Learning to Play the Guitar

[Simply_Nikki]

I've never seen guitar sheet music. I mean I've seen the guitar chord things over piano sheet music. Is that the same thing?

No. Here is a link to a pdf that has the sheet music to one of my favorite classical guitar pieces, Augustin Barrios' "La Cathedral"

http://www.eythorsson.com/music/1122.pdf


Enjoy.

Conor.

That looks weird with all the letters and numbers on them. I can't imagine how one plays it with such little space between strings and such. to those who can!

 

[Archlute]

Hello Nikki,

I spent about ten years on the classical guitar, and a fair amount of that time in instructing along with performing. Two imperative points for you to follow here:

1. Do not get a cheap student guitar. It is not merely the sound that will suffer, but more importantly your technical growth will be seriously hindered, you will become frustrated, and then you will lose motivation to continue. They are inexpensive, because they have been poorly made. This means high action, warped necks, fret buzz, you name it, you'll have it. It's been awhile since I last taught, but I believe that you can pick up a good student classical for 350.00-400.00. Classical, as Rich pointed out, does have the benefit of nylon strings for ease of learning, but if all you ever plan on doing is strumming chords for worship, as opposed to sight-reading classical scores and turning into a technique monster, then you are probably better off getting a steel string. Your fingers will stop their crying after awhile

2. If at all possible, find an instructor in your area who has been university trained. This would not be necessary for another instrument such as piano, but the guitar world is full of hacks who think that they are qualified to advertise themselves as private teachers just be cause they have learned a few chords and the beginning to their favorite solo. You could learn as much on your own from a book. An instructor who has some decent training under his belt will be able not only to get you well on your way with technique, sight reading, musicianship, and the like, but will also be able to point you to better resources of which you may not be familiar, give you personal encouragement, lend a discerning ear in evaluating your progress, and will be able to keep an outsider's eye open for any bad habits which you may be developing.

So, to reiterate: a) good student guitar, b) recognized/vetted instructor

You'll be good to go (and you'll thank me for it in the future).

 

[Simply_Nikki]

Hello Nikki,

I spent about ten years on the classical guitar, and a fair amount of that time in instructing along with performing. Two imperative points for you to follow here:

1. Do not get a cheap student guitar. It is not merely the sound that will suffer, but more importantly your technical growth will be seriously hindered, you will become frustrated, and then you will lose motivation to continue. They are inexpensive, because they have been poorly made. This means high action, warped necks, fret buzz, you name it, you'll have it. It's been awhile since I last taught, but I believe that you can pick up a good student classical for 350.00-400.00. Classical, as Rich pointed out, does have the benefit of nylon strings for ease of learning, but if all you ever plan on doing is strumming chords for worship, as opposed to sight-reading classical scores and turning into a technique monster, then you are probably better off getting a steel string. Your fingers will stop their crying after awhile

2. If at all possible, find an instructor in your area who has been university trained. This would not be necessary for another instrument such as piano, but the guitar world is full of hacks who think that they are qualified to advertise themselves as private teachers just be cause they have learned a few chords and the beginning to their favorite solo. You could learn as much on your own from a book. An instructor who has some decent training under his belt will be able not only to get you well on your way with technique, sight reading, musicianship, and the like, but will also be able to point you to better resources of which you may not be familiar, give you personal encouragement, lend a discerning ear in evaluating your progress, and will be able to keep an outsider's eye open for any bad habits which you may be developing.

So, to reiterate: a) good student guitar, b) recognized/vetted instructor

You'll be good to go (and you'll thank me for it in the future).

Thanks for the advise. Maybe I'll give piano lessons to save up for a guitar haha. I think I do want to save my classical music techniques for the piano, since that is what I do already. Yep I just wanted to strum some chords for worship . Can you do that with nylon strings? or is that weird? I mean i just want whatever is best for what I want to do. I'm familiar with practice pain, (no pain not gain!) so I'm ready for it bring it on! lol. A friend of mind pointed me to this guitar. It's the Taylor big baby one that some have told me about, but it is like in a reduced size for small folk .

Buy Taylor Big Baby Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar online at Musician's Friend

 

[py3ak]

Learn classical style. There are decent student guitars out there perhaps to see if you want to learn before investing.

I am partial to classical. Being a player myself.

I was trained in classical piano at my high school. I went to a Music Academy for high school. So I like classical myself. But i wanted to be able to play mostly worship songs on the guitar =)

Oh, but the world doesn't need more worship song players. On the other hand, someone who can tackle Joaquin Rodrigo is always a necessity.

 

[Archlute]

Hello Nikki,

I spent about ten years on the classical guitar, and a fair amount of that time in instructing along with performing. Two imperative points for you to follow here:

1. Do not get a cheap student guitar. It is not merely the sound that will suffer, but more importantly your technical growth will be seriously hindered, you will become frustrated, and then you will lose motivation to continue. They are inexpensive, because they have been poorly made. This means high action, warped necks, fret buzz, you name it, you'll have it. It's been awhile since I last taught, but I believe that you can pick up a good student classical for 350.00-400.00. Classical, as Rich pointed out, does have the benefit of nylon strings for ease of learning, but if all you ever plan on doing is strumming chords for worship, as opposed to sight-reading classical scores and turning into a technique monster, then you are probably better off getting a steel string. Your fingers will stop their crying after awhile

2. If at all possible, find an instructor in your area who has been university trained. This would not be necessary for another instrument such as piano, but the guitar world is full of hacks who think that they are qualified to advertise themselves as private teachers just be cause they have learned a few chords and the beginning to their favorite solo. You could learn as much on your own from a book. An instructor who has some decent training under his belt will be able not only to get you well on your way with technique, sight reading, musicianship, and the like, but will also be able to point you to better resources of which you may not be familiar, give you personal encouragement, lend a discerning ear in evaluating your progress, and will be able to keep an outsider's eye open for any bad habits which you may be developing.

So, to reiterate: a) good student guitar, b) recognized/vetted instructor

You'll be good to go (and you'll thank me for it in the future).

Thanks for the advise. Maybe I'll give piano lessons to save up for a guitar haha. I think I do want to save my classical music techniques for the piano, since that is what I do already. Yep I just wanted to strum some chords for worship . Can you do that with nylon strings? or is that weird? I mean i just want whatever is best for what I want to do. I'm familiar with practice pain, (no pain not gain!) so I'm ready for it bring it on! lol. A friend of mind pointed me to this guitar. It's the Taylor big baby one that some have told me about, but it is like in a reduced size for small folk .

Buy Taylor Big Baby Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar online at Musician's Friend

Hey,

If you're fine with keeping your classical on the piano, and just want to strum for song, then I would definitely go with steel string. Nylon will sound flabby and muddled in comparison, and will not project out as clearly, nor with as much string balance, when playing in the context of worship/group singing.

I'm definitely not as familiar with steel string as with nylon, so I will leave the evaluation to someone else. I did purchase an acoustic guitar a few years back for my little brother that I've really enjoyed playing . I think that it was a mahogany Martin D-15 Dreadnought - but I also think that it was something close to a grand Sorry.

 

[Simply_Nikki]

Oh, but the world doesn't need more worship song players. On the other hand, someone who can tackle Joaquin Rodrigo is always a necessity.

LOL I've never really listened to classical guitar , though I'm sure it's beautiful. I think I'm more partial to the sounds my piano makes .

 

[Simply_Nikki]

I did purchase an acoustic guitar a few years back for my little brother that I've really enjoyed playing . I think that it was a mahogany Martin D-15 Dreadnought - but I also think that it was something close to a grand Sorry.

Yeah, I'll just have to name and claim that one .

 

[Archlute]

Learn classical style. There are decent student guitars out there perhaps to see if you want to learn before investing.

I am partial to classical. Being a player myself.

I was trained in classical piano at my high school. I went to a Music Academy for high school. So I like classical myself. But i wanted to be able to play mostly worship songs on the guitar =)

Oh, but the world doesn't need more worship song players. On the other hand, someone who can tackle Joaquin Rodrigo is always a necessity.

No joke! His ubiquitous Concerto de Aranjuez was so popular that our guitar prof told us to begin working on it during our sophomore year since, as he put it, "You're going to end up being asked to play it at sometime during your career, so you might as well get it out of the way now..." (he was tired of it by then).

The opening is a blast, and there's not much that can musically top the haunting melody line and the power of the solo from the second movement.

 

[py3ak]

But it's more than the Concierto de Aranjuez. There's the music for four guitars, there's the Fantasia para un gentilhombre. And then there's Paganini.

 

[Archlute]

I personally think that the Aranjuez was the only really great piece put out by Rodrigo for the guitar.

If one is interested in music for guitar quartets, the L.A. Guitar Quartet has some amazing recordings, most of the scores being original compositions or fresh transcriptions.

Britten's Nocturnal after John Dowland Op.60 (?) is a really good piece from the 70's that has some crazy notation.

But I think that Ruben just initiated a thread hijack!

 

[py3ak]

Well, I would take Rodrigo on meth over Britten on his best day any time.

Nikki, you can have your thread back now. But you should check out some classical guitar, or better yet, mandolin.

 

[2 Tim 4:2]

I bought this Gretsch on ebay brand new with gig bag for less than half the retail value. You have to shop but good deals can be found.

 

[thekingsknight]

LOL I've never really listened to classical guitar , though I'm sure it's beautiful. I think I'm more partial to the sounds my piano makes .

Check out Christopher Parkening on youtube



1- Christopher Parkening - J. S. Bach - BWV 1006a, Prelude (We thank thee Lord).

2- Christopher Parkening - Fairest Lord Jesus.

 

[JonathanHunt]

Nikki

If you go ahead, stay in touch, as many will know I have recently given up work to care for my wife, and we decided I needed a non theological hobby (ha ha) so I am just awaiting my classical guitar from ebay ;-)

J

 

[redmanca]

tons of great info

Do you mind me asking where/with whom you studied?

And I noticed you mentioned LAGQ (Andrew York is one of my favorites). Do you have their first album? I just learned Dusan Bogdonovich's Mysterious Habitats, and will be playing it at a small recital this Friday.

Conor

 

[Archlute]

tons of great info

Do you mind me asking where/with whom you studied?

And I noticed you mentioned LAGQ (Andrew York is one of my favorites). Do you have their first album? I just learned Dusan Bogdonovich's Mysterious Habitats, and will be playing it at a small recital this Friday.

Conor

I actually began classical studies while in the military under the lead guitarist for a Jazz quintet in Columbus, GA, who had been a guitarist with Frank Zappa's band at one point, but had taken his MA in classical guitar from Charles Duncan/Aaron Shearer in Atlanta - how's that for an eclectic beginning?

After that I spent five years of university study under Bryan Johanson at Portland State, who had studied under Christopher Parkening and Michael Lorimer. There is a great Guitar Festival that Bryan has run at PSU for the last 15 years or so, which brings in a lot of outstanding guitarists to teach masterclasses. Because of that, I was able to take masterclasses from David Tannenbaum, Scott Tennant, William Kanengiser, Antigoni Goni and others. Tannenbaum's recording of modern scores turned me onto Hans Werner Henze's Royal Winter Music sonatas, which are extended character studies of various Shakespearean characters. Check them out sometime. His recording is the best of the three or four out there, but I believe that you'll have to find a used copy.

I have three or four of the LAGQ's albums, but all of my CD's are in storage. I can't remember for sure, but I think the earliest that I have is their Dances from Renaissance to Nutcracker, but I do have the album with John Dearman performing the Bogdanovic piece. I just checked out their site and saw that Andrew York is no longer a member of the quartet - bummer! He wrote some great stuff.

Here's a link to a hilarious performance of a very well known composition - enjoy all!

[video=youtube;yflWG-e38OU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yflWG-e38OU[/video]

 

[Simply_Nikki]

w00t! That's soooo coool!

 

[Archlute]

Well, I would take Rodrigo on meth over Britten on his best day any time.

You're not the first to have said that to me

If you ever listen to that particular composition, which was written for Julian Bream as the only solo guitar work ever put out by Britten, you may find that you enjoy it. It's a bit long (around 20 min), but the penultimate Passacaglia and disclosure of Dowland's Come, Heavy Sleep at the very end I find to be quite moving. Maybe it's just because I love Dowland

 

[Archlute]

w00t! That's soooo coool!

You should pick up some of their albums. All of their stuff is that good! No kidding. They simply are the best guitar quartet ever. If you like world music, African rhythms, Jewish melodies, etc. Check out the album L.A.G.Q. It's one of my favorites. They truly are an amazing group of musicians.

 

[Simply_Nikki]

w00t! That's soooo coool!

You should pick up some of their albums. All of their stuff is that good! No kidding. They simply are the best guitar quartet ever. If you like world music, African rhythms, Jewish melodies, etc. Check out the album L.A.G.Q. It's one of my favorites. They truly are an amazing group of musicians.

Oh yes I do like world music very much! Especially Mediterranean/MidEast/Jewish/African/Latin sounding stuff. Gonna put it on my Amazon.com wishlist!

 

[py3ak]

Well, I would take Rodrigo on meth over Britten on his best day any time.

You're not the first to have said that to me

If you ever listen to that particular composition, which was written for Julian Bream as the only solo guitar work ever put out by Britten, you may find that you enjoy it. It's a bit long (around 20 min), but the penultimate Passacaglia and disclosure of Dowland's Come, Heavy Sleep at the very end I find to be quite moving. Maybe it's just because I love Dowland

I like Dowland as well. If I hear on the radio that it's Britten's only work for solo guitar I won't switch it off on hearing his name, as I usually do when he, Copland, Berg, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, or a few others are mentioned.

By the way, Joaquin Rodrigo, as far as I know, did not use meth and wrote some very fine music for harp and orchestra as well.

 

[KMK]

The best way to start is to borrow a decent guitar from someone. I can't tell you how many adults I know who have a guitar in their closet that they never use because they went out and bought it and found out they didn't like it.

I also think the lessons are a good way to start. Nothing formal necessarily. Just to get started. What about people at your church? Do any of them already play? In my experience, people love to teach things they know.

 

[Archlute]

The best way to start is to borrow a decent guitar from someone. I can't tell you how many adults I know who have a guitar in their closet that they never use because they went out and bought it and found out they didn't like it.

I also think the lessons are a good way to start. Nothing formal necessarily. Just to get started. What about people at your church? Do any of them already play? In my experience, people love to teach things they know.

Populist

 

[Simply_Nikki]

The best way to start is to borrow a decent guitar from someone. I can't tell you how many adults I know who have a guitar in their closet that they never use because they went out and bought it and found out they didn't like it.

I also think the lessons are a good way to start. Nothing formal necessarily. Just to get started. What about people at your church? Do any of them already play? In my experience, people love to teach things they know.

No, no one at my current church plays. I think if i do start , I will stick with it for the long haul. I think the hardest thing(as probably with for any new beginner) is learning how to position your fingers to make the chords and changing from chord to chord. But I'm sure it becomes effortless once you've practiced for a while. =) My sister has a cheap guitar.. and yeah.. I definitely see what some of you are saying about cheap guitars, it can sound to put it nicely horrible! when i play some chords.

 

[MrMerlin777]

Danelectro

A good inexpensive electric is danelectro guitars. They have a classic sound and look. They have been used by some of the giants.

 

[redmanca]

more great info

Thanks for the information. I used to listen to a lot of Zappa. Steve Vai (one of his guitarists) said the audition for the part consisted of Zappa asking Vai to play stuff that became increasingly more impossible. Here is a video of him talking about it. [video=youtube;r6cplMM3d_Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6cplMM3d_Q[/video]


My teacher (I'm taking lessons through the University) studied with Christopher Berg at USC (who took some Segovia masterclasses). My teacher (David Stevenson) is a world music player. You might want to check out some samples on his site: Music Samples .

It is a shame about Andrew York though. He is a great composer/player. Some of his stuff moves so fluidly from classical to jazz and back again.

It's great to talk classical guitar with someone. It seems no-one here has heard of it.

Conor

 

[JohnV]

Nikki:

I once came across a gem of a guitar that I could have had for nothing. And it would have been just what you're looking for. Instead of taking it I offered to do some repairs on it to see if I could make something of it for the person who was throwing it away. When she got it back she loved it, and has been an avid guitarist ever since. Years later she contacted me again to ask my advice; she was ready to scrap it again because the bridge was coming off. I suggested that I be allowed to get a price for fixing it, and compare that to the price of buying a new one. I did get it repaired for much less than the price of a new good guitar, and she's happy with the result.

It was a really sweet-sounding, easy playing, little Framus gruitar, made before they started making those clunky ones. (Those clunky ones weren't bad either; I had two of them at one time.) I have to confess that the initial value I saw in it was that it could very well be a collector's item. But with its age and the good shape it was in (I mean the neck and body were in excellent shape) and the sound coming from the dead strings hinting at potential, I saw in it a guitar that I would like to play more often. And after I fixed it up that's exactly what it was. I couldn't put it down. I still see it once in a while. The last time I saw it it was perched on a stand in front of a room full of guests, ready for a performance.

Rare? Yes, I suppose so. But the point is, it's out there somewhere. The guitar you're looking for is out there. It takes some looking. Don't give up; good deals are out there. I've come across a number of them, though this one is a highlight among them.

Meanwhile, if you lived around here you could borrow one of mine for a while. Guitars are hot items here in my family lately.

 

[DeoOpt]

I would save some money and get a Takamine. But as for me I own a Martin and one from Santa Cruze guitar co.

 

[Grymir]

Nikki, I started with a cheap-o guitar with strings a mile high over the frets. You can't even buy a guitar that cheap anymore. I got real good on it and found that I liked to play it. (I'm totaly self taught, practice, practice, practice, is the key and a some really good lesson books) When I got my Rickenbacker, just like Geddy Lee, I could play it like a pro and sounded like one. Learning how to play on a cheapy is good training. Your fingers and sound will amaze you when you upgrade to a 'real' (expensive) guitar. Happy playing!

 

[pilgrim3970]

Really, you probably won't get your money's worth on sub-$100 instruments.

If you want to buy new, you might shoot for this:

Buy Fender GC-12 Grand Concert Acoustic Guitar online at Musician's Friend

Fenders make a decent beginner acoustic, In my humble opinion, and would be worth saving for. You might even find one in a pawn shop for a decent price.

You can get a decent beginner's instrument for under $200 if you choose carefully. I would agree with the advice that you take a guitar playing friend around with you.