Anyone Learning Guitar?

YankeeMan

I've played drums my whole life, but that's not a solo instrument.  Our college as a large Continuing Ed program and I started taking group lessons.  I have these pudgy little, sausage fingers and I keep muting the string below the one I'm fretting.  I looked on Youtube, but I keep getting that I should play with the tips of my fingers.

I know it can be done, BB King had a hand like a tennis racket and he was amazing.  Any tips?

Amos_Umwhat

I wish I could help, but I've been "learning" it forever.  I'm not good.  But, since you're a drummer, you already know the number one thing.  Keep at it.  I like to sit and accompany whoever's on the Pandora.  If I do this every evening, I seem to get better.  The Wife verifies that this is true.  She's stopped shutting the door to the kitchen.

All that said, I've got large wide hands, fat fingers, and osteoarthritis, but I'm having fun.  And, take a look at Roy Clarks hands, like BB Kings, you  wouldn't thing he'd be able to play a single note without **** up something else, but...

What kind of guitar(s) do you have?  The biggest mistake I see parents make when their kids want to learn is "well, we'll get him this cheap one, and if he learns that we'll get him a better one".  Bad mistake.  Carlos Santana couldn't make that cheap POS sound good.  I doubt that's your case, however. 

Good luck!  

Oh, and I think several of the guys here are into it, hopefully they'll chime in with useful advice.

YankeeMan

I have a Fender acoustic/electric and a Miller acoustic.  The Miller belonged to my best friend who passed last Easter.  I wanted it just because it was his.  It's a pretty good guitar and I alternate practice sessions with each guitar.

I still suck, but the level of suckiness seems to be coming down a little.

TX98Z28

I've been playing for 14-15 years now. Never have taken lessons but highly recommend it, especially if you can find an old school teacher, preferably a moptop metal head. No joke those guys can teach you to play anything. Very important to learn when to start an up stroke, down stroke, ascending, descending, etc. and practice evenly with all fingers, pinky being the one that gets weak on guys and only hurts them from learning more advanced techniques in the long run. Intonation is important and a properly setup guitar. I could talk all day about this but just have fun, I play to releave stress, and there's always something new to learn.

peter4jc

That OG-absentee who made it back, @Puff_Dougie has been posting some awesome solo acoustic videos on facebook... he should have something to add.

Amos_Umwhat

YankeeMan said:

I still suck, but the level of suckiness seems to be coming down a little.

Do we have to pay @Bob_Luken royalties if we say something like that?   

It's always nice to have more than one guitar.  I've got an ancient Ovation Matrix I bought in "76 or '77, and a Takamine, that I love, bought in '95.

Puff_Dougie

I've been plinking around for years, but never took lessons. Repetition has been the best way to fix chord fingering issues. 

Guitarded

I have learned that playing any instrument is like playing golf.
It takes years just to be bad at it! 
Remember it is supposed to be fun!
+1 on the reptition....just keep playing, it gets easier.
Occasionally I go to a Flemenco show with my wife, after I hear those guys that live with a guitar in their lap, I realize how little I know. 

TX98Z28

This guy actually teaches lessons only about 25 miles from me. He has some good pointers in the first video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4u03dZTseE
And 30 years later or so… 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9zdsoeqPkE

Sleddog46

I have a Martin D 35 that I bought new in 1976. Dawn has a Gibson Hummingbird with a pick up that her ex put in. I also have my first guitar that is a Morris Dread naught. I'm seriously thinking of selling the Martin & Gibson. If anyone is seriously interested PM me.