Hints and tips for guitar beginner

MasterBlaster76

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My sister's had this old guitar for years and never learned to play it - the other day, I found it at the back of a cupboard and thought 'why not?' So, I tuned it up using my piano - every string except the Low E (the thickest string) - the tuning peg won't budge! All the pegs were tight, but this one just will not move at all! Have any guitarists here got any ideas about how to loosen it? Oil? I really don't want to have to buy a new one, not when this one's hardly been used.

Thanks in advance for any help. :)
 
I use to have a guitar but the strings was just ripping so I give it back to shop.
you can try online e.g. Youtube etc
 
Are there any screws next to the peg? Try loosening that. If not you can replace the tuning peg with a new one but that would be a pain.
 
Are there any screws next to the peg? Try loosening that. If not you can replace the tuning peg with a new one but that would be a pain.

Would that be cheaper than a new guitar? I'd be looking at a half size one, so nephew can learn on it as well.

Edit: The peg won't budge in either direction, so it's definitely not a case of it already being at its maximum tension. The guitar was bought around about 1990 for ?30 (+?6 for case), so it wasn't massively expensive, but not really cheap either - remember that's about twenty years ago.

@Left_Hander: There are screws next to the peg, but won't that just loosen the plate they're all fitted to? I mean, if all the pegs were that stiff, then maybe that could be why, but I was able to tune the other strings - albeit with a bit of work turning the pegs. So, oil won't do anything, huh? I haven't tried it - I don't know if guitars and oil mix...
 
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Would that be cheaper than a new guitar? I'd be looking at a half size one, so nephew can learn on it as well.

Edit: The peg won't budge in either direction, so it's definitely not a case of it already being at its maximum tension. The guitar was bought around about 1990 for ?30 (+?6 for case), so it wasn't massively expensive, but not really cheap either - remember that's about twenty years ago.

@Left_Hander: There are screws next to the peg, but won't that just loosen the plate they're all fitted to? I mean, if all the pegs were that stiff, then maybe that could be why, but I was able to tune the other strings - albeit with a bit of work turning the pegs. So, oil won't do anything, huh? I haven't tried it - I don't know if guitars and oil mix...


Sounds like the thread has gone. There should be a screw on the peg itsself which you can remove.You can remove the tuning peg quite easily or get them to do it in a shop: it will hardly cost you anything at all and will be much much cheaper than a new guitar! On the other hand a 3/4 size practice guitar will be quite cheap anyway.

What is the make of the guitar and where was it made? Have a look inside the guitar on the paper that should be stuck in there. Sometimes older guitars are actually pretty good quality to what you might get these days for the same money. Might be just worth popping in with it to a shop and checking it out. They will be keen to sell you a guitar but they might also give some honest info about this one....

I have a lot of experience with guitars (I in fact play semi-professionaly) so could be of some help......
 
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Replacing the peg is inexpensive, if your using the same strings (not new ones) as 19yrs ago, then I'd say when you go get a new peg, grab yourself a set of strings too!!
 
Sounds like the thread has gone. There should be a screw on the peg itsself which you can remove.You can remove the tuning peg quite easily or get them to do it in a shop: it will hardly cost you anything at all and will be much much cheaper than a new guitar! On the other hand a 3/4 size practice guitar will be quite cheap anyway.

What is the make of the guitar and where was it made? Have a look inside the guitar on the paper that should be stuck in there. Sometimes older guitars are actually pretty good quality to what you might get these days for the same money. Might be just worth popping in with it to a shop and checking it out. They will be keen to sell you a guitar but they might also give some honest info about this one....

I have a lot of experience with guitars (I in fact play semi-professionaly) so could be of some help......

It says:

'Tatra
Hi Spot Nylon 9625N
A member of the Tatra family'.

Can't see any indication as to where it was made though. :)

What's the minimum I should look to spend on a new guitar? Remember, ideally I'd like one that both me and nephew can learn on.

Thanks for your help, Dutch! :)

Edit: If you could direct me to a site with some good practice schedules/warm up routines, that'd be good as well. :)
 
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It says:

'Tatra
Hi Spot Nylon 9625N
A member of the Tatra family'.

Can't see any indication as to where it was made though. :)

What's the minimum I should look to spend on a new guitar? Remember, ideally I'd like one that both me and nephew can learn on.

Thanks for your help, Dutch! :)

Depends what you want? What kind of music do you want to play? Also how old is your nephew? If you wanted to share a guitar with him it may be too small for you and a guitar for you too big for him!


If you want to play electric guitar I would go straight to that: pick up one of these deals for 70 or 80 pounds that has all you need. Not really decent guitars but good to get going and finding out if you like it enough to want to chuck more money at it.

If you want to play acoustic I would start with a nylon string guitar: strings are easier to push down although the neck is usually broader which can make chord positions tricky. But that will change with practice.

My first guitar was one I found broken on a rubbish pile. It was a nylon string guitar and the neck was loose so I just nailed it back!!! Worked a treat! Now I have five guitars including a beautiful Gypsy Jazz guitar worth about 1500 pounds. (Not meaning to boast but just pointing out that once you really get into guitar playing you will want to have a really decent instrument to play with. I play semi-professionally in a Gypsy Jazz band and treated myself to a good guitar that I knew would be a great instrument. Plus I couldn't blame the instrument anymore if it wasn't sounding good enough!!:D)

That guitar you have might have a pretty decent sound to it. Tatra model comes out of the old Czechoslovakia in the 60's and 70's so is probably pretty old but that isn't a bad thing always when it comes to guitars. Like wine they do mature and the sound can become quite decent. But they made pretty solid instruments and it is an excellent guitar to start on! I would take it to a shop and let them have a look at it. Get them to fix the tuning peg, clean it up and put new strings on it. Might sound pretty decent. At least good enough to start with and it wont cost you an arm and a leg.

Cheers.
 
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If you are serious about playing then dont let you nephew just read tabs, instead make him take a few classes to learn to read music and theory.
 
Yeps, agreed. Nephew already knows a little piano (that I taught him), but I made sure that he knew what all the notes were and didn't just read finger numbers and the like.

I decided to get a new guitar and I'm glad I did. It's a fullsize Eastwood (specifically an Eastwood LA125E-NT) and feels far more comfortable to play on than the other one; as well as that, it has a lovely sound! Maybe I'll see if I can get the Tatra fixed up and then my nephew can have his 'own' guitar. He's twelve, by the way, and only a little shorter than me (but I'm only 5ft 6. :D )

As to your question Dutch, I'd be looking to basically be able to play popular music and sing along to it. :)

I bought this simple book with the guitar and I've sped through it, thanks to my piano I suppose, but now I've come up against chords. :D At the moment, there's always at least one note that is buzzy or muted, but I suppose that'll come eventually: practice, practice and more practice, eh? :) Still, I'm sure bigger hands would help, but can't do anything about that...

Edit: Here's a piccy:

Default.aspx
 
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Yeps, agreed. Nephew already knows a little piano (that I taught him), but I made sure that he knew what all the notes were and didn't just read finger numbers and the like.

I decided to get a new guitar and I'm glad I did. It's a fullsize Eastwood (specifically an Eastwood LA125E-NT) and feels far more comfortable to play on than the other one; as well as that, it has a lovely sound! Maybe I'll see if I can get the Tatra fixed up and then my nephew can have his 'own' guitar. He's twelve, by the way, and only a little shorter than me (but I'm only 5ft 6. :D )

As to your question Dutch, I'd be looking to basically be able to play popular music and sing along to it. :)

I bought this simple book with the guitar and I've sped through it, thanks to my piano I suppose, but now I've come up against chords. :D At the moment, there's always at least one note that is buzzy or muted, but I suppose that'll come eventually: practice, practice and more practice, eh? :) Still, I'm sure bigger hands would help, but can't do anything about that...

Edit: Here's a piccy:

Default.aspx

Nice! Should sound great. I have small hands as well so it isn't a problem. A great way of practicing chords is as follows:

1. Place your fingers on the strings for the chord (Say for G which in the beginning is always tricky or F)
2. Dont worry about playing the strings: this is for your chord playing hand.
3. Slap your hand on your knee!!! (the one that was holding the strings for the chord!)
4. Place your hand back on the strings for the chord.

Repeat until bored!:D

This sound silly at first but it really helps the chord shapes "flow into muscle memory" so that they "know" what to do quickly and efficiently.

You learn a lot faster by repeatedly letting go and placing again rather than shifting your fingers millimeter by millimeter in position as it were!

Good luck.:)
 
Although it's undoubtedly tough, is it best to get into the habit of playing the G Major (and other) chords keeping the wrist as straight as possible? I've read plenty about the dangers of playing with a bent wrist, but it seems almost impossible to play the chord without bending my wrist quite a lot (that's where longer fingers/bigger hands must help). I can play it sometimes, but usually, the finger playing the sixth string ends up lightly touching the fifth string, causing it to buzz or mute. In order to bend the offending finger enough, my wrist bends quite a bit as well and I don't want to get into any bad/possibly injury causing habits at this early stage. All other notes are generally OK. I write this with slightly sore fingertips, having just finished a practice session. :)
 
Although it's undoubtedly tough, is it best to get into the habit of playing the G Major (and other) chords keeping the wrist as straight as possible? I've read plenty about the dangers of playing with a bent wrist, but it seems almost impossible to play the chord without bending my wrist quite a lot (that's where longer fingers/bigger hands must help). I can play it sometimes, but usually, the finger playing the sixth string ends up lightly touching the fifth string, causing it to buzz or mute. In order to bend the offending finger enough, my wrist bends quite a bit as well and I don't want to get into any bad/possibly injury causing habits at this early stage. All other notes are generally OK. I write this with slightly sore fingertips, having just finished a practice session. :)


The trick is about where you place the thumb at the back. The thumb creeps up trying to compensate but it is ideal to have the pad of thumb on the back of the neck rather than let it creep over the edge towards you as it were. This gives the fingers more reach. Dont pay too much attention to all that is written over how you "should" do it. Everyone is different. There have been many, many guitarist of exceptional quality who have had a "wrong" technique and many guitarists with an exceptional technique who have been pretty average. If it works for you, it works. Tiredness in the limbs and fingers is all part of the fun, unless you are experiencing real pain you can push it a little. Real pain is a no-no; muscle fatigue a must!!:):D
 
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Nice! Should sound great. I have small hands as well so it isn't a problem. A great way of practicing chords is as follows:

1. Place your fingers on the strings for the chord (Say for G which in the beginning is always tricky or F)
2. Dont worry about playing the strings: this is for your chord playing hand.
3. Slap your hand on your knee!!! (the one that was holding the strings for the chord!)
4. Place your hand back on the strings for the chord.

Repeat until bored!:D

This sound silly at first but it really helps the chord shapes "flow into muscle memory" so that they "know" what to do quickly and efficiently.

You learn a lot faster by repeatedly letting go and placing again rather than shifting your fingers millimeter by millimeter in position as it were!

Good luck.:)

That saddens me, I started playing guitar many years ago now, nearly 9 years now, and the first year really did not go well as I couldn't get to chords quick enough (even with a tutor) and I really struggled unless they where power-cords, which are generally the same hand shape (Even had trouble changing between strings) and not once did anyone give me advice like that, that is really really good advice!!
 
That saddens me, I started playing guitar many years ago now, nearly 9 years now, and the first year really did not go well as I couldn't get to chords quick enough (even with a tutor) and I really struggled unless they where power-cords, which are generally the same hand shape (Even had trouble changing between strings) and not once did anyone give me advice like that, that is really really good advice!!


Yeah not many people know it! I have taught many people and always do this kind of exercise with them. I play quite complicated jazz chords that require pretty tricky fingerings and stretches and very quick changes between chords and I always practice tricky chord sequences in this way. You just have to be patient. An advice that someone gave me that I have reallys stuck to is: if you want to do something well do it slowly!!!! Speed comes from accuracy and not through "being quick!"
 

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