Learning to play a guitar is an excellent decision. Whether you’re going to take lessons or plan on teaching yourself, there is so much you can do with a guitar. Use this helpful information to get you started playing the guitar.
Start with the basics. Waking comes before running. You may want to learn your favorite song right out of the gate, but it is crucial to build your foundations first. Start with finger positions. Practice chords and scales. Ensure that you are comfortable with these things before taking on more advanced practice.
Practice often: The best way to learn how to play the guitar is to practice often. Don’t practice once a week for three hours. You will build better finger memory by practicing every day. Try to practice at least a half an hour a day. If possible, push that time to a full hour every day.
Try not to spend too much money when you’re just starting out. It can be alarmingly easy to overspend on a guitar and all sorts of gear you don’t really need as a beginner. Find an affordable guitar to start with. Try not to go over $100 until your absolutely sure guitar playing is something you want to stick with.
Push yourself to learn new things. Many people focus on one thing. They practice the same song until they have it down perfectly. Playing that song for your friends might be impressive once, but you need to branch out. Don’t give too much focus to a single song. Keep learning and practicing new things.
Best Kids Guitar
Finger exercises: Many beginner guitarists become discouraged by the pain, and muscle cramping that often accompanies the first few weeks of learning. Check out the internet, or get a good guitar exercise book, and use your first few minutes of practice each day concentrating on finger exercises. This will help you to build up callouses on your fingers, and strength in your finger muscles to keep them from cramping. When you learn your first chords, the fingering will feel awkward to you. You will develop callous on your fingers that may not feel comfortable during the first days. However, do not be discouraged. Your fingers will toughen and get used to pressing down on the strings, and your playing will become easier over time.
Learn the different types of strums. If you are a beginning guitar player, be sure to learn the different types of strums. Start strumming slowly, with a simple up-and-down strum, and once you have that down, you can move on to more difficult strum patterns. Learn the basics, such as country rhythms, and rock rhythms. You can learn many types of music with these simple strums.
Begin your process gradually. The song you want to learn may have a quick pace and need lightning speed, but mastery comes with knowing the song thoroughly, first. Begin with learning the song note by note, and then you can ramp up your speed. By focusing juts on speed from the start, you’ll get irritated with making mistakes. Starting slow can help you master that song and eventually boost your speed as you get the song down.
Make goals for yourself. Try to determine why you want to play. Is there a specific guitarist you would like to play like? Keep them in mind as a long-term goal. Make smaller, realistic short-term goals on your way towards your ideal skill level. Try to keep yourself motivated without letting yourself get discouraged.
Invest in a good chord chart. One of the best things you can invest in as a beginner guitarist is a good chord chart. Chord charts offer a wealth of information. They show which chords are included in a particular key. They also tell you where your fingers go when you are playing each chord. You can find a chord chart at any music store, or print one out online.
Practice, practice, practice … If you are really interested in learning to play guitar, you must be committed to practicing most every day. Part of learning to play well is memorizing chords and scales, being able to move from one to the other without thinking. This ability can only come by lots of practice. Aim for at least a half-hour per day, moving up to an hour as you progress.
Best Cheap Guitars Under $200
To start with easy songs, the first step is to learn the open strings on your guitar. Some mnemonic devices like “Every boy goes down an elevator” use the note of each string as the first letter. If you say this while plucking each string, it becomes easier to memorize each string.
Take the time to listen to music. You may have heard a song a million times but once you learn to play guitar, you can many things in a song that you didn’t pick up on before. So take the time to listen to familiar songs and you will gain a new appreciation for them.
If you prefer taking lessons from a teacher, consider taking group lessons first. Community colleges and adult learning centers often offer guitar classes. This is an inexpensive way to try some lessons before you decide whether or not you want to pay for private lessons. Learning in a group may be more fun as well.
Make use of video sharing instructional videos. There is plenty of free information out there that will help you learn to play the guitar, and many of those resources can be found on video sharing sites. Watching videos can be a great way for you to see fingering in action.
Get your friends to learn guitar right alongside you. Loved ones might be interesting in learning to play with you! You are far more likely to commit to learning something when the people around you are also involved. This technique will help keep you motivated.
Do you feel more confident now about learning the guitar? Just imagine what you’ll be able to play! Whether you love rock music, play country music on your guitar or write some of your own music, now you are ready. Take to heart all that you’ve picked up here, and get ready for a musical journey unlike any other!
