Learning Guitar coming from Piano Considerations for Beginners?

[Mistro17]

Hi. I been playing my keyboards for over 5 years now. I do have some music theory understanding..well the basics enough to understand the patterns that make up scales, some modes and I find myself more and more listening to music in intervals instead of notes. I'm excited now because I'm waiting for my first guitar to get fixed in the shop and begin my journey with a classical guitar (Aria A558 made in Japan probably 1969/1971). In the mean time I been trying to wrap my head around the fret board and the strings to see if I can identify patterns I can relate to. Like so far, I'm looking at the frets as huge half notes of a piano lol. I watched a video and did some reading on the strings and got an understanding of why they're tuned in 4ths except the B string which is a 3rd. That's where I am so far.

I would love to hear some advice from guitar players here for a beginner like me with virgin fingers. I already got the lecture about the calluses to come. Have any of you learned the piano/keyboard first before learning the guitar and what would you say I can take advantage of and what was your experience? This question can go the other way around too (from guitar to piano). Like did you find making chords easier on the guitar? Are there any lessons you learned later you wish you knew when you first started?

[Jackjackdaw]

My advice would be , don’t start off learning chords. It’s kind of the easy way to be able to bang out some tunes early on but it can box you in. Start off memorising the notes on the fretboard and learn the 7 major scale positions. Then you can learn the interval shapes, then triads and eventually chords will have take care of themselves only you will actually know what they mean in the big picture rather than just knowing them as shapes. This is not a popular method of learning because it puts the hard work up front, but it’s work that needs to be done!

[MrFigg]

I’d say the opposite. Learn the chords and then practice changing between them. Then learn the scale up the neck and start playing barre chords major and minor. That’ll hurt your finger muscle and do your head in because it’ll sound damped but one morning you’ll wake up and magically be able to do it. True story. Learn a couple of scales moving from string to string. I still play shapes in my head after 37 years playing the guitar.

[DaveyG]

I'm with Mr Figg on this. You already know more music theory than most guitarists ever will but save that for stage 2.
Stage 1 - get strumming open chords and playing along with something. If that's going well try a few barre chords (they are gits to learn initially).

The big mindset difference between piano and guitar is that the guitar left-hand is about shapes and patterns, many of which are moveable around the neck. The other challenge is getting used to the left-hand having to be in position before the right-hand plucks/strums, that's where playing along with something really helps.

[Jackjackdaw]

I’d say the opposite. Learn the chords and then practice changing between them. Then learn the scale up the neck and start playing barre chords major and minor. That’ll hurt your finger muscle and do your head in because it’ll sound damped but one morning you’ll wake up and magically be able to do it. True story. Learn a couple of scales moving from string to string. I still play shapes in my head after 37 years playing the guitar.

This is the way everyone learns guitar. It’s the way I learned. I don’t think it is the best way.

I look at modern guitarists like Tim Henson from Polyphia and think , bloody hell he’s blown that guitar wide open. He didn’t start out with the mindset of jamming e minor over some barre chords , he unlocked the full potential from the start.

[MrFigg]

I’d say the opposite. Learn the chords and then practice changing between them. Then learn the scale up the neck and start playing barre chords major and minor. That’ll hurt your finger muscle and do your head in because it’ll sound damped but one morning you’ll wake up and magically be able to do it. True story. Learn a couple of scales moving from string to string. I still play shapes in my head after 37 years playing the guitar.

This is the way everyone learns guitar. It’s the way I learned. I don’t think it is the best way.

I look at modern guitarists like Tim Henson from Polyphia and think , bloody hell he’s blown that guitar wide open. He didn’t start out with the mindset of jamming e minor over some barre chords , he unlocked the full potential from the start.

Maybe that’s aptitude. At then same time, I guess the best way is to do what feels best. Plucky plonking around the fret board when you’re sitting doing nothing else is a good habit.
Anyway, that said, I learned that way and I’m fucking excellent .

[Mistro17]

Thanks. I was thinking of doing both methods mentioned at the same time lol. I know how valuable it is to identify intervals while at the same time I know I'll practice better if I'm enjoying myself and what I like to challenge myself with the most on piano is traveling through chords and finding doorways from one scale to another to modulate and come back home if I end up in the original scale. So what about just focusing on the fret board to understand the patterns while learning chords? Doable on guitar?

But I think overall, one of my biggest challenges will be getting used to playing physically. I still find myself hitting wrong notes by mistake because I forget to practice a lot slower once i get in a groove. So what about posture, finger placement and relaxation? I see with classical guitars, people are using foot stools for the left foot. Is that really necessary? I will also look out for some finger/plucking exercises. Learning the fingering to smoothly make a major scale forward and back really helped me get going on the keyboard. It helped because I got in the habit of planning my initial finger position to travel through the planned chord progressions. Is it the same on guitar?

[MrFigg]

Thanks. I was thinking of doing both methods mentioned at the same time lol. I know how valuable it is to identify intervals while at the same time I know I'll practice better if I'm enjoying myself and what I like to challenge myself with the most on piano is traveling through chords and finding doorways from one scale to another to modulate and come back home if I end up in the original scale. So what about just focusing on the fret board to understand the patterns while learning chords? Doable on guitar?

Yep. It’s shapes. All of it.

[Mistro17]

Sorry @MrFigg, I was typing more on that post while you was replying.

[MrFigg]

You’re thinking too hard about it man. Pick it up and plunk on it when you feel like it. Have it in your hands when you’re sitting chilling out. It becomes a part of you. I walk by my guitars in the house and pick them up without thinking and sit or stand for a while. It’s a natural thing. Screw practicing diligently. Just enjoy the feeling and the rest will come. I promise.

[Mistro17]

You’re thinking too hard about it man. Pick it up and plunk on it when you feel like it. Have it in your hands when you’re sitting chilling out. It becomes a part of you. I walk by my guitars in the house and pick them up without thinking and sit or stand for a while. It’s a natural thing. Screw practicing diligently. Just enjoy the feeling and the rest will come. I promise.

I think I will stop overthinking once I get it home. I feel like I'm waiting for a newborn baby so letting off some steam here lol

[miyaru]

The most important thing, while making music, is fun. Have fun!!!!!!!

Learn whatever feels good at the moment, just play around. I never restrained myself in playing guitar bass or whatever, I play what I feel like most at the moment.

The same goes for practice, do as you feel it.......

[selig]

You’re thinking too hard about it man. Pick it up and plunk on it when you feel like it. Have it in your hands when you’re sitting chilling out. It becomes a part of you. I walk by my guitars in the house and pick them up without thinking and sit or stand for a while. It’s a natural thing. Screw practicing diligently. Just enjoy the feeling and the rest will come. I promise.

As a piano player trying to move to guitar, I did just what you suggested. I put my guitar on a stand next to where I sat to watch TV etc. That way every time I sat down I picked up the guitar. Sometimes I just pressed my left hand fingers into the strings to get them ‘tough’. Other times I played chords. Sometimes I tried to find melodies. All in all, I’m still no guitar player BUT I’ve played guitar on countless tracks of mine with a little help from digital editing!
And more importantly, some songs have even been written on guitar, which was my original goal (to get away from my piano player ‘patterns’). But it took a few years to get to that stage - stick with it, it’s worth it!

[motuscott]

Agree with Selig, have that guitar in your hands as often as possible. Muscle memory is such a big part of physically manipulating any tool.

Also druggas

[miyaru]

Agree with Selig, have that guitar in your hands as often as possible. Muscle memory is such a big part of physically manipulating any tool.

Also druggas

No druggas bro, exercising!

[motuscott]

Someone's gotta play the devil's advocate around this joint

[MrFigg]

Someone's gotta play the devil's advocate around this joint

Ahuh huh huh.. You said "joint".

[miyaru]

Someone's gotta play the devil's advocate around this joint

LOL

[killhamster]

Also druggas

watch out! i can be super smoked out and work with reason like it's second nature, but the moment I pick up a guitar in that state my fingers turn stupid and can't seem to remember how to work. it's a fine line there

[motuscott]

The answer is obvious
Mor smoked up guitar practice.