Addicted to learning guitar.

Had a guitar for 16 years but just taught myself with tabs online and picked up bad habits. Decided over lockdown to taking lessons to learn properly so have been having lessons with a teacher over zoom. Incredibly frustrating but rewarding when you make progress!
 
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The thing budding/ new guitarists have to realise is that it’s essentially a band instrument. Sounding good on your own is a real challenge. Obviously if you can sing and strum it helps, but my singing voice sounds like a hoover doing the living room, so that’s not an option.
 
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Ingleby_Flash said:
The thing budding/ new guitarists have to realise is that it’s essentially a band instrument. Sounding good on your own is a real challenge. Obviously if you can sing and strum it helps, but my singing voice sounds like a hoover doing the living room, so that’s not an option.
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Interesting that you say that. I see it very differently. It really depends on your approach.
I've played lead and rhythm in bands, but the most satisfying experience is fingerpicking solo. It takes time to learn but I do love it.
The most important thing is spend time doing what you enjoy.
 
I wanna get back to playing guitar, haven't played for about 5 years now ... had a bit of a crisis and had to sell all my gear years ago .. wounded!

I went to a few places studying guitar and playing since my teens, and Guitar-X in London in my early 20s ... played with some unreal guys. Editor of Guitarist magazine was boss of our course, John Wheatcroft ... he was unreal. Had some classes with him and other great guys ...

Had masterclasses with some unreal players .. Paul Gilbert, Guthrie Govan ... folk like that .. anyone well into the guitar knows the name Guthrie Govan .. he's the best player in the world IMO. Just an absolute freak on guitar.

This thread reminded me I have to get back to it .. it's been too long, going to take some catching up ha ha!

Been helping few folk out who are learning over past few year still though, a lot of online chats since the pandemic etc too ... I'd like to get back into the world of guitars though. Only place I've ever been comfortable, miss all of it. Also miss all my beautiful Gordon Smith guitars ... going to be expensive getting back up to speed, that's for sure. What a fker!

I've never known so many people taking up guitar as they are doing these days. When I went to school, we'd get called all sorts or picked on for playing ha ha

Now, it's like every other person I know is playing guitar. Great to see. Haven't read all posts on this thread, but OP etc, hope you enjoy getting into playing and come along nicely.

I still spend too much time on Reverb.com etc these days even while not in action, looking at loads of beautiful vintage guitars and amps wishing I could win the lottery to buy the lot ha ha

I was a simple guy when it comes to gear. Didn't mess around with thousands of pedals etc ... a few decent axes and a decent old twin amp and a motherfker awld 100w JCM800 and I'm ready to go again! Ha ha

Rock on. UTFB (y) :cool:
 
Guthrie Govan, brilliant. Gordan Smith, some of the most underrated guitars and fabulous necks. Brilliant .
I'm not anywhere near this level btw. I can hold my own though .
 
Hap said:
Guthrie Govan, brilliant. Gordan Smith, some of the most underrated guitars and fabulous necks. Brilliant .
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Yep. Ever since the Auden guys took over the Gordon Smith brand, the quality is just absolutely outstanding. A lot more expensive than they were before John and Linda retired, and the awld little factory in Partington closed. But understandably so, they are absolutely perfect and made with such passion and care ..

I remember when you could get a basic GS1 or GS2 for under 500 quid .. not now! ha ha ...

I had a nice custom GS2 with some beauty p90s in it. Was loaded with a Bigsby too, quite an awkward-looking guitar but there was just something about it. Was one of the better ones I owned. There's no doubt some of the GS guitars knocked out before Auden took over GS were starting to really decline in quality .. I guess it was probably just down to age of the guys as it come towards the end.

The only thing I don't like about the Auden-made Gordon Smith guitars, is the new logo on the headstocks. Wish they kept the old one, would have looked better I reckon.

I remember I had an old GS1 I bought at Music Ground in Leeds. Single humbucker, coil tapped as they all were ... when coil tap was switched on, cranked loud through a good amp, swear down it sounded like a proper Telecaster but with it's own tinge ... it was absolutely class.

Lost count of amount of GS guitars I owned but miss each one. I have a picture on my phone of a new GS I would love, it is absolutely perfect for what I am after in a guitar. Will have to get it up on here to show. Work of art, as are most of them, still!!
 
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Hap said:
Guthrie Govan, brilliant. Gordan Smith, some of the most underrated guitars and fabulous necks. Brilliant .
I'm not anywhere near this level btw. I can hold my own though .
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John Frusciante is probably my favourite.
 
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Randy said:
John Frusciante is probably my favourite.
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Oh aye, in terms of favourite players .. a different thing I guess. On a professional level, I'd go with Guthrie all day long still, but most of my fave players aren't anything like him or considered 'pros' haha.

Guys who inspired me as a kid, right from old punk rock bands to anything really .. they're still my faves.

Ain't about ability on guitar, certain people can just touch anyone with the way they play anything, however simple or complicated it may be.

You can be a 'rock and roll guitarist' or a real pro, it's all just as much a beautiful thing.

The guitar, it is the kind of instrument which you could say, pass around in a situation of ten guys in a room. Get them all to play a simple sequence or chord, there'll be one or two that make a difference from the rest even though they're all playing the same thing.

Everyone has their own unique touch to it. It's not about being able to fly through a million notes a second ... just down to the soul in playing. That's why I love the instrument so much.
 
Randy said:
Some of you may know I bought myself a guitar just over a month ago now. I needed a something to break up the day other than getting up, eating, watching TV, going for a walk and repeat.
I wish I'd stuck at learning when I was a kid, it's brilliant. I downloaded an app called Yousician after been recommended it by a friend and it's a superb learning tool.

Really enjoying playing along and learning with the app and looking forward to the days when I can play along with some of the harder more complex songs.

Any other guitar/bass players on the board?
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Been playing for over 40 years, acoustic and electric.
Recently gone back to my roots a bit and relearning Black Mountain Rag by Doc Watson at the moment.
I have plenty of stale times where I'm easily bored with it but got the buzz back now so I'm putting a bit more effort in and enjoying it again.
 
Hap said:
Interesting that you say that. I see it very differently. It really depends on your approach.
I've played lead and rhythm in bands, but the most satisfying experience is fingerpicking solo. It takes time to learn but I do love it.
The most important thing is spend time doing what you enjoy.
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Actually the last few years I’ve really got into fingerpicking and thoroughly enjoy it, bought a beautiful Gibson acoustic about five or six years ago, hardly picked it up for a year and then started fingerpicking and it’s now my favourite guitar.

Funny Ive hardly picked an instrument up since covid, all that time wasted, guess it’s a mindset thing.
 
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Using Rocksmith (on Steam) is what got me into playing in 2014. Played it nearly every day for about 3 years but really lost my momentum after stating a new job. Can still pick it up and play a bit but you don’t realise how quickly you lose the strength when you haven’t played in a while!

Check out Rocksmith if you haven’t already Randy, just need a usb to guitar chord which you can pick up from Amazon for £25.

If you’re savvy enough you can download nearly any song online and play along as well.

Loads of videos on YouTube as well.
 
TheYorkshireTerrier said:
Using Rocksmith (on Steam) is what got me into playing in 2014. Played it nearly every day for about 3 years but really lost my momentum after stating a new job. Can still pick it up and play a bit but you don’t realise how quickly you lose the strength when you haven’t played in a while!

Check out Rocksmith if you haven’t already Randy, just need a usb to guitar chord which you can pick up from Amazon for £25.

If you’re savvy enough you can download nearly any song online and play along as well.

Loads of videos on YouTube as well.
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I've looked into getting it for my Xbox One S but some reviews I've read speak about a noticeable lag between strumming and the sound coming from your speaker?

If that isn't the case I'll invest with next month's pay for sure.
 
Centralscrutinizer said:
The best thing I've bought for practicing is a looper pedal. Laying down a chord sequence and playing over it keeps me going for hours at a time.
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Yes - or something like a Digitech Trio, which is a great practice aid. Strum a basic chord progression, and it gives you a suitable Bass & drum backing track to play along with. I got one at Christmas, and prefer it to a looper for practice, although both good options.
 
Quinn Sullivan: this young man is only 22 and plays the blues like Buddy Guy - he started playing age 11(!).
I was planning on seeing him last year....
He has a new album out soon.
Worth a listen.
 
Randy said:
I've looked into getting it for my Xbox One S but some reviews I've read speak about a noticeable lag between strumming and the sound coming from your speaker?

If that isn't the case I'll invest with next month's pay for sure.
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I had it for my 360 as well and it was absolutely fine for me, the only reason I got it on Steam is so I could download some free songs, that’s a game changer!
 
Like many on here I have played on and off for many years. Went back to basics last year which really helped me to move forward. Bought my first guitar at Donny market in the mid 70's which I still have. Learning is so much easier today with the internet. Justin at Justinguitar is great. Another good youtuber is Ivor Sorefingers. He cant sing to save his life but he certainly can show you how to play songs.

I love it when the wife leaves the house for a couple of hours as the first thing I do is pick up the guitar. She will come back in and ask me what I have been doing and I just say "playing the guitar". I think she finds it hard to believe but it is so easy to get lost when practicing and the hours just disappear.

I love playing Roger Hodgson songs from Supertramp. I need to buy a 12 string guitar to really get his sound. When you start to play other peoples music you certainly can see how each individual guitarist have their own style. Love playing the Beatles, Tom Petty, Bowie. I also like playing classical guitar as I can read music some what. Playing classical guitar really helps when it comes to picking.
 
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