[Closed] Any guitarists in? Advice wanted for guitar noob

Acoustic wise, ave a look at Takamine and Yamaha - try and get someting with a real wood front as opposed to HPL (laminate), often sound much better.

If you have any music shops near that do second hand stuff, see what they have and have a strum, you need also to like the feel of the neck etc, which is something you can't so on a website.

2nd hand Yamaha would be my shout.

Gibson acoustics are expensive

Fender acoustics are pretty crap

Justin Guitar for learning: https://www.youtube.com/user/JustinSandercoe

I got a cheap Yamaha F310 on Gumtree, I think they're about £100 quid new, often come with a few extras, ours came with a stand and DVD. Much better than the old Guild copy I got in a second hand shop.

At the cheaper end, give something like this a try:
[url= http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/preowned_guitars_detail.asp?stock=PX161025303174004 ]http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/preowned_guitars_detail.asp?stock=PX161025303174004[/url]

Id highly recomend sigma

They are martin guitars made in china.

As epiphone is to gibson they are built out of good wood to the same spec just not by american hands

Although i have a cheap nice acoustic you can have for £50

Email me on timdrayton@live.co.uk an ill send u some pics

Lovely tone and a nice low action

I'd second Justin guitar, I've found it worth getting a couple of his song books then using the video tutorials alongside. Play everyday, even if it's only a little bit.

Acoustic will be harder to get a good sound out of than electric. These days if you want to go electric and have an iPad, laptop or PC you don't need an amp and can plug into the tablet or computer and run an amp sim like Bias FX. This is good if you have to keep the noise down as you can use headphones. If you want to go with the amp option there are loads of good small 1-5 watt amps around these days.

If you are set on acoustic then Yamaha are always a good bet and GuitarGuitar's own brand Freshman are excellent value too. If you want to spend a little more then Faith are worth a look. Spend enough to get a guitar with a decent action but don't spend too much as the sound of an acoustic guitar depends a lot on the player and you'll never know how good or bad a guitar will sound in your hands until you get a reasonable level of proficiency. Acoustics also sound better with at least medium gauge strings on them but don't be afraid to start on light strings and work your way up to heavy gauges as you get stronger- it took me 16 months to work up to mediums coming from an electric guitar background where I was using light gauge.

Best to decide what your goals are. If you just want to bang out the chords to Wonderwall that's a different proposition to getting good at say fingerstyle which will require at least one hour a day practise.

Get what you want, don't make do with an acoustic if an electric you want. Small practice amp and guitar on a stand why would it be a hassle to just pick up and play ? I am an eternal accoustic beginner 😐 the Justin Guitar website/video/etc are excellent and cover different levels and styles.

Good luck

thanks everyone. Tim, I've emailed you.

Interesting to see the comments re: electric... I didn't even think of plugging into a tablet, phone, laptop etc.

I clearly have quite a lot to learn...

Look at thomann, the Harley Benton (own brand) are stunningly good for the price they are. Get the telecaster 🙂

+1 to everything here really, especially justinguitar. It's a bit likes bikes though so don't go too cheap. You'd never advise a friend to buy a cheap BSO as they would have a bad time but neither would you advise them to get a top end bike.

So, I don't want to spend too much as I know I can't really play. But I want to spend enough to get something half decent

I don't know what a good target is though :(. I got a small guitar new for my daughter a year ago that sounds really good and plays easily. 100quid Hudson at new, but I can play (a little) and I had time to look around. Others might have a better idea

I find acoustics hard work even with custom light strings and they sound pathetic with my usual 9-46 strings. A two-step bend on an acoustic is unpleasant.

I use an electric with headphones most of the time. You learn to play clean and drone/buzz free in a way you'll never learn on an acoustic

In terms of what you can play an electric can be made to sound like an acoustic with the right effects box but an acoustic doesn't have the versatility of an electric.

This Thomann T-style cost 90e, I spent another 30e on parts and about 10 hours setting it up and it's really nice to play. I use modelling amps - a Mustang II in the vid:

I would also suggest trying an electric. They're generally easier to play than acoustic. I regularly play mine unamplified (e.g. whilst watching TV), so they're no less convenient to play. +1 to headphones comment.

😀

I use an electric with headphones most of the time

Now this and other comments regarding electric guitars have got me thinking...

I think I want to go electric 🙂

Which then brings the question - what should I avoid when buying electric?

Feel I guess will be most important, closely followed by sound.

What brands to avoid? I recall Encore guitars at school being really cheap crappy horrible things...

By coincidence, after 20 years i gor my adoustic out of the left. Its still in good nick and i managed to tune it, i might start to learn but it oreviously got left aside as electric was easier.

Incidentally, when i googled about it, some surprising stuff popped up. Its an Aria 9400 which i bought in 1990 for £60...anyone know anything about them?

Epiphone for Gibson type, Squier for Fender type. There are some cheap Jackson's around if you like the pointy metal thing.

Epiphone for Gibson type

I had one of those. It was nice.

Best off-the-shelf budget guitar I've ever played is my son's Butterscotch blond Classic Vibe Squier Telecaster that's under £400. He's worn the frets flat with all his bending so I've ordered a new Warmouth neck for it - that I'm prepared to buy a £300 neck for it says a lot about the quality of the Squier (a refret would cost more than the Warmouth neck as it's Maple fretboard). Before the neck change it was the only guitar I'd left as stock, even the stock pickups sound great.

I only play electric these days, but I don't think you can go wrong learning on an acoustic. A nice acoustic sounds really rich, and sounds better for strumming chords etc. I suppose it depends on what sort of styles you want to play, but I don't think it does any harm to get started on an acoustic.

Personally, I find that electric guitar takes a fair bit of confidence to sound good.

It's important that the guitar is set up well, so it's worth buying from a shop which will do that for you, or allow something in your budget for a luthier to tweak the guitar.

We all find our own style and preferences, and you can adapt to a guitar, but it's better to start with something half decent and which plays well.

As with acoustics, Yamaha make some pretty decent electric guitars. I play a Yamaha Tele even though I have some more expensive guitars.

Gibson SG - I'm 40 now and I when I was a teenager I thought these were the dugz bawz. I still do...

Epiphone SG is rather tempting...

The genuine Gibson SG is a nice guitar. The Epiphone I tried would have nneded a lot of work to make it play well and the pickups were rather muddy - worse than the cheap Fender ones on a Fender Blacktops.

Acoustic? I'd avoid dreadnoughts or jumbo guitars as they're very uncomfortable to play seated.

Better looking at 'travel' (ed Sheehan size) or parlour/ folk sized acoustic guitars. Can recommend tanglewood, but the 'vintage' brand is quite good (their v880 is most popular).

The electro-acoustic versions are good as they often have tuners built-in.

If you're going strictly electric, something like the squire vintage modified jazzmaster is great. Some people moan about the authentic tremolo but all that string length means a super resonant guitar that sounds amazing.

I think Epiphones have moved on somewhat. Difficult to tell from the real thing.

I love those blindfold challenges, they got the Classic Vibe Tele and American Tele wrong!

Edit: Chappers spotted that Epiphone SG straight off but on the sound rather than playability which suggests they are better made.

One of my pro-guitarist mates swears by Epiphone SGs. He reckons they are as good as the Gibson ones, if not better, for a lot less money.

The Les Pauls are supposed to be pretty good too! I suspect they are better than my Gibson... but try not to dwell on it 😉

But everything is dependent on budget, how if feels in your hands and how it sounds. If the feel or sound are rubbish you won't want to play.

I was never really a fan of Fender as I just thought they were a bit ugly. But then I got a shot of an American beat up old telecaster. Now I wasn't keen on the looks but it felt fantastic and sounded really nice.

Several years on that tele shape has grown on me somewhat... Squire... hmmmm

And I always loved the look of Ibanez....

I need to go visit Guitar Guitar don't I...

lol

I find acoustics hard work even with custom light strings and they sound pathetic with my usual 9-46 strings. A two-step bend on an acoustic is unpleasant.

Horses for courses really but I disagree with that comment, I have a martin DRS1 whichbis one of thier cheaper 'real wood' models, ok it's an £800 guitar, and probably above the OPs budget but it's an absolute cannon, really loud and rich. Also light strings on an acoustic might make them easier to play, mediums will give a fuller louder sound.

Also a laminated acoustic will always sound weak, you need one made out of proper wood. Or at least one with a proper wood top.

Hi Matty, we'll both post a vid of a song with lots of one step and two step bends in the first three frets and see who has bleeding fingers at the end. I'll do Telephone's Cendrillon using 9-46 and you use medium 12-something. I can't do two a two-step bend second fret b-string with custom light 11-56 without risk of cutting my finger.

and about 10 hours setting it up

...yet. It's like wheelbuilding. It looks terrible but a bit of confidence and time will get you there with guitar fiddling

My temptation would be to go to a real guitar shop, explain what you want and let them recommend. I've been to a few guitar shops and and long as you say what you are trying to do they are good. That's how I ended up with the Hudson that I had never heard of before but is great in that price range. Just don't go too cheap or you could end up with something you don't want to play

(ps. I am 100% sure that Edukator is a better guitarist than me, no comment on his abilities. My guitar playing is like my mtbing, I might have a nice bike/guitar but I'm a mincer)

go electric, plug into an ipad or pocket amp etc. You're a grown up, get a nice guitar. If nothing else it'll hold its value. or buy second hand. I dunno. get a telecaster, theyre great.

On topic Q: What do I need to plug my guitar into my iPad/iPhone?

[url= http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irighd2/ ]Something like this[/url]

Myself I use a desktop PC and plug into a Scarlett 2i2 audio interface and run Bias FX on the PC either standalone or as a plug in in Reaper. From there into two JBL powered studio monitors

@goldfish24

Ikmultimedia sell the 'irig' guitar interface. Easy way to connect guitar to iPhone.

I generally recommend electric's for beginners.....much easier to play imo.

(This is based on 12 years as a full time guitar teacher)

Agree that a yamaha acoustic is a good way to go if you do stick to acoustic. As is justinguitar......otherwise, try and find a decent local teacher and get some lessons. Well over 50% of lessons/tabs online are utter nonsense with incorrectly transcribed music. Seriously, none of the pro's that I know have any inclination/time to be putting up youtube tutorials/tabs!

I've been playing for 22 years and built/modified a fair number of guitars. In the last 15 years or so Squier and Epiphone have come on in leaps and bounds, I have more Squiers than anything else in my collection and rate them highly. I have a couple that are highly modified (thinline tele with locking tuners, new bridge, b bender and rewired and a Supersonic that has been totally rebuilt) but the two that I have left standard are, ironically, the two that are least collectible (VM Jaguar and J. Mascis Jazzmaster), but I just can't fault them. If squier can get it right with the much more complex Jag and Jazzy then they can pretty much build anything right.

I have a couple of epiphones, a Les Paul standard and a Goth Thunderbird bass and they are both well made and solid instruments, I'm just more of an oddball fender type fan. If you like the SG then Tokai are worth a look, their Gibson copies are legendary, and they have the right headstock, unlike epiphone.

There's a lot of high-tech stuff on this thread. I learned to play on a Spanish guitar that my late sister owned. The tone is lovely and the "soft" strings make it easy for a beginner to play. Plus you can pick it up for a few minutes without the need to switch on and adjust the electrickery.

goldfish24 - Member
On topic Q: What do I need to plug my guitar into my iPad/iPhone?

POSTED 8 HOURS AGO #

Apogee Jam 96k is great for that. Used with Bias to get some very pleasant tones. Good flat (frfr) headphones are also recommended to get the best from it.

I'd definitely go electric OP if that's what you want. A great budget guitar not mentioned yet are either the PRS SE line or the LTD line 401 and 1000 lines I've played or owned are great.

What part of the country are you in and what is your budget?

Yo homes, keep an eye on gumtree, guitars are hard to learn and so get sold on cheaply after very little use, squier's classic vibe and vintage mod range are very decent, their affinity models less so. You'll also probably find a practice amp and cable all bundled up and ready to go in nearly new condition, have you got a mate who plays that you can take wih you?

Morning all,

Thanks for all the info! ALl very very useful and interesting.

I'm just outside Glasgow and budget at the moment I'm thinking around £100.
I've been offered a Yamaha Pacifica for little money that I'm going to look at this evening and will probably buy. It's close, cheap and my son has a Yamaha bass guitar which he loves so I figure it should be pretty well made and be not too bad....

If I stick to it and start to learn then I'm thinking just after Christmas I'll look to spend somewhere around £200, maybe more... on what I don't know yet? But this info and me playing will help decide 🙂

You'll be very happy with a Pacifica. Highly regarded, they used to be the go to recommendation for a first electric - until the squires and epiphones started to get good again. Pacifica's are still a real bargain and good quality guitars.

Be aware that the entry level Pacificas (012 & 112, at least) have quite narrow necks. May be an issue if you have sausage fingers, like me.

(112 is a superb guitar for not too much money)

Hi Matty, we'll both post a vid of a song with lots of one step and two step bends in the first three frets and see who has bleeding fingers at the end. I'll do Telephone's Cendrillon using 9-46 and you use medium 12-something. I can't do two a two-step bend second fret b-string with custom light 11-56 without risk of cutting my finger.

As I said, horses for courses, you could set up an acoustic with electric style action and strings but it would sound bad, and an electric would still be easier on the fingers to play if you're doing lots of blends on the first 3 frets.

It's like saying that mountain bikes are better than road bikes, they share many common features but are very different animals with different applications.

The only sensible answer is to buy a vintage telecaster and les paul, and a vintage Martin D28 and a Gibson hummingbird. That should cover most bases hahaha!

Get that Pacifica, lovely guitars

A Pacifica in good condition is a fine guitar. A lot are now worn out though.

Check:

the frets, if they have notches under the strings or seem very flat and low (which means they've been dressed/filed) then it's worn out.

the neck isn't twisted by looking along it. The bass strings are always a little higher but the neck itself should have no twist.

Press the fat E-string down on the 22nd fret and look how much gap there is between the string and the 9th fret. A small gap is good, more than 2-3mm you need to check the truss rod is working.

Measure the "action", the height of the strings above the 12th fret. 2mm for the thin E to 3mm for the fat E is typical, then play each string gently all the way down the neck and listen for buzzing, there shouldn't be any.

plug it in and check the pickups and switches work and it sounds reasonable.

Evening all.

Well I went to see the Yamaha Pacifica and I bought it 🙂

It's not been used much and is in great condition! I'll post a pic later. Everything works as it should, it feels really nice and sounds good too. The kind chap also gave me a soft carry/storage bag, a strap and a 10w Yamaha amp which whilst it won't set the world on fire is plenty good enough to get me going. Got it all for £70 so pretty chuffed with that.

Thanks for the info there Edukator, I'll check all these things this evening 🙂

Now time to bully the families ears haha!

Bargain

When I see the prices of second-hand guitars in the UK I'm tempted to buy a boot load.

Here we go

[img] [/img]

Now I need to attempt playing it hah!

ooooooooooooookay.... so rather than start a new thread I'll just keep going with this, hopefully.

Right, I have a guitar.

I went to the guitar shop and bought new strings. Was interesting, I asked for some help as there are so many! I was told

him: "these D’Addario NYXL are the best"
me: "I was thinking something like these Ernie Ball? as I'm a learner and don't need 15 quid fancy dans yet"
him: "but these are the best, you can bend them further, they sound amazing"
me: "mate, I suck! I don't even know where to start never mind bend strings"
him: "yeah, Ernie Ball are cool man"

Anyhow, I've not re-strung it yet. I'm told it's not a good idea to whip all the strings off as the neck won't take kindly to it. So, replace one at a time?

Also, where to start? I thought 'I know, I'll start with learning scales'... *googles guitar scales*... 'hmmmm there are a lot of guitar scales'...
lol

So, where to start?

Justinguitar? buy Bert Weedon's book? youtube? Something else?

This will take me a while I think. But that's okay. I gave up alcohol and fags a while ago so I need something to occupy myself. 🙂

The neck won't mind at all. But it's always easier to change one string at a time on a guitar with a tremolo as it's quicker to get back in tune. Fit sting - tune, fit next string - tune. I'd block the tremolo with a couple of pieces of wood initially (Google it). You'll have enough to worry about without using the trem.

What sort of music do you like? What artists/bands do you like. Big Country guitar work is quite complicated but there's probably something you like you'll be able to play.

Edit: I wouldn't restring it yet, wait until you break one - possible the first time you try to tune it 😉

Strings, nah, just unwind them all, it's nonsense to do them one at a time(can if you want though, but there's no benefit to it).

No need to tie knots in them either(some of the videos on the web are overkill.). Strings just need 3 or 4 wraps and they'll hold, 4 in the B string and on the thin E maybe 5/6. basically, range something like 3 to 6 winds from thick to thin.

When you wrap them around, make sure it's all nice and tight and even. And make sure they'll wind down, should look some like this.

[img] [/img]

you can stretch the strings manually just pull them up in the middle of the fret board, with steel strings it's less crucial than with nylon, but they'll still settle better if you stretch them. (you'll know if they need stretch if strings keep going out and need tuned up.)

You'll end up with bit long bits that'll need cut off (you can just wiggle them to get them off aswell mind, cutting is nicer). but don't do that till the strings are fully stretch, but do do it, nothing worse than a guitar with string bits all over the top.

btw if you've got a floating trem, they can seem like voodoo trying to tune them at first, but it's just a case of tuning a few times, till the floating trem is balanced, as a beginner, this will puzzle you, but you'll eventually be able to tune it pretty quickly, and if you ever develop to alt tunings, you'll get how it all works.

As for scales, well aye they'll puggle the hell out of you. 😆

Start with simple chords, your goal in the first 6 months is to learn your basic minor and major open position chords, and get good at them, and promote strength in your fingers(and learn how to hold a guitar properly, that's crucial) and then move onto barre chords.

That's not to say you can't do scales, go for it if you've a natural affinity for them, but I think you'll get more satisfaction to begin with getting to know the chords and learning a few songs.

Your ultimate goal is to get strength into your fingers.

One thing I would say about intervals/chords/scales/arpeggios/modes/etc is that they are all the same thing. That's no use to you right now, 😆 but just remember that for the future.

basically, learn chords > arpeggios > scales in that order imo. (The theory side is not a replacement for learning songs though, you can get trapped in theory, songs will mix it up a bit for you and introduce you to theory concepts with you even knowing it.)

One more thing to add is that don't spend weeks learning one thing, learn multiple things, and if you feel you've plateaued with one thing, leave it for a week, try something else and go back to it. Learning the guitar isn't linear in that sense, learning one thing helps you in another etc.

I don't know the theory of muscle memory, but it's like exercise, a wee bit at a time of each thing, consistently over a period of time, is better than tiring yourself out on one thing intensely over one day..

power chords,

http://www.guitarnoise.com/guide/power-chords/

then ultimate guitar . com and search for green day
play boulevard of broken dreams within moments, it's an electric guitar, keep things simple

Many thanks! (Can we have a guitar thread on here?)

My musical taste is varied. I like most things. Happy Mondays to Pearl Jam, Jane's Addiction to Daft Punk.
Not into pop, but everything else I'll give a listen

Right now, placing my fingers in the correct place is what I need to learn haha! And I have large fingers. I press one string and the ones either side are squished and sound terrible...

ps, guess I should also mention, that learning how to strum and use a pick go hand in hand with you first 6 months goals! 😆

If you're going to make progress, you need structure.

At the very least follow Justin's beginner's course:

[url= http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-000-BeginnersCourse.php ]Beginner's Course[/url]

Personally, I would (and did) buy the accompanying course book and song book:

[url= http://www.thejustinguitarstore.com/collections/books/products/the-justinguitar-beginners-coursebook ]Course Book[/url]

[url= http://www.thejustinguitarstore.com/collections/books/products/justinguitar-beginners-songbook ]Song Book[/url]

Without a solid foundation of chords under your fingers, progression will be petty hard and sooner or later you'll realise you need to start again and learn probably. Do yourself a favour and do it right the first time.

Better still, get a teacher.

Zedsdead - Member

Right now, placing my fingers in the correct place is what I need to learn haha! And I have large fingers. I press one string and the ones either side are squished and sound terrible...

this is a classical position, so you don't need to do it exactly like this. but note the angle of the fretboat, pointing up! That makes it easier. also notice the straightness of the back of the guys hand, that is crucial, the strength doesn't just come from the fingers. the straighter the wrist, the more strength you'll get(this is dynamic as you change position, but it's a good thing to keep in mind to begin with.)

[img] [/img]

No need to play more than three strings at a time on an electric, "power chords" will allow you to play the rhythm part on many rock tracks with two chord shapes that you just slid up and down the neck.

Have you got some picks? The right hand has much more to learn than the left hand. Just holding the pick and moving it around between you finger and thumb will take a while to master. Think about strumming patterns right from the start. The start of "Whatever": Down, blank - down - down, up, down, up, down - down, up, down

Edit: play an electric like the guy in that photo and it'll sound like all hell has let loose. You need to put as much effort into stopping the strings you're not playing ringing as picking the ones you want either by resting your palm/thumb on the strings not needed or the fingers/thumb of your left hand.

That's interesting Edukator - I'm right handed but have always had a guitar resting on my right leg, the opposite of that chap. It feels odd right now but I can see/feel the left hand is in a good position...

I picked up some picks too 🙂

Van Halen here I come lol

To begin with I'd concentrate on making a sound that you recognise. Forget learning proper chords for now, they are hard, require several fingers and hurt, both in a sharp on the fingers way and also in a muscle achey way.

5ths or power chords only need two fingers and are the same shape all over the fretboard, just moved up or down a bit.

Slide the selector switch on the guitar to the back or second from back position for a meaty rock sound and let the fat of your hand rest on the strings, damping them, you'll be a rock god before you know it.

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/n/nirvana/smells_like_teen_spirit_ver3_tab.htm

However you sit with the guitar, your nose looking straight down the 12th fret is a good place to start.

Btw, left or right leg is irrelevant, just showing you that to show you the wrist, ie the hand coming around the guitar(promotes strength), which is easier with the neck angled up(you'll find your own natural position, and will lessen it as time goes on, but trust me angled is easier. ).

That classical guitar doesn't have the neck sticking way out left. I play an electric on my right leg and classical on my left leg. I play better standing up with an electric.

At the very least follow Justin's beginner's course:

[url= http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-000-BeginnersCourse.php ]Beginner's Course[/url]

+1000 (As somebody who tried to learn guitar off and on for 20+ years.)

Just work your way through it, in order, and do the things he tells you to do (practice schedule, etc.) Expect the whole course to take 6 months if you're keen, or a bit longer if you're time-pressed. (The "beginner" bit undersells it, I think - it is a solid foundation that covers a lot of ground.)

Some of the things may seem a little odd, but there's a purpose to everything, and it all builds together to get you playing as soon as you can, and to lay a foundation for the intermediate course, and beyond.

Oh, and it is all free.

Like mattrgee I bought a couple of books, and made a few donations, but there's absolutely no expectation that you'll do this, or any sort of sign up / tie in.

Just click on the first video and get going. /Justinevangelist 😉

thanks seosamh77, I really appreciate all the advice you've given.

It's a bit daunting as there is so much but that's part of the appeal. I want to keep myself occupied and I've always wanted to learn properly.

The guitar shop was amazing! So many cool things and I could spend a fortune. But that's for a few years down the line...

no worries, it's really just about sticking with it. And avoiding frustration, if something's too hard, leave it for a week, don't struggle with it forever.

Once you're by the 6 months, there's a good chance you'll never give it up.

Work your way through that justin guitar stuff, a lot in it, which will take much longer than 6 months to get down properly imo.

YEah, just having a read of Justinguitar and it looks well laid out and easy to follow. The books look like a good investment.
So now the kids know what to get me for Christmas... 😀

Slight deja vu here...

Also YouTube 'rumble' by link wray guitar lesson. Easy peasy lemon squeezy as Negan would say:)

That is a good buy, into the game for £70 plus some new strings - happy days

Note the footrest ... see how it feels with some books and if you like it buy a little rest. Also another good tip I got was to buy a stand as the Guitar is out and visible and "asking" to be played.

Justin Guitar course - try a few videos from the website and if you like them buy the books.

Curse these large fingers and hitting the other strings...

Practise, practise, and more practise!

Although not too much. You want calluses, not blisters!

If it's your left hand try using other fingers. I play a lot of things most people play with index, major and ring fingers with major, ring and pinky. Just as well you bought the Pacifica rather than an Epiphone - the 25,5" scale has a bit more room for your fingers.

That's interesting Edukator - I'm right handed but have always had a guitar resting on my right leg, the opposite of that chap. It feels odd right now but I can see/feel the left hand is in a good position

Put a strap on the guitar then hang it over your shoulders. Let your right arm drop with a nice relaxed bend in it. Position the guitar so the heel of your right hand is just resting on the bridge. Then sit down. You'll find the guitar in your lap hanging between your legs probably much closer to a classical style position than a "cowboy" position with it resting on your right leg. Means your guitar will be in the same position whether you are sitting down or standing up. I can never understand players putting the guitar on their right thigh. When I try it it means my right arm and shoulder are bent too much putting a load of tension into my hand and fingers. Lots of people who play sitting down with the guitar on their right thigh find they can't play properly standing up because the guitar doesn't hang in that positon.

I presume you have a tuner or a phone app so you can tune up properly

If you are looking online for lessons pick a decent course like JustinGuitar and stick to it. Jumping around various YouTube teachers will just get you confused.

You could do a lot worse than start with the blues and learn a simple E or A blues progression and the respective pentatonic/blues scale.

Sorry, but don't listen to the pish people are talking about position and shit.

Adopt this, you know it's right....

1, 2, 3, 4!

[img] [/img]

😉

Three pages of very useful advice but not a single mention of the most important learners song - smoke on the water. One power chord in 4 positions. Rock basics. And of course wild thing.

Decided to treat myself yesterday. Had a craving for something quirky. I'd tested some Reverend guitars. Played well and the Billy Corgan signature model was lovely but pretty ugly.

Popped into a different shop yesterday and spied the reissued Fender Duo-sonic. Half an hour messing around with it and I was sold. Sounds fantastic, feels great and the 24" neck is so smooth. Only had a brief play last night at home but it sounded just as good.

[img] [/img]

that is a very pretty thing

this is mine, now with more suitable tone and volume knobs
[img] [/img]

.