Question for you Shawn

[MetAccoustica]

I just started reading your essays and I'm new to guitar. But, could you give me a practice schedule for a beginner? I mean, what would be the first things you would teach a beginner that could get me started...i.e. scales, relaxation methods, chords...I just need a clear layout of what to do. By-the-way, this web site is awesome...it's helping me out alot so far, thanks...

[cyberfret]

If you were taking private lessons from me, you would start by learning the basics of music by reading standard notation. So if you want learn it how I would teach it, that is where to start.

Go to the reading section, start with the reading primer, and then start working your way through the standard notation version of the method.

Reading Section
http://www.cyberfret.com/reading/index.php

Getting the right hand position is goal one in the first couple weeks of lessons.

Using a pick - How to hold a pick, and the basics of right hand position.
http://www.cyberfret.com/first-fret/using-a-pick/index.htm

Left hand position - Learn the basics left hand position on the guitar.
http://www.cyberfret.com/first-fret/left-hand-position/index.htm


Along with that I start teaching the basic chords.

Chord Primer - reading guitar chord charts and basic hand position
http://www.cyberfret.com/chords/primer/index.htm

Beginning 7 - these are the first seven basic guitar chords that you should learn.
http://www.cyberfret.com/chords/beginning-7/index.htm

Once my students can switch between chords comfortably, then it is one to basic strum patterns, and some basic strumming songs.

chord strumming 101 - an intro. to basic strumming patterns for guitar
http://www.cyberfret.com/techniques/strumming/101/index.htm

4/4 accompaniment strum patterns - Learn these basic guitar strums with some familiar song examples.
http://www.cyberfret.com/techniques/strumming/basic-44/index.htm

I also have student play a basic finger exercise.....a "pre" scale.

As you play the exercise below, play the first note with your first finger....hold it down, then play the next note with your 2nd.....hold it down. So by the time you get to your 4 finger you have 4 fingers down. This just helps you learn to stretch, and to keep more control over your fingers. As you become comfortable with doing this exercise on 2 strings, try 3, then 4, till you can start on the 6th string, go all of the way up to the 1st, and then come back down. The next step after this will be to learn a real scale (major is the first I would do after), but do this to start. Every day at least 5-10 times.



fingers
|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1
E:-------------5-6-7-8--|-8-7-6-5----------
B:----5-6-7-8-----------|---------8-7-6-5--
G:----------------------|------------------
D:----------------------|------------------
A:----------------------|------------------
E:----------------------|------------------



There is the first couple of weeks. After that it is learning more chords(power chords, barre chords), scales, learning to read tablature, looking at different techniques, theory, and learning lots of songs :)

--Shawn

[MetAccoustica]

Thanks alot...well, here's where I think I am. I know a few chords, I know em but I can't switch em very well-could you give me some excersises to do this better. I've been playin scales for a few days i.e. major, pentamic, chromatic, and a few I got from you and they're goin well. I know power chords I think, alternate picking is goin fairly well and I had a good practice today cause I tried to remember to relax while I played and that seemed to help. So what do you think of where I am. I know it's tough to answer and I'll try and look at your schedule again and go from there. But, thanks for you help so far...

[cyberfret]

Check out this lesson for help on switching between chords.

http://www.cyberfret.com/chords/changing/index.htm

--Shawn

[MetAccoustica]

I think today I'll just work on chords and do that finger stretch excersise you showed before, before I start em. Thanks again, do you think a metronome is a good thing to get? I'm not really sure how to use one though. Could you maybe elaborate on that for me or anyone else who knows? Thanks...

[drwscefn]

a metronome just 'ticks' away at a set number of beats per minute.
you set the speed and set it off. you would need to know the what speed the song you want to play goes at and how many notes per beat you would need to play.

People often use metronomes to learn a song at a slower speed then build up faster and faster until they reach the desired speed.