My guitar learning log...

[NCAP]

14 minutes ago, Jedi4Yahweh said:

I often bar the open A major chord with one finger like one of the examples in your link.

 

Here is another thing that may be the problem. I'm using somewhat of a cheap guitar. It's a "Johnson". The distance between the strings and frets, I think, is too much, especially at the opposite end of the tuners. It's a guitar that I wouldn't have bought. Someone else is letting me use it for now.

Actually, the guitar itself is an acoustic guitar that has an output jack so that it can become an electric guitar. It also has a truss rod, but I don't have the wrench to adjust it and don't know how to do that anyway. I was thinking that maybe I could adjust the neck a little so that the strings are closer to the fretboard.

I was thinking of getting a classical guitar with a cedar top. It really is a nice mellow sounding instrument. But I need to practice more and make sure I'm going to stick with this before I go down that route, that is, buying a guitar for myself.

[NCAP]

9 minutes ago, Jedi4Yahweh said:

Yes, it takes practice.  When you bar the open A you got to arch and angle your finger in away that it does not touch, mute or buzz the other strings, but with a little practice it becomes natural.

Yeah, the angle thing makes sense.

[OneLight]

21 minutes ago, NCAP said:

After thinking about this, I think you're right. What I don't like is that I'm getting one string that, when plucked, is sounding either muted, muffled a little bit, or that familiar "buzz" sound.

But there are no short cuts when it comes to mastering something. A person has to keep plugging away at it until that person gets it right.

A factor that many do not take into account right away is the action of your strings.  If you are a beginner, as we all were at one time, you probably have a guitar with high strings, causing difficulty when depressing the strings, resulting in muffled tones and sore fingers.  How is the action on your guitar?

I just noticed your reply above.  If you can, stop by a music store that sells guitars and try playing some of their higher end guitars.  Set a goal to purchase one and your playing will become a whole lot better and enjoyable.

[JohnD]

[NCAP]

2 minutes ago, OneLight said:

A factor that many do not take into account right away is the action of your strings.  If you are a beginner, as we all were at one time, you probably have a guitar with high strings, causing difficulty when depressing the strings, resulting in muffled tones and sore fingers.  How is the action on your guitar?

Hi,

It looks like you asked this question just as I was writing about this issue to Jedi4. But anyway, I'll put it here too as a repeat.

-----------------

Here is another thing that may be the problem. I'm using somewhat of a cheap guitar. It's a "Johnson". The distance between the strings and frets, I think, is too much, especially at the opposite end of the tuners. It's a guitar that I wouldn't have bought. Someone else is letting me use it for now.

Actually, the guitar itself is an acoustic guitar that has an output jack so that it can become an electric guitar. It also has a truss rod, but I don't have the wrench to adjust it and don't know how to do that anyway. I was thinking that maybe I could adjust the neck a little so that the strings are closer to the fretboard.

I was thinking of getting a classical guitar with a cedar top. It really is a nice mellow sounding instrument. But I need to practice more and make sure I'm going to stick with this before I go down that route, that is, buying a guitar for myself.

 

[Jedi4Yahweh]

15 minutes ago, OneLight said:

A factor that many do not take into account right away is the action of your strings.  If you are a beginner, as we all were at one time, you probably have a guitar with high strings, causing difficulty when depressing the strings, resulting in muffled tones and sore fingers.  How is the action on your guitar?

I just noticed your reply above.  If you can, stop by a music store that sells guitars and try playing some of their higher end guitars.  Set a goal to purchase one and your playing will become a whole lot better and enjoyable.

Yes, having a good guitar does help, but if you are a beginner I would not rush out to buy an expensive guitar.  I would start by taking your guitar to a guitar pro that can adjust and set up your guitar so that it is optimal for playing.  If the guitar tech tells you he can not get your guitar within limits with out doing major work, then consider upgrading.  Even expensive guitars have to be adjusted for time to time. 

Edited September 21, 2022 by Jedi4Yahweh

[OneLight]

1 minute ago, Jedi4Yahweh said:

Yes, having a good guitar does help, but if you are a beginner I would not rush out to buy an expensive guitar.  I would start by taking your guitar to a guitar pro that can adjust and set up your guitar so that is optimal for playing.  If the guitar tech tells you he can not get your guitar within limits with out doing major work, then consider upgrading.  Even expensive guitars have to be adjusted for time to time. 

Yes and no.  If you can find a store who employees a good luthier, then it may be worth have it looked at.  That said, when your guitar costs little, then you should not put a lot of money into it as it was never designed to play like the better guitars.  Working the saddle will help some, but with the cheaper guitars, it will not work enough and may cause buzzing. 

The question is, how do you want to play a guitar? 

[NCAP]

14 minutes ago, OneLight said:

Yes and no.  If you can find a store who employees a good luthier, then it may be worth have it looked at.  That said, when your guitar costs little, then you should not put a lot of money into it as it was never designed to play like the better guitars.  Working the saddle will help some, but with the cheaper guitars, it will not work enough and may cause buzzing. 

The question is, how do you want to play a guitar? 

To both of you,

I'm looking into a Cordoba Classical Guitar, about $160 for their cheaper model, and about $250-$300 for a better model (with cedar top). But like Jedi4 suggests, there is no sound reason to go out and buy a new guitar, especially if I'm not going to stick with it.

Right now, I can arpeggio both A minor and E minor and shifting between those alone sounds nice. 

And yes, I want a guitar with good action (strings close to fretboard).

Edited September 21, 2022 by NCAP

[Jedi4Yahweh]

4 minutes ago, OneLight said:

Yes and no.  If you can find a store who employees a good luthier, then it may be worth have it looked at.  That said, when your guitar costs little, then you should not put a lot of money into it as it was never designed to play like the better guitars.  Working the saddle will help some, but with the cheaper guitars, it will not work enough and may cause buzzing. 

The question is, how do you want to play a guitar? 

A good guitar setup is not expensive compared to buying a new guitar.  You can get a good setup for around 40-50 dollars and that usually includes new strings.  It is a better option then telling a beginner you need to go buy an expensive guitar that can range from $800 to thousands of dollars, where in most cases beginner guitarist end up up ditching guitar playing in their first year.  Plus, taking your guitar to a guitar tech can help advise him on any issues with the guitar and help him make decisions if his guitar is worth using or to upgrade.

[OneLight]

7 minutes ago, NCAP said:

To both of you,

I'm looking into a Cordoba Classical Guitar, about $160 for their cheaper model, and about $250-$300 for a better model (with cedar top). But like Jedi4 suggests, there is no sound reason to go out and buy a new guitar, especially if I'm not going to stick with it.

Right now, I can arpeggio both A minor and E minor and shifting between those alone sounds nice. 

And yes, I want a guitar with good action (strings close to fretboard).

May I ask why you are looking into a classical guitar?  Personally I like them, but not sure your of reason.  Consider how they are designed and why they are designed in such a way.  Are you planning on finger-picking a lot?