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Questions for Guitarists


lightandshade

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Guitar wizards of LZ.com,

After a couple of false starts, I am determined to get serious about learning guitar. I do read music and play some other instruments, but learning guitar is a whole new challenge for me - one that I am very excited for.

Obviously, one of my biggest inspirations for starting is my favorite band. :) I've been doing some online research on learning Zeppelin songs, but figured that this would be one of the best places to inquire - could you recommend any helpful tutorials/resources/places to start? I'm still in the very basic stages (learning chords and developing muscle memory on acoustic), but I would love to have something to work towards.

Also: what was the first Zeppelin song/solo/riff you learned, and which is your favorite to play?

Any advice/response would be much appreciated. Thank you, cheers. :)

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When people tell me that they are gonna start playing the guitar I always tell them not to :D

It takes so much of your time, all of your dedication will be put towards the guitar.

When I started learning to play guitar I started with ACDC songs, they are very simple and the chord progression is wonderfull for a new guitarist.

Now I'd advise you one thing: don't get a teacher, that'll fuck up your own capabilty of improvising notes on the correct scale.

I never had a teacher and I couldn't be happier with the way I play. If you play by yourself, learn everything by your own at your own rythm,

the way you play will be yours and nobody elses. Then it's easier for you to say "oh i really dig that thing Jimmy's doing" and you play what he does

but it's not the same thing, because it's your fingers doing it in the way you practiced alone.

My buddies have been having guitar lessons for about 10 years and they can't get past those boring blues scales that you go back and forth with.

Guitar lessons are the same thing over again and it won't provide you with what you really wanna learn. But I guess you could buy a book on simple chords like E, A G C etc... those are everywhere and they cost a couple of bucks. The problem with alot of the guitarists is that they do the same thing twice, try to mix it up and say NO to metal !!! hahahah

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mag speaks the truth

guitar lessons benefit$ the guitar teachers- they will try to put your playing and style in a box (read:cripple you)

play your heart and soul and record yourself and listen to it. Playing along with songs you enjoy and your personality will shine through and sharing that will bring you and others much joy. Post up some links to your playing if you get a moment. And... what other instruments do you play?

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Good morning lightandshade!

Guitar lessons...took lessons close to 40 years ago, holy crap, 40 friken years, anywho, how many times do you suppose a 10yo wants to play Mary Had A Little Lamb? And I needed to be taught a little differently (think Tony Iommi or Django Reinhardt's disadvantage) to which finding someone to accommodate me was not going to happen. Discouraged I quit.

For several reasons I took up guitar again just a couple of years ago. I have found many fantastic sources of learning, YouTube and forums such as this at the top of the list.

I will take this opportunity to once again thank Dallas Knebs for his expertise and help. He has great knowledge and recommendations.

First LZ riff I learned was Heartbreaker, easy and fun to play. My next attempt was Bring It On Home. Much harder for a beginner, "hammer-ons" and "full step bends" on the second fret! Not really sure it could be done on an acoustic, would take a lot of strength. But what satisfaction when accomplished! The one I enjoy the most is The Rain Song. Tuning is DGCGCD.

Two guys that have great sites, lots of lessons and good teaching skills are Marty Schwartz and Bobby Crispy. Everyone has their own learning style and I found these two teach to mine very well.

May I add a warning? It is somewhat common to get GAS!!! Gear Acquisition Syndrome! Many with the love of various instruments fall victim to this. I am a recovering GASaholic. One day at a time. I see an amp, a guitar or a new effects pedal and I want it, bad.

So, practising on an acoustic is a great way to start, it will make an electric seem quite easy in comparison. Lessons, not all bad! If you go that route it is important to find one that can/will teach to your learning style and ability, does not have their own personal agenda and goes off on useless tangents, teach what you want to learn (helps to keep things interesting for you) and isn't in a band that tours a lot. These are things that my nephew, my daughter and I have all had to deal with.

Best of luck with it, you are going to love it!

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As magerouge said, it would be helpful to have a chord book, but you can find any chord you would ever need to know online. YouTube is a great resource for song lessons. When I started playing guitar, I used YouTube a lot because I liked having a person showing me how to play the song. Look up Marty Schwartz on YouTube, his lessons are great. Tablature is the main way I learn to play songs now. The website I use the most for TAB is Songsterr.com, although Ultimate Guitar is a great site as well.

The first Zeppelin "riff" I learned was the intro of Stairway to Heaven, and it's still my favorite song to play.

I hope you have a great time learning play guitar; it's a very worthwhile and rewarding hobby. Just ask Jimmy Page!

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This guy gives great online guitar lessons and they are all 100 percent free.

http://www.justinguitar.com/

Justins youtube: http://www.youtube.com/feed/UCBNkm8o5LiEVLxO8w0p2sfQ

My playing improved 100 fold with Justin's help. I am about as big a no talent hack you will find too.

Another person who has a bunch of great online guitar lessons on his youtube channel:

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When I started years ago I learned the basics on my own but could not progress very far beyond that, so I got a teacher. My instructor I went to taught me the scales, alternate tunings and chord structures, and mistakes to avoid (noodling around without definite purpose). I went for six months and then he said, go away, I have taught all you need to learn from a teacher the rest is up to you. He was right, a teacher is a guide, not the end all be all. Of course if you want to learn classical guitar, well, you really need a teacher for that!!!

My first Zeppelin riff was Heartbreaker, first Zep song was Tangerine. Now I can play WS / BMS flawlessly...NOT!!! Still working on that one and have a long way to go.

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one other thought- if you haven't found out on your own... verify the tabs you look at for accuracy. It's awful to "learn" a riff only to find out later that ooops that wasn't the way Page did it. HTWWW is your friend.

Recommended songs to go after like a dog on a bone:

1. The Rover/Sick Again

2. Bring it On Home

3. Out on the Tiles

4. Tangerine

5. Since I've Been Loving You

More than just notes, each of these has foundational building blocks- theory, creativity, how to not over play and you will get a huge sense of accomplishment. Don't be afraid of the plateaus in learning. They serve a purpose too. Stay on it.

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Thanks so much for the recommendations, everyone! :wave: You've given me a lot of great ideas/good places to start. Even more motivated, now. :)

Dallas Knebs: I play piano and various woodwind instruments. This is my first time really practicing on a legit string instrument, so the muscle memory and hand positions are taking some getting used to. For that reason alone, all the video tutorials suggested will be very helpful. Right now, videos of me playing would consist of the same monotonous chord repetition. :lol: But once I feel more comfortable/confident with my playing, I would love to post videos here for everyone's feedback/suggestions.

I love what you said about playing your heart and soul. Even though I've had very regimented classical training on other instruments, I've always been of the opinion that feel trumps technique. Classical guitar might be something that I'd pursue in the future, but right now I'm more interested in trial and error/improvisation (after developing the proper foundations, of course). I've heard from multiple people on here about your valuable guidance/expertise, so thank you for sharing some of that with me. I'm sure as I keep playing, I'll have more questions for you!

Interesting to see everyone's feedback re: lessons. Don't think it's something I'm interested in pursuing quite yet - but again, maybe in the future. After my playing develops more, I would love to practice/perform with other people as another source of motivation. I think I would enjoy doing that with a group and/or teacher.

When people tell me that they are gonna start playing the guitar I always tell them not to :D

It takes so much of your time, all of your dedication will be put towards the guitar.

May I add a warning? It is somewhat common to get GAS!!! Gear Acquisition Syndrome! Many with the love of various instruments fall victim to this. I am a recovering GASaholic. One day at a time. I see an amp, a guitar or a new effects pedal and I want it, bad.

Oh, I have every expectation that this is going to take over my life - music always does. But, what a great way to spend my time/energy/*cough* money. :bagoverhead: I appreciate the warnings. :lol:

Now I can play WS / BMS flawlessly...NOT!!! Still working on that one and have a long way to go.

Playing WS/BMS is my ultimate guitarist dream - hopefully, someday! I would love to hear your version if/when you decide to record it. Good luck, keep at it!

I hope you have a great time learning play guitar; it's a very worthwhile and rewarding hobby. Just ask Jimmy Page!

Meh, it never really looks like he enjoys it all that much. ;)

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Very Good Thread this and Very nice advises, I've been playing for over a year now ... And of course Zeppelin is my main inspiration, it's been a lot of fun to start, and it still is amazing fun to learn new songs and stuff, a couple of my friends also started playing, but they didn't get on with it, because they didn't have a strong inspiration ... So, a humble advice from another beginner is to have a Strong inspiration, and put it like an idol to you, always listen to songs, of all genres, and expand your horizon, one guitar is enough, you don't need to have a crap load of les pauls to be good. i never took any lessons BTW, i mainly started with Justin Sandercoe on Utube .. and i taught myself a lot of stuff, it's really so damn easy ... it'll take a couple of weeks for your fingers to become nimble and to get used to the instrument, it'll hurt and you'll be irritated for most of the time, But believe me, It's So Fucking Worth it..

And i don't recommend "Studying" the guitar, it's not physics, it's Music ... listen and train your ears to judge the good and the bad, music theory can be boring and overwhelming, so while learning how to build chords and stuff, make sure to also learn fun song to keep you entertained. one last thing ... all great icons, Page, Clapton, Hendrix, Gilmour, Blackmore .. All of them, learned to play songs by ear, and i figured that's the way to go, and i think you should too, Plus, most Tabs are utter Crap, i learned some songs from songsterr.com, and they had no resemblance or whatsoever to the main thing ... so i now learn songs by ear, by watching live performances of them and watching the hands of he guitarist and try to demystify the magic ... i don't mean to be an ass with all these advises, i'm still a relative beginner, but picking the guitar was the best decision in my whole life and i'm sure it'll be yours too .. Have Fun, Practice a LOT, Love the Instrument, and Good Luck Mate. :)

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MZ gave you some great advice

in particular use an acoustic if you have access to one- what you hear is what you get. In the early '80s I saw BB King and was there prior to the show while he was tuning up. Even with his ease with the instrument he started by checking to see if it was in tune, then playing the major and minor scales forward and back a few times. Then he practices technique- slides, trills, bends and double stops.

Then he went over chord changes- even though he didn't play a single chord that night more than a A7.

I thought his approach made sense and most of the time I do something similar. Saw SRV multiple times and even though he had an entourage of stage help he always had a warm up routine.

Even if it is on a phone, record yourself and listen back. As you progress, this will give you immediate feedback and when the work pays off you will smile and feel your confidence surge like that guitar belongs in your hands.

May I add a warning? It is somewhat common to get GAS!!! Gear Acquisition Syndrome! Many with the love of various instruments fall victim to this. I am a recovering GASaholic. One day at a time. I see an amp, a guitar or a new effects pedal and I want it, bad.

So, practising on an acoustic is a great way to start, it will make an electric seem quite easy in comparison.

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I'm actually playing on an acoustic right now, and I agree - as a beginner, it's been great for immediate feedback. A basic, tried and true warm-up routine does wonders for my confidence (no matter which instrument I'm playing) - and I'm happy to know that B.B. and Stevie feel/felt the same way. :)

If you don't mind me asking, Dallas Knebs (and others) - who have been some of your inspirations, as far as playing is concerned (besides JP)?

I saw Buddy Guy in concert a few years ago. Even though I wasn't well-versed at all in guitar technique back then, I can distinctly remember the freedom and abandon with which he played. He roamed up and down aisles, feeding off the crowd's energy and conversing with the audience through his guitar. A very cool impression to leave a concert-goer with, and one I'll remember for a long time.

Kashmir is great if you're starting. I love to play Rain Song, but I'm still far from mastering it. :D

Two of my favorite Zeppelin songs, and they didn't even register on my radar to be able to try as a beginner! Thanks, Kayley. :wave:

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If you don't mind me asking, Dallas Knebs (and others) - who have been some of your inspirations, as far as playing is concerned (besides JP)?

Two of my favorite Zeppelin songs, and they didn't even register on my radar to be able to try as a beginner! Thanks, Kayley. :wave:

Keep in mind those two use alternate tunings, an excuse I use often to justify owning many guitars! :elvis2:

As for inspirations...Jimmy Page is obvious hopefully, David Gilmour, Joe Bonamassa, Nancy Wilson to name a few. And two players together, Tony Iommi and Django Reinhardt, partly for their music but mainly because of horrible hand injuries they both suffered yet they play so well.

Really giving it some thought I must say there are so many on my list.

How about you too?

Oh, just noticed you said "besides JP", oh well, too late to turn back now!

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^ Beautiful - thanks for sharing, Rooster Cogburn! I'm sure the experienced guitarists here can give more constructive feedback, but as a listener I really enjoyed it. Gives me another example of something to work towards! How long have you been playing?

Keep in mind those two use alternate tunings, an excuse I use often to justify owning many guitars! :elvis2:

As for inspirations...Jimmy Page is obvious hopefully, David Gilmour, Joe Bonamassa, Nancy Wilson to name a few. And two players together, Tony Iommi and Django Reinhardt, partly for their music but mainly because of horrible hand injuries they both suffered yet they play so well.

Really giving it some thought I must say there are so many on my list.

How about you too?

Oh, just noticed you said "besides JP", oh well, too late to turn back now!

Thanks for sharing, Mini_Zoso! And no worries - I'm guessing that JP's on the forefront of many guitarists' minds here (including mine). ^_^

I ask because until I got into Zeppelin, I never really payed particular attention to solo guitar/guitar parts in general. I've always enjoyed listening to guitar, but as a music student in the past I was focused more on studying other things. I would say that my main inspirations for wanting to seriously start guitar now are Jimmy, the Buddy Guy concert I mentioned... and honestly, "It Might Get Loud". Really loved the introspective nature of IMGL, and I was jealous of all the fun everyone seemed to be having!

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I'm somewhat a beginner, I'm just started to get over the, "plateau." I havn't been playing all that long, but this is the first time recording myself. I can't tell if its bad or not. It's too weird hearing something i played. Any thoughts?

https://soundcloud.c...n/the-rain-song

Nice Rooster! If you are indeed fairly new at this, I say well done.

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^ Thanks again, Dallas Knebs! Having lots of fun already with those. I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record... but really, thank you for all your contributions to this thread. The advice is much appreciated!

If you're playing acoustic, I'd recommend Over the Hills, which sounds great and is an awesome way to work on pull-offs! Tangerine too, simple first position chords and very memorable. Have fun!

My top two favorite Zeppelin songs, so I'm liking those recommendations! In fact, I was already leaning towards Tangerine for my first song challenge - think I'm going to go with it. Cheers, mstork! :wave:

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