New hobbie :Guitar help

[Pumaman]

What I've found with learning the guitar is that picking up the basic open chords (A, C, D, E, F, G) is relatively straightforward, but then where to go next and how to absorb all the different chords is quite bewildering. All this stuff like Dsus4, G/B, C#m7 ... it's all so complicated and I haven't yet found anywhere that explains it in an easily understandable fashion.

Anyway, to start off with just pick an easy song and just keep practicising it until you can play it fluently; that'll give you some confidence and get your fingering going (oooer missus). Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl is a good one, it's basically just a G, C, G, D progression that repeats.

[Helm]

don't expect to understand complicated chord voicings without knowledge of the underlying music theory. Just basic stuff about intervals explains why a chord is a sustain chord or an augmented chord etc etc. very basic interval theory is a must for anyone playing any sort of music.

[Nine Toes]

And who wants to learn to play some sad crap hit by No Doubt...

Did I mention the second song I learned to play was "Spiderwebs" by No Doubt? *chuckles*

Anyway, to start off with just pick an easy song and just keep practicising it until you can play it fluently...

"Walk, Don't Run", or "Louie, Louie" comes to mind.  XD  I drove my mom nuts with those two.

Afflict:  If you decide to pick up any books on learning guitar, I would not suggest and of the "...For Dummies" or "The Idiot's Guide To..." books.  There really is no way that you can cram such a broad subject such as learning to play guitar into one book, and IMO, they really aren't worth the money, they're also a little bit difficult to follow.  I would probably suggest "The Guitar Grimoire" series.  They have many different titles covering many different subjects.  There's a chord dictionary, a book on scales and modes, exercises, fingerpicking, rythm, etc.

I just wanted to let you know about that so that you don't end up wasting your money, like this one guy I know did... okay, it was me...

Also, Guitar World and Guitar One are a few good magazines for hints and tips, plus they come with tabs.

[Squinky]

I bought an idiots guide to something once....couldn't understand it at all...Which makes a person feel pretty dumb.

Me personally, I found that I preferred rythm, got myself a good book on just rythm and things we're good. I had started playing guitar doing single note songs, like mary had a little lamb, and at that time it was just irritating to learn all those notes....So I learned chords, which was much easier and fun at the time.

[Afflict]

Chuckle.. Those things are written by idiots for idiots, I'd be worried if it made sense
and also if you understood it. 

Thanks guys! Your information is much appreciated altough I dont understand the graph
that Tuomas linked. What is it, looks wierd?

[Venus]

I dont understand the graph that Tuomas linked. What is it, looks wierd?

This is the circle of fifths. It's quite useful actually when it comes to writing songs (and for other things as well). It's basically just a model of pitch space. The letters are the notes A Bb B C C# etc. which we all know and love, but not in alphabetical order, but in fifths. This is useful because you can easily make out which chords are in the same key (is this the right word for it ). If you look at 'C', the two next to it are 'F' on one side and 'G' on the other. These are the major-chords that belong to the key of 'C'. The 'a' under the 'C' is the fitting minor chord. Try to play those on your guitar and you'll hear that they belong together. Of course this works for any other letter, too.
I hope this is understandable. I didn't realise it was so hard to right about music theory in English and not my native language (German). You might want to check this little article in Wiki for further details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths