Just got my guitar....

[Krems22]

any websites i should start out with to learn the chords?

[DMBFREAK]

MXTABS.NET has some cool stuff for learning chords scales and other things. As well as tabs.

[felix]

wholenote.com

[fraggle]

any websites i should start out with to learn the chords?

When I first learned the guitar, I picked a song that I wanted to learn, and worked at it. I think just looking at a page full of chords will dull your mind

[Stuntcheeks]

any websites i should start out with to learn the chords?

When I first learned the guitar, I picked a song that I wanted to learn, and worked at it. I think just looking at a page full of chords will dull your mind

I disagree. I suggest starting by learning all the open chords. Hell, there are many many songs you can play by just knowing D A G and C.

Just keep playing the chords until you don't have to think, "A minor...I put my first finger here and 2nd here, etc." It'll just come naturally.

The more you get familiar w/playing chords, the more your hands develop muscle memory and this leads to faster chord changing.

Something else that may help is an illustrated book of chords. Any music/guitar store will have some. That way you can see what you're supposed to do.

When you learn chords, I honestly think you'll feel better in the beginning than by just knowing how to pluck out the beginning of Freebird.

[fraggle]

any websites i should start out with to learn the chords?

When I first learned the guitar, I picked a song that I wanted to learn, and worked at it. I think just looking at a page full of chords will dull your mind

I disagree. I suggest starting by learning all the open chords. Hell, there are many many songs you can play by just knowing D A G and C.

Just keep playing the chords until you don't have to think, "A minor...I put my first finger here and 2nd here, etc." It'll just come naturally.

The more you get familiar w/playing chords, the more your hands develop muscle memory and this leads to faster chord changing.

Something else that may help is an illustrated book of chords. Any music/guitar store will have some. That way you can see what you're supposed to do.

When you learn chords, I honestly think you'll feel better in the beginning than by just knowing how to pluck out the beginning of Freebird.

More proof that everyone learns differently! It is ultimatly up to you of course

[Stuntcheeks]

Yeah, definitely, everyone learns differently. I was just going by my experiences. I learned a couple songs and was kind of frustrated because I didn't know what I was doing. I then learned chords and felt I had made huge improvements.

To me it was like learning another language. Sure, I knew how to say a few sentences (songs) but once I learned the language, it opened up a whole new world where I could make my own sentences and understand the others better.

sorry about the lame analogy.

[Iceman25]

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to learn. I think I learn the best is by, first, playing with someone and having them show you the chord progressions then second, by playing tabs that come with sound bits, that helps your rhythem a lot.

I'm struggeling a lot with rhythem and being able to flip my wrist like Dave does, any suggestions from anyone. It seem's like when I play, it sounds very tight. Does it matter how you hold a guitar, pick, or where on the neck you strum (easier to strum up on the neck, lower?)

[firedancer86]

Congratulations on getting a guitar and welcome to the guitar world 8) !

Of coure you will hear every opinion in the world here, but just take the help for what it is worth; ween what you can from it, but allow youself to learn what you want at what pace you want. As you will soon see, everyone has their two cents but nonrtheless, there is something to take from all of the advice here.
I learned by having my dad teach me all of the "cowboy" chords (your D, G,C,A,E) and some minors. From there, I took it to the next level; THE MOST KEY THING IN PLAYING MUSIC ANYWHERE is to learn how to keep rythme. If you ever play solo in your life for a person, or a crowd, you must be careful to not betray their sense of rhthme and timing...It kind of just hangs in the air at all time...once you play by ear long enough, you can pick up on it and get in that flow.
Master some basic chords and work your heart out on timing; I suggest playing along with a cd where you can just repeat it over and over. Learn something simple and work on it until you get the timing down. After you have a few songs, move on to bigger things all while building you skills equally.
If you ever listen to Luther College or Storytellers etc., you will see that past dave knowledge of complex chords lies the natural rhythme he carries.
Do as you think and remember that if you have all of the guitar knowledge in the world and no sense of timing, you are not a musician at all.
Keep working and before you know it, you will have Dave's stuff down!

Sorry if I wasted your time, but hope that it helps

Firedancer