Time to finally learn


michael.t.love
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Joined: 12/27/19
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michael.t.love
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Joined: 12/27/19
Posts: 1
02/17/2020 5:24 am

Hi Everyone,

I have been dabling in guitar for about 20 years, I know chords, power chords etc... but have never gotten confident in my abilities or been able to put together songs from begging to end. I only took a few formal lessons and have been youtubing it for awhile. I bought a new guitar last year and have become excited about learning again and understandstandint more theory.

So far I am enjoying the course. I started at the beginning and already it seems to be filling some of the gaps that I have been missing.

Looking forward to progressing again.


# 1
Joe105
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Joined: 02/24/17
Posts: 214
Joe105
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Posts: 214
02/17/2020 8:32 am

Hi and welcome to you.

I wish you good progress and lots of fun.

It's a very good course and, if you stick to it, you will do well.

Joe.


# 2
William MG
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Joined: 03/08/19
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William MG
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02/17/2020 9:29 am

Good luck Michael


This year the diet is definitely gonna stick!

# 3
erahn1949
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Joined: 12/28/19
Posts: 2
erahn1949
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Joined: 12/28/19
Posts: 2
02/17/2020 9:18 pm

I'm a 70-year-old newbie and I've been at it for about a month. I've always wanted to play guitar bur 'life' seemed to get in the way. Well, I finally have the time (at least more than I use to have). I've been looking at the guitar my kids bought me: a Yamaha F-335 (supposedly a starter) over 2 years ago and decided I needed to get serious. For the last month, I've hit it every day. I've fought through sore fingers and struggle with chord changes. I've accepted that it's not going to happen overnight but I'd like to think the progress would come a little fast than it has. My goal is to play simple songs that maybe someone would like to listen to and possibly sing along. One thing I'm wondering about is the guitar. Is the one I'm using really right for me? How do I know? Based on what I've read in the forum it would seem that the guitar action is very high and I'm too new to know right from wrong. Any thoughts / ideas / opinions? I'm not against getting another guitar if it will make a discernible difference.


# 4
William MG
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William MG
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02/17/2020 9:42 pm

Welcome erahn1949,

I won't comment on the specific guitar, but I can make an experienced comment on the learning curve.

The guitar is not an easy instrument to learn. I started at 55(6) and 1 year later I continue to struggle with it. However, I take my accomplishments when they come and am happy to have them.

Patience is our friend. Best of luck.


This year the diet is definitely gonna stick!

# 5
manXcat
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Joined: 02/17/18
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manXcat
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02/17/2020 10:51 pm
Originally Posted by: erahn1949

One thing I'm wondering about is the guitar. Is the one I'm using really right for me? How do I know? Based on what I've read in the forum it would seem that the guitar action is very high and I'm too new to know right from wrong. Any thoughts / ideas / opinions? I'm not against getting another guitar if it will make a discernible difference.

[p]

Yamaha's F335 won't afford boasting rights for those to whom that kind of superficiality is important, but it's a competent enough instrument for purpose, and beyond, with the following inescapable caveats.

A. it's a Dreadnought (ugh!), and B. it may well be in need of a setup and certainly new strings if it's still wearing the originals from two years ago? Don't underestimate the importance of regular string changes not only to tone, but to both playing feel and fretting tension (elasticity).

Not a lot you can do about the body size and shape other than it either fits you or it doesn't. Optimum posture can make the best of a poor fit, but if the guitar shape and size doesn't fit, IME you'll never be comfortable with it. How will you know? It's intuitive. If it doesn't feel right when you hold and play it, on balance of probability it isn't.

I like Yamaha instruments and own several from the brand myself, but an aspect of Yamaha's entry level acoustics I'm not so keen on is their narrow 10.5mm string spacing. It is both a pro and a con. You might want to try another instrument with the more conventional wider 11mm string spacing?

Anyone wanting to optimise their progress, especially with age conspiring against it, needs to consider everything they can place on the scales weighing in favour of that.

[br]Start with a set of new strings, quality 12-52s, and at the same time have someone [u]competent[/u] check it over to ensure the saddle and nut are ok, the frets are level (denting or flattening of the lower frets used for open chords isn't uncommon with beginners with surprisingly little use) and its neck relief is correctly set. From the gist of your post, it sounds as if it may not be. GL & let us know how you get on.


# 6
erahn1949
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Joined: 12/28/19
Posts: 2
erahn1949
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Joined: 12/28/19
Posts: 2
02/18/2020 7:20 pm

Thanks for your comments.

Everything on the guitar is original. It's been played more in the past 30 days than in the past 2 years. I kind of figured the strings need to be replaced so thanks for the suggestion.

There's a Guitar Center store close to me so I have run it by there for an inspection and maybe test drive other models. I'm 6' 180, but the guitar seems gigantic and awkward and if I have the narrower strings that might be part of the problem.

I guess I need to do some investigating.


# 7

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