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@Gran Gran I would like to add one more thing to the good advice you have already received from my guitar friends here. Especially when it comes to buying an acoustic guitar, let your ear guide you. Before buying my steel acoustic string, I made several visits to the local guitar store and took the time to try out many guitars. Now there was something about the sound of the one I finally took home. For some reason this guitar could "sing" in a way that moved me emotionally. And now about 4 years later it still has the same effect on me. The instrument itself inspires m

I alway's tought that I was a big Martin Fan but recently I played a Taylor 314 in my local shop and that played so smooth... I only played it without a pick but everything just felt right... I was able to compare it to a Martin 000 15 because they had both. Maybe I liked the sound of the Martin a little bit more but I was surprised that I liked playing on the Taylor more. So the Taylor came out as the winner for fingerpicking. Another brand that I really like and that is not that expensive is the seagull... What's your favorite Brand and why?

Sounds good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiCATXpSuuk

I really appreciate the advise from you folks. It does encourage me to practice more. I have utilized the Steve's Learn and Master the Guitar course as my primary source to learning to play the guitar. Especially in learning how to read music. I can read and play notes better than playing chords. Thank you.

This seems like its practice worthy https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0114998

@Gran Gran, welcome to you and no one, I believe, thinks your question is a joke. It's a valid question. We often see some form of "Will a better, i.e. more expensive, guitar somehow improve my guitar learning experience". You have received two thoughtful, considered answers and I am probably going to do little to add to those other than just reiterate. There are probably a lot more of us senior learners, of great grandpa age, on these forums than most realize. I am conceivably (pun intentional) of that age. I have two grand-kids in their upper 20's😉. So biologically it's possible.

As Henk and Diane said once you cross the $1,000 range of instruments the return becomes less and less . like a car that didn't cost much can go from 0-60 in 5.5sec and costs a lot to get it to 5.0 seconds. Granted there are many fine examples well below $1,000 as well. Just remember, nicks, scratches, and dings happen and are all part of a guitar knowing it's loved. [edit: owning a $2,000+ guitar is amazing.. play it , play it again]

Recording or looping myself just proves how far off reality is and what my brain hears 😪

Henk if you have an iOS device then you have free access to GarageBand. You will find it in the App Store. GarageBand is an amazing software package which I highly recommend for a first DAW. If you are going to work with an iPad or iPhone a cheap but good way to connect your guitar is an iRig2 which is a good low cost interface. This is much better than using the internal microphone. If you are thinking about working with a Mac or Pc and had more cash to spend a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a great interface (it does not work with tablets though). Macs also get GarageBand for free.

Thanks for posting the article Mandy. Recording myself play has really become one of my failures. I have such limited time to play and practice that I cannot commit more time to learning about recording systems. I have on occasion used the Voice memos app on iOS and have been disappointed with the results. I suspect the the replay points out to my lack of skills rather than the tinny sound coming from the phone. In the summary the author states, "Multitracking a song by yourself is one of the best things you can do to improve your musicianship." I cannot disagree, so I must begin moving i

@Gran Gran welcome to the beginning of a wonderful journey. One is never to old to start learning something new. I started at 68 and am thoroughly enjoying both the learning experience and the comradery of a nice group of guitarists in the L & M group with Steve. There are many different reasons for picking a particular guitar but Diane is right, "..it must be one that you use." Since you have already chosen your guitar, practice with it, learn with it and enjoy it. Don't feel that this guitar will be the final guitar in your journey, very few people still use the guitar they started with.

@Gran Gran Welcome to the forum, and I presume, to Steve's course. My take on your question is this: the guitar that will best help you learn is the one on which you actually practice and play. That guitar could cost anywhere from $25 to $250,000. It should suit the kind of music you want to play, give you pleasure, and it should be professionally set up so that you don't have to work against it. So, my layperson's short answer is, no. There comes a price point of diminishing returns at which the extra dollars do not add playability or tone as much as they add trim and finish. This point

I am a great grandpa and started working on playing the guitar about 2 1/2 years ago. I have, what I think, is a very good guitar. Without giving a brand name I will say that it cost me about $2,000.00. I have been seeing advertisements for guitars that are much, much more expensive. My question is; will a more expensive guitar help in learning how to play? I know that some people may think this is a joke but trust me at 78 years old it isn't a joke. I really do want to learn how to play the guitar, and to play it good. Thanks in advance for your input.

I would agree as well. I've found that using my Looper pedal while practicing is a great help in hearing exacty how you sound. I record the rhythm track and play the melody over it to practice the tune and the timing. It's a bit frustrating at times to get a "clean" track and often takes many many attempts, but it's well worth it in the end, whether you are practicing or recording. Now I'm more familiar with it (there was a pretty steep learning curve), I also use my recording software "Reaper" for this when I want to capture a track to save. Pro backing tracks are good too, but I prefer doin

interesting... N

The advantage of knowing the five (CAGED) shapes for each arpeggio is that you can stay in roughly the same position on the neck when playing over a chord progression. And it gives you more flexibility as for one and the same chord or arpeggio, playing at a different position on the neck will give you a different voicing. I agree it is a big task to memorize them all, so you need to decide if you want to put in the necessary work. Wim.

That's a busy schedule, @Limatje. Respect! I tend to work on fewer items in parallel. A couple of excercises and a song or two. My practice is dictated by the songs I want to learn. If a specific scale or technique is used in the song I am learning, then I do some specific exercises on that scale or technique. This works for me and keeps me motivated. Wim.

I do pay a lot of attention lately on fretting hand technique to avoid string squeaks. In an attempt to further reduce the unwanted finger noise, I am now trying out D'Addario Flat Tops. These are not real flat wounds, but strings that have been polished to have a semi-flat surface. I must admit I had to get used to their sound initially. Compared to the Elexirs I had on before, the sound is a bit less round and warm. But after playing them for a few weeks and making a first recording with them for the current monthly recording challenge (Queen's Love of my life), I think they a

I was not aware, but it makes a lot of sense. Steve starts and finishes the whole Learn and Master cycle with the same song "Paulette". The L&M journey ends where it started.

Thanks, Limatje, I will check it out. Travis picking is really a next level challenge to me. But it gives such a rich sound. Wim.

Thanks, William. Lesson 5 contains some of my favorite songs of this course: Malaguena and Lagrima. And the unavoidable Canon in D of course . Enjoy the rest of the course! Wim.

Hey Triple o, I liked that movie a lot! Did you learn that song? Is it difficult with just the sheet music and the performance but nobody who really teach it? I Think I will give it a try! Such a nice song 🤩