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[FightyF]

Got an electric a while ago, got a Fender amp recently to play around with.

Also picked up a copy of Guitar for Dummies DVD.

And by month's end I want to be able to play some songs I made.
(I did some chip-tuney stuff to get an idea of what I'm gonna play, I used a guitar VST to do this, please excuse the horrible drumset samples, and the voice sample which I used to simulate singing Poppy punk? stuff )

I used powerchords for the chords...the lead is just single notes.

Now, I've went through the entire Guitar for Dummies DVD. You learn the basics...and they don't go into the basics that well. But I can play a few chords decently.

My current plan is to learn the powerchords I use in the songs I'll make, and practice those and practice the transititions in the songs so I could essentially play the song. A month's time is probably an impossible goal...but it will just push me harder, if I fail to meet that deadline, at least I'd get a lot done.

But I'd like for some of the wiser and experienced players (AlphaSnake, Alucard) to share what they think about it.

I found a huge ASCII chord chart
http://www.guitarhymns.com/chords.html
Gonna use that to make my songs as well. There are some chords I can't find though...like A-D-F

I'm also referencing this:
http://guitarsecrets.com/all_notes.htm
so I know how to play the leads without going all over the place.

 

[spikydavid]

Best way to learn to play guitar is just to play guitar. If you want to play a few songs in a month, then just play those songs, over and over again, until you're done and happy with them.

There are plenty of different guitar tutorials and style guides and so on, but if you just want to learn to play, then step away from the keyboard, pick up the guitar, and start playing.

For other things to practice, just playing chords and transitions (any transitions) over and over again (like playing a song, for example), will build physical memory. Also, playing scales over and over again, builds the finger strength.

If you play the guitar solidly (sixteen hours a day) for a month, you'll be able to play guitar after a month

 

[FightyF]

Thanks david, I've been playing for around an hour each day (my fingers get raw and I have to stop) and it's already helping! I can play the song I posted, and it's pretty simple coz the powerchords. I can play the lead melody, but I don't know if I'm doing it in a correct manner. I'm just hitting the right notes with any finger I feel like

 

[human5892]

Yeah, it's best to play what you like, to prevent things from getting too boring. Pace yourself, too -- don't pick out a song you like but is very technical and difficult, or you'll get frustrated and discouraged. Do simple ones at first, and work your way up. Be careful of getting complacent, though -- once you know you can sound good with the simple stuff, it can be very hard to keep the desire to improve going. Stick with it, though, and give yourself more challenging songs (that you like, remember). Getting the tabs to your favorite music and playing it (or eventually, figuring it out yourself) can be one of the most rewarding things for a new guitarist.

Also, practicing scales is a really good idea, as was mentioned. It'll keep your fingers limber and also give you a solid background for doing some standard-yet-good-sounding lead work.