i picked up my guitar for the first time in about six months last night. it got me thinking about when i learned and used to play a whole lot. i miss it!

so for those of you who play, what kind of guitar do you have (i've got a martin dm - my mom got it for my birthday. it's amazing!)? what's the first song you ever learned to play (mine was blackbird by the beatles... it's just about the only song that i can still play. that and little bits of greensleeves...)? what song have you always wanted to learn but were never quite able to master (i've always tried to play bron-yr-aur by led zeppelin but it never sounds half as good as jimmy plays it...)? what sites do you get most of your tab from?

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

Answers

I think the last time I picked up my guitar was when I had to show Allison two ways to play an F.

My guitar (whose name is Maizie, and who is getting old and has splattered paint all over her) is a Sigma-Martin DC something-something. The first song I ever learned to play was a U2 song whose name I can't remember right now. The second song was "This Little Light of Mine." Woo!

There's a lot of good tab at that OLGA place, and for anybody who wants every Ani DiFranco tab ever, go here.

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

My guitar is a black Takamini G Series. I got a black one in order to be more like Johnny Cash.

The first song I learned how to play was Angel from Montgomery. AB taught me.

Now, since I have nothing else to do, I play all day long. Practice makes you better, seriously.

Chris and I have played through a bunch of tab found here: http:// www.altcountrytab.com

I wish someone would tell me where to find Willie songs. I've been looking.

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

Here, Al:

Willie!

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

Mine is a Santa Rosa folk guitar. Best birthday gift I've ever gotten.

My first song was Take it Easy, by the Eagles. I've been trying to teach myself, but I may break down and take some lessons soon, as I'm not making much progress.

It turns out, little stubby fingers aren't good for guitar playing.

-- Anonymous, August 08, 2001

My latest guitar is a very lovely turquoise Danelectro, which I bought a few months ago in a fine second hand guitar shop in Nashville. It's the most beautiful thing in the world. No, really, it is.

I have another one, a Hohner Les Paul copy, which I bought when I was 18. I hate to abandon it, but the Danelectro is just so wonderful (it's sitting next to me right now).

Oh and thankyou, whoever posted it, for the link to altcountrytab.com! That's such an amazing site. My band have recorded a cover of Love Hurts for our forthcoming first album (yeah, I know it's sacriligeous, but I don't care, it's probably my favourite song ever) and I remember looking for the guitar tabs for it online a few years ago and it all being surprisingly difficult to find.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

Oh, and the first song I learned to play was either Wave of Mutilation or Where Is My Mind by the Pixies, when I was about 14, on my dad's impossible-to-play-without-bleeding-fingers- because-the-action-is-so-insanely-high acoustic. And for years I've been trying to play Hot Buritto #1, but for some reason I've never managed it properly, evne though it's not technically that hard. I think I've never found it in a key that goes with a girl's voice.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

AB's husband did me the great honor of filing down the action on mine. It has made it 100 percent easier to play.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

AB! The Willie tab! I just play Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain! So easy!

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

I tell you! It is easy!

Can we talk about dream guitars? When I grow up and get rich and famous, I am going to own a Weir Alvarez Yairi, with dark sunburst and big fancy pickguard.

Anybody got $5000 I can borrow?

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

You know what I want? That crazy white and cream cheap-ass guitar we saw at Guitar Center. It was $99. Why didn't I get it? I wanted it!

I don't even know what kind it is.

But see, what I had thought was, "I can't get that... I can't even play the one I've got."

Which is still true, just not QUITE as true, since I have been practicing so much lately.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

I know, I wish I'd bought one, too. It was just so cool-looking! Sadly, it was the last one, except for the left-handed one.

It probably would have fallen apart in about two minutes, though. Sour grapes.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

To: All guitar masters
From: Dumb dumb me
Re: "action"

Uh, what does "action" refer to? How does one file it down?

I have my dad's old, old classical guitar. I took like 3 lessons, and the guy told me that I was lucky to have really long fingers because a classical is much harder to play. (Fat neck and all.) But I'm going to teach myself gosh darnit.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

H, the action is the long thin white thing at the bottom of the strings that holds them up. If the action is too high, it's hard to press the strings down. Master V filed down Al's with some sandpaper.

I learned to play on a classical guitar, too. It's easy because the strings are so soft, but harder w/the wide neck.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

I was going to ask what was used to file it down. I want to bring my down a tad. Hurts my wee, tender fingers to press so hard on the strings.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

You very well may never, ever hear from me again.

Because I just found this:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/OLGA/all/bonnie_raitt.html

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

Robyn, I feel your pain; my fingers literally used to bleed after five minutes of playing my dad's guitar. Of course, it did mena that when I got my electric one it felt like playing satin strings, it was so easy. I wish I'd known that it was possible to bring down the action back then...

My dream guitar is the matte silver sparkly Epiphone belonging to my ex-boyfriend. Gorgeous sound and just incredibly beautiful. He also had a flying V. I wanted that too.

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

Something clazy happened to this thread...

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

I fix it!

-- Anonymous, August 09, 2001

OK, catching up.

I have a Fender acoustic, which I don't play much as the strings are rusty and Al's is so much nicer.

Definitely take at least a few lessons. It's helped me on both instruments I play. If not lessons, find someone to play around with (musically, I mean). Comraderie helps the musical learning process. And get the Mel Bay Complete Book of Chords. People, EVERY chord imaginable.

The greatest guitar (electric)in the world is a Fender Telecaster. I practically had to make the guitar player in my last band buy one and now it is what he plays almost exclusively (and he has a Richenbacher.)

Musical Instruments I want: 1. Above-mentioned fender Telecaster 2. New 4 Piece Ayotte drumset 3. banjo (this may happen quite soon!)

I think that is it. Phew.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Yes, lessons are a good idea. But really, practice is the most important thing. I took a few lessons, didn't practice, and learned basically nothing.

AB and Master V showed me some chords and I played for a little while every day, and I got better.

Then MOC and I moved and now I make him help me every night. With the guitar, people.

(By the way, Chris, I found the Mel Bay boook. In the kitchen. I put it with the cookbooks. I can't explain it.)

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Let me say this about practicing, also.

Once you start, you must never stop. And by that, I mean you must never put the guitar down, ever. Take it in the bathroom, carry it to work, play in the car. Otherwise, you'll stop for a minute, pick it back up, and your fingers will cry out with hate.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

I took a few lessons, didn't practice, and learned basically nothing.

Rinse and repeat. Thank you.

So, what's the best way to start teaching yourself? Via the big book of chords, or get the tab for a really, really easy song?

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

No, you need to get someone to show you some chords. And then find some songs you can play. Once you see that you can play Lake Charles because it's just A, E and D, you'll want to play some other stuff and you'll look up the chords and try it.

Lessons. Practice. The only way.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

The type of practice depends on what you want to learn to do.

You can do finger exercises and learn to read music and all that but that's only if you want to get REAL GOOD.

I would suggest getting a chord book, learn the following chords, A, C, D, E, G, Am, Em, and then go online to some tabs and learn some songs you like. It's always more fun if you are playing the music you like.

Also, find out how to hold the pick and lear a few different types of strums. It makes things easier.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Oh, and get a tuner of some kind. You will drive yourself crazy if the guitar is out of tune because nothing will sound the way it is supposed to.

And get a capo.

Here endeth the lesson.

That will be $25.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Also, find out how to hold the pick and lear a few different types of strums. It makes things easier.

Right. Well, that's something someone is going to have to SHOW you.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

I love my little magical tuner thingy. Everyone is much happier since that purchase.

I practice my chords like a mo fo, but it's everything-other-than- strumming-chords that I'm incapable of.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

I have a black Ibanez bass guitar, which I bought with the money from my second real job (the first one I got $5 an hour and I had to put half of it away), and a very large bass amp that I never use any more because it's too loud. I can't remember the first song I learnt but it was definitely a blues progression of some kind - which was pretty fortunate as I ended up playing in a blues band for a year or so.

I'd list the songs i want to learn but there are too many of them...

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Just when you think you're hot shit because you learned E7, A7 and D7, you go see Shawn Colvin and Lyle and try to play your favorite song from the show and find the tab and... well the chords are very hard.

Hate.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

So, I learned two chords this weekend, thanks to my daddy. Two!

Plus, I sat around and listened to my cousins play, and as soon as they pulled out Wilco tab, I knew why we were family.

So, now I can sort of read tab, and I know two chords. I should be able to play anything, right? Right?

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Y'all. Guitar Center. Having a big blow-out sale. I am very afraid.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2001

Anybody know any easy songs using A, E and D? I've got those down, baby. Down!

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2001

You can play "Misguided Angel" by the Cowboy Junkies, and I know because that's the second song I ever learned.

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2001

Half the songs here, Hannah: http://www2.bitstream.net/~acs/music/lw/

For example: "Abandoned."

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2001

Just a quick announcement.

I can now play F.

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2001

Congratulations, Lucinda.

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2001

This is a great site if you know how to play and read tab, neither of which I do. So I just go there and cry.

http://www.altcountrytab.com

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002

Yeah, fool, that's why I listed it up there in the third post.

It will make you cry. Some of those songs are hard. I invite you to look at anything by the Jayhawks and try to figure that shit out.

However, that being said, I am telling you, H - you can play just about any Lucinda Williams song if you know A, E and D. I swear. She makes it easy on you. As a matter of fact, Essence goes Em, G, Am, D over and over again. So easy.

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002

H! My dear, you can play Adam Sandler's Hannukah Song (if that's a song you like, of course.... I have no idea if you do). It's A, E, D, E. And "Louie, Louie" is A, D, E, D. (A-A-A, D-D, E-E-E, D-D, etc). "Louie, Louie" was actually the first song I learned on the guitar, followed by Live's "Selling the Drama" (I was thrilled by the bend in the beginning).

In other news; I have a Fender Strat that I bought really cheap off an ex-boyfriend. Hurray. I get most of my tab from OLGA, and I've also seen that Ani tab page.... Nice! I would LOVE to learn Ben Harper's "The Woman in You" but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Ah, well. ::sniff:: But I did find "Two Hands of a Prayer" and "Waiting on an Angel" so it's all good :)

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2002

I only play piano (rather poorly,these days) but would give up several teeth simply to be able to decipher and put to good use the tuning Nick Drake used on his guitar. Apparently I'm not just an illiterate tab dumbass (although I AM), he just used bizarre tunings and odd chords and changes and, alas, is long dead and thus not around to ask. But his stuff makes me misty. *snif* So pretty.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2002

i came here looking around found the words to hot buritto 1.im real good friends with chris ethridge i played music with him many times he is very good a lot better than i will ever be . most people have never heard the burittos music they have no idea what they have missed. next time i go drink a beer with chris i will tell him i found this site with his song on it

-- Anonymous, July 15, 2002