[Madison]

Hi all,

Well, after dying to learn to play guitar since I was 10 years old, I finally bought a guitar, and I'm beginning lessons on Feb. 29th. My 11 year old daughter and I are going to be taking them together. I can't wait, it's something I wanted to do forever, but just never seemed to be able to work into my schedule. Now, I'm making it fit.

I bought a Samick Malibu (Greg Bennett design) and we got my daughter a Silvertone. They're both nice beginner guitars that'll last a long time, and they were short money too. A friend I went to High School with has a music shop and gives lessons, so the timing was right.

I know some of you play guitar here, so hopefully I'll be able to discuss it with you intelligently soon Smile My wife is joking that every time I walk into our bedroom I can't help but pick the guitar up, turn on the amp, and noodle around with it trying to learn new chords, etc. I've also been scouring the tablature sites and printing out some songs.

Wish me luck!

Tom

[Doofy]

Sweet!

[LegendaryPinkOx]

It's never too late too learn an instrument Recently I found my uncle's old violin in my grandpa's basement, and have been 'fiddling' with it a bit.

There's plenty of lessons on You-Tube, if you want to practice in between lessons too. How good you get depends entirely upon how much time you spend with the instrument.

Good Luck!

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by LegendaryPinkOx 

It's never too late too learn an instrument

What if you get in some sort of accident and lose all of your appendages...I'd say then it's too late to learn guitar.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by LegendaryPinkOx 

It's never too late too learn an instrument Recently I found my uncle's old violin in my grandpa's basement, and have been 'fiddling' with it a bit.

I would like to draw additional attention to that pun. *hand clap*

I've started picking up the guitar that I've had in my guest bedroom again lately. I bought a few books, and I'm walking through them bit by bit (yes, Doofy, I bought The Guitar Handbook).

Hopefully we'll have some brand new serious players here in the forum during the next year.

[brassplayersrock²]

don't be surprised if your lil one starts becoming better than you quicker. They can really surprise you sometimes

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I hope you keep it up!

After growing up playing piano but wishing I learned the guitar instead, I bought a nice little Dean Evo Special (in the blue) guitar a couple years ago, complete with Marshall practice amp. (I got a decent deal on it at the time for various reasons.) I didn't know much about guitars in general but I was lucky to have a friend who played professionally, so he helped me out a bit.

Unfortunately, I never went beyond basic chord changes, and it really hasn't gotten much use. I guess I'm always pretty busy with studying and I have lots of reading to do, and I've found that I'd rather spend my spare time doing something active to fight the terrible bulge of getting older (I've taken up trying to become a quality squash player, and I do lots of intramural-type stuff.) I also found, in retrospect, that I probably wouldn't've chosen the Les Paul-type body; while I listen to everything, most of the music I would like to play seems to favour the Fender-style sound, I guess you'd call it (kinda more "bell-like" maybe?), rather than the Les Paul "crunch." Doof or RR might know ways to get that "sound" out of mine, but I found I didn't have the energy or interest to spend my free time fiddling with it.

I've kept it and always thought I'd be able to get back into it later, but it seems less and less likely that I'll ever have the free time to devote to it. I think maybe in the back of my head I'll just keep it and one day give it to my kid or something and see if they can fulfill my dream.

Ahhh well, you never know....

greg

[MacosNerd]

I took guitar lessons once - the instructor recommended that I stop taking lessons and save my money. I'm hopelessly tune deaf and have absolutely no rhythm

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

I also found, in retrospect, that I probably wouldn't've chosen the Les Paul-type body; while I listen to everything, most of the music I would like to play seems to favour the Fender-style sound, I guess you'd call it (kinda more "bell-like" maybe?), rather than the Les Paul "crunch." Doof or RR might know ways to get that "sound" out of mine, but I found I didn't have the energy or interest to spend my free time fiddling with it.

Yeah, there's a reason the Stevie Ray Vaughans and John Mayers of the world wield Fender Strats. On that note, I'm really glad John Mayer has shifted his focus to less of that pop sound to the blues-inspired stuff he's been putting out lately. I didn't realize his talent for a long time.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

I took guitar lessons once - the instructor recommended that I stop taking lessons and save my money. I'm hopelessly tune deaf and have absolutely no rhythm

Harsh!

You must've really sucked. Should've broken the guitar over his head, Honky Tonk Man style!

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

I also found, in retrospect, that I probably wouldn't've chosen the Les Paul-type body; while I listen to everything, most of the music I would like to play seems to favour the Fender-style sound, I guess you'd call it (kinda more "bell-like" maybe?), rather than the Les Paul "crunch." Doof or RR might know ways to get that "sound" out of mine, but I found I didn't have the energy or interest to spend my free time fiddling with it.

Yep. Loads of ways of doing it, but the most straightforward is to get a graphic EQ in line between the plank and amp then roll the bottom end off and raise the top a little. It won't be perfect, but it's close enough.

[MacosNerd]

My then girlfriend(and now my wife) didn't believe me - until I got on the dance floor and saw the lack of rhythm

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

I bought a few books, and I'm walking through them bit by bit (yes, Doofy, I bought The Guitar Handbook).

Am I *that* predictable?

[Sherman Homan]

i found that it makes you appreciate the music behind many of the songs that you grew up with!

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Yep. Loads of ways of doing it, but the most straightforward is to get a graphic EQ in line between the plank and amp then roll the bottom end off and raise the top a little. It won't be perfect, but it's close enough.

Hahaha...see? That sounds like Significant Effort™. (Edit: it does have a pickup selector thing going, so I found I just ended up using that to get a little less "metal" sound.)

My problem was that I do love listening to lots of heavier stuff and "stoner rock" (Kyuss, older QOTSA, ISIS, blah blah), but I found that the stuff I actually wanted to play was a little different (e.g. Jeff Buckley, Santana, etc.). Of course that just ended up lessening my enthusiasm even more.

Not that I'm knocking the guitar mind you. It was a nice guitar for just under $500; it's fun to play, has a sweet-feeling neck joint, and friends who actually play guitar really like to steal it from me.

greg

[abe]

I went looking for the Guitar Handbook and along the way I found a page full of music oriented freebies I thought I'd share. Click image to see full sized. Click link to go to the site.



Free Music Software Downloads - Stagepass.com

[Jawbone54]

I don't have an electric guitar yet (I have yet to really know what I'm doing on the acoustic, after all), but I've played two of my friends' Les Pauls, Stratocasters, Telecasters, and SGs. I preferred the nice "slide" of the neck on the Fenders. It just felt so much smoother. The Les Paul in particular was harder to work with for me personally, but need I remind you again that I suck.

[legacyb4]

Wouldn't mind learning even basic acoustic guitar...

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by legacyb4 

Wouldn't mind learning even basic acoustic guitar...

Get and do it then.

[legacyb4]

Yup, that's my plan. Been looking on C's List for a reasonably priced used acoustic for starters!

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Get and do it then.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Am I *that* predictable?

Ha...

I think you should think of yourself less as "that predictable" as you should think of yourself as "not half bad at brainwashing."

[analogika]

^ Heh.

The difference between "predictability" and conditioning your audience.