Learning the guitar

lisajane

I am a complete guitar beginner. I have taken a few lessons already and i am practising the songs im doing but the problem is im not familar with them. I have heard the songs but then i dont know if im playing it right or not, maybe because im not very familiar with how they're meant to sound.
Il be quite happy learning some easy kiddies songs, in that way i know what they are meant to sound.
I have the chords for some songs, twinkle twinkle, mary had a little lamb, baa baa black sheep, happy birthday. But when i go and try it, it sounds nothing like the song.
I find im slow moving my fingers from chord to chord. I need to get faster at that. But the strumming, i have no idea. I cant be running to my tutor and asking him every time im stuck. And the websites i have been looking at dont tell you how to strum (i dont know about books). Up, down and what not.

If i get happy birthday sounding anything like happy birthday, il try something else.
Here's the chords:

G C G
Happy Birthday to you

G C
Happy Birthday to you

C G
Happy Birthday dear ____

G7 C G C
Happy Birthday to you


How am i meant to make that sound like happy birthday ?

Anyway, im looking for other some easy songs to learn. Has anyone any useful websites or suggestions of some good books?

Xavi6

If you're familiar with the song 'Leavin On A Jetplane' then give that a bash as it's only 3 chords and the strum pattern is the same the whole way through (Down, down, up, up, down, up)

The chords are -

Verse1:

G C
All my bags are packed I'm ready to go.
G C
I'm standing here out side your door.
G Am D7(x2)
I hate to wake you up to say good bye.
G C
But the dawn is breaking it early morn.
G C
The taxi's waitin he's blownin his horn.
G Am D7(x2)
Already I'm so lonesome I could die.

*Chorus:
G C
So kiss me and smile for me.
G C
Tell me that you'll wait for me.
G Am D7(x2)
Hold me like you'll never let me go.
G C G
Cause I'm leavin on a jet plane.
C G
Don't know when I'll be back again.
Am D7(x2)
Oh, babe I hate to go.


Verse2:

G C
There's is many times I've let you down.
G C
So many time I've played around.
G C D7(x2)
I tell you now they don't mean a thing.
G C
Every place I go I'll think of you.
G C
Ev'ry song I sing I'll sing for you.
G C D7(x2)
When I come back I'll bring your wedding ring.

Verse3:

C G
Now the time come to leave you.
G C
One more time let me kiss you.
G C D7(x2)
Then close your eyes I'll be on my way.
G C
Dream about the days to come.
G C
When I won't have to leave alone.
G C D7(x2)
About the times I won't have to say...

**Chorus:
G C G
I'm leavin on a jet plane.
C G
Don't know when I'll be back again.
C D7 G
Oh, babe, I hate to go.


It's the first song I ever learnt with my guitar teacher and it's very, very easy to get the rhythm and timing right.

lisajane

Thanks, il try that song.

A7X

I find the best thing to do is too just listen to the songs your playing over and over again and then play along. You are bound to recognize if ur doin anything wrong tht way!

Also something my guitar teacher made me do a couple of times is to clap the rythm of the song out before learning it. He made me do it with solos mostly and thts a bit tricky. It will stick in ur head if you do this anyway.

mardybumbum

Dont worry about learning strum patterns. Its something that comes naturally after a while.

As for a few simple songs.....
Bob Dylan - Knocking on Heavens Door
Oasis - Live Forever
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Christy Moore - Black is the colour

Google "PJ's chords" for more simple songs!

padraig_f

lisajane wrote: »

G C G
Happy Birthday to you

I couldn't make that sound like Happy Birthday either (but then I'm not very good).

Happy Birthday's a rubbish song anyway (here's a better one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDvs7KvjDDk).


Justin Guitar has a new DVD on strumming for beginners:
http://justinguitar.com/en/PR-007-Strumming.php, it's very good.

or you can find a lot of the same stuff in the rhytm guitar lessons here:
http://justinguitar.com/en/BC-000-BeginnersCourse.php


My tip would be to find a song you like with a distinctive strumming pattern, and try to work it out.

Here's one I did:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnSwBZqXSfI

Here it is in Justin's notation (where numbers are down-strums, and plus signs are corresponding up-strums):

G               Am
1+, 2+, +, 4+   1+, 2+, +, 4+