How to get started on guitar?

[Southpaws]

Hi everyone,

in a few months A levels will be over and I was thinking of picking up guitar. I have a ton of rookie questions on how to get started, hope you can help me!

1. Getting a guitar
Well I suppose the first thing I need to do is actually get a guitar. Is it advisable to buy a guitar right off the bat even if I have absolutely no idea how to play one? Or do most people like learn by borrowing guitars from others for a while before actually buying one? I have fumbled around with my friend's guitar a few times in school but that's about it.

If it's perfectly normal to get a guitar without having any idea how to play one, then the next question is what guitar to get. Is it better for beginners to start with a classical/ acoustic guitar, or can beginners also start with electric?

Price-wise, what can I expect for an entry level guitar? (Either classical/ acoustic or electric.) Include price of necessary accessories like amps/ cables/ bags where applicable. I know that some places sell starter packs which have everything you need in them. Also, where would be a good place to get my first guitar?

2. Lefthandedness
I am a lefthander, and I know that most people say just to learn to play right-handed, but I want to get a left-handed guitar if possible. (Tried playing with my friend's guitar both left and right handed, and I'm not sure if I'm imagining it but I actually find playing left handed more comfortable, intuitive, and I could play a bit better.) Is it really that hard to get a lefthanded guitar, in the Singapore context? Should I expect to have to pay more, and if so how much more?

3. Learning how to play
Most of my friends tell me I don't actually need to get lessons and I can learn off the net. Is this a feasible option, or do I really want paid lessons?

 

[faekildare]

Answers:

Point 1: Yes, it's better to get your own guitar. This will actually ensure you bond with your instrument and makes you want to play more.

Point 2: Get a right handed guitar. It will feel weird at the start but it's a matter of getting used to. Once you get used to it, you will probably be able to progress faster. Most of the left handed guitar players I know actually turn out really good players.

Point 3: It's advisable to get a teacher mainly because the teacher can help u advance further, go with your pace and make sure you don't pick up bad habits along the way. It's best not to screw up, especially during the fundamental stage. That aside, do know that playing the guitar isn't just knowing how to play the guitar. There are other things such as music theory and stuff. So, end of story, get a teacher.

 

[Southpaws]

Hi faekildare,

Actually I am pretty intent on playing left-handed, is there any reason in particular you say I will progress faster? I have attempted to learn some 2-handed skills in a right-handed configuration before but the awkwardness never disappeared! (Am a bit doubtful that handedness is 100% a matter of habit only.) Unless it is next to impossible to get a left-handed guitar in Singapore (or significantly more expensive), although I hear you can simply have the shop string it backwards for you?

Point 3 makes sense although I really don't wanna pay for lessons I might consider now haha.

As for point 1, any tips price-wise of what I can expect to pay, and where to pay it? And if getting a lefty will be a big problem/ more costly?

Also, do tell me more about what music theory is? The last time I learnt music was in primary school and it was a load of rubbish! (Remember the days when they had these things called recorders that all of us had to play? The white yamaha ones I think) So yeah I know absolutely nothing about music!

 

[faekildare]

Well... Actually there was a theory that.. the guitar was originally intended as a Left handed instruments. It's just that people got so used to it and well.. it became the norm. I don't have any particular reason on why being left handed will allow you to progress faster but I presume that since your master hand is the one fretting, so naturally, it's a lot easier for your to use your master hand to change chords and also, naturally your left hand is a lot more dexterous compared to your right hand? I might be wrong, but that is the impression i get from my left handed guitar player friends.

Stringing it backwards isn't a good idea as your volume and tone knob will be the other way round (If it's an electric guitar). Also, do take note that if you do develop GAS (want to buy more gear), you will actually have a hard time finding left handed guitars to suit your specs.

Lefty are more expensive I think. I haven't check price of lefties before. Depends on what exactly you want. Low end, mid range? If you just want something to start off, SX starter package is pretty good. If you want a mid range, look at ESP LTD Low-mid range guitars, M100, MH100, F100 and etc. Those are good for it's price and very mod-able in the future.

Actually, your impression of what you learned in primary school was rubbish mainly you didn't have the interest to learned it then. The recorder is actually tuned in the Major scale and it's a great instrument to start off music with (But I can't play it). Music however is a lot more than Do Re Mi. It's about how chords are constructed, how to play what note and what time and a lot of others that can blow your mind off if you ever develop the interest. I won't recommend you learning guitar without going through the process of learning these. But if your intention is just to do strum along and rely on the internet to get your chords, then i guess you can do without a teacher.

 

[Southpaws]

Haha I had the opposite idea, that since your fretting hand only determines the note to be played, but your strumming hand determines *when* it is played, the strumming hand has the foreground attention. (i.e. the fretting hand does the preparatory work before the note is played but the strumming hand performs the final action and keeps the rhythm.) But with 2-handed skills I guess it is difficult to argue. Perhaps a good analogy is... Off the bat, without having used a rifle before, which hand would you use as the trigger hand and which to support the rifle?

Is it a big problem if the knobs are on the wrong side of the guitar? Is this because it will get in the way when you are playing? What's GAS? (Gear addiction syndrome? Just a wild 'gas'. =D)

I am definitely looking for only entry-level stuff, because I am only a beginner and I haven't got a clue how to play a guitar! Anyway I get the impression that the quality of the guitar isn't really so important as the skill it is played with, even with a low-end guitar if you can play it well I think it will sound pretty good! At my level I certainly can't even distinguish between what a good and lousy guitar should sound like anyway so it is not a big problem. As for acoustic/ classical/ electric, I get the impression that accoustic and classical are more similar and also more versatile, in that you can generally play a wider range of music with it... Whereas electric is used a bit more sparingly I guess? So I'm pretty much leaning towards acoustic and classical... Besides that it's also cheaper and more portable, right. Electrics may have more interesting sounds but I think can be inappropriate for quite a lot of songs. Actually I don't even know the difference between accoustic and classical, to me an accoustic is just a classical with metal strings.

You are right that I don't really have any serious interest going on, I don't have any ambitions to play publicly or in a band, I just want to play to myself for a hobby... But at the same time I am somewhat curious about the simple things like what chords are and how they are constructed and what the more general technical terms mean... In fact I was given the impression by a video I watched that there are multiple ways to play the same chord, is that true? I found it quite surprising, maybe I misunderstood. And yeah it would be nice to know the names of the notes and what octaves and so on are... And what a major or minor scale is... I do expect that these are things that need to be learnt.

By the way when I say what I learnt in pri sch was rubbish I didn't mean do rei mi haha. One of the more ridiculous lessons involved the teacher playing a recording and asking us to tell her what it was about! It turned out to be something about animals at the zoo haha, I had absolutely no idea... I have little interest regarding musical interpretation on things like this, it's a bit like literature. Of course you are also right that there were more tangible things like how to read notes that I didn't care much for at the time...

 

[faekildare]

You are right in 2 hand coordination but in the end of the day, there are many ways you can play the guitar. But I guess from the way that you prefer to go, then I guess you can just buy a left handed accoustic guitar. In the end, it's what feel comfortable to you.

Cheap and slightly pricier range guitars does make a lot of difference. Think of it this way, if the sound isn't appealing, if it's harder to play on the guitar, will you want to practice with it? The answer is probably no. You will lose interest faster than you can imagine.

If you are interested in knowing the music theory and stuff, it's better to get a teacher. If you just want to play the guitar (I call it playing the guitar as if playing guitar hero) just know what to press to get what but not actually knowing what is happening within the chordal structure and stuff, then you can just learn from youtube. Yes, the same chord can be pressed all over the neck.

 

[Southpaws]

Ok, but I guess the most important question is which stores to look in? I don't mind buying second hand, are there any shops that trade in second hand guitars? And for acoustic and classical, no disadvantage in just stringing in reverse right, if I can't find a "true lh guitar"? Price wise I think I am the type who can hold out as long as I can play things right... Now if it makes things more difficult to play right then I might wanna pay a bit more, but generally a simple beginners instrument is the way for me to go...

So what are some good stores that may carrying left hand guitars/ have a second hand trade, and with good prices?

 

[carboxymoron]

For the sake of getting a cheap beginner right-handed guitar, you might get by with stringing it backwards, but there are some finer points that you will notice later on. For one, the nut (the bone/plastic/etc piece or "zero" fret) has slots for each string, and the thickest string will not fit properly (or at all) in the thinnest slot, causing intonation problems, buzzing, string slipping out of place etc. Same thing for some bridges and other hardware.

But just for learning basic stuff, I think you could live with that until you decide if you want to invest more time and money in it.

You'll never get a very good price out of second hand items from shops. Maybe put an ad up in the classifieds, and ask a knowledgeable friend to accompany you to check/test guitars.

You can pick up guitar and music theory completely on your own, like any subject some people will be more naturally inclined/talented. I would say learn some chords/scales and simple strumming off the net first before you decide whether you want lessons.

Also, as to which type of guitar to start with (and this is purely my opinion), go with an acoustic guitar. Classical guitars have significantly wider necks (making it hard to stretch your fingers), while electric guitars introduce more variables (and money required) in amps and effects, if you want to progress further. Acoustic guitar is what you can pick up anywhere anytime and enjoy.

 

[Southpaws]

Oh, I thought when they string it backwards they will have to install the nut in reverse too... Or buy a left handed nut and put it in... I would be quite dissatisfied if there was a lot of buzzing just because of that! Friend told me about a $99 deal, including guitar, bag and instructional book, at some place called paradise @ plaza sing? If anyone has bought that guitar, is it a decent guitar?

You are right not gonna start electric, might still consider classical though, just because the nylon strings are easier on fingers than the metal ones on acoustic? I have pretty long fingers... Anyway I will take whichever I can get for a good deal and left-handed!

 

[carboxymoron]

I'm not sure about the cost if they're gonna remove and reinstall stuff backwards, but I guess that's an option.

I think your friend is probably talking about Paradiz Centre (next to Peace Centre), which is walking distance from Dhoby Ghaut / Cathay. There are a few music shops in that area.

 

[Southpaws]

Ah that is probably the one... I asked for the name of the shop and he gave me the name of the shopping CENTRE... Genius...

 

[fgl]

conentrate on your studies first

get it during the school holidays and start learning from a simple chord book - its a numbers game - the longer hours you practise, especially initially, the beter you will become> i learned in less than 2 weeks

Get an accoustic guitar to the max of your budget, get help from a friend who knows a little bit about guitars, features & prices to help you buy it ...

enjoy