Hello! My name is Dan and I’m from Punxsutawney Pennsylvania. I’m excited to be here but I won’t lie, it’s a bit overwhelming. I wish I would have started guitar sooner. I started taking formal lessons from the ground up when I was 30. I needed an escape from work stress so I looked to the guitar for help. I don’t akways have a ton of extra time so I practice when I can and because of that it’s been slow growth but it brings me a lot of joy. Today I turned 33. I didn’t know where to start so I decided not to place myself anywhere and go back to the beginning so I could get rid of the lost and overwhelming feeling. I’m no stranger to the content in those lessons but I don’t want to miss an opportunity to learn anything. For the past 2 and a half years I have mostly focused on and used my acoustics but I feel an urge to start branching out and trying the electric. I’m a metal head but I truly love good music so I’m no stranger to many genres. I’m horrible with technology but I look forward to making the most of the tools here at my disposal. It’s so cool that something like this exists. Thank you to Brian and Syn for doing this.
Hey everyone. I’m Dan
- Thread starter Danger
- Start date
Hi Dan and welcome to the family!
It's true, this place is amazing, but no need to feel overwhelmed. The beauty of this school is that you can start wherever you want and learn at your own pace. But starting at lesson 1 is always a good idea because PG explains everything so well and there's always something new to learn.
You don't need to practice a ton. I learned the Hail To The King solo within a month by practicing it 10 minutes a day. So you really can get places if you just take a few minutes for the guitar every day!
Also I would highly encourage you to use the forum and the riffs section here, as the lessons really only are a starting point on the school. We have an amazing community where you can ask whatever you want without the fear of being laughed at. And recording and uploading your progress to the school is also benefitial as we can give you feedback and you can watch yourself play.
So enjoy your stay and I hope to see more from you soon!
Oh and Happy Birthday!
Thank you so much! I definitely was very hesitant for a long time to have anyone hear me play. I’ve found though that the only people who laugh are people who don’t play and if someone plays they always appreciate my journey. Once I get my feet wet with the site I’d love to upload stuff for everyone to see. Right now I do a lot of strumming with open chords and barre chords. I started finger picking a couple weeks ago so I have that going for me. I’m very excited to get some riffs going so I can share with everyone and I can’t wait to jam my favorite songs!
Hey Dan! Welcome to the SGS Family! We're glad to have you here. I can definitely understand why it may seem overwhelming while checking out the sight initially because I felt the same way when I really started using the sight not quite a year ago now but don't fret! Just take it in as you go and you'll be perfectly fine. The guitar can definitely be a fantastic stress reliever. Unless you're trying to deal with a floating trem that refuses to work with you like a temperamental child haha. Slow growth is still growth man! I definitely think you did the right thing with starting right at the beginning. It'll help you learn some good habits as well as making sure your guitar "foundation" is strong and secure. I was a little different than you. Before I joined this site/picked up guitar I was a metal head listening to metal and only metal. After I joined and started learning to play guitar I have gained a big interest in other genres and the guitarists in them as well as having a lot of respect for them and their art. That's one thing I really like about this site is how wide of a group of people are fairly active in these forums. From Classic Rock fanatics, to jazz geeks, to the most kvlt of metal heads, to those who listen to a lot of Hip Hop and Rap. There is someone here with an interest in just about any genre that you can ask for recommendations from. The site is a pretty site to scroll through so I doubt you'll have much of an issue learning how to use the tools given to you here. Anyway I'm glad you are here and excited to check out the site. If you have any questions about technique, gear, gigging, recording, and other music related questions feel free to ask. This is most definitely the nicest guitar oriented site I've found that is chock full of awesome friendly people.
Welcome to the family!
Like it has been mentioned above, there are all sorts of regulars here who have been an amazing help to everyone. The big push right now is to start using the riff section to post yourself. The forums are super active and you'll usually get amazing advice and none of the negativity you'd get elsewhere.
Since you're starting at the beginning I'd recommend scrolling down and reading/digesting/practicing Syn's tips. Video and post responses to those discussion pages. I started going back through the beginner lessons and just discovered those golden tips and want to start posting responses there myself. Just know you're not alone.
Like it has been mentioned above, there are all sorts of regulars here who have been an amazing help to everyone. The big push right now is to start using the riff section to post yourself. The forums are super active and you'll usually get amazing advice and none of the negativity you'd get elsewhere.
Since you're starting at the beginning I'd recommend scrolling down and reading/digesting/practicing Syn's tips. Video and post responses to those discussion pages. I started going back through the beginner lessons and just discovered those golden tips and want to start posting responses there myself. Just know you're not alone.
Going back to the start is very beneficial. Because of says some amazing stuff just.. randomly in videos something comes up.on the fly and hes like oh wait you should know this too. And usually its lesson related but it's so simple to apply in other areas you're so amazed you never thought of it before.
I'd start from lesson 1 if you didnt. It sounds like you did. But the videos are short. Watch them all atleast once.
I'd start from lesson 1 if you didnt. It sounds like you did. But the videos are short. Watch them all atleast once.
You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the greetings! I definitely started at lesson 1 and I’m totally cool with that. I’m always open to putting aside what I know (which isn’t a ton) to listen to someone because there’s always something to learn. I don’t wanna miss anything! When I started taking lessons a couple years ago I had no intention of playing for people. It was just for me. But music is meant to be shared. Once I have some time and get rolling on things more I definitely wanna get some videos up of things I learn from here. I have basic fundamentals and I know enough chords to get by but I’ve mainly just played my acoustics. I’m really looking forward to expanding my skills and learning how to shred. And I’m going to have a million questions I’m sure hahaha
J
Jak Angelescu
Guest
First of all welcome to the school! I'm glad you are here. Secondly, I suck with technology too. There are things that people half my age are teaching me how to do here on the school and that's what it's so awesome about it! I would like you to know though that it doesn't matter when you started playing guitar. I have seen people start and get really incredible with the right repertoire and the right dedication in just a few years. Because you are obviously using it for an escape I'm sure you will be great at it no time! Just remember to be kind to yourself and don't let your ego or your own expectations get in the way. My classical guitar instructor actually advises that even 15 minutes A-day with good solid practice can do wonders for people. I look forward to your progress and if you need any help or if you find any errors or problems on the school, let me know!
Thank you so much! I think what amazes me the most are the people here and the amount of great talent! My practicing needs a makeover and that’s going to happen very directly. I’ve steered away from structure and have just been having fun with learning some basic songs on my acoustic and progressively worked toward some more involved songs. But I definitely need to get myself on track and practice with purpose.
Hey Dan, welcome to the family. I love the way you conceive the process of learning. I think it's a very good idea to go back to the basics. Not wanting to miss a thing and having the will to give the best of you shows that you are really passionate and that you will improve very quickly. Keep that spirit man (and I'm sure you will) and don't forget to show us your progress!
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