Hello! Guitar Teacher here! Ask me anything!

Hey! I am a musician and a guitar teacher in germany, feel free to ask me if you got problems with whatever (preferably guitar related).

My page:

www.gitarrenakademie-hagen.de (still under construction, should be updated next week)

See you!

Michael,

i am new to learning guitar, just about 3-4 weeks now. I have a book on how to play guitar. The chords in the book are different from the ones I am learning in the tutorials. I am getting confused. Why is there so much difference? Which way would be the best to learn?

Thank you

Pam

Hi Pam!

It's great that you started.

Do the tutorials belong to the book that you have?

Are they a part of it? Or do you mean tutorials elsewhere?

Cheers,

Michael

Pink Pam, if you are brand new to guitar, I have two suggestions. First, if you are here on Guitar Tricks, then you have all the lessons you will need. Simply start with Fundamentals 1 with Lisa McCormick and just make progress from there. Second, and here is a hint. Your fingers are going to hurt until you develop calluses. Dip your fingers into a bottle of rubbing alcohol and let it dry on your fingers everytime after you complete your practice. The alcohol dries out your fingertips and you will develop calluses faster. Hope this helps!!

Hey, Pam.

Originally Posted by: Pinkpam

I have a book on how to play guitar. The chords in the book are different from the ones I am learning in the tutorials. I am getting confused. Why is there so much difference? Which way would be the best to learn?

If you are working through the Fundamentals with Lisa, then you can ask her directly in her instructor forum.

https://www.guitartricks.com/forum/threads.php?f=46

I don't know which book you are using, so I can't speak directly to that issue. But I can assure you that there are many different ways to play any given chord on the guitar. So, there's sometimes a difference of opinion on how to approach teaching them.

In the GT Fundamentals course we teach simple versions of chords just to get beginners started playing some music! After all any given major or minor chord only requires 3 specific notes played at the same time. So those 3 note-3 string simple chords are a great way to get beginner's started learning to play the guitar.

After that we slowly, progressively build on that skill & concept by teaching what are called full chords. These are the more common versions of standard open chords. But they are just one possible way to expand the simple versions of the chords to make use of the full range of the guitar's sound.

Hope this helps! Please ask more if necessary & have fun!

Thank you guys. I appreciate your help. I am using the tutorials with Lisa Mccormick. They have been helpful. Before i had found this website i was using a book by Roger Evans called "How to play guitar, everything you need to know." The book does not describe simple chords and therefore i was getting confused since i learned the C chord, for example, a completely different way then Ms Lisa showed me on the tutorial. So, I was getting very confused. I had no idea there are different ways to play the same chord.

Thank you Johnv for tip too about the rubbing alcohol.

I appreciate all your help.

One other question, for now anyway, is it better to strum or use a pick? I can't quite get the hang of a pick yet, the sounds are not quite as good with a pick. Perhaps, i am not holding it properly or something.

Again, thank you guys.

Pam

You're welcome! Glad to hear you are enjoying Lisa's tutorials.

Originally Posted by: Pinkpam

Before i had found this website i was using a book by Roger Evans called "How to play guitar, everything you need to know." The book does not describe simple chords and therefore i was getting confused since i learned the C chord, for example, a completely different way then Ms Lisa showed me on the tutorial. So, I was getting very confused. I had no idea there are different ways to play the same chord.

[/quote]

I understand! Glad we could clear that up for you.

[quote=Pinkpam]

One other question, for now anyway, is it better to strum or use a pick? I can't quite get the hang of a pick yet, the sounds are not quite as good with a pick. Perhaps, i am not holding it properly or something.

You don't have to use a pick for now. But in the long run it's best to have as many skills available as possible so you have options. I encourage you to make some time to work on getting used to using a pick. I have a tutorial aimed at that here:

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1142

But while you are just starting out it's fine to just learn what you can using your fingers. Work on one thing at a time. Add more skills as you progress. Be patient with yourself & enjoy the process!

Thank you. That does help.

how do i use this forum? im lost

Originally Posted by: Pinkpam

Thank you. That does help.

[/quote]

Hey Pam, glad you could be helped. I got caught up with a lot of work in the past days :)

I followed the discussion though. So you're not alone :) never.

[quote=nanselmus]

how do i use this forum? im lost

Ask questions in the proper categories is a good way to start :)

not a good answer

Originally Posted by: nanselmus

how do i use this forum? im lost

What is it that you're trying to do? Is there some specific question or task you want to accomplish with the forum?

In general, you use the forum to ask questions & get answers about GT lessons, or guitar learing in general. Some of our instructors even reply directly in their instructor forums!

Please ask more if necessary & let me know how I can help you.

Thank you Michael

Sorry guys it is me again. It is better to learn on a nylon string guitar or steel string one? I am currently using my son's guitar sort of as a tribute in memory to him. ( He passed away just over a year ago and i wanted to learn this in honor of him. Sorry if that is too much information!) But his guitar seems too big for me. What do you guys suggest to try since i am brand new at this?

Hi Pam,

What a lovely way to honour your son. You do get smaller guitars though. The Taylor GS Mini is a really neat little steel strung guitar that sounds great (probably about 450 USD). Alternatively you could get an electric guitar which would be smaller and easier to handle than most acoustic guitars. You could learn on a smaller guitar and play your son's guitar when you felt like you wanted to.

Nylon is probably easier on the fingers but in my opinion much of the stuff taught on GT (e.g. blues, rock) is better suited to steel strung guitars.

Istvan

Originally Posted by: IstvanPetrie

Nylon is probably easier on the fingers but in my opinion much of the stuff taught on GT (e.g. blues, rock) is better suited to steel strung guitars.

Istvan

+1

Thank you Istvan. I appreciate your input.

Pam

This is from one beginner to another. In my opinion, nylon string guitars are mostly suited for classical style of play, whether clssical or spanish guitar. It has a distincly different sound. While easier on the fingers perhaps, it doesn't really lend itself the same tones as steel string guitars for Rock, Folk, Blues,ect. My opinion...

I would recommend playing a few guitars to listen to what sounds most appealing to your ear. You get what you pay for and realistically solid guitars start at around $300. I wish I had waited to develop my skills prior to buying some more of my expensive guitars. I have 2 Martins, a 000-15M and an HD-28VTS, but I find that my second beginner guitar is sometimes better tonewise than my more expensive guitars. And two years after, to play fingerstyle, I am looking for a wider neck to play with my big clumsy fingers. I think Yamaha is a solid choice in that price range. Taylors are sharp on the high end but lack some mid and bass character. Martins are great on bass and mid, but lack the high end. Worth mentioning and desiring to be added to my collection is a Gibson Hummingbird. But I digress. Yamaha guitars, versatile and moderate price range. I would like to add that if my ship sails in, I desperately want a Paul Reed Smith (PRS) Martin Simpson signature because of the wider neck and easier finger playability.

*****WORDS OF CAUTION*****

The advice about using a pick or fingerstyle comes from experienced and likely seasoned guitarists that have accumulated their skills over many years of dedication, but I would consider how much you desire to learn and relearn skills. And how much time you wish to dedicate to it.

I learned with a pick and I kind of wish that I had worked on my finger skills. I have to relearn scales rifts, ect.. As a fingerstyle player you can use your finger like a pick, but it is much more difficult to play a chord simultaneously with a pick. Watch Derek Trucks play and I think you might agree that fingers offer crazy advantages over a pick. But I am sure there are some disadvantages, too.

One other consideration on the same topic, is that yes knowing both how to pick and play fingerstyle may offer some variability; but those who concentrate on one thing tend to improve more than those who divide thier attention to multiple outlets....

For me, I find that I am not good at either method, and because I am slightly better with a pick, feel stuck with that in my hand.

Watch Tommy Emamanuel, or Gabriella Quevedo for other fingerstyle inspiration.

You know it done come easy... Ringo Starr