Hello
Hi. I have always wanted to learn to play guitar, but never followed through. Recently a friend kindly, bought me a guitar as a gift. It was very generous, neither of us knew anything about guitars, so I am a bit bummed out tonight, to learn that for what I want to play I should really have a steel string guitar and the one I have is a classical. I will learn what I can with it, but from the video it doesn't appear you are supposed to use a pick with them and I would like to learn to play with one. But, I will do what I can until I can get a steel string. I have watched videos of Neil on YouTube and I think he will be a great teacher.
trcorbett170950 wrote:
Hi trcorbett170950 and welcome to TG. Neil is a great teacher and you will learn a lot on this site.
A lot of people start with a nylon string guitar, they are easier on the fretting fingers for a start and you can strum without a pick using a technique Neil often talks about called 'the invisible pick technique'. The great thing about you having no experience is that you are a blank canvas so to speak and you haven't developed any bad habits in technique, so won't have to unlearn them.
I would suggest you start at the beginning with the beginners blueprint. This should give you a good start and it's free. Later on you may want to join the Target program which teaches you so much, including comprehensive breakdown on a ton of songs. You could be here for two lifetimes and never run out of learning material. Later on you may wish to purchase a steel guitar, if so ask in the forum, you will get a lot of good advice from fellow guitar players.
http://www.totallyguitars.com/beginners.html
Tell us a little more about yourself. Which country you are from what you hope to gain here etc, because that's what folks around here will want to know. The forum is a great place to ask questions so don't be shy. There are no dumb questions if you want to improve your playing.
I am Tom from Scotland, welcome.
Hi. I have always wanted to learn to play guitar, but never followed through. Recently a friend kindly, bought me a guitar as a gift. It was very generous, neither of us knew anything about guitars, so I am a bit bummed out tonight, to learn that for what I want to play I should really have a steel string guitar and the one I have is a classical. I will learn what I can with it, but from the video it doesn't appear you are supposed to use a pick with them and I would like to learn to play with one. But, I will do what I can until I can get a steel string. I have watched videos of Neil on YouTube and I think he will be a great teacher.
Hi trcorbett170950 and welcome to TG. Neil is a great teacher and you will learn a lot on this site.
A lot of people start with a nylon string guitar, they are easier on the fretting fingers for a start and you can strum without a pick using a technique Neil often talks about called 'the invisible pick technique'. The great thing about you having no experience is that you are a blank canvas so to speak and you haven't developed any bad habits in technique, so won't have to unlearn them.
I would suggest you start at the beginning with the beginners blueprint. This should give you a good start and it's free. Later on you may want to join the Target program which teaches you so much, including comprehensive breakdown on a ton of songs. You could be here for two lifetimes and never run out of learning material. Later on you may wish to purchase a steel guitar, if so ask in the forum, you will get a lot of good advice from fellow guitar players.
http://www.totallyguitars.com/beginners.html
Tell us a little more about yourself. Which country you are from what you hope to gain here etc, because that's what folks around here will want to know. The forum is a great place to ask questions so don't be shy. There are no dumb questions if you want to improve your playing.
I am Tom from Scotland, welcome.
A big hello right back from Sydney, Australia.
Your friend sounds like a sweetie. A guitar is a wonderful gift.
It's true that classical guitarists don't play with a pick. But some guitarists who use a nylon string guitar do. One cool artist I'm aware of is Zac Brown. I saw him in concert last year, supporting Jason Mraz and he plays a nylon string Taylor with a pick. He sounds fantastic.
One of the reasons people don't tend to use a pick on a nylon string guitar is that they rarely have pick guards on them like steel string guitars do and so you can scratch the wood using a pick. But if you'd like to use a pick on your nylon string guitar and you don't want to scratch the top, you could investigate getting a pickguard for it. It's just a piece of plastic with glue underneath. Once it's on of course, it's a little tricky to get off and the wood under it may end up being a slightly different colour.
Another thing you could try, is a felt pick. Ukuleles have nylon strings. They are generally played with your fingers, but some people use a felt pick or a piece of leather. It's thicker than a normal steel string pick, but it will allow you to start learning how to use a pick without scratching your guitar. It's just something you might like to try.
Bottom line is though, what's the point of having a guitar you don't play, just because people don't tend to use a pick on classicals. It's better to learn how to use a pick and enjoy the learning and playing.
I have a steel string and a nylon string guitar. I really enjoy playing them both. I really love the sound and feel of nylon strings and they are more forgiving and more mellow than steel. I'm more of a finger picker.
BTW - just because a song is normally played by the artist on a steel string, doesn't mean it can't be played on a nylon. It will just sound different.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong about any of this. But I say just start learning how to play what you want to play and don't be too worried that you don't have "the right" guitar.
You could get yourself a steel string too and just enjoy the different aspects of each. You should absolutely learn how to use a pick, but you should definitely try fingerpicking too. It sounds wonderful, feels good while playing and you can do things that you can't do with a pick.
You've come to the right place to learn guitar. Neil is a teacher's teacher, a guitar guru. What he doesn't know about playing guitar...is bound to be pretty obscure. And we are extremely blessed to have Vanessa teaching us too. She's just all sorts of amazing and inspirational as you'll find out soon enough.
You've got a wonderful banquet of experiences in front of you. But be warned, guitars are like chips. It's hard to have just one.
Enjoy. And drop into the forum and let us know how you're going.
Michele
Your friend sounds like a sweetie. A guitar is a wonderful gift.
It's true that classical guitarists don't play with a pick. But some guitarists who use a nylon string guitar do. One cool artist I'm aware of is Zac Brown. I saw him in concert last year, supporting Jason Mraz and he plays a nylon string Taylor with a pick. He sounds fantastic.
One of the reasons people don't tend to use a pick on a nylon string guitar is that they rarely have pick guards on them like steel string guitars do and so you can scratch the wood using a pick. But if you'd like to use a pick on your nylon string guitar and you don't want to scratch the top, you could investigate getting a pickguard for it. It's just a piece of plastic with glue underneath. Once it's on of course, it's a little tricky to get off and the wood under it may end up being a slightly different colour.
Another thing you could try, is a felt pick. Ukuleles have nylon strings. They are generally played with your fingers, but some people use a felt pick or a piece of leather. It's thicker than a normal steel string pick, but it will allow you to start learning how to use a pick without scratching your guitar. It's just something you might like to try.
Bottom line is though, what's the point of having a guitar you don't play, just because people don't tend to use a pick on classicals. It's better to learn how to use a pick and enjoy the learning and playing.
I have a steel string and a nylon string guitar. I really enjoy playing them both. I really love the sound and feel of nylon strings and they are more forgiving and more mellow than steel. I'm more of a finger picker.
BTW - just because a song is normally played by the artist on a steel string, doesn't mean it can't be played on a nylon. It will just sound different.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong about any of this. But I say just start learning how to play what you want to play and don't be too worried that you don't have "the right" guitar.
You could get yourself a steel string too and just enjoy the different aspects of each. You should absolutely learn how to use a pick, but you should definitely try fingerpicking too. It sounds wonderful, feels good while playing and you can do things that you can't do with a pick.
You've come to the right place to learn guitar. Neil is a teacher's teacher, a guitar guru. What he doesn't know about playing guitar...is bound to be pretty obscure. And we are extremely blessed to have Vanessa teaching us too. She's just all sorts of amazing and inspirational as you'll find out soon enough.
You've got a wonderful banquet of experiences in front of you. But be warned, guitars are like chips. It's hard to have just one.
Enjoy. And drop into the forum and let us know how you're going.
Michele
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TGNesh
- Posts: 111
- Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 8:25 am
- Location: The Netherlands
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Hi and welcome to TG!
I understand the 'bummed' feeling, some guitars work very well for some genres and others work well for others. In the end, personally I'd say, a guitar is a guitar. The feel might be a little different (fingerpicking on an electrical feels pretty different than on an acoustic) and the sound might be somewhat different, but it's still a guitar. You can of cóurse use a pick for a classical one.
And since you're starting out, the nylon strings might work better too, since they're a bit 'finger friendly' in the beginning. All in all, I think for now, you'll do just fine with the guitar you have.
I myself play both steel string and nylon string (yes electrical too). It sometimes depends on the song, but I keep going back and forth between the two. And when starting out to play, a classical it was.
May I ask what it is that you would like to play?
And yes, where are you from?
Like Tom points out, never hesitate to ask something in the forums, it'll only add to your guitar journey.
Anyway, welcome again and good luck!
Cheers,
Vanessa from the Netherlands
I understand the 'bummed' feeling, some guitars work very well for some genres and others work well for others. In the end, personally I'd say, a guitar is a guitar. The feel might be a little different (fingerpicking on an electrical feels pretty different than on an acoustic) and the sound might be somewhat different, but it's still a guitar. You can of cóurse use a pick for a classical one.
And since you're starting out, the nylon strings might work better too, since they're a bit 'finger friendly' in the beginning. All in all, I think for now, you'll do just fine with the guitar you have.
I myself play both steel string and nylon string (yes electrical too). It sometimes depends on the song, but I keep going back and forth between the two. And when starting out to play, a classical it was.
May I ask what it is that you would like to play?
And yes, where are you from?
Like Tom points out, never hesitate to ask something in the forums, it'll only add to your guitar journey.
Anyway, welcome again and good luck!
Cheers,
Vanessa from the Netherlands
Hello and welcome to TG. We are very glad to have you with us. You will find many, many helpful people here and some great lessons to get you started.
Congratulations on your new guitar. As others have said, in may ways it will be much easier for you to learn with the new classical guitar. The nylon strings are a little easier on the fingers and the slightly wider neck will help too as you build your speed and accuracy. The most important tip is to HAVE FUN. Be patient with yourself as you learn and be prepared for a lifetime of enjoyment.
Bill
Congratulations on your new guitar. As others have said, in may ways it will be much easier for you to learn with the new classical guitar. The nylon strings are a little easier on the fingers and the slightly wider neck will help too as you build your speed and accuracy. The most important tip is to HAVE FUN. Be patient with yourself as you learn and be prepared for a lifetime of enjoyment.
Bill
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auntlynnie
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 5:31 am
- Status: Offline
Hello and welcome from Washington, DC!
I don't have anything to add to what the others have said already,
except that you will have a lot of fun here and the people here are wonderful!
Lynnie
I don't have anything to add to what the others have said already,
except that you will have a lot of fun here and the people here are wonderful!
Lynnie
Hi Tom,
Thank you for the encouragement. I am looking forward to learning. I will definitely ask for advice, before purchasing a steel string guitar. I was looking at some online last night and I
am already confused. In the first video Neil discusses different sizes of guitars. One he mentioned was called, I believe, a Dreadnought, which was bigger. I don't know the difference between that and a full size. I like the size of my classical. I think it is perfect for me, but I will have to figure out what size that translates to in the steel string. There is a lot to learn, but I am enjoying it. I am from the US btw.
Thank you for the encouragement. I am looking forward to learning. I will definitely ask for advice, before purchasing a steel string guitar. I was looking at some online last night and I
am already confused. In the first video Neil discusses different sizes of guitars. One he mentioned was called, I believe, a Dreadnought, which was bigger. I don't know the difference between that and a full size. I like the size of my classical. I think it is perfect for me, but I will have to figure out what size that translates to in the steel string. There is a lot to learn, but I am enjoying it. I am from the US btw.
Hi. Thank you so much for the advice, especially about the picks. I am going to get some felt ones. I do want to learn finger picking as well. Hopefully, I can hang on to the felt pick. The first thing I did upon receiving the guitar was drop a pick in the hole.LOL. It seemed like it took forever to get it out. The second thing I did, was breaak a string trying to tune it. Of course, I had no clue how to put a string on nor did I have any strings, So I took it to the music store and they put one one for me. It looks very complicated to do, but I will have to learn.The original sstring are tied on, but the music store sold me some with little balls on the end, they seem much easier. I like the Zac Brown Band too. I will stick with the classical for awhile, and whhen the time is right purchasse a steel-string. Thanks again for the advice. It is nice to meet you.
Hi Vanessa,
Wow! I had no clue this site would be as popular or international as it is. That's great! I am from the US. My favorite group is Heart and so my ultimaate goal would be to play the intro and accoustic part of Crazy on You. That is how I learned about Totally Guitars. I stumbled upon a preview of Neil's lesson. I like a variety of music though, so I am eager to learn a lot of things. Eventually I would like to get an electric as well. Nice to meet you.
Wow! I had no clue this site would be as popular or international as it is. That's great! I am from the US. My favorite group is Heart and so my ultimaate goal would be to play the intro and accoustic part of Crazy on You. That is how I learned about Totally Guitars. I stumbled upon a preview of Neil's lesson. I like a variety of music though, so I am eager to learn a lot of things. Eventually I would like to get an electric as well. Nice to meet you.