Re: Real beginner


"John" <none@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:tYCdnb5ptbkewqXRnZ2dnUVZ8iCdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxx
RichL wrote:
"John" <none@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:KfqdnVBlB6R9yqXRnZ2dnUVZ8nCdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxx
Hmm.... the title of this group is alt.guitar.beginner but you all
seem frighteningly advanced to me :-)

I, on the other hand, am a beginner in the truest sense of the word -
52-years old, completely tone deaf, can't hold a tune to save my
life and fingers like sausages. I'd never even held a guitar in my
hands at all, not ever in my life, until ten days ago when I was the
winning bidder on an Ebay auction - the princely sum of 25 quid
(that's GBP sterling for anyone outside the UK) got me an Encore
Strat, 10W practice amp, lead, stand, strap and headphones!! Oh, and
I also got a Marshal MG30DFX for decent money as well.

Had my very first ever guitar lesson on Wednesday and it's going to
be a weekly thing with lots of practice between the lessons - finger
ends are a bit tender :-)

Anyway, what I'm finding most difficult at the moment is coming off a
string cleanly. I can hold the string down, get the note I want, but
then as I release the string it sounds the open note. Is that just
something that I'll learn not to do as I get better or is it down to
the guitar not being a very good one? I don't want to spend a lot of
money at this stage in case I don't take to it and give up.

Cheers,

John

John --

Welcome to the world of the obsessed!

What you describe is mainly a matter of technique which will come in
time. It's pretty much a universal beginner issue, one that for most
people goes away pretty quickly.

One thing I would recommend, however, is that you get your guitar set
up by a professional. These days even the cheapest guitars can be
made to play easily. It will be well worth the cost.

Hi Rich and thanks for your reply my friend. I'm glad that most people
seem to get over the problem quite quickly and I'll certainly take your
advice about getting the guitar set up professionally. Cheers mate,

John


Welcome John!

I agree with Rich. A guitar setup can make a world of difference. You may
want to back up your professional setup by checking it yourself. Go to the
Fender website for your typical strat setup. Tools for your basic setup: 6"
ruler, feeler gauges, etc... are cheap.

http://www.fender.com/support/stratocaster_setup_guide.php

Really good idea to get lessons.


Jim




.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: OT ...time for a change......
    ... Don't be afraid to lighten up a little on string ... (good guitar choice, BTW). ... The setup will involve setting the proper neck profile (should have ... adjustments of the saddle. ...
    (rec.boats)
  • Re: too low of a guitar action?
    ... request that they give the guitar action a setup based on what fender ... didn't buzz when I played it" when I complained to him about fret buzz. ... I do suspect that the 6th string on my Fender Squire Strat is too low, ...
    (alt.guitar.beginner)
  • Re: New guitar action : facts and figures please.
    ... the last guitar I bought (a Seagull MJM6 of which I love the ... guitar regarding action, string height etc. ... legitimate guitar store. ... As for your Seagull - get thee to a good tech and have a setup done. ...
    (rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic)
  • Re: New Les Paul problem
    ... Just picked up my 6 week old Les Paul and noticed the top E is ... raising the bridge will throw the string height and radius out... ... Get a guitar tech to look at it. ... the reason is a particularly good setup by a luthier with a clue. ...
    (uk.music.guitar)
  • Re: too low of a guitar action?
    ... Every guitar needs a setup, ... the luthier watching and listening to you play. ...
    (alt.guitar.beginner)