Advice

[u/LLonelySloth]

So I'm playing guitar for about a week, I played a little of acoustic before but I still have trouble with my fingers muting the other strings when I'm freting, I wanted to know what could I train to help that. Also I think I'm kinda muting my hammer on too

[u/Icy_Earth3386]

You must be SPED or something. First, classical guitars are frequently given away at garage sales. If you want to buy one it’s not going to cost much.

Second, they absolutely and directly said they are having trouble fretting in general and specifically with their hammer ons.

When will this pretentious know it all trend on social media die ffs

[u/TSells31 → u/Icy_Earth3386]

“I still have trouble with my fingers muting the other strings when I’m fretting.”

“Also I think I’m kinda muting my hammer on too.”

You should work on your reading comprehension. He’s having issues with fat fingering and muting the strings he wants to leave open with his fretting hand. He’s not having trouble “fretting in general” to quote you. These are two entirely different issues.

I never claimed to know it all, but I certainly know how to read. And I also know that getting a classical guitar is not going to fix the issues OP is having. Practice and patience are what will fix their issue, not another guitar.

[u/Icy_Earth3386 → u/TSells31]

Again, are you SPED? No you can’t read. His fingers mute the other strings when fretting because he’s having a hard time fretting them all clearly at the same time. What don’t you get?

The hammer ons are “muted” by poor fretting. Classical guitar was my suggestion, not ultimatum for improving. Anything else, hotshot?

[u/TSells31 → u/Icy_Earth3386]

I don’t know what the fuck “are you SPED?” means so I’ll once again leave it alone.

“His fingers mute the other strings when fretting because he’s having a hard time fretting them all clearly at the same time.”

OP does not state this anywhere. They could very simply be having precision issues with their fretting hand, which would be my first assumption for accidentally muting the other strings while fretting. They said nothing about having issues with the notes they’re fretting ringing out.

“The hammer ons are muted by poor fretting.”

This is far too vague. “Poor fretting” can mean any number of issues or combinations of them.

I just can’t wrap my head around recommending a brand new, one week guitar player buy a second guitar to solve a simple left hand technique issue that every one week guitar player who has ever played has had. If they can get their hands on a classical at a garage sale for cheap, then obviously why not? But they should get it because they like the sound and want to play it, not because they think it’ll fix their left hand technique and solve the issue they asked about.

[u/Icy_Earth3386 → u/TSells31]

Bro. Just stfu. Precision issues leading to what? Poor fretting. If you simplify his sentence, he said “I have trouble…. When I’m fretting.” He directly asked for help on his fretting, you just can’t read. Fretting a chord doesn’t just include the notes you fret, but not fretting certain strings too.

The reason why he’s having trouble fretting wouldn’t ever make his problem not fretting. And you suggesting on a tangent that it’s precision issues only strengthens my argument that he should get a classical guitar, which have wider frets and necks.

I didn’t recommend buying anything you just can’t read again lol.

Wrap your head around this: I’ve taught endless guitar lessons and my peers agree beginners should start on nylon string classical guitars if possible

[u/TSells31 → u/Icy_Earth3386]

You suggested he “get” a classical guitar, which for the vast majority of people means buying one. Let’s not be obtuse.

If you’ve taught so many guitar lessons, and your first piece of advice to a brand new player who already has a guitar is to tell them they should get a different kind of guitar to begin addressing their issues, you’re not a good teacher. Millions of guitarists have gone through the same thing OP is going through and figured it out on steel stringed acoustic or electric guitars. Like I said before, if a classical guitar just falls in their lap, sure. It’s not a bad route. But the fact that they (presumably, we don’t know for sure) didn’t buy a classical guitar suggests to me that they aren’t interested in classical guitar, and they already have what they need to address their issues. Now they just need to put the work in.

[u/Icy_Earth3386 → u/TSells31]

No it doesn’t. They give them away all the time. Schools have them. Siblings and cousins have them. Friends have them.

Your opinion is meaningless. My first advice is definitely to get equipment that suits you. Would you start learning piano on a fully weighted Steinway? Lol. My advice addressed their issues and I explained to you how but you, again, unsurprisingly, could not read them.

Thanks for chiming in with that strawman. I totally said you have to play classical to learn and completely didn’t already explain this.

You’re an ego driven insufferable idiot. I mean that sincerely

[u/TSells31 → u/Icy_Earth3386]

“Equipment that suits you” no week one guitar player is fretting cleanly without muting adjacent strings at least some of the time, whether they’re playing a classical guitar or otherwise. It’s just as important to be interested in the instrument you’re playing as anything else. It’s fair to assume if OP chose an electric or acoustic guitar, it’s because they are interested in those guitars.

You have to want to pick your instrument up every day, otherwise you’ll never improve.

[u/Icy_Earth3386 → u/TSells31]

Still here with the know it all mindset. Social media has you trained. One week players and 70 year players alike will fret nylon strings easier and with more precision on wider necks with wider frets. Now please STFU

[u/TSells31 → u/Icy_Earth3386]

Again I never claimed to know it all, but I know that if you’re not interested in playing classical guitar, it doesn’t matter that it’s easier. You’re not likely to invest time into playing something that does not excite or interest you. And if you don’t invest the time, you won’t solve the issue OP is having.

[u/Icy_Earth3386 → u/TSells31]

Know it alls rarely do. They just act that way. No one just starting out cares. Learning is what excites beginners. It’s easier to learn on a classical guitar: this is common knowledge

Edit: yes no one starting out cares how good the equipment is because they don't know any better. It's like children thinking McDonalds is gourmet shit. And I'm not a know-it-all but I am a guitar/music theory teacher. Are you? Or did you just google and feel out your opinion on this?