I just got an strat a month ago and have been teaching myself to play since. I have no doubt that I will be able to do so, cuz I taught myself piano fairly well, but of course guitar is different and I can't help but to fear my process is being hindered by my own fingers. When I try to play anything, one finger on one string always seems to lay on and block the string behind it. For example: if my middle finger is on fret 5 on the D-string, the G-string (if played open or on any fret before 5, of course) will be muffled. Music is what I LIVE for. What do I do? And any other tips to help a beginer would be very much appreciated also (hand exercises, speed exercises). Thanx.

I have been playing the guitar for thirty years now - self-taught from the age of (muffled noise) .

If it is any consolation, I have been learning to play the piano for almost three years, and my fingers do the most stupid things despite the fact I can compose and play the most intricate of pieces on my six string in front of audiences every year.

Playing any musical instrument requires patience, hard work and the motivation to play something which, if nothing (or no-one) else, will wow yourself. I'm sure you've got the motivation because you know the pleasure playing music well can bring.

Be prepared for sore fingers (any book entitled 'Play The Guitar In A Day' is dishonest) and lots of duff notes. But slowly but surely, if the will is there, and you want to play the guitar, it will begin to ring true.

Try to do it the 'right' way, rather than take short cuts, and realise (you'll know this from the piano) that learning to play an instrument is learning to feel how to play the notes. That requires some dexterity, nimbleness, repetition, practice, blah, blah ... But in time, you develop the musical intuition so that your brain thinks and your fingers do - or even that you feel that your fingers are doing the thinking. It's akin to the learner driver who kangaroos the clutch for the first few weeks, but develops delicate footwork over time, and a sixth sense within weeks or month - capable of sensing the point when their rear bumper / fender will touch an object when they reverse.. It's as if it is their own body that is at the back of the car!

One mistake I made was to forget the effort I put into learning the guitar when I came to learn the piano. But, console yourself with the knowledge that, whatever your level of musical knowledge theory, you already have a head start because you've cracked it once.

Personally, I think you're at an advantage learning the piano first and guitar second - even though it might appear a bit finger-intensive at present to hear the sounds. (But I might just be rationalising my own musical struggles!)

One of the advantages of the guitar over the piano is the learning of chord shapes. On the piano, an A7 looks a slightly different shape to Bb7. You've got black AND white notes on a piano, and some are raised and some aren't.

Whereas, there's more democracy on a guitar fretboard.

Moreover, it's different from the left hand to the right hand on piano - different finger configuration. With the guitar, you can form a chord with one hand, and as you learn to strengthen up your index finger over time to form a 'bar' (which effectively takes the place of the bridge at the head of the guitar), you simply move the chord shapes up fret by fret to create the same basic chord one semi-tone higher and higher (and down for lower). One shape -loads of chords.

And when your fingers fall in place without looking, and strings vibrate without another finger getting in the way - and you can vary the tone from twang to mellow without so much as a gizmo, you'll wonder what the fuss was about.

Very good luck.
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[This message was edited Thu Jan 29 14:14:02 PST 2004 by langebleu]

Remember self taught isn't for everyone, and u should try getting one on one help if u can.

There will be a day, if u keep practicing and and do everything with 100% work. U will wake up from your bed and say, Wow everything makes sense now.

I'm still a young player but music years are a lot.

You may start off learning slowly up to the point where everytime u pick up the guitar u will discover something new.

The muffle thing happens when u start, and its because your holding the instrument wrong.
if ur a righty player, ur left hand is usually at a 90 degree angel so all ur fingers can hit each note. if its uncomfortable, then its probably the right way, at least when u first start.
After a while this info won't make much difference, its about the feel.

A great book is Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry.

And Carol Kaye has some wonderful material that will help you apply and understand theory quickly and still retain your creativity so you make music right away.

The major scale is:

C Dm Em F G7 Am Bo7 C
i ii 111 iv v iv 117 i
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

Let's say you are jamming with a friend in the key of C and he or she says "Let do a blues".

Blues progressions are (usually) 1, 4, 5 progresions so you'll be playing C, F and G7

The materials above from Ted Greene and Carol Kaye explain it a million times better than I can but I'm showing you can understand music and "get" it quickly.

For years it was hard for me to understand jazz and that "sound" but I had to start thinking of playing chordally through the changes instead of just playing note scales.

All songs are based on the chords that line up in the major scale.

1-4-5 Blues, Twist And Shout
1-6-4-5 Stand By Me, Every Breath You Take" etc."
2-5-1 "jazz turnarounds"

Line the numbers up with the chords above.

Use your own understanding and just have fun.

There is no time limit and you never stop learning. That's the beauty of music.

Cran

There's some info on funk guitar on the site in my signature. As for muffled strings etc: don't worry about it yet. Have fun with the instrument, play around with it, experiment. (I remember hanging paperclips and pieces of paper from my strings, putting rubber bands around the neck, putting stuff inside the soundhole etc when I was just starting out) Just play, practice your chords and don't worry about how it sounds for the first year. But please, please, DO practice witrh a metronome!

SirPsycho said:

Good stuff man, keep trying. You'll get there in the end mate keep practising. I too learned piano before I learned Guitar & you may find that the piano benefits your guitar playing after a while. It helps to be able to see all the notes layed out in front of you before you try to fret them on the guitar.

My dad always taught me to make my fingers look like a bridge over the strings Im not playing. I hope that helps mate

SirPsycho said:

I have a degree in classical guitar and I always found that keeping your fingers really curved helps even on electric. Stay up on the fingertips! THis makes it a little easier because you don't have the fleshy part of your finger getting in the way. It takes some discipline to keep with this but if you can do it, I guarantee it'll take care of the problems you're having and make playing that much easier! Good luck!

zone out. play the guitar while you watch tv. unamplified. just let your fingers wander all over the fretboard, imagining that you're tearing it up.

wax on. wax off.