to ask about guitars

[milkchocandmint]

posting for traffic.

I always wanted to learn the guitar but never did. so at the grande age of almost 40 I have decided to go for it and get. I cannot afford lessons so will have to teach myself. I can play the piano (badly though) and therefore know quite a bit about music.

2 questions:

1. has anyone ever managed to teach themselves? is it possible or am I deluded?

2. Can anybody recommend an acoustic guitar for beginners? I don't have any strumming friends to borrow an instrument but will have to buy one. As cheap as possible but I want something that I can enjoy playing too.

1. yes of course

2. I think it depends on your hand size a bit, Fender a bit slimmer than Yamaha? I think anything cheap is fine (that's not Argos brand) to start with.

We have a basic Yamaha and also a basic Fender. They are absolutely fine, they only really sound shit if you ever replace the factory strings with shit ones.

thanks Pisa, I have rather big hands/long fingers so don't think I need s particular slim guitar. will look Yamaha.

I am teaching myself now. There is a video online by a band called the axis of awesome where they show just how many songs can be played with just 4 chords.

I learned d, g, em and c and could play loads of songs. Then I started adding in one or two new ones. It is an instrument where you get to feel great satisfaction very early on.

My dd has just started teaching herself the guitar using an app. She's enjoying it, its called Yousician yousician.com

Check out Justin Guitar online OP - he has loads of easy to follow lessons for complete beginners. Just keep on practicing as much as you can and don't be put off if it seems really hard at first - you will be able to do it. Good luck!

I second Justin Guitar Online, he's about the best I've seen.

DH and DF both taught themselves so go for it!

sounds reassuring. thanks you

I'm self taught and can now play reasonably well after 15 years now and the main advice I'd give is to get the best you can afford and try some before you buy. You'll find one that feels right that way.

Cheap ones have high action which can put you right off as a beginner as it'll be much harder to hold down the strings and might be painful.

Good luck!

I taught myself. I'm no Eric Clapton but I can play enough chords to have a small repertoire. I found it easier with a smaller guitar though, and I used a capo so I can sing to it.

It's actually a very easy instrument to play at a basic level....obviously it's not easy to become a virtuoso but it's one of those instruments where it's easy to appear better than you are to someone who isn't familiar with it, if you see what I mean. You should be able to play several songs very quickly. And you should be able to play Mull of Kintyre in about five minutes flat :)

In your shoes I might consider googling 'good beginner acoustic guitar" and th hunting down a second hand version of whatever is recommended. That way you might be able to afford a better guitar. I have an under £100 guitar and a £300 guitar - the £300 one is so much easier to play and therefore sounds a lot better.

Oh and learn to read tabs and you'll eventually be able to play anything ☺

Two tips - no 1: dabbing the ends of your fingers with surgical spirit will harden the skin up, and no 2: go to a music shop and hold as many guitars as you can. Some will feel 'right' when you pick them up and some won't.

Following so I can finally get the guitar out of the attic 8 years after buying it!

Ps Am also self taught, but from the days before YouTube tutorials! A good music shop should help you find something suitable and understand that a lower quality instrument will make it harder for you to learn. If at all possible, when looking I would take a friend who can play, as it will be easier for them to judge what is playable.

Also are you planning on playing a steel string acoustic or nylon string classical?

Then there's the different shapes - dreadnought, jumbo, auditorium, parlour ... I'd definitely do some review/ article reading online.

My 42yo husband is teaching himself (to keep up with our 9yo) and I bought him a basic Fender, DS has the 3/4 version. Lovely guitars and DH has big hands (ridiculously big hands)

Meant to say the Fender basic classical guitar

I taught myself, but I was 14 so it's many years ago now. But it is possible to start at any age. As a first guitar I would say get a cheap classical guitar for well under £100. The nylon strings make it easy to play and you can move up when you decide what style is best for you.

I'd also recommend looking for, or starting, a guitar players group. You could also consider ukulele, it is easier to start on, the knowledge is transferable, and there are many ukulele jams around. HTH.

Try the Yousician app. Starts from the beginning, I am told.

My nice guitar is a Sigma, which is a much less expensive 'copy' of the Martin brand.

But there are lots of good makes.

If you fancy learning classical then Valencia is a decent reasonably priced brand. I taught myself how to play from my daughter's "The Guitarist's Way" series of books, you'll learn how to read music as you go along and it covers chords too.

(Sorry, missed that you can already read music, that makes it easier!)

When my daughter went for her grade 1 rock guitar exam there was a bloke my age there taking his too, think he taught himself.