Beginners Anxiety

[Koth]

I just recently picked up playing the guitar again after a 10 year hiatus. I played for a few years when I was younger and was decent for my level (I won our music school's guitar recital in my second year, woop woop!). I remember how to play, and I remember how to read music, it's just getting my fingers back into shape that's taking the time, so I'm not all that great right now.

I really hate the guitar I have now. It's old, crappy, and ugly. I'm looking to buy a new guitar after Christmas, and I'm leaning towards a hollow body or a semi hollow body, most likely either an Epiphone or Ibanez. My problem comes in that I haven't tried any out because I'm pretty insecure about going into a guitar shop, asking to try out a $500 guitar and then playing Jingle Bells or the theme from MASH on it. It's somewhat embarrassing.


Hmm. I just realized I don't even have a question. I guess I'm just putting this out there.

 

[The Reverend]

Don't worry about it. Yeah, it'll be embarassing, but at the end of the day you'll walk away with an awesome guitar. Just drive to the shop, all the while thinking about getting back into the groove and how fun it used to be, and you might just find that the excitement of playing again will trump your anxiety.

 

[turbo]

Don't worry about it. Yeah, it'll be embarassing, but at the end of the day you'll walk away with an awesome guitar. Just drive to the shop, all the while thinking about getting back into the groove and how fun it used to be, and you might just find that the excitement of playing again will trump your anxiety.

dont worry about it too much. you dont need to play like steve vai to try out a guitar. if its that big-a-deal, keep the volume down. and if its a guitar center, go into the million dollar room and play in there.

 

[espman]

Don't worry about at all, like turbo said, you don't need to be the greatest player alive to try stuff out, and at the end of the day it really doesn't matter if the shops employees don't like what you play, as long as you're having fun playing it.
Also Always good to see more Canadians on here

 

[theshredator]

It's been daunting to switch to 7 string from 6. I had to go try out 7s at guitar center and other music shops and i didn't know but one or two riffs in b, you never sound your best on foreign equipment. Don't sweat it, the people that will care don't matter and the people who do matter won't care.

 

[Bigfan]

Make sure not to crank your volume up to 11 and you should be fine, warm up unplugged a bit first and get to know the feel of the instrument you're playing.

...Or just half-assedly play Smoke on the Water through a Marshall stack at full volume like everyone else at a music store.

 

[kamello]

...Or just half-assedly play Smoke on the Water through a Marshall stack at full volume like everyone else at a music store.

lol, or maybe you should just pick some strings, play a few power chords and just that?

 

[Pippers]

I mostly just run through chords and scales getting the feel of the guitar. I don't bother with songs I know other than simple chord strumming progressions. I find it's enough to get to know the guitar without becoming that guy who plays some song so bad at such a loud volume that you want to go over and smash the guitar over his head.

Just go huddle in your area and don't blast jingle bells.

 

[Koth]

It's all good. I went and just quietly played the chords I know, and bits of a couple of songs.

Walked out of there with an Ibanez AK95 Hollow Body.








I am so damn happy with it.

 

[espman]

It's all good. I went and just quietly played the chords I know, and bits of a couple of songs.

Walked out of there with an Ibanez AK95 Hollow Body.








I am so damn happy with it.

Happy NGD!

 

[synrgy]

Sweet new guitar!

Glad you got over it. I mean honestly, have you not heard what the average shopper in a guitar store sounds like?

I could never work in a guitar store. My ears would bleed after the 2nd or 3rd customer (in a single day) butchered the riff from Master of Puppets.

 

[WickedSymphony]

I could never work in a guitar store. My ears would bleed after the 2nd or 3rd customer (in a single day) butchered the riff from Master of Puppets.

The guitar center out here has a piece of paper taped to the front door that says "No Stairway to Heaven PLEASE"

 

[synrgy]

 

[ZackP3750]

I mean honestly, have you not heard what the average shopper in a guitar store sounds like?

I used to get intimidated playing in Guitar Center. The last time I went into the store this guy was playing a fender strat with an out of tune G-string. I was cringing so bad I had to leave to play the high-end acoustics for a bit, hoping he would be gone by the time I was done. Needless to say, I am no longer worried about how I sound in there

 

[gearaholic]

sometimes you just gotta say fuck it. who cares what anyone things!!!

 

[Bevo]

Nice guitar!

Had to leave the store on boxing day, it was the most annoying noise with out of tune guitars and cranked volumes. I felt sorry for the guys and that was in the morning.

 

[Slofenwagon]

o man i feel the same way i lost my touch on the guitar for awhile till recently were i finally got back into it, i mean im not special enough to win awards like you did back then =p but i feel once you get back into the groove again things will go right again,
lol all you need now is that new guitar