Ok, I'll get to the point quick. I'd appreciate any tips possible on playing guitar,(I'm starting on electric, I just love the more powerful feel) as I have just started playing my sister's guitar the other day and I'm hooked on it.(You see, I play tons of Guitar Hero and decided to try it out)

 

 

 

Now the main reason for this topic, my sister is 17, and likes to sqeeze as much money out of you as possible. Her guitar is a Johnson(I'll post a pic if needed) and her amp is sub-par. She just found out that I've been playing it, so I'm 95% sure she will try to over-charge me for it.

 

 

 

My budget is not high, and I'd have to wait a while to get a guitar and an amp, but I'm liking the idea of buying the Stratocaster I saw at hastings the other day for $130. I'm wanting to know what I should do, any suggestions welcome.

Are you looking for tips on how to play, or what to buy, then?

Both actually.

Well Squiers are pretty popular for a beginners guitar, and they're cheap.

 

 

 

Basically a poor man's stratocaster.

 

 

 

As for playing, look up and learn the chords

 

A B C D E F G in major

 

 

 

practise until you can form any chord without thinking and move between them keeping a consistent rhythm, also without thinking

 

 

 

then you can go from there

Chords are the first thing you should start with, Pyro's right. Cool lead lines are great, but for playing alone, chords are what you need to sound good, and they're the easiest thing to play. Start with that, and a bit of theory. Also, lessons are very much worth it. I didn't want them, but after going, I loved them.

Start with that [chords], and a bit of theory. Also, lessons are very much worth it. I didn't want them, but after going, I loved them.

 

What he said.

 

Another thing I think is important is to find a teacher who will drill technique into you. It may seem really annoying and slow-moving at the start, but it's really very important to have a proper technique if you want to be able to play to the best of your ability. You could probably learn from YouTube if you can't afford a teacher. Either way, work hard on the technique at the start. So much easier than trying to learn it once you've been playing for a while.

There's a guy on youtube called Justin Sandercoe, search his name, he has a load of videos teaching guitar, and he's really good too.

 

 

 

Following from what Intriguing said, make sure your technique is right.

 

It might be easier now, but in the long run you're just teaching yourself bad habits which will stop your progress.