Guitars are an instrument that has been played by many people for many generations before our time. From hard rock and roll to slow, soulful melodies, the guitar is a timeless instrument that anyone can enjoy playing. If you have been wanting to learn how to play the guitar yourself, this article will help you get started.
Keep yourself motivated. Many people think they want to learn how to play the guitar. They buy a guitar, practice for a few weeks, then shove their instrument in the back of a closet to gather dust. Try to keep yourself enthusiastic about learning to play. Never let yourself get discouraged.
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.
If a piece of material is proving especially difficult, slow everything down. You may naturally feel inclined to play it fast, but that is only going to make things more difficult for you in the end. Get the hang of the passage at a slow speed, and then gradually up your pace. You will be surprised at how much easier the learning process becomes for you!
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.
When attempting to begin the process of learning the guitar, make certain to do sufficient research to find a truly reputable teacher. Seeking recommendations from friends and family members who play the guitar is a great way to start. In this way, you can move forward with confidence, knowing you will receive top-notch instruction.
Learn the open strings and start out playing simple songs. Memorize the single notes because that will make learning the chords and scales easier later on. Although it’s a good idea to try something more challenging on occasion, stick to playing simple songs for the first few months, and practice daily.
When you are learning to play guitar, instead of learning all of the chords at once, try to learn the primary chords in each particular key. For instance, start with the key of C Major, and using a chord chart, learn all the chords in that key. This will help you to learn songs faster, as you will be able to play the chords needed for a particular song, based on the key it is written in.
Interact with other people who play the guitar. Being around other people who play the guitar can be a lot of fun. It can really motivate you. You can learn a lot by talking with them or even by having a jam session with them. You can push each other to improve.
Surround yourself with other musicians when learning guitar. You can learn items like how to play and listen better from others. You should also try listening to and speaking with musicians that play other types of music. You can learn so much more from those that play styles that differ from your own.
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.
If you want to learn to play the guitar and are thinking of buying one, consider buying a used one. A used guitar will give you more bang for your money and will save you from breaking it in. If you don’t have the money to buy one, you can rent one for a small monthly fee from a music store.
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 you can see, there is quite a bit to know about learning how to play the guitar. Whether you simply want to be a casual player for the fun of it or want to really get into every little detail there is to know, the time to start this fun pastime is now. Have fun on your journey!
Guitar Master 