Err I don't know if this is the right place so please move/lock if not.

How long have you people been playing the acoustic guitar? I just started a couple days ago and I'm just doing exercises to form calluses so it won't be as hard once I start playing chords.
The guitar I got was from a friend and he hasn't touched it for about a year now ( was just gathering dust but i cleaned it and stuff)

My problem is I can't play the chords, I'm trying to learn the 3 basics, G, C, and D. But i always get that unclear sound because one of my fingers is muting the one below. Does this get fixed a or you find a way later on? I'm positioning my thumb halfway or below the neck so I'm pretty sure my thumb positioning is right. Did you guys go through this when you first started? How long did it take to fix that problem?

Oh and how long did it take you guys to form calluses?
Sorry for the rant I just felt that I needed experiences from other players

I only learned classical guitar at school with a nylon-string so I can only answer a few of your questions (since I'm assuming you're using a steel-string guitar).

Anyhoo, when you play the chords, you really have to practice a lot, especially with the fingering on your left hand. If it's not right there, then you honestly won't play the strings correctly. It's really difficult with a steel-string guitar because it hurts somewhat but with nylon-strings, it's rather easy and not as hard/painful (lol).

Do some finger stretches and make sure your nails are cut especially since you're a beginner. Not having them cut will give it a buzzing sort of sound because your nails are keeping you from pushing your finger any harder on the strings.

For calluses, it depends on how often you play. It'll take about a week or two but if you play often, you'll definitely get calluses faster. BTW, with my nylon-string, I didn't get any calluses after playing it for like 3 months. I haven't played in a really long time sooo yeah. But it helps to practice a lot. Good luck with it!

oooo my nails are pretty long because i haven't cut em in a while, maybe thats why, haha thanks, plus i think it's not tuned right so it also makes the buzzing noise

You should definitely cut your nails if you want clear sounding chords. I've been playing on my classical guitar for about 6 months now and I'm getting pretty good at it. All you have to do is practice, memorize chords and strumming patterns. Also, you might want to look up tutorials on YouTube about hand positioning. They help out a lot!

Calluses come and go. Mine have already disappeared because I stopped playing for a few weeks haha. Good luck!!

I cut my nails and i noticed that i can position my fingers to the frets without much difficulty, my nails were so long that it was preventing me from pressing all the way, I'm 100% accurate but it got al ittle better

I started playing acoustic recently too~

The first song I learned to play all the way through was Hybrid Rainbow by The Pillows.

Just keep practicing, cut your nails short, and make sure your guitar is in a comfortable position.

Where did you find the chords/tab for Hybrid Rainbow?? Ultimate-Guitar?

I picked up the guitar when I was about 12, but only really started practicing when I turned 14. I'm 17 now :0 I play my acoustic here and there.

I do have a question for you, though. How high or low is the action on your guitar? (how far are the strings from your fretboard). Changing the action can drastically change how much hard or easier it'll be to press down on the frets.

You should always try to practice with your thumb on the back (middle-ish) of your guitar neck, but there are chords that are just easier to play with your thumb over the neck. A lot of classical guitar players frown upon it, but hey, this ain't classical :B

Honestly, you just need to practice getting the strings to ring out as clearly as possible. There's no need to rush yourself. Callouses take a little while to build up when you start playing, and how I remember how painful they were when I first started getting them!

I know you're a beginner, but an easy way to build callouses is to go up and down the fretboard chromatically. In other words, you'd go up on the E-string like this...

E ---1---2---3---4

then you'd move to the A-string and do the same thing...

A---1---2---3---4

Keep going until you're at the e-string, and then begin moving up a fret...

(high) E---2---3---4--5

and go back down. Repeat the steps, and MAKE SURE you're getting your notes are sounding clear. Set your (if you own one) metronome very slow and work your way up.

Everyone goes through these struggles when they first start playing. When I first started playing, I got so frustrated that I decided to stop. After a few years, I wanted to start again. So really, my advice to you is to just have fun playing the guitar! Don't make it such a hassle when you first pick it up. When you feel like you've got the basics down and are ready to move on, start practicing seriously.

if you have anymore questions, just ask :]

I couldn't get my D chord down for the life of me, but I cut my nails and i got it down, it's a amazing how a simple thing changes so much I'm going to start taking lessons in about a month or so so I'm trying to build my calluses til then, I'm really interested in the fingerstyle of playing and the first song I want to learn is "To Zanarkand" in memories of my favorite game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFjmZJa5IoQ

personal favorite of mine.

you should really check out antoine dufour, andy mckee, don ross, and craig. amazing fingerstyle guitarists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H9H-gA8kZA <--- better lol

Who I think is really amazing is Jung sungha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjAFtX_Ywg4...yer_profilepage <--- how he started off
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_6wu605kjY...yer_profilepage <--- his process.. amazing

yeah, regardless of his age, he's a killer player. I really hope to see him make it big one day. He really deserves it.

In my opinion he already succeeded, he came out on Korea's popular show "Star King" twice and performed with many great guitarists like Trace Bundy, Kotaro Oshio, and is going to perform with Mr. Big in a concert soon. Even the late wife of John Lennon from the beatles, Oko Yono saw him perform and complimented his playing through a youtube message :|

O_O

WITH MR.BIG? LOL that's tight

yeah, i guess you're right, then.

Yea he saw him play his song "Be with you" and is gonna fly him over or he's coming to Korea, iunno but he asked him to come and they're gonna perform ! and he's been playing guitar for 4 years now.

haha i remember when i first picked up a guitar and i played it for four hours straight.. my fingers were burning.. and my friend gave me his old guitar which was 10 years old at the time hahaha.. and that was super hard to play cause the strings were mad far out so i had to press that much harder...

yea just like everyone said.. keep up with the practicing and the more you play the quicker you'll form your callus.. and also it will feel more natural when u play the chords.. and def cut the nails short hahaha

i'm a real noob at guitar though.. when u get mad good.. teach me how to play haha

I can do G and D chord now It's not much but for me it's like an amazing achievement. I'm going to master a couple more chords then start learning tabs

Hey, me too! I just started to teach myself two weeks ago. Though I'm in no position to give anyone any tips, but...

Key there is to 1) cut your nails really short, which you already have done, and 2) make sure the tip of your fingers are 90 degrees from the fret board :)

dang it's hard enough playin chords. hahaha.. stupid bar chords.. bleh

but for a 'tabbed' song.. one of the easier ones is Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton.. i think u can easily pull that off

Heh i don't know how to quite read tabs yet D: my calluses are starting to form now and it doesn't hurt as much to play my chords, cept my pinky, no calluses there. If there's a site that teaches how to read tabs and share it to me i would greatly appreciate it

Updated original post.