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Advice for beginners

Chaal Bahl

Free Bird Player
Nov 11, 2019
4
8
Hi guys, I gave up on guitar awhile back as it felt too hard and I had other commitments. Just got back into it again recently, been playing for about 3 months now and I've noticed significant progress especially when I put in the consistent practice daily which inspired me to keep going despite how tough it is. With that, I am still very lost on what to learn next on guitar. So far, I have learned the basic open chord shapes, the 5 major scale patterns and the 5 minor pentatonic scale patterns however, I am very lost as to what shoud I learn next. I have searched online for a proper step by step curriculum but there doesn't seem to be any, until I've found this online school with lessons in sequential order on where to proceed next. With that, would it be sufficient for me to follow the sequential lessons here or how should I proceed from where I am?
 

Dominik Gräber

Hot Topic Tourer
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  • Nov 11, 2019
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    Nothing wrong with doing the Lessons one after another. But I think you should also use what you learned to do Something fun, write a little Jam or Look for Songs you want to learn.
    Because if you don't - at least that's how it is for me - when you Come to a Point again where you struggle with theory you might loose interest quickly If you haven't Set a Goal or can't See any Progress.
     

    Kai C

    Stairway to Heaven Tab Studier
    Nov 11, 2019
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    Naha Okinawa
    @Chaal Bahl Hey so I'm in a similar position but for me I started lessons with a guy once a week and by far the BIGGEST thing as a newbie is timing. I've learned the same things as you but actually putting it together AND keeping rhythm has been so unnatural... I suck at it. So what I'm doing is sitting down and playing with a metronome. Oh and learn your barre chords! It opens up the entire neck! The beginner lessons on the CAGED system will teach them.

    Create any chord progression, doesn't have to be perfectly theory based but make it sound pleasant to YOU. Try to include one Barre chord. Or pick a song progression and steal that. I like U2's With or Without You as a warm up (D-Am-B-G). Put a metronome on and tap your foot to the beat then start the chords once you got the beat.

    Another thing to do is find a beat track on YouTube. Pick out the beat the same way you would on a metronome by tapping. Then play your shapes and patterns on time. As you beat to death the scales I think you'll start improvising more.

    I'm still in the same boat man but it's a fucking marathon not a race so have fun with it!
     
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    Jak Angelescu

    Guest
    All of these suggestions are absolutely wonderful and very very very useful. Especially the notion of jamming along to backing tracks. The biggest thing that you want to remember, is that even if you learn only 3 chords there are literally hundreds of songs that you can learn. You learn one scale position and there are hundreds of solos that you can play. What I would like to also add, is that once you complete your 1st handful of lessons, pick an easy song that you might want to learn. Learning songs and completing songs is a great way to inspire you to keep going. Start writing, start writing solos over backing tracks and even improvising. My singer had only played guitar for about 3 months before she wrote one of our very 1st songs. I agree with taking the lessons in order so that you don't overwhelm yourself. However it can be very discouraging that if you are stuck on Lesson 20 for six months it can be very discouraging to your journey when you want to get up to something like lesson 112. So yes take the lessons in sequential order. But don't be afraid to inspire yourself and challenge Yourself by dabbling into something a little bit more difficult.
     
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    John Robinson

    Music Theory Bragger
    Nov 11, 2019
    367
    504
    Nashville tn.
    All of these suggestions are absolutely wonderful and very very very useful. Especially the notion of jamming along to backing tracks. The biggest thing that you want to remember, is that even if you learn only 3 chords there are literally hundreds of songs that you can learn. You learn one scale position and there are hundreds of solos that you can play. What I would like to also add, is that once you complete your 1st handful of lessons, pick an easy song that you might want to learn. Learning songs and completing songs is a great way to inspire you to keep going. Start writing, start writing solos over backing tracks and even improvising. My singer had only played guitar for about 3 months before she wrote one of our very 1st songs. I agree with taking the lessons in order so that you don't overwhelm yourself. However it can be very discouraging that if you are stuck on Lesson 20 for six months it can be very discouraging to your journey when you want to get up to something like lesson 112. So yes take the lessons in sequential order. But don't be afraid to inspire yourself and challenge Yourself by dabbling into something a little bit more difficult.
    jak do you have song suggestions for a beginner to learn
     
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    Saoirse Byrne

    Campfire Attention Holder
    Nov 11, 2019
    15
    48
    27
    UK
    16
    You can definitely do the lessons in order if you want. To be honest i would just learn some songs that you like that are around your level. You’d be surprised how much you can do with just basic chords and scales. I played for years as a teenager and never learnt any theory whatsoever, I just learnt through learning songs. These lessons are good for direction but definitely have fun with it, don’t get too stuck in just learning techniques you’ll learn much faster if you apply them (that’s what I’ve always found anyway).
     

    Ezequiel Romanko

    Garage band Groupie
    Nov 11, 2019
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    Yeah men do it slowly no need to rush, take your time to memorize the lessons and play to backing tracks to create your own melodies that you can use for future things you want to create, post them on here to see your progress :) also learn songs that you like, and most important make a routine to practice all you have learned, cuz if you don't use it you lose it :(. anyways i think everything i could say to you has already been told haha, but keep it up men :) can't wait to see your progress
     
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    Ethan Keeling

    Garage band Groupie
    Nov 11, 2019
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    22
    Aylesbury, England
    4
    i agree but the caged system is hanging me up...if im doing the e shape i have no idea what key im in.I dont want to just learn the shapes i want to know everything i need to know
    You need to know your root notes. The root note of the e chord I'd the 6th string open, so when you barr it in any position, the root note will be where whatever is being played on the 6th string and this is the root note. I.e. e position barring on the first fret, the chord is an F.
     
    J

    Jak Angelescu

    Guest
    i agree but the caged system is hanging me up...if im doing the e shape i have no idea what key im in.I dont want to just learn the shapes i want to know everything i need to know

    It depends on what fret you play it. In lesson on the school, the frets used for the E shape puts us in the key of D major. If you move the SAME pattern up 1/2 step, it becomes D#/Eb. I'll make a video explaining it tomorrow🙂 for now it's bedtime for me. 💤💤
     
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    John Robinson

    Music Theory Bragger
    Nov 11, 2019
    367
    504
    Nashville tn.
    It depends on what fret you play it. In lesson on the school, the frets used for the E shape puts us in the key of D major. If you move the SAME pattern up 1/2 step, it becomes D#/Eb. I'll make a video explaining it tomorrow🙂 for now it's bedtime for me. 💤💤
    thank you..i need to be in the bed but i cant sleep for some reason
     

    John Robinson

    Music Theory Bragger
    Nov 11, 2019
    367
    504
    Nashville tn.
    You need to know your root notes. The root note of the e chord I'd the 6th string open, so when you barr it in any position, the root note will be where whatever is being played on the 6th string and this is the root note. I.e. e position barring on the first fret, the chord is an F.
    thank you...i see i have a lot more work to do
     
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