At 16 I tried playing. Had terrible time with hand movements. Lately, I have been moved by the clarity of the instrument. I am going to take lessons this time. And demand that I learn to play one complete piece of music. Then I will learn the next piece.

seignet posted:

At 16 I tried playing. Had terrible time with hand movements. Lately, I have been moved by the clarity of the instrument. I am going to take lessons this time. And demand that I learn to play one complete piece of music. Then I will learn the next piece.

Vince gill is a master guitar player with a preference for Fender Telecasters. That guitar has a specific sound and he is using it with amp settings to get that full bodied sound. 

You do not learn to play by learning to play individual songs. It takes practice learning to play chords and individual notes before you should attempt songs. You need to know how the notes fit together. Of course if you are in a hurry you can learn 3 chords ( the cowboy chords on the neck) in any scale and play about any song if you can sing along. But that is dumbing down the music. Each song is attached to a scale and each scale has seven associated chords and also colors to the scale ie modes that once known you can use to create moods. Songs in minor keys are sad songs in major keys are bright and happy songs

However, playing demands you think of the instrument as having an infinite sound color palette and a song is just an audio aura/feel you want to paint with the sounds.

Learn the notes in the major scales...regular do, ray, me  or Sa Re Ga Ma Pa....( Ionian scale or  major scale) and play it from beginning to end starting with the chord associated with the scale and returning to it for starters. Then continue playing the scale up to the neck to the octave ( across four positions)

It is easy to do. Someone need to show you c- chord and the scales to it (do ra me fa so la te do) play it and the tonic and dominant chords with it and that alone is enough to make you happy with the guitar.  add the minor to it and those four is all you need to charm the ladies if you can sing. It takes an afternoon to know the movements. Holding the chords and playing them so they sound clear and changing them on the fly  takes practice...a week to two weeks at most  but once you do it you can begin to sing and play along to anything. The guitar is a forgiving instrument. 

Scale...chord...no wonder the thing named Fishman pickup.

Danyael gonna scare Siggy with All that music talk an all the po' man wanna do is play one one song an howl along

cain posted:

Danyael gonna scare Siggy with All that music talk an all the po' man wanna do is play one one song an howl along

Should not scare him. He can always get a good instrument and play a few  chords and howl along.  Excellence means you get familiar with the instrument and that means treating it with respect and following the rules and it releases its secrets. Playing do ray me fa so la te do....is a song in Ionian mode. As the saying goes, if you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything.

If you start with ray me fa so la te do ray...you are in the dorian mode and Santana's play ground.  If you start with fa so la te do ray me fa you are in the phygrian mode and all of flamenco is at your fingertips. All you gotta do is play and get to feel the music. You cannot just hit the notes or strum a pattern or know three chords and howl at the moon and be content. That is like getting a bite at the cake when you need your own slice. 

Leslie is right, once I walk into the music academy(like a lil school), they are going to insist on me doing the basics first.

I like instant results. Forever. That might be bad thing.

Once, I was going to buy the programmable piano. The one where the keys get depressed automatically. I intended to study the keys and repeat without the program. That was my retirement gift to myself and living in Guyana. Supposedly in leisure.

That never happened.

I gonna take the lessons. Back in the fifties and sixties I did pen some lyrics. That was the reason for trying to play the guitar back then. Back in those, imitation of Elvis, Jim Reeves, Russ Hamilton. Slim Whitman and and those old singer. Duane Eddy was an inspiring guitar player.

Locally, in Guyana, mandolin was a much favored string instrument in those days.

I am going to play again. Step by step. I am going to do it.

Leslie is right. I doan think I am going to sing though. Only on long car trips with my grand children I do. Soon as we all settled in on the trip, they punch in the modern version of Cecilia, knowing that I am going get enticed and starts singing. Then they chime in. We all swaying to Cecilia on the 401.   

I'm finally able to listen to the Pickup, that is nice sounding almost as clear as through a mic. Cost a few dollars man oh man.

cain posted:

I'm finally able to listen to the Pickup, that is nice sounding almost as clear as through a mic. Cost a few dollars man oh man.

It comes with a mike you can switch between the two.