[benjo]

 WOW

 I have been practicing something I wrote called APRILS SHOWERS
 that dogmax PAT did for me a while ago,

 he saw I was practicing guitar so he sent me the chords for the song
 PAT I can't thank you enough mate

 also BOYDIE put a link up to show me all the info I need I can't believe
 what I've learned in one day can't thank you enough

 and then every one else that has come in to the thread
 with their knowledge,
 so many handy tips, JESS what a good idea practice while watching tele
 
 thank you every one fantastic all that help in one thread

             PS and the don't press the strings to hard and only to touch the fret wire
                  that works so well,     what a community we have here

                       thanks guys

         
             

[andy5544]

One thing....use light gauge strings , 9's are easy on the fingers , then you can get heavier strings in time if you want.

[tone]

One thing....use light gauge strings , 9's are easy on the fingers , then you can get heavier strings in time if you want.

oooooh can't say I agree with this! I would say (unless your guitar has a REALLY HIGH action) get some decent mid-heavy strings (10 for electric and 13 for acoustic). The difference in tone is really noticeable and in at the deep end is the best way to where you want to be IMHO

[Boydie]

Another "golden nugget" tip from my guitar teaching days came back to whilst reading the last few posts about learning how to change chords

When you are practicing a song ALWAYS practice it at the tempo of the slowest (ie hardest) chord change

DO NOT fall in to the trap of playing the easy changes fast, slow down for the difficult bit, and then speed up again

It is better to either practice the whole thing at a (slower) steady tempo and keep it smooth OR just practice the tricky bit at a slower tempo

Practice doesn't make perfect - it makes permanent

So, you will subconsciously be "learning" this slowdown

It is important to practice in the right way  

[andy5544]

One thing....use light gauge strings , 9's are easy on the fingers , then you can get heavier strings in time if you want.

oooooh can't say I agree with this! I would say (unless your guitar has a REALLY HIGH action) get some decent mid-heavy strings (10 for electric and 13 for acoustic). The difference in tone is really noticeable and in at the deep end is the best way to where you want to be IMHO

Horses for courses mate , you dont know till you try .
i only play at home so light strings suite me fine, i understand heavier gauges are louder , but that doesn't matter to me , also i get a bit of finger pain these days after a life time of abusing my hands
so i think it's bloody awful having to wrestle with big fat heavy strings.
happy new year everyone 

[tone]

One thing....use light gauge strings , 9's are easy on the fingers , then you can get heavier strings in time if you want.

oooooh can't say I agree with this! I would say (unless your guitar has a REALLY HIGH action) get some decent mid-heavy strings (10 for electric and 13 for acoustic). The difference in tone is really noticeable and in at the deep end is the best way to where you want to be IMHO

Horses for courses mate , you dont know till you try .
i only play at home so light strings suite me fine, i understand heavier gauges are louder , but that doesn't matter to me , also i get a bit of finger pain these days after a life time of abusing my hands
so i think it's bloody awful having to wrestle with big fat heavy strings.
happy new year everyone 

Hahah fair enough mate. Too many years abusing my ears means I need LOUD

A happy new year to you too sir

[Stylus]

Hi  Most advice has been given on this My opinion is:

        When you are at the begining stage of learning & finding your way around a guitar you are unfamiliar & I remember  pressing so hard on the fretboard that it was enough to put me off! 
            The trick is press gently & until a clear note is produced. dont press on the metal frets!
keep finger or fingers in between the frets ( this is what gives you different notes or chords)
             The  initial hurdle is the hardest... many people give up  before crossing over  this first
hurdle &  thats a shame because  if you get over  this hurdle  you will never look back & progress from there on. I found that  learning a tune or chords from something you like is imperative in gaining confidence as opposed to learning  something that you dont like.
                also get your guitar looked at or set up by an experienced guitarist etc.  as a poorly set up
guitar  is off putting  & you will think wow! what a difference?  good luck & dont be shy to ask for any advice.........                             Happy New Year              Stylus

[onemanband]

Love this thread,

good to hear you have taken up the guitar Benjo, callusing your fingers isn't the most enjoyable part of it, unless you're a masochist.

A little tip for when the skin starts to flake that I use is to get at them with a nail file and smooth them out - having numb fingers probably helps with this.

and since this thread has evolved into a "what guitar do you own" thread I have a classical Ramirez R2 bought to do my gradings on. But i want to buy a steel strng acoustic this year any one have any suggestions of a good all rounder? I play alot of rhythm but also play alot of the old blues finger picking stuff - Gary Davis, John Hurt - I know absolutley nothing about guitars apart from how to play them.

Oh and suggestions under £500 please.

Good luck Benjo!!!

[Boydie]

But i want to buy a steel strng acoustic this year any one have any suggestions of a good all rounder?

I have found with acoustic guitars (and guitars in general) it is very much like Harry Potter choosing his wand

You don't choose the guitar - the guitar chooses you!

The best thing you can do is go to a shop and try them out

Try cheaper ones than your budget AND more expensive ones

I can guarantee you will find one or two that choose you - the only thing I can't guarantee at what price this will be!

The MARTIN acoustic that chose me was around £1,600 second hand (way over what I wanted to spend!) but it was just soooooo perfect - I played others that were many times this price but they weren't a patch on this one so had to find a way to "make it happen"

There are so many good options out there and anything with a solid top is going to pretty good

I haven't tried them myself but there are some nice Takamine models within your budget - as well as Fender, Yamaha, Ibanez - and even some Martin models

[Homeless Recluse]

Also, check out the Recording King brand. You may have trouble finding one to try but they are very nice sounding guitars.

[NicBDA]

Benjo - Welcome to the fold. as said keep practising, but don't try to play through the pain. its better at the start to lots of short sessions and let your fingers develop than to try to play a marathon 4 hours practice session.

Also practice and playing, while they help each other, are 2 different entities. Include both in your schedule, as if you don't play the practice stops being fun as there is no goal to it.

Also for picking, try to start looking at alternate picking (Down, Up, Down, Up) early on, it will make things easier in the long run. I fell into economy picking without focusing on strict alternate picking first, and have found for some things I need to break it back down and I'm having to retrace some steps. For chords/rhythm playing too, keep the arm moving like a pendulum.

Jess - congrats on the new ax! Very nice looking

I fall on the Gibson side of the fence. I want a strat or a tele, but love my Les Pauls.

And for acoustic guitars, I may have beaten Boydie on price. I managed to get an Ovation Pinnacle (circa 1991) for free though I had to replace the bridge, that only set me back $100US. Lovely guitar, plays like an electric, very nice sound when plugged in too

[Jess]

I know this seems irrelevant to all of you but HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE MY PLECTRUM? Or do I just wait til it breaks (or katy Perry's face rubs off)? And how 'thick' is the best one?

[benjo]

 WOW,

 you guys are just full of knowledge on this topic
 four hour sessions now I know why my fingers look like they do
 I've been going at it for more like eight hours wooooops
 but im hooked

 and you have all proved your love for your guitars
 im going in for more blood or not



                          THANKS GUYS FANTASTIC RESPONSE

[Boydie]

You should not need to change your plectrum that often whilst starting out

The time to change it is when the point starts to "round off" (although some people like this so as with songwriting there are few "rules")

You will also want to change it if it gets any damage to the edges - ie if they become rough or if the plectrum starts to split

These can catch on the strings, which is really off putting when you are learning

You will probably lose it long before you wear it out! (and will probably become quite good at shaking it out of the guitar when you drop it in the soundhole)

I would recommend going for a "medium" guage (around 0.65mm - 0.90mm)

These are firm enough for lead work but bendy enough for rhythm

Also, if you get used to Medium then it is easier to decide where to go - ie if you want it firmer you can go for a thicker one

[tone]

Good guitars for under £500? A few years back I was going to buy a guitar with exactly this price ceiling in mind. I tried all the guitars in the shop under £500 and only two were any good in my opinion. One was a Yamaha, the other a Martin.

But Boydie has a point. The guitar is like a dog - it will choose you! So play as many as you can and see what feels right.

Plectrums - I never change them, only loose them As for which thickness you should choose, it depends on what sound you want to make. Personally, I've been using the dunlop nylon 0.6mm plectrums for ever - can't see that I'm ever going to change. Great all round plectrums - enough give in them to create a round tone, and enough strength to give a decent amount of attack.

As Boydie says, some people chuck them when the ends round off - but I like that so much that I actually play with the rounded side, not the pointed end!