# guitar playing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 31, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing/221934 "2003-12-31T13:39:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing/221934/21 "2003-12-31T21:58:51Z")
I’ll jump in on the which is easier to learn band wagon. Electric is easier. The string tension is less so you do not need as much finger strength. But acoustic will get your fingers up to strength much quicker. If you really want to learn you _have_ to put in pratice time. When I teach I do two part lessons. The first part of the lessons are theory. How key works, how chords are built and scales. The second part is learning a song. I suggest praticing in two parts as well. Spend at least a half hour a day working on scales and chords. This does two things, it gets your fingers warmed up for playing and gets you familiar with the logic of the fretboard. Spend another half hour a day working on actual songs. There are also exercises you can do away from the guitar that can help. One that really helps with finger independance is this: lay your hand flat on a table. Keep your hand relaxed. With your hand relaxed on the table pick up your first finger but do not move any other finger. Do the same with your second and third fingers and your pinky. Once you can pick up each finger without the other moving start moving them in order. Slee ---
**Author:** ![mailman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@mailman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mailman)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing/221934/22 "2003-12-31T22:44:07Z")
I started on electric, switched to acoustic and never really went back. Oh, I have occaisonal binges where I like to plug in and turn it up; but to me, the acoustic guitar is a rare example of perfection. It’s self-contained, a mini piano/orchestra, that gives you all you need to be happy. I say go acoustic. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing/221934/23 "2004-01-01T03:02:48Z")
**Moo the Magic Cow Actually “Louie, Louie” is played A, D, Em, D, etc.** Yes that 3rd chord is an E minor and _not_ a major chord. Someone told me that a LONG time ago, when I’d been playing for less than a year. Nevertheless, I felt I had just stepped up one more rung on the ladder of musical sophistication. ---
**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing/221934/24 "2004-01-01T03:14:47Z")
Well if you’re playing power chords it doesn’t make much difference. My apologies for the lack of clarity. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing/221934/25 "2004-01-01T13:02:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WordMan \* > **An Arky? Great song, but Wild Thing is A D E D. > …** :smack: I know that! I just didn’t type that. Kind of like my playing…:o ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing/221934/26 "2004-01-01T13:13:31Z")
On the importance of practice. I was contemplating having guitar lessons , figuring that if I paid for lessons I would be more motivated to practice. I asked my son’s guitar teacher for some kind of guarantee. “If I practice an hour a day I want to be able to play as well as Hendrix in 6 months.” He laughed and said he could guarantee that I’d be able to play as well as Neil Young by then. “Wow, even the lead on Like a Hurricane” says I. He laughed again, “No, just his strumming stuff. To play lead like that would take about 12 months.” Not bad for an hour a day. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing/221934/27 "2004-01-01T18:35:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don’t ask \* > \*\*He laughed and said he could guarantee that I’d be able to play as well as Neil Young by then. > > “Wow, even the lead on Like a Hurricane” says I. > > He laughed again, “No, just his strumming stuff. To play lead like that would take about 12 months.” > > Not bad for an hour a day. \*\* I think that is more of a comment on the lack of much technique in Young’s electric playing. He is a decent acoustic strummer and picker, but when he plays electric he tends to just smear it out…not all that demanding. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing/221934/28 "2004-01-02T17:39:57Z")
Practice a bit every day, soon adds up. A whole hour is a lot when you can’t get through a song but even 15 minutes a day will work. And learn the blues scale, covers you for 95% of solos. I tried to start learning with the Beatles, wrong, too many chord changes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-playing/221934.md?page=1)