Suggestions for what, sir? Tips on how to play the guitar, or songs to learn?

Haven't picked mine up in years. Did a few nights ago, and today, to see how I'm doing, i.e., not well. I gave up having lessons before I started university y'see, but before then had lessons for six years or so, slightly on-off. Progress stopped because I never had an amp basically, or like-minded guitar people to play with. But I need an extra hobby, so I want to play guitar again. The main thing I want to do is make my own music as I've always been hopeless at learning songs... Any suggestions?

For resources (websites), possibly books, I guess.

Let the friendliest guitar tutor on the planet show you how.

i recommend learning how to play a simple blues riff and then learn the minor pentatonic scale and the 'blues scale' variation of it. you can noodle away forever on that and it'll get your skills and improvisation happening.

after that you start breaking away from it. it can lead you in a rock, jazz or metal direction if you let it.

if the words like pentatonic baffle you, drop me a PM I can definitely keep it simple for you.

Some great advice here, already.

1. The biggest one is practise.
2. Your fingers need to be fit before you can do anything, really. So lots of 'finger exercises' (fnar). Practise, basically. Play melodies, not just strumming.
3. Pick some songs you actually like- I think it's important to ignore people who have a set idea of what you should play. (Like I just did above)
4. I'm not to big on the idea of getting lessons - if you're a beginner you'll probably figure out what they're going to tell you anyway, unless you want to be a classical guitarist or something. Basically, if you want to play Oasis songs then you don't need a teacher. Do your own thing. Guitarists are opinionated buggers (As you can see).
5. Practise.
6. Practise.
7. Practise.
8. Practise for at least a hour a day. EVERY DAY. No excuses - you'll be surprised at the difference if you keep it up consistently.
9. Keep the guitar with you when you're doing other passive things like watching the telly. (On top of the hour)
10. You can strain muscles (although this is unlikely at the beginning) so ideally you should warm up by playing 'easy' and try to keep your hands relaxed when you play.
11. Practise.

I only use Ernie Ball strings on my electric guitars. I really love the Skinny Top Heavy Bottoms.

I use them on my bass, but I found they didn't hold their tunings so well on guitar, so eventually decided upon D'addario super lights for my electrics.

I prefer heavy strings. mainly because I mostly break the low Es on 9s or 10s.

heavy strings sound better anyway. a little harder to play but I think that's a good thing. makes you work for it and makes things a little more raw.

9s are for LA guitar institute types!

you mean d'addario last5mins

I really love the Skinny Top Heavy Bottoms.

Strings will last forever if you don't play that particular guitar.

Psh. The set I currently have on have lasted for over 2 years.

D'addarios are the ones that come in individually sealed bags right and claim to last the longest?

I swear I had them once, and I dont suffer from corrosive sweat or whatever, but those strings rusted to shit in next to no time.
I was really gutted!

I think so, although getting a set now claims that it's an enviromentally friendly set which uses 75% less packaging. And so all the strings come in one sealed bag with "Corrosion intercept technology"



I've not had any problems, myself. My housemate, who used the hybrid slinkys would often find that the strings were rusted before they even went on the guitar, mind. Although I think that's more to do with his habit of buying individual strings.