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Playing guitar for the first time?

Hello everyone,

yesterday I bought my very first guitar. I was trying to play some notes, but i really can’t figure out how to like “play the strings” (if that’s how you say it).

Basically I was trying to play the D one: I put my fingers in place, but I can’t understand which strings I have to play? Can you help me out? I’m gonna start attending a guitar course in September, but I’dlike to start off by myself. Thank you.

5 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    2 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    You need to get lessons with a professional guitar teacher. About 90% of people who try to teach themselves fail in the attempt. Get off to a good start with a teacher. Good luck!

    Source(s): Playing guitar for 57 years
  • 2 years ago

    There are lots of free resources online. Most are teasers to get you to sign up for a paid lesson plan, but there's still some good information. Your guitar teacher in the class may have to correct a few bad habits, but that's the reason you take classes. In the meantime, it's probably a good idea to get comfortable with your guitar.

    You didn't say whether it was electric or acoustic. Fire up YouTube and search for "beginner guitar lesson" and probably also "how to tune a guitar". Add "electric" or "acoustic" to your search to find videos appropriate to the guitar you'll be learning on.

    If it's electric, you'll also need to know a little bit about the controls both on the guitar and on the amp. Experimenting can be fun and mostly harmless, but one thing to be very careful about: DON'T PLUG OR UNPLUG THE GUITAR WHEN THE AMP IS ON. It's usually good enough to turn the master volume all the way off, or press a mute button for the channel if you have one. If you do plug or unplug while the amp is on, you'll hear a loud annoying pop that can be more than annoying to your speakers and amp circuits.

    Everything else is safe, except maybe your ears if you turn the volume up too much.

    If your guitar is like most people's first guitars--an inexpensive "starter" guitar--you'll have some challenges that you might not have with a more expensive instrument. Don't panic. Deal with what you've got for a while (especially if the guitar is new) and save your money up for a professional "set up". Where I live, that's around US$70-100 and might be well worth it.

    A guitar (acoustic or electric) should be properly set up when you buy it, but it's made from wood and that will change shape slightly with changing moisture content and tension of tuned up strings. This can change the "action" (distance between the strings and frets on the fingerboard) and make clean notes harder to play, or make notes slightly out of tune as you play "up the neck". Talk to your guitar teacher about if and when to do this. The payoff is an instrument that's easier to play, and that makes practicing more fun.

  • 2 years ago

    You are lost. Call a QUALIFIED guitar teacher - not the stoner at the local strip mall music store. Get some lessons.

  • Anonymous
    2 years ago

    Excellent! U can make music

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  • 2 years ago

    Look at the chord pattern on google or probably Youtube. Keep practicing it. Try learning some easy songs. You'll be able to remember the chords and also transition easily. Go foward from that.

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