Let me lay some groundwork first. I’m 33 and playing guitar for over 10 years but just as hobby. Learned a few songs but never formally studied music theory or ear training. Been depressed for the last 4 years so have barely touched the guitar.
I’m keen on restarting it as a hobby but I’m busy with work so can devote only 30 minutes everyday. I love listening to hard rock, thrash and heavy metal so would love to stick to those genres when learning. Can guitar players of this sub suggest how should I go about learning? Thank you!
PS: I didn’t post on guitar-related subs because I’ve seen folks being not so nice on those subs. And this sub is the kindest, nicest, and all other -estest (if there’s such a word).
11 comments
The way I learnt was to nail 1 song that I loved, I learnt redemption song because its my moms favourite song, once I could nail the chords, I learnt to play it in other styles.
Then when I got to play it to her on day about 2 years later she cried, if you can make it special to yourself or someone else then you will find the will to keep picking it up.
Pick it up and just start playing.
Whatever you remember or nothing at all.
Just get it in your arms, put your fingers on the strings and just feel it for a moment.
There’s no pressure to perform, there’s no reason to be good – just let your fingers strum, let your heart open back up to your joy and follow where that leads you ❤️
I’m not a guitar player, but I do play an instrument (drums and percussion), so I’ll share the advice I’ve given on the drumming subreddits I follow:
If you can only devote 30 minutes a day to playing, then that’s fine. Similar to what u/VastNo420 commented, I think the goal at first should be just to find the fun in playing once again. Make your practice time something to look forward to.
Drummers have drum rudiments, which myself and others usually recommend as part of a practice routine, along with other coordination exercises and learning new rhythms, in addition to learning songs. Based on what little I know of guitar, maybe start by learning common chords, rebuilding muscle memory, developing calluses, or whatever is needed to make it easier to play. And like any musician, start slow, and use a metronome when you’re ready to work on keeping your tempo steady.
And remember, “Sucking at somethin’ is the first step towards being sorta good at something.”
Have fun with it no matter what. Learn the songs you want to learn and improve. I suggest learning the [CAGED](https://youtu.be/roVQGKPSasw) system. This will help you better visualize the fretboard and build your skills upon what you already know.
I know it’s a different instrument, but you could seek advice on a practice routine from r/Bass. People over there tend to be kind and not gatekeeper-y
There’s an absolute ton of stuff on YT. Play what you enjoy, but don’t ignore some of the technique/practice stuff. Scales. Progressions. Etc.
I keep an unplugged electric guitar in my living room, so when any downtime comes up, I can grab it and play without being too disruptive to anyone else in the house.
The number one thing I did to increase my play time was to make the guitar accessible. I put it where I ended up being the most, which was in front of a computer. So the guitar and it’s things went right beside that chair.
It’s right beside me right now, I can reach over and grab it, easy.
That and [this video for learning travis picking](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raJGscQLUGs) probably got me to practice the most. Now I’m spending a lot of time on flamenco strumming.
I’m into the heavy shit too, mind you, but something about finger picking is *so* much fun to practice.. plus my chord shapes have become a lot more reliable because they have to be so much cleaner when the gain is off.
I‘ve been in a similar situation. Two things were helping me immensely: if you do still have your guitar, set it up completely, install new tuners, maybe a new bridge or even new pickups, whatever feels right! Don’t pressure yourself into playing and (of course all in my opinion!) set yourself a goal. I never learned to improvise, had no theoretical background and just wanted to feel more competent. For exactly those reasons I started taking lessons and been playing for about three years again. I don’t know if these thoughts help but I surely do hope so!
And by the way, even though it doesn’t look and seem like it: r/guitarcirclejerk has a very friendly, understanding and competent community. Just keep in mind it’s primarily about shitposting. If you do have any questions though these guys will get out of their way to help you!
All the best!
Not sure if you can still get it, but the original Rocksmith is a great way to get back into playing. It’s basically Guitar Hero for real instruments. It helps getting technique back after a long break, does a good job of making it fun, and breaking down hard parts into practice pieces. I bought it cheap a few years ago, got the cable from amazon, and bought a few song packs. I definitely got my money’s worth out of it.
There’s a new one coming out which will have a subscription model, not sure about pricing.
I was where you are. I bought a cheap 50w Laney amp and put a 200w speaker in it.
Man, I swear, it was the most amount of fun I ever had on the guitar.
Just the sheer volume of the distorted shredding sound made me feel happy and after a few weeks I got more serious and started to learn again. Youtube was a great teacher.
Put an amp(Tiny one, 5 watts should be enough) and guitar in your living room or bedroom. Or somewhere accessible ( I have mine next to my computer in my home office)
Pick Your guitar up play a little, play a little more.
Don’t give Up