick to tab. for now =)

[Cureless_Poison]

If you do it that way though you'll never really know what goes into making a song. All you'll be able to do is copy what other people do. There are some good books out there for beginners, I can't remember the name of the one I used, but it taught you pretty much all the basics.

I have written some songs,its not too tricky,just find a good beat somewhere in your head and play away,just most of the time i play other bands music cause i barely have any,so i dont get much for choice for my music,its better playing other bands cause not only are you listening to the music but also playing along so it makes it more enjoyable.

[Bob]

Learn to play drums, it's much easier.

[DarkKnight]

Learn to play drums, it's much easier.

Learn to play the sax, it's much sexier.