From: pd2@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Philip Duvalsaint)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: Re: Starting out
Date: 9 Apr 92 21:04:18 GMT
Organization: Univ. of Florida CIS Dept.

In article <1992Apr4.031328.5876@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> Luis.E.Scheker@dartmouth.edu (Luis E. Scheker) writes:
>
>     A mistake a lot of people make when first learning guitar is to
>rush into the styles of music they enjoy.  You have to learn how to
>PLAY the instrument before you can really play the music.  While it may
>seem boring to you to strum away at songs like "Hey Jude", "Take It
>Easy", "Sitting on the Dock", and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", you're
>actually doing more than just learning easy tunes. 

Boring is putting it lightly. While I acknowledge the contributions that
the Beatles made to music, I also believe that they sucked. Personally I
prefer Motown.

>My recommendation?  Get yourself a Beatles
>compendium and strum away.  While several of their songs may seem
>simplistic, they have also written a lot of harmonically stunning

I don't care about simplicity, I just don't like them. It's a personal
opinion (just as yours is) but valid nonetheless.
 
>a part of the jazz repertoire; "In My Life" is a personal favorite). 
>More than anything, make sure you have the basics down.  Learn your
>fundamental chords, then work your way through scales and melody
>playing.  I know so many "Tab players" who can sound exactly like Van
>Halen or Satriani, but can't improvise or tell you what they're
>playing.  Start out slowly, making sure you know the names and
>functions of the chords you play.  Sooner than you would imagine, you
>can be able to play anything you hear.

How about doing the same with whatever style of music you enjoy? I don't 
mean to slam you, but your post was 1)Extremely biased and 2)Offensive to
all Beatle haters everywhere.  Despite popular opinion, the Beatles did not
invent melody or harmony. They were part of a slew of British bands that 
took the US by storm in the early 1960's by trying to copy black artists
from the US who couldn't get press because they were black. (End of tirade)
:-)

But seriously, don't limit yourself to any genre or any time period. I 
started playing guitar by playing Sweet Home Alabama (simple 3 chord song).
I wouldn't dream of advising anyone else to learn this song just because I
enjoyed it at one point in my life. My advise, play what you want.
(BTW-My advise is no more valid than Luis Scheker, just different)


>-----Luis Scheker
>Dartmouth College

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Paul McCartney Must Die
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Phil Duvalsaint          | My opinions are actually the opinions of my dead cat
pd2@reef.cis.ufl.edu     | and therefore I am in no way responsible for them.
(or thereabouts)         |                         -J.J. Swick
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                   What if there were no hypothetical situations?
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