a lot of people use Murphy's Oil Soap or Lemon Oil. I have used Murphy's on wood for years (not guitars) and it is fantastic
A little off topic...but how long have you been playing guitar? And do you read sheet music? or tablature?
cat nap
I have been playing about nine years. I haven't had any lessons, mostly self taught. I had some friends who played and I hung around with them. I can read some sheet music. Mostly I just play by ear, or by chords. I can play most anything I want to in the chords of D, G or A. I use a capo and move it up and down the neck if I need to change the chord. There is a lot I just don't know how to do.
jcat
I searched around some and couldn't find the product you mentioned, not even on Ebay.
Thank you so much, @blueyedgirl5946. I actually always use You Tube videos for 'how-to" fix things, repair, and clean things...(plus watching music videos)...but never would have known that people posted guitar tutorials. (I just thought that people were playing 'cover songs' or trying to break into the music scene...and never, ever looked at any lessons). I can play a few chords, and also have short fingers...but the barre chords are not as bad...and just depend upon the action (height) of the strings, and how comfortable the neck is in my left hand.
@Catnap The friends I play at the nursing home with met last night and we practiced for about an hour. The best advice I can give you is hang around with folks who know more about it than you do. That has helped me a lot. There is a man who plays and sings with us that has been a musician since he was a young boy, now in his 70's. He is a one man show and just goes with the rest of us to help. I always set up my chair/music stand so I can see his left hand and the neck of his guitar. He knows I need help so he always makes it known where to put the capo and what key to play in to be able to play with him if he is playing in a key I don't know how to play in. That helps.Thank you so much, @blueyedgirl5946
. I actually always use You Tube videos for 'how-to" fix things, repair, and clean things...(plus watching music videos)...but never would have known that people posted guitar tutorials. (I just thought that people were playing 'cover songs' or trying to break into the music scene...and never, ever looked at any lessons). I can play a few chords, and also have short fingers...but the barre chords are not as bad...and just depend upon the action (height) of the strings, and how comfortable the neck is in my left hand.
That is so impressive...and a little inspiring...because you actually play in front of an audience, and are self taught, plus I always find it amazing when people can play by ear. And I saw capos being used but didn't really know what they were for. I just thought they were for higher sounds. (For me, I have to have the tablature and chord diagrams to be able to learn. I find that reading notes is very difficult, and would take me ages.) Thanks again for the you-tube lessons tip. Just to be able to play a few modern songs, would be fun.
cat nap
My husband has played classical and flamenco guitar for about 40 years, has taken quite a few lessons and absolutely loves the YouTube tutorials, especially for Classic Rock. :lol3: He used to buy a lot of "guitar course" DVDs, but mainly uses YouTube nowadays.
jcat
I love Classical guitar, just can't play any of it. It is amazing how many different sounds can come from the same instrument. I mainly play country and bluegrass gospel. Yes, the You Tube tutorials are wonderful learning tools. I have sat for long periods of time and watched some of the ones who give instructions. They have helped me as much as being around people who are smarter than me and watching them.
I love all these ideas. I'm not so sure that I'm ready to play out in public yet, and I did play in a 'guitar club' back in high school, but that was 27 years ago, and we were all awful...so it was not intimidating...playing at our own levels.@Catnap The friends I play at the nursing home with met last night and we practiced for about an hour. The best advice I can give you is hang around with folks who know more about it than you do. That has helped me a lot. There is a man who plays and sings with us that has been a musician since he was a young boy, now in his 70's. He is a one man show and just goes with the rest of us to help. I always set up my chair/music stand so I can see his left hand and the neck of his guitar. He knows I need help so he always makes it known where to put the capo and what key to play in to be able to play with him if he is playing in a key I don't know how to play in. That helps.
Another thing is I sometimes sit in front of my radio or C/D player, put on some gospel music, move my capo up and down the neck and try playing what I know how to play until I find the right place to play with what I am hearing. I seldom can take a song and just play it without listening to it first. When I hear it, then I can get the timing right. I just wish I had learned when I was a kid. My dad was a self taught musician, and when we were children, he tried to get us interested. We were too busy.
I agree @blueyedgirl5946...I find that when I listen to classical guitar, it sounds like a whole orchestra playing, or at least more than one instrument. And the way they stretch their hands to play the notes, and chords looks unbelievable.@cat nap My husband has played classical and flamenco guitar for about 40 years, has taken quite a few lessons and absolutely loves the YouTube tutorials, especially for Classic Rock.He used to buy a lot of "guitar course" DVDs, but mainly uses YouTube nowadays.
