Crayon Sky Music

Guitar Questions?

I want to learn how to play the guitar. I have a couple of ?s though. Well I here is a little info on my music history. I use to take piano lessons as a kid didnt get that far into it then quit. I currently play the violin. I am a singer and so on. I know practically all of my note names. Here are my ? s 1) What is better taking lessons or self-teaching. 2) What a good starter guitar. I want an acoustic guitar. It can’t be cheap and crappy like a First Act guitar. My sister has a Fender Stratocaster, but I want to learn on an acoustic

Excellent questions.

I recommend that beginner guitarists take lessons for at least 3 months or so. As a violinist, you already know how essential it is to get your fingering right–if you don’t get those fundamentals down at first, you retard your progress and you risk tendinitis, carpal tunnel, or other repetitive motion injuries. So find a good teacher–I’d recommend advertising on a bulletin board at a local college music department to see if you can land a guitar major.

Now: guitar buying.

Buying a guitar is a personal thing. The reason there are so many brands and models is that there are so many different guitarists with different tastes and styles. So you need to know how to find the right guitar for you.

Go to a really good music store that has lots of different brands and try out all of the ones in your price range–and also some that are a little above your price range. Take along a knowledgeable friend if you have one.

Even if you don’t know how to play well, you can get a sense of how the guitar feels–and feel is important, you will enjoy playing much more if your left hand loves being wrapped around the neck, if your right arm drapes comfortable over the body, if your left fingers can reach all strings easily and your right hand naturally comes down on the strings near the center of the body, where you want to hit them.

Now get the friend or a sales clerk to play each feel-good guitar (same tunes on each) while you turn your back–the ones that sound best then are the ones you want. Now, acoustics are not absolutely consistent–two guitars of exactly the same model will sound different due to variability in wood grain, manufacturing tolerances, and other factors. So the one that sounds good is the very one you want–the display model–don’t accept “new in box from the storeroom” because it may not sound as good.

Fender History Lesson – Marvin, Gilmour,Knopfler….