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Question: Do I have the ability to play guitar decently!.!?
I am learning now!. I dont really know how to do much!. The only thing really is the opening riff to entersandman and fade to black by metallica!. It still sounds like ****!. I am learning from my friend who I think is good!. But when I play I always see my self looking at the strings and not at the fretboard!. Is this common or a bad habbit!? And when I look at the fretboard I hit the wrong strings!. Today I was trying to increase my tapping speed!. My friend showed me a little exercise!. It is on high E string 10,13, and 17!. And I do it pretty slow!. My friend says I am doing a good job!. But I think i am playing like ****!. He shows me some stuff and I cant even do them!. Take Pantera's Walk for example!. I cant even get the rhythm down (isnt it 2 open 6th string then slide 2nd fret to the 1st)!. Its pretty sad!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
First things first, STOP COMPARING!! How long have you played, how long has your friend played!? Think about it!.!.!. you're like his student, so it's like comparing your math skills with your math professor's!. also, if you're just starting to play, don't worry about tapping yet, that is a skill that is learned after you have quite a few songs under your belt!.

I suggest you find a real guitar instructor or someone that has taken lessons before and see if they can remember the very beginning of the lessons!. It's a slow process!.!.!. you cannot learn guitar fast, it's something that takes years to learn and a lifetime to master!.

I cannot stress enough the importance of finding a good instructor!. Find someone that is willing to teach you what YOU want to learn, not what THEY think you should learn!. Obviously you are going to have to learn chord shapes, and scales!.!.!. but those are VERY important parts of the guitar!.

Just take everything one step at a time, I suggest learning chords and scales first so that you have something to lean on when you are trying to learn songs!. Just try and get the basic open chords down A, Amin, C, D, Dmin, E, Emin, F, & G!. Work them back and forth so that you don't even have to think about where your fingers need to go, it just becomes muscle memroy!. You should also try and learn the pentatonic scale!. Armed with these few things you can learn a lot of songs a lot easier!.

As far as where to look, just take your time and make sure you are using correct technique!.!.!. worry about the speed later!. If you learn how to play it wrong it's going to sound bad no matter how fast you play it!.

There is also a book that I recommend, "Zen Guitar!." It sounds kinda lame, but it makes a lot of sense and can help you, on a mental level, learn the guitar and how to approach the instrument!.

Good luck & rock out!Www@QuestionHome@Com

I don't think your bad, I think it's the fact that you're a beginning player!. Just give it time and maybe seek out guitar classes and maybe get a method book to help you along the way!. Good luck! And don't give up!Www@QuestionHome@Com

This is what Im going to tell you!.!.!. Ive been playing violin for well over 15-years!. Whenever I started, I had to look at my fingers on the violins neck -- its normal! Its a sense of comfort until you can memorize where the frets are!.

also, you should learn guitar technique before learning riffs of guitar!. Nobody picks up a guitar and is amazing!. Its not sad, its just you learning guitar!.

Personally, I think you should learn where all of the frets are, learn the different scales, learn how to gain speed and agility, and then start learning simple songs like Mary Had a Little Lamb!.

Technique is everything!.Www@QuestionHome@Com