Any guitar players?

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Costa Rican Gopher

Costa Rican Gopher

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I played in garage bands back in High School, mostly power chords. Ramones, Sex Pistols, etc. I didn't play for 30 years, but bought an entry level Martin acoustic about a year back & really started playing a lot during Covid. My goal is to become a good campfire strummer, who can play well known sing-alongs with friends, and my own favorites. Right now I've got all the basic open chords E, Em, A, Am, D, Dm, F, D, Dm, D7, C, G, etc.

Really struggling with Bm, as it's hard for me to get up and bar the second fret, then get back to the open chords. I'm also struggling with regular B. The only version of B I can really hit sounds shallow, not full like the other open chords. Any insider tricks?

Next, I'm thinking of moving up to a better acoustic guitar, somewhere in the $400-$500 range. My friend is really pushing me to get a Seagull, thoughts?

Lastly, I'm starting to get bored. I can play the basics of just about any song now (if it doesn't have a Bm in it, lol), but you can only do so much with Pink Floyd playing basic, open chords by yourself. I started screwing around with some basic pentatonic scales, trying to solo a bit while a youtuber keeps rhythm, etc. Looking for thoughts on where I go from here? Lessons maybe?
 

As mentioned in other threads, I took up the banjo while furloughed. This is my first string instrument, so my biggest challenge is getting a clean chord sound. I keep touching other strings or not pressing the string cleanly. But I imagine that will come with muscle memory. I've been learning via Youtube videos, so I think my next step is taking some lessons to clean up my technique.

Banjo is an accompaniment instrument, so like Costa looking to get good enough for singalongs. The first song I learned was Oo-de-lally from Disney's Robin Hood. Some Dylan & Waits songs are next on my radar. I also might like to join a group sometime down the road. Only problem is I don't really like bluegrass. Anyone looking to form a band like The Pogues or Preservation Hall Jazz Band?
 

Nokomis said:
As mentioned in other threads, I took up the banjo while furloughed. This is my first string instrument, so my biggest challenge is getting a clean chord sound. I keep touching other strings or not pressing the string cleanly. But I imagine that will come with muscle memory. I've been learning via Youtube videos, so I think my next step is taking some lessons to clean up my technique.

Banjo is an accompaniment instrument, so like Costa looking to get good enough for singalongs. The first song I learned was Oo-de-lally from Disney's Robin Hood. Some Dylan & Waits songs are next on my radar. I also might like to join a group sometime down the road. Only problem is I don't really like bluegrass. Anyone looking to form a band like The Pogues or Preservation Hall Jazz Band?
Click to expand...

I've got the chords to "This time tomorrow" by the Kinks down, but need someone to bang out the banjo part.
 

Just got this off Craigslist a couple weeks ago. I also have a Fender Jaguar and a really nice Ibanez semi-hollow. Don't have any talent to go with them but I do enjoy playing. I was also in a half assed band in college. Played a Rickenbacker bass then.

1594173929679.png
 

Costa Rican Gopher said:
I played in garage bands back in High School, mostly power chords. Ramones, Sex Pistols, etc. I didn't play for 30 years, but bought an entry level Martin acoustic about a year back & really started playing a lot during Covid. My goal is to become a good campfire strummer, who can play well known sing-alongs with friends, and my own favorites. Right now I've got all the basic open chords E, Em, A, Am, D, Dm, F, D, Dm, D7, C, G, etc.

Really struggling with Bm, as it's hard for me to get up and bar the second fret, then get back to the open chords. I'm also struggling with regular B. The only version of B I can really hit sounds shallow, not full like the other open chords. Any insider tricks?

Next, I'm thinking of moving up to a better acoustic guitar, somewhere in the $400-$500 range. My friend is really pushing me to get a Seagull, thoughts?

Lastly, I'm starting to get bored. I can play the basics of just about any song now (if it doesn't have a Bm in it, lol), but you can only do so much with Pink Floyd playing basic, open chords by yourself. I started screwing around with some basic pentatonic scales, trying to solo a bit while a youtuber keeps rhythm, etc. Looking for thoughts on where I go from here? Lessons maybe?
Click to expand...

I taught myself chords on guitar was I was about 38. It was a pretty easy transition for me (including strumming) because I've played the trumpet most of my life. What I've found is that I struggle with barre chords, so the F, B, Bm types. For some reason I just can't get enough pressure on the neck to form a clean sound. I have a Martin which I bought new for around $800 about 7 years ago. No complaints.

Not sure as to how much you can already do, but here are a few thing you could practice to spice things up / advance your skills.

1. Pull off / hammer ons ()
2. Bends ()
3. Fingerpicking right hand while holding chords on left. ()
4. find songs where you can play almost exclusively barre chords () version 1 here
5. Classical lessons
 


Costa Rican Gopher said:
I've got the chords to "This time tomorrow" by the Kinks down, but need someone to bang out the banjo part.
Click to expand...
One of my favorites! But are you sure that's a banjo?

We could try some of The Monks songs. I imagine those are all pretty easy, and we could all use a little more thrash banjo.

 



A useful site is Justinguitar run by Justin Sandercoe (an Aussie residing in the UK). In addition to lessons, he has 500+ songs he's posted over the years. Plus, there's a lot more including his quest to learn to play left handed.
 



Nokomis said:
One of my favorites! But are you sure that's a banjo?

We could try some of The Monks songs. I imagine those are all pretty easy, and we could all use a little more thrash banjo.

Click to expand...
Respect for the Monks reference.
 


Ignatius L Hoops said:
A useful site is Justinguitar run by Justin Sandercoe (an Aussie residing in the UK). In addition to lessons, he has 500+ songs he's posted over the years. Plus, there's a lot more including his quest to learn to play left handed.
Click to expand...

I've watched many of his vids, he's my go-to online teacher.
 

gopher7 said:
I taught myself chords on guitar was I was about 38. It was a pretty easy transition for me (including strumming) because I've played the trumpet most of my life. What I've found is that I struggle with barre chords, so the F, B, Bm types. For some reason I just can't get enough pressure on the neck to form a clean sound. I have a Martin which I bought new for around $800 about 7 years ago. No complaints.

Not sure as to how much you can already do, but here are a few thing you could practice to spice things up / advance your skills.

1. Pull off / hammer ons ()
2. Bends ()
3. Fingerpicking right hand while holding chords on left. ()
4. find songs where you can play almost exclusively barre chords () version 1 here
5. Classical lessons
Click to expand...

Wonderful tonight is one of my bread & butter songs. It's an easy song for acoustic with just G-C-D & Clapton's no Freddie Mercury, so a crap singer like myself can hit all the notes when accompanying. What I didn't have was the intro lick, so thanks for the vid, it's actually pretty easy to play & adds more to the song than just the open chords.
 



Frink said:
Just got this off Craigslist a couple weeks ago. I also have a Fender Jaguar and a really nice Ibanez semi-hollow. Don't have any talent to go with them but I do enjoy playing. I was also in a half assed band in college. Played a Rickenbacker bass then.

View attachment 8660
Click to expand...

She's a beauty. (y)
 

A few of my favorite sites for chords.

BettyLouMusic.com is a Mom & Pop site that has lots of songs for open chords. They're often simplified & you can click a button & change chords to different keys if there's a particular chord you struggle with. It won't win any web design awards, but it's really helped me get proficient.
http://bettyloumusic.com/

As a Kinks fan I appreciate KindaKinks.net, which is a fan page for all things Kinks, and has the chords/lyrics to virtually every song they ever wrote.
https://www.kindakinks.net/

Similar to KindaKinks, is DylanChords.org, which has the chords/lyrics to every song, from every album Bob Dylan ever put out.
https://dylanchords.info/
 


Costa Rican Gopher said:
Wonderful tonight is one of my bread & butter songs. It's an easy song for acoustic with just G-C-D & Clapton's no Freddie Mercury, so a crap singer like myself can hit all the notes when accompanying. What I didn't have was the intro lick, so thanks for the vid, it's actually pretty easy to play & adds more to the song than just the open chords.
Click to expand...
I have no musical ability so maybe I am wrong but I have long thought One Great City by the Weakerthans wolud be an easy but awesome song for a guy with a guitar.

 

I grew up in the Bay area, and I asked for a guitar in grade school. My Mom looked at me like I was crazy. I wonder if my life would have been different if she said yes. :)
 

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