Fingerpicker wrote:
Whatever you play, just remember Woody Guthrie said "if you use more than two chords, you're just showing off."
When I started playing , the standard beginners song was House of the Rising Sun which has 5 chords Am, C, D, F & E. So you learn 4 major chords and probably the most common minor chord. You can strum it, pluck it, arpeggiate it. The chords change every bar or so its good exercise. Most people know the tune.
Try some Neil Young numbers like Heart of Gold, or JJ Cale's Cocaine
Add a 12 bar blues in there. That's the easiest way to jam, everyone knows where the chords are going. Start with E, A & B. Once you get that blues swing going, you can walk through the house playing, drop your jaw like Elvis, and nobody will mind, especially your parents (if still at home).
Set yourself goals. By the end of this year I want to.... then start.
Remember the saying "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." Know where you're going, and only take the roads that you need to.
Find a song you really like and are prepared to spend a lot of time on, look up the chords/TAB/Lyrics on the internet and go!
Learn a flashy intro, Smoke on the Water (easy), or Johnny B Goode (tricky). They even show you how to do it on YouTube.
If you enjoy it, you'll be playing for the rest of your life.
Thanks for the wise words ? I'm not a complete newb, like I can play. The problem I have is; every song that I attempt to learn, I never finish, because I lose interest in learning that song really quicky. I've never actually felt the satisfaction of being able to play a song from start to finish. SO, I thought finding some really simple songs would help me accomplish this ? Will definately give Heart of Gold a go, I dig Neil Young.
Cheers 8)
