Yo Saxophoneoftime What region are you from?
Regardless, Melee is a very rich and deep game, and playing it on a competitive level is very rewarding.
A few general tips.
1. Get your techskill down. Focus on this first and foremost. This is very important. As Zhu once said, "You need to be able to play as fast as your mind can think."
2. Don't get discouraged. Don't get down on yourself, it may be a while before you can play the game as consistently as you may want. I have been playing for 6-7 months and I am just breaking the barrier of noobishness.
3. Get a training partner. Do it. Get a friend, or someone who is already into SSBM in your area to train with you. This is quite vitally important, as people are far different than computers. Playing against people, combos become (much) harder, and reads actually become more about predicting and less about knowing where your opponent will go or what he will do.
4. READ THIS.
http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=295524
like, seriously. READ IT.
I hope to see you blossom quickly and into a top player very soon! Best wishes!
