First off, I really have no real musical experience. I had 5 years of piano lessons in grade school, but they were all from teachers that just taught songs, no theory whatsoever. After that I took a year of clarinet, bass guitar and guitar, again, no theory, no 'let's start with chords', no 'let's learn about keys', no 'practice your scales' etc. In college I taught myself the guitar for a year or so with the a book called "teach yourself the blues" and that was my introduction to theory. It's the only time I ever learned anything about keys (which I still don't totally understand), scales, chords etc, but it was all self taught, but I learned more teaching myself then I learned with all my other teachers, barring piano because I (more or less) learned how to read music from her. I was so proud of myself after working with that book when I could pick a random key (well, fret) and play the 12 bar blues based around that note.
Anyways, I struggled with guitar during that year (in college), even after a year, even after I could play a little, it still never clicked.
I keep thinking I should pick it back up, I'd love to be able to pick something up and be able to play. I don't particularly care what it is, I'm not looking to perform in front of people, I'm not looking to join a band, I'd just like to be able to play something. I'm also not looking to get real lessons, but I'm more than happy to do something online like JustinGuitar or Nars Ginley etc.
Anyways, a friend of mine (that's musically talented) also struggled with guitar since college as well (turned out she just couldn't open her hand wind enough to hit certain chords) suggested a tenor uke. I took a look at it and, physically, it looks easier. The strings are spread out further than on a guitar and it's tuned the same as the four high stings on a guitar...now that I'm looking, I think I'm thinking of a baritone Uke (DGBE). Which also means, in my educated guess, that what you learn on it would transfer to a guitar.
So, for those of you that have one, or played one, how was it to learn on it? How do you think someone with no real musical background would do with it?
Seems like I could pick one up on Amazon for less than a hundred dollars, so it's not a total loss if I hate it.
Any thoughts? I understand (really, I do) that any musical instrument takes loads of practice, but is tenor (baritone?) uke easier than guitar?
I'm learning to play and I'm in doubt...
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Re: I'm learning to play and I'm in doubt...
I am going to step on some toes here. Sorry, kids.
Any musical instrument can be fun. I've played guitar for years and play around with ukelele's when one is around.
My advice is to pick the guitar back up. These days, there are tonnes of YouTube videos you can get for free and work through probably any song you might like. There are theory videos as well. Finally, there are subscription services. When I am learning new stuff, I like this better than tab because you get the feel and timing better.
I am betting you are a little more mature/focused now than as a child and in college and you will find it is not so tough.
All of that assumes you have a guitar, from your post, you may not. Still, there are plenty of used ones that will get you by until you've made up your mind to commit. Even some lesser expensive guitars are easy to play and fret these days.
Good Luck, and may the Force be with you... Always.
Any musical instrument can be fun. I've played guitar for years and play around with ukelele's when one is around.
My advice is to pick the guitar back up. These days, there are tonnes of YouTube videos you can get for free and work through probably any song you might like. There are theory videos as well. Finally, there are subscription services. When I am learning new stuff, I like this better than tab because you get the feel and timing better.
I am betting you are a little more mature/focused now than as a child and in college and you will find it is not so tough.
All of that assumes you have a guitar, from your post, you may not. Still, there are plenty of used ones that will get you by until you've made up your mind to commit. Even some lesser expensive guitars are easy to play and fret these days.
Good Luck, and may the Force be with you... Always.
-
Ontario_RIC_fan
- Advanced Member
- Posts: 2794
- Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:39 pm
Re: I'm learning to play and I'm in doubt...
The very first musical instrument that I ever played, way back in 1979, was a baritone Uke.
It is tuned just like the bottom 4 strings of a guitar, DGBE, to the exact same chord shapes, like a D (0232), or a C (2010) play the same as a guitar that is missing the two top strings, after 6 months of the uke, everything that I learned was immediately applicable to playing guitar, as I was playing similar chord shapes.
There is no easy fix to learning to play the guitar. Just practice until the strumming and hand movements become second nature "muscle memory". You need to be able to swap chord shapes in time to the song.
The best advice I can give is to learn songs and music that you are passionate about! Even a badly played version of your favorite songs, is still your favorite song!! In my era there were all of these "how to play guitar books", written by people like Mel Bay were popular. They taught you to play songs like "little brown jug".
I learned to play guitar using the music of the Beatles. Many of their early songs were just three chords, something like LOVE ME DO, as an example. But then when you get to be a better player, there were harder and more interesting songs to learn. Eventually, a few years in there is a certain joy in being able to perfectly follow Paul, playing BLACKBIRD, in time to the original recording. These days there are 1000s of Youtube videos teaching you to play almost any song.
Something else I discovered, was that playing in non-standard tunings is actually easier to finger, as many of the strings are open.
A favorite tuning is DADGAD, which is a model D tuning. So a I, III, IV and V chord in DADGAD is. D = 000200, B minor = 024400 G = 020000 and A = 002002. Compare that to the same chords in standard EADGBE tuning, which would be D = 000232, B minor = 224432, G = 320003 and A = 002220, and you can see that DADGAD chord shapes are much easier to play. The only diffence with open non standard tuning, is that in order to change keys of a song, you must use a capo. So DADGAD Capo on 2 is Key of E, Capo on 5 is Key of G, etc.
Have faith, keep at it. If you keep playing regularly, before you know it, you will be competent. Many of us start playing when we are around 12 to 14, as well think (falsely as it turns out) that it will make us more appealing to girls.
Good luck with it!
Brian
(I have not posted here in ages!)
It is tuned just like the bottom 4 strings of a guitar, DGBE, to the exact same chord shapes, like a D (0232), or a C (2010) play the same as a guitar that is missing the two top strings, after 6 months of the uke, everything that I learned was immediately applicable to playing guitar, as I was playing similar chord shapes.
There is no easy fix to learning to play the guitar. Just practice until the strumming and hand movements become second nature "muscle memory". You need to be able to swap chord shapes in time to the song.
The best advice I can give is to learn songs and music that you are passionate about! Even a badly played version of your favorite songs, is still your favorite song!! In my era there were all of these "how to play guitar books", written by people like Mel Bay were popular. They taught you to play songs like "little brown jug".
I learned to play guitar using the music of the Beatles. Many of their early songs were just three chords, something like LOVE ME DO, as an example. But then when you get to be a better player, there were harder and more interesting songs to learn. Eventually, a few years in there is a certain joy in being able to perfectly follow Paul, playing BLACKBIRD, in time to the original recording. These days there are 1000s of Youtube videos teaching you to play almost any song.
Something else I discovered, was that playing in non-standard tunings is actually easier to finger, as many of the strings are open.
A favorite tuning is DADGAD, which is a model D tuning. So a I, III, IV and V chord in DADGAD is. D = 000200, B minor = 024400 G = 020000 and A = 002002. Compare that to the same chords in standard EADGBE tuning, which would be D = 000232, B minor = 224432, G = 320003 and A = 002220, and you can see that DADGAD chord shapes are much easier to play. The only diffence with open non standard tuning, is that in order to change keys of a song, you must use a capo. So DADGAD Capo on 2 is Key of E, Capo on 5 is Key of G, etc.
Have faith, keep at it. If you keep playing regularly, before you know it, you will be competent. Many of us start playing when we are around 12 to 14, as well think (falsely as it turns out) that it will make us more appealing to girls.
Good luck with it!
Brian
(I have not posted here in ages!)
Brian Morton
A Rickenbacker Fan
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
=========================
67 FG 625
74 JG 4000
76 JG 430
77 JG 620
77 JG 320
79 JG 4001
80 FG 620/12
81 BG 480
91 JG 610
02 BG 620
78 TR7
83 TR25
A Rickenbacker Fan
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
=========================
67 FG 625
74 JG 4000
76 JG 430
77 JG 620
77 JG 320
79 JG 4001
80 FG 620/12
81 BG 480
91 JG 610
02 BG 620
78 TR7
83 TR25
Re: I'm learning to play and I'm in doubt...
I would absolutley with everything Brian said and retuning a ukelele is a novel idea!
However, I'd be careful with non-standard tunings at first. You are going to have to learn the chord shapes and how to move them about and figure things out. I think non-standards at an early stage could foster bad habits and hinder that ability in the future... But it would cut the time to the coast on making tolerable noise.
Best advice Brian gave, and some I forgot... Learn (or try to learn) stuff you like. Like him, I started with easy rock, then easy Beatles, then more difficult stuff. I think that gave me a jump start... Because someone tried to teach me Tom Dooley on an acoustic when I was in 4th grade and that went nowhere!
Take it easy and good luck.
JKC
However, I'd be careful with non-standard tunings at first. You are going to have to learn the chord shapes and how to move them about and figure things out. I think non-standards at an early stage could foster bad habits and hinder that ability in the future... But it would cut the time to the coast on making tolerable noise.
Best advice Brian gave, and some I forgot... Learn (or try to learn) stuff you like. Like him, I started with easy rock, then easy Beatles, then more difficult stuff. I think that gave me a jump start... Because someone tried to teach me Tom Dooley on an acoustic when I was in 4th grade and that went nowhere!
Take it easy and good luck.
JKC