Best place to learn a new musical instrument

[Crazycrab]

I figured I'd just throw this out there because my uncle recently passed away and amoung his things was a bass guitar I gave him some years back that got passed back to me.  I try playing years ago but never got very far.  I also get an electro-acoustic guitar that belonged to his late son.  After looking through some local classifieds I found a pretty decent 1980's amp for £20 (pictured).

 

 

So I've got the gear but you think is the best place/way to learn?  I'm basically starting from beginners level again.

[killamch89]

I'm sorry about your uncle passing. There are tutorials on YouTube and also there are sites like Skillshare that can help you as well.

[The Blackangel]

The best way to learn is with someone who can teach. That said, the best place is either at your home or theirs. Wherever the both of you feel comfortable. A decent teacher wont gouge you for lesson payments, but you will have to pay a fair price.

If you practice for just an hour or two daily between lessons, and apply yourself to it, you could learn to play rather well in just a matter of a few weeks. Practice more, and you could learn to tear that bass up.

[Crazycrab]

A little update, I've since swapped the electro-acoustic for a full electric that belonged to my uncle as well.  I also got a guitar amp from the same guy I got the bass amp and it's a really good Marshall model.  For learning I've ordered a copy of Rocksmith (PS4) and there a song that played at my uncle's funeral service I've decided to learn first, Days by The Kinks.

 

[killamch89]

12 hours ago, Crazycrab said:

A little update, I've since swapped the electro-acoustic for a full electric that belonged to my uncle as well.  I also got a guitar amp from the same guy I got the bass amp and it's a really good Marshall model.  For learning I've ordered a copy of Rocksmith (PS4) and there a song that played at my uncle's funeral service I've decided to learn first, Days by The Kinks.

 

I don't know much about guitars but what's the difference between both?

[Crazycrab]

2 hours ago, killamch89 said:

I don't know much about guitars but what's the difference between both?

 

The one on the right is a 4 strong bass, on the left is a 6 string electric guitar.  As the name suggests the bass has a deeper sound and plays notes on the bass clef, the guitar is on the "normal" treble clef.  Each one has their own amp.

[killamch89]

20 hours ago, Crazycrab said:

The one on the right is a 4 strong bass, on the left is a 6 string electric guitar.  As the name suggests the bass has a deeper sound and plays notes on the bass clef, the guitar is on the "normal" treble clef.  Each one has their own amp.

Thanks for the info - I was looking into getting a guitar myself but I haven't fully made up my mind as yet what I'm getting.

[Crazycrab]

5 hours ago, killamch89 said:

Thanks for the info - I was looking into getting a guitar myself but I haven't fully made up my mind as yet what I'm getting.

 

Whichever you decide to get I can definitely recommend Rocksmith, it's got great video tutorials and exercises for beginners for Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar and Bass.  One thing worth keeping in mind though and the game touches on this on the tutorial is that if you use HDMI for your audio output it will lag because of HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection), so use optical out instead.

 

Which instrument you should get really depends mostly on what you wanna play.  Most of the time the Bass plays kind of supporting role while the guitar is out front but Bass often plays a more leading role in Jazz and Blues.

[Empire]

Start with the instrument you like the best. The most important thing in learning any instrument is to practice, and you will practice more if you like the instrument. I mean I'm bad at playing. I'd say guitar because it isn't terribly expensive (Can get a decent used one for like $50), and isn't particularly hard. Plus, there's a wealth of free instruction in the interweb, in addition to tabs to whatever song you'd ever want to play.

Or free as in YouTube from your own home 😛 

[Crazycrab]

6 minutes ago, Empire said:

Start with the instrument you like the best. The most important thing in learning any instrument is to practice, and you will practice more if you like the instrument. I mean I'm bad at playing. I'd say guitar because it isn't terribly expensive (Can get a decent used one for like $50), and isn't particularly hard. Plus, there's a wealth of free instruction in the interweb, in addition to tabs to whatever song you'd ever want to play.

Or free as in YouTube from your own home 😛 

 

Guitar and Bass cost about the same in my experience (I think was bass was cheaper in fact, but I did buy it years ago).  I'd also say that Bass is a little easier since you don't generally have to learn any chords.

 

Like you said though, the key thing is practice, I'm taking a walk and I brought my guitar with me! 😄

[Sharon]

That's really cool. As you get more comfortable with your instrument Kompoz is a great place to collaborate with other musicians if you ever take up an interest in writing your own stuff.

[killamch89]

19 hours ago, Crazycrab said:

Whichever you decide to get I can definitely recommend Rocksmith, it's got great video tutorials and exercises for beginners for Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar and Bass.  One thing worth keeping in mind though and the game touches on this on the tutorial is that if you use HDMI for your audio output it will lag because of HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection), so use optical out instead.

Which instrument you should get really depends mostly on what you wanna play.  Most of the time the Bass plays kind of supporting role while the guitar is out front but Bass often plays a more leading role in Jazz and Blues.

I'll definitely check out Rocksmith but for me, it's just a new hobby to take up. I've been having that itch since earlier this year and with my dad passing last month, that itch grew stronger because my dad used to be a  musician and my love for music came from him and my mom.

[Crazycrab]

20 minutes ago, killamch89 said:

I'll definitely check out Rocksmith but for me, it's just a new hobby to take up. I've been having that itch since earlier this year and with my dad passing last month, that itch grew stronger because my dad used to be a musician and my love for music came from him and my mom.

 

Your coming from a similar position to me to then.  My uncle lived for music, he was a good guitarist and an even better drummer in his day.  He even wrote a song celebrating me and my two brothers birthday (we're triplets).  Sadly he couldn't really play in his later years due to complications with his health.

 

I'm definitely making progress with Rocksmith as well as some other tutorials and tabs I've looked up on YouTube and online.

[killamch89]

23 hours ago, Crazycrab said:

Your coming from a similar position to me to then.  My uncle lived for music, he was a good guitarist and an even better drummer in his day.  He even wrote a song celebrating me and my two brothers birthday (we're triplets).  Sadly he couldn't really play in his later years due to complications with his health.

 

I'm definitely making progress with Rocksmith as well as some other tutorials and tabs I've looked up on YouTube and online.

My dad primarily played the piano but was good with other instruments such as organs, drums, guitars, recorders and others.

[ZandraJoi]

Sorry to hear of your uncle passing! Have you been able to learn anything? 

I think the best way to learn is first, to have the willingness to learn as well as the desire. There are loads of books, videos people can read & watch. When I learn something, I tend to learn on my own but I do like having a one on one to help me when I get stuck. Some people prefer classes as that fits their personality better.