Teed
Striker
You can get something decent cheaper than that, for a first guitar, I'd look no further than a Harley Benton, check them out on Thomman, you get a lot of guitar for your money.
Learning the guitar
- Thread starter Joe Public
- Start date
Mercia Blackcat
Striker
Personally I would go the extra mile and be nearer £300 but as a starting point this Alvarez AD30 will be very well built and have a good action for £219
Others may chip in with other choices but this is a good starting point. I don't think you would be disappointed with this.
Alvarez AD30 Artist Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar in Natural - Andertons Music Co.
Get the Alvarez AD30 Artist Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar in Natural from Andertons on 0% interest-free finance with free next day delivery in the UK over £100!
www.andertons.co.uk
Shambo
Striker
Learn some basic chords and then learn how to play a few simple songs you like. You then have something fun to do while you are trying the harder stuff
Also download the Guitar Tuna app, Guitar Chords app and Songsterr app.
Ultimate-guitar is also a good website for variations on how to play.
Also get a capo. Very cheap and adds a bit more fun and will make some songs sound like they are meant to
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Gillythedilf
Winger
I’ve always wanted to learn to play the guitar and the inclination is getting stronger to do it but I’m dreading what would possibly be the most frustrating thing I’ll ever try to do.
I’d be like this fucker;
I’d be like this fucker;
Mercia Blackcat
Striker
If you have difficulty tuning the guitar an electronic headstock tuner that clips on the headstock is handy and can cost around £15 to £20. Also handy if there a bit of background noise.
Tex
Striker
Well IMO you use far too many effects and should done some of that down!
@The OP I started out picking songs I liked that I suspected would be easy. I was wrong about some which are harder than they look but my starting point was ‘That’s Entertainment’ (G, Em, Am, F) From there you can do Sam Cooke’s ‘Wonderful World’ and start expanding out. Add a chord to be able to do a new song. Justin and Marty Schwarz as stated are good YouTube channels to watch.
Shambo
Striker
Most well known guitarists can't. It's just completely unnecessary for playing guitar.
Saw an interview with Noel Gallagher a while back where he said when an album is complete the record label make him play the whole thing slowly, and over & over, to a professional who can read music who watches closely and writes down everything he is doing. It's done for copyright reasons and is a legal obligation for everything that gets released. Said it can take a couple of days to do, and he really hates it.
Mercia Blackcat
Striker
If you scroll down on the link I posted above there is a demo video where they compare three guitars a £100 Fender, the AD30 Alvarez which at the time was around £250 and a £600 Alvarez. They tell you basically what you get for your money.
Personally I think people who have taught themselves guitar are better at ad-libbing.
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Joe Public
Striker
Reet am done for today, out about 2 hours in and my fingers are knacking. Starting to learn the chord names now and learned about 6 or 7 chords, putting them together in a meaningful tune will be awhile away I think but wasn’t to master them properly before owt else.
will only get a few minutes a day thru the week like.
sent that Alvarez to the missus so she can ask Santa for it for me.
will only get a few minutes a day thru the week like.
Got one of them with the smith but it’s only a cheap one.
sent that Alvarez to the missus so she can ask Santa for it for me.
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Harry Angstrom
Striker
Practice. Justin guitar. Practice. Learn a tiny bit of music theory. Practice. Get a metronome. Practice.
I’m still shite.
Shambo
Striker
I have always placed an F chord by playing the top string with my thumb. Find it much more comfortable and quicker to change chords to and from it rather than doing a barre chord
Noddy
Midfield
Super tip.
It'll come in handy when you advance to barre chords.
gizmoganzee
Striker
Practice, practice, practice and Justin as mentioned and Guitar Tuna App.
Mercia Blackcat
Striker
To be honest at £219 and free postage it's a cracking deal. It has a solid sitka spruce top which does improve the sound. I have an Alvarez AD60 that cost £300 at the time and it is good with a good base tone being a dreadnaught. My son has a solid wood Alvarez that cost £750 and it is from the Masterbuild Elite series and is superb but like the video in the link says you start paying a lot more for a slighter increase in quality. The major increase in quality is when you go over £200 and the guitar has a solid top. To be honest some of the early guitars I had were a pain to play, Eko, Yamaha and Hofner. I don't have fond memories of my early guitars although I really first leaned on a Gibson and Antoria that belonged to a friend I shared a house with in my student days. I think you will probably keep the Alvarez for life and probably wont want another guitar for a while although once you start....
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S.S.R..
Winger
I got pelters for this last time but skip the 'beginner' guitars and get something half decent*; mainly because it'll be easier to play and still have value if you decide it isn't for you further down the line.
I mean £200> rather than £100. You don't have to get a Maybach or anything.
Also, as a rule, it's better to play 15 minutes every single day than play for an hour and go days (and sometimes weeks) between practising.
I mean £200> rather than £100. You don't have to get a Maybach or anything.
Also, as a rule, it's better to play 15 minutes every single day than play for an hour and go days (and sometimes weeks) between practising.
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Joe Public
Striker
I’ve played most days for the last week or so, but today I get a bit time to myself and find it quite relaxing. Doing the wife’s head in already, been calling her yoko but she has no clue what that means.
artful splodger
Winger
Been playing for 42 years, still learning stuff, started off on a borrowed Jedson bass, learned a few Pistols & Damned songs from my mate, then got a Harmony guitar for my 14th birthday, made a pre amp (fuzz box) from a Thomas Salter Electric Lab & had a 50w trucker combo that I acquired
, no fancy chord books or you tube tutorials back then, didn't even have a guitar tuner, used the intro from Pretty Vacant to tune up. Just used to listen to stuff & try & work them out & got round to writing a few songs. Enjoy the sore fingers ,the frustrating times & the joy of cracking something. And remember rule 1 of learning the guitar, Fuck The Neighbours! Get it cranked up! 
WildTurkey
Midfield
Big Jeff
Winger
Last bit of advice from me honestly.
Find someone to play with soon. It does not matter about their or your ability it’s getting the feel of playing with other players.
There is nothing like it. Yes there is -the sound of a crowds applause, cheering , encore whatever.
It’s why we all do it!!
Best of luck mate
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