Dad3353

Maybe you forgot to order, along with your guitar, the necessary accessory that helps a lot (and I mean 'a lot'..!). Have a look on line and try to find a supplier of Patience. Don't bother with the trial pack; go for the Budget Bucket straight away; you'll be needing it for the next few decades, whatever your activities, and even more so as time wears on. Patience, that's the Key. 

Oh, and whilst I'm here, allow me to pass on this little word of encouragement; it applies to so many things, but is perfectly adapted to your current issues...

'It's the first forty years that are the worst, after which things sometimes tend to get (slightly...) better.'

There, that should set you up for the week..!  Good luck with it all; we've all been there..! 

4 hours ago, PJ-Bassist said:

...A question, what is the correct, or rather, most effective way to Barre - i.e. should the finger be flat across the fretboard or at a angle? And how much should my finger extend above the top of the fret board, is it best to keep a relatively small amount poking up using more of the upper finger for the barre or is it more effective to have more showing and using the lower parts of the finger?

That's two questions...

Basically, the index is laid across flat to the fingerboard. If I've interpreted the second question correctly, the index is laid completely over; it should find its position pretty naturally if your thumb is centred on the back of the neck. You'll need all the phalanges to be holding down the strings, lightly but firmly. Don't bother about other fingers until this comes naturally, and produces clean tones, every time you do it, at whatever fret (Disclaimer: it might not be so easy up around the 10th fret; no need to insist there, as it's seldom useful, especially on acoustic guitars...).
Any help..?

13 hours ago, PJ-Bassist said:

...some pointers to help me get it right?...

The ease or otherwise in learning this depends to some extent on the guitar used. Can we assume that you're playing these on the guitar in your avatar, ie: an acoustic folk guitar..?
Here's my 'tip'... Start off by laying the index finger across the whole fretboard, at the fifth fret. Gently strum the strings, slowly, to be sure that all are sounding cleanly. Adjust the index until this is so. No need for enormous pressure, just a gentle grip with the thumb firmly in the middle of the back of the neck. Repeat this by releasing the neck, move up a couple of frets and do it again. Take your time, and release-barre progressively, with just the index, at all the fret positions; randomly chosen is fine. The important bit is to lay the index on, then sound the strings, and keep doing this until every note is clear, every time. It won't take long, trust me.

Once that's done (but not until...), go back to the fifth fret, lay the index on (check that it all rings out clearly...), then fret the fifth string 'E' (7th fret...) with the ring finger. Again, check that all notes ring cleanly, repeat at other positions, slowly, until all notes sound correctly.

Now, back to the fifth fret, barre with the index finger, then ring finger to 'E'; now fret the fourth string 'A' (7th fret...) with the pinky. Check for clear sound; change fret, rinse and repeat. You're now playing a barred minor chord (Am, at the 5th fret...).

Nearly there, now..! Back to the fifth fret, barre with index, add ring and pinky to play this Am, then add the middle finger to the third string 'C#', 6th fret and check for clear sound on all strings. That's a barred A Major; well done. Release all, and move around the neck, slowly, doing the same exercise. If it starts to not ring out so well, go back a step or, even better, start again from scratch, with just the index, and do it all again, slowly.

Don't do this for long periods, just a few minutes, no more, then rest your hand, either by playing something else or doing the washing-up or similar. It won't take more than a couple of sessions to get the hang of it anyway, but it's no good forcing the issue and tiring the hands; that will only slow down the process. Have a go, anyway, and report back here with progress. Worth a try..? 

2 hours ago, buttmonki said:

...Can anyone recommend a good quality (not toylike) left handed guitar to suit a six year old just starting to learn please?

Have a look here, maybe..?

Left-handed guitars for children ...

Are you sure she'd play 'lefty', though..? My family are largely 'lefty'; I have a younger brother, 'hard' lefty, who started playing on my guitar (righty...), and was much better than me from the outset (and still is, by a long chalk...). Given a 'righty' guitar, she may well adapt without question to it.
Are you planning on having her attend tuition..? A good tutor would be well-placed to assess her aptitude for playing either way round, and would, whatever the choice, get her off to a good start. A classical (nylon-strung...) guitar would be a wise choice for someone that young, for many reasons, and there's plenty of time later to acquire other instruments, once the basics are 'down'.
The most important thing, however, is her own motivation. If she really wants to play sax, or flute, or whatever, that's the instrument she should be given the opportunity to get going on.

Just my tuppence-worth; hope this helps. 

8 minutes ago, Jazz Club said:

Ah would be better if it just said report.

Thanks for the info.

Cheers, and you're not wrong, but it's 'standard' with this Forum software, and any customisation is, although possible, always to be avoided, as it adds expense, and makes Forum upkeep, maintenance and future upgrades very complicated. One gets used to it after a few decades, so be patient with us all, please; thanks in advance. 

5 minutes ago, Arepo Idest said:

I'm not trolling at all, what makes you think that?

This topic has not been locked, you've not received a Warning'. It's simply (for this Forum...), a very unusual request, and, whilst we may be sympathetic to your circumstances, it's not the way many members here would support, I'm guessing. I'm sorry if that's not what you want to hear, but... 

One would expect, as a minimum, at least an entry in the 'Introductions' section, which gives an opportunity to show one's location, and maybe some participation in the Forum posts, so that folks get to know you a bit better. All are welcome here (well, not trolls, of course ..!); stick around and mingle a little, and be patient..? 

Both a bit garish for me. I'd prefer a natural blonde finish, personally. 

55 minutes ago, Jazz Club said:

Why is there not a report facility on this forum ?

You keep letting Trolls through??

There is a 'Report' link on every post (top right; take your cursor up there and it becomes more visible...). Try it out. I've Reported several posts (including in this topic...), and the Mods and Admin take 'em very seriously. 'Trolls' do not get through for long.
Hope this helps. 

^^ See answer in other topic... 

See answer in other topic ... 

Either of these two guitars will get you started with no issues. The Thomann site has sound clips from both; they sound very similar to my cloth ears; there's certainly no radical difference. They'll both play pretty much any style in the same manner. The real clincher will be, in my view, your own aesthetic tastes. I'm an Official Old Duffer, so would be more at ease with the more 'traditional' Les Paul shape; I doubt you'd have these same qualms concerning 'pointy' guitars, so it's totally up to you. The Epiphone pack has the slight advantage of being 'Plug'n'Play', in having absolutely everything required; the Ibanez would need an amp of sorts to get the best from her, and strap etc, so the budget climbs slightly (depending on choice of amp, of course...).
The Short Answer is: both are fine, so you choose, and be happy. Good luck on your journey. 

Good evening, MM , and ...

Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

10 minutes ago, Si600 said:

 

I could see four ways to get around this...

Good afternoon, Rob , and ...

Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good afternoon, Dusty, and ...

Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Over 60, eh..? You young'uns..! 

23 minutes ago, EdwardMarlowe said:

Certainly we're living in a golden age for cheap pedals to try...

Just listen to the old fellow, harking back to 'the Good/Bad Old Days'..!  In the '60s we had to make our own Fx with germanium transistors and zamac cases..! Tottenham Court Road was our source of ex-WWII chicken-head knobs, the electronic magazines carried articles on circuitry, and we longed for temperature-controlled soldering irons instead of lumps of hot copper..! Thems were the daze, indeed..! 

...

Good evening, Variable, and ...

Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good afternoon, Ken , and ...

Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

What he said ^^ 

Yes, that's ^^ exactly what houses my Samick 335. 

My Samick 335 has lived in her Hiscox case since acquisition, many, many decades ago now; it fits perfectly and has afforded excellent protection all this time. If the guitar is good, she deserves a good case.

This is the Taylor web page concerning strings for their guitars ...

Best Strings for Your Taylor Guitar ...

For longevity, Elixir strings are very hard to beat, and sound fine (or rather better than 'fine', to me...). Their 'Nanoweb' phosphor-Bronze are ideal, as they tune up well and hold their tune, and keep their tone for much longer than others; in my view 'Medium' is the best weight (13-56...). Easily available; here's the Amazon offering, but there are many other sources...

Elixir Strings ...

There's not much point, really, in having a carved solid top on an electric guitar if it has a block inside for the pick-ups etc. A laminated top will be better for feedback suppression in any case. A solid top is used often enough on acoustic or electrified arch-top guitars if they are truly hollow-bodied. There are exceptions, surely, but a carved table would be a waste on a 335-style instrument.

Good evening, Norm, and ...

Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.