Suppose you were to start learning guitar again, from scratch.....

[Elliot]

The one thing that has really helped me recently, that I wish I always had is slowing down software (like The Amazing Slower Downer).  Being able to play along with a song at 75% speed or hearing difficult passages played really slowly has helped my playing no end.

[Philly Q]

I learnt guitar from a Black Sabbath tab book. Later I learnt more ways of playing from Diamond Head tabs. This was my base for years, that and lots of "jamming around with myself".

That's a pretty narrow range of tuition material!  :P

But again, I can see sense in that approach.  Ground yourself in something you really enjoy and feel totally comfortable with, then branch out from there.

I've often thought:  we've only ever really heard Tony Iommi play Sabbath songs, or Angus Young play AC/DC.... we love 'em, and think of them as great players, but what if that's all they really can play, their own songs and nothing else?  They'd actually be pretty limited.*

Then again, having your own recognisable style is having a set of limitations, intentional or otherwise.....


(* I'm not suggesting for a moment that is actually the case - undoubtedly Iommi could impress us with his jazz chops, and I bet Angus can play some mean blues.  It's just the idea which interested me.)

[Telerocker]

Learning of a lot of covers helps a lot. Watch guitarplayers, learn their tricks. Join a band. On stage you learn a lot too.

[dave_mc]

i'd say do whatever makes you enjoy it and whatever works for you. everyone is different, and enjoying it is half the battle.

don't listen to (no-one here is saying this) the people who act like you're awful if you're not practising for 8 hours a day, or that "playing stuff you know isn't practising". Playing is better than not playing, and if you only practise exercises that's a pretty quick route to sounding unmusical, imo. You're playing for you, not these other people, and if you want to play for 10 minutes a week, that's absolutely fair enough.

also, "talent borrows, genius steals". if you hear something good, shamelessly nick it. :lol: If you nick from enough players, you'll start to have your own style. :lol:

I've often thought:  we've only ever really heard Tony Iommi play Sabbath songs, or Angus Young play AC/DC.... we love 'em, and think of them as great players, but what if that's all they really can play, their own songs and nothing else?  They'd actually be pretty limited.*

that's a good point. I listen to killer players and get demoralised, "Oh i wish i could do legato like satriani, sweep like malmsteen or tap like vai", but (maybe) vai can't do legato like satriani and malmsteen can't tap like vai. (of course, they probably can, but it's still worth bearing in mind.)

[38thBeatle]

I'd echo what others have said- find a teacher that you can get on with and one who can motivate you to want to play more and then play with other people and learn doing that.

[TheyCallMeVolume]

I would honestly do what I did the 1st time around.

I think it's important for everyone to have their own style and technique, and I feel like the only way to do that 100% is to learn by yourself. Playing a track over and over and trying to learn it by ear note for note not only helped me develop a good ear, but I learned to play things the way I felt comfortable doing.

I did take lessons for a few months just to get the basics down, and learn some scales, and then I was off on my own. I liked that way of doing it, and I'd do it again if I had to.

[Elliot]

I agree about learning things by ear - I think once a person develops that ability the guitar opens up.  However, I think the true indicator that I will never be any good is that I cannot learn anything by ear - not even after 20 years and not even after spending a year doing exercises with 'ear training' software.  Not even twinkle twinkle little star  :( 

[_tom_]

I'd say get some lessons, try and find someone who will start to help you figure stuff out by ear as Elliot mentions, it seemed to help a lot :)

[Tellboy]

There's a wealth of learning aids available for guitarists these days (tab, DVDs, excellent magazines, slow down, guitar pro etc, etc). If I was starting learning now I'm sure I would use as many of these as I could. In many ways I'm glad that most of these were not readilly available when I first started out and had to learn by ear. To me learning by ear back then first involved playing the song/solo repeatedly to get the feel before even attempting to work it out. (how many pub covers bands have you heard play Free's "Alright now" with the right notes but the wrong feel?).
As mentioned above playing with other musicians is a great way to improve your playing (which unfortunately I don't these days  :() - and perhaps try a few styles/music you are not comfortable with.

[gwEm]

I learnt guitar from a Black Sabbath tab book. Later I learnt more ways of playing from Diamond Head tabs. This was my base for years, that and lots of "jamming around with myself".

That's a pretty narrow range of tuition material!  :P

But again, I can see sense in that approach.  Ground yourself in something you really enjoy and feel totally comfortable with, then branch out from there.

I've often thought:  we've only ever really heard Tony Iommi play Sabbath songs, or Angus Young play AC/DC.... we love 'em, and think of them as great players, but what if that's all they really can play, their own songs and nothing else?  They'd actually be pretty limited.*

Then again, having your own recognisable style is having a set of limitations, intentional or otherwise.....


(* I'm not suggesting for a moment that is actually the case - undoubtedly Iommi could impress us with his jazz chops, and I bet Angus can play some mean blues.  It's just the idea which interested me.)

Really nteresting point. I think the players mentioned, although could actualy /play/ a wide range of material, went back to familiar ground when composing their own stuff. As we know priest/sabbath/purple have a quite different view of the power chord and its many variations.

[Philly Q]

I agree about learning things by ear - I think once a person develops that ability the guitar opens up.  However, I think the true indicator that I will never be any good is that I cannot learn anything by ear - not even after 20 years and not even after spending a year doing exercises with 'ear training' software.  Not even twinkle twinkle little star  :( 

Are you talking about chord progressions and full arrangements, or even basic melodies?  I can easily pick out single-note melodies by ear (not necessarily in the right key....), but that's the end of my "talents".  I couldn't identify a chord to save my life.

And I can't imagine EVER being able to construct a track in the sense of fitting together a drum track, bass line, chord progression, melody over the top..... I simply have no idea what works with what, I wouldn't know where to begin.

(By the same token, I'm always amazed when I watch a football match and some people can "see" the formation and identify the weak spots.... to me they just seem to be running around randomly....    :?)

I have a feeling that these are things which probably CAN be learned by methodically deconstructing other people's songs, learning the separate parts, then doing the same with other songs and starting to see the similarities.  But on the other hand it's a process which seems to come completely naturally to some people..... and that utterly bewilders and astounds me.  :(

[witeter]

For me the best way of learning was playing along to artists and songs that I loved, this will not only keep you interested but its also very enjoyable

[Elliot]

I agree Phil - Listening to some of the stuff that Tom or AndyR does (especially on something 'limited' like his Boss MicroBR) is beyond the pail of comprehension to me.  I am sure you can learn it if you have a patient teacher - but it is just an order of playing different from mine. :o

[HTH AMPS]

What can't you play that you wish you could? - just work on those areas.  I don't think there is one correct answer, just whatever works for you.  For me, if I'm in a rut, I'll learn some songs I've always liked but never transcribed - you always pick something up from that which becomes part of your box of tricks.

This is gonna be an unpopular one, but I've also found that time away can reignite your passion for guitar.  I'm talking maybe a few weeks, not years mind.  I think maybe 6 weeks is the longest I've gone in 20+ years.

I've never found that pouring over theory did me any good, I'm a meat and potatoes player - it's all from jamming and playing to records, noodling in the house and gigging since I was 15.

I'm also a firm believer of going back to the roots - learn where the stuff came from, get your blues and country licks down, your classic rock, punk - its all got it's own thing you can take away from it (except Jazz, I'm not having that  :lol:)

[Philly Q]

I agree Phil - Listening to some of the stuff that Tom or AndyR does (especially on something 'limited' like his Boss MicroBR) is beyond the pail of comprehension to me.  I am sure you can learn it if you have a patient teacher - but it is just an order of playing different from mine. :o

It's like a whole other world, isn't it?  :lol:

I've discussed it with AndyR a couple of times.  I know he's worked bloody hard at his music over many years (which I most definitely haven't!) and of course there's an element of practice makes perfect, but I'm quite sure it does - to at least some degree - come naturally to him, in a way that I simply can't comprehend.