Do you want to learn how to play the guitar? Are you concerned because you don’t have any prior musical experience? Maybe you have some experience with another instrument but, it has been a long time. Wherever you are in your quest, you can learn to play the guitar. Use the following ideas to help you begin.
Learn to play in time. This is essential to playing the guitar like a pro. You may have your fingering down, but you may have slight, almost inaudible pauses when you switch chords. This will greatly affect the sound of your music. Try using a metronome, a person, or a music CD. Start playing slowly and learning how to play fast as you get more comfortable with it.
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.
Your fingertips will be sore after practice before you build calluses. Try starting with a guitar with nylon strings or an electric guitar if it’s too painful. Avoid steel-string guitars, as they tend to hurt the most. It may help to soak the tips of your fingers in rubbing alcohol, but don’t use stronger or harmful substances, such as turpentine.
As you begin to learn how to play your guitar, it is also a good idea to learn how to change your own strings, and to tune your truss rod yourself. It can be costly to have someone do these things for you, and if you know how, you can do it yourself as the need arises. Strings break, and go out of tune at a moment’s notice, so knowing how means you will be back to playing as soon as possible.
Figure out how to play in different keys. This helps you get used to certain chords. It will also help you glean a better understanding of music. You are going to have a deeper understanding of music, and you’ll be an even better musician for that reason.
Don’t neglect your practice sessions. Keep in mind that anything worth doing does not likely come easy. For this reason, you need to practice a minimum of 30 minutes per day, five to seven days a week.
Be aware of the health risks associated with playing the guitar. Avoid back stiffness you get from sitting by always stretching before you play. Also, learn some stretching exercises for your hand to prevent tendinitis. It is also important to protect your hearing by not playing at excessively high volume.
Always have extra high-quality guitar strings on hand. When you need to change your strings, do them one at a time. If you attempt to change all the strings on your guitar at once, you may put too much pressure on the neck of the instrument and break it.
As a beginning guitar player, you should never be too proud to make liberal use of a metronome as you practice. Learning to keep time when playing different types of songs is essential to becoming a solid musician. Therefore, set aside your ego and accept the valuable assistance this tool can provide.
Once you begin to master the fundamentals of guitar playing, you may be tempted to focus on a single genre of music. However, it is a far better idea to keep challenging yourself to learn new styles of music so that your guitar skills are refined further, and you become a more versatile artist.
Talk to others who know how to play guitar. It doesn’t matter where you find other players, whether it be online or offline. It’s just important that you talk with people who are playing the guitar. They can offer you suggestions and tips that will take your own guitar playing to the next level.
Before taking guitar lessons with a teacher, decide whether you want to learn at home or at the teacher’s studio. If you have a busy schedule, taking lessons at home saves you the added travel and time it takes to get to a studio. On the other hand, going to a studio to learn can be less distracting and more inspiring than learning at home.
One important factor in learning to play guitar is staying motivated. This can be difficult when your fingers hurt, and your music doesn’t sound great. Keep at it. Find a buddy to learn with. Practice over and over until you earn success. Reward yourself for learning a new piece with small things, such as a new pick or other accessory. You CAN do it!
As you can see, learning to play the guitar need not be intimidating. These ideas are a fantastic place to begin putting together your musical dreams. No matter your level of skill or experience, you can do it! You will be proud of yourself as you realize and accomplish your musical goals.
