Tips for Learning Guitar

Learning how to play a guitar interests a lot of people. While it’s absolutely true that learning a guitar takes time and effort, it could still be a lot of fun. You can read these 10 tips and get started with the quest to become an awesome guitar player in a reasonable span of time:

 1.  Buy the right Guitar

Try to buy your own guitar so that you could practice regularly. Buy the best guitar that fits your pocket while keeping in mind that you can always purchase a better one while you improve.

Decide if you want an acoustic guitar, semi-acoustic guitar, bass guitar or an electric guitar. People generally begin with learning an acoustic guitar at the start, since it costs less and doesn’t require any additional equipment unlike an electric guitar which requires an amplifier.

2.   Practice consistently 

Practice is everything. When you hear everyone around you saying “Practice”, it might drive you crazy as you’ll want more but you’ll slowly realize the significance of this advice.

Be consistent while you practice. Practicing for an hour everyday is more legit than practicing with a single three hour session in a week.

3.  Learn how the chords work

When you’re learning new chords, take some time to: understand the notes which build them and how chords are related with each other in a particular song. If you do this, you will learn that there are groups of chords which would always work together. When you’d figure out how the chords are related you’ll get new ideas which would be helpful in adding to your skills.

4.   Do not make unrealistic goals

Rome was not built in a day. Learning a new art takes time. Be wise while setting your targets. Set short term goals which push you. Making impractical goals would only dishearten you at the end.

Don’t expect yourself to play like Jimmy Hendrix in a month or two. What needs to be ascertained is that you are “progressing”.

5.   Do not hurry

Patience is the key to paradise. To learn how to play accurately, play as slowly as required. If you’ll play in a hurry, you’ll make more mistakes which would further delay your progress, no matter how long you work out. By playing slowly we mean “not playing it fast”. This will let you have control over the guitar strings.

6.   Find something that keeps you encouraged

Learning how to play a guitar is not going to be easy. You might be totally out of coordination or sound terrible at the start. Even after hours of practice you might feel like you are not getting anywhere.

Find something which helps you stay motivated. Setting short term goals which you can accomplish in lesser time could be a good move to make. You can also try to see yourself playing with a big band some day.

 7.   Know the power of listening

Listening is a skill which is often overlooked. Being an enthusiastic listener will help you become a great player. Listening is the most important skill when you’re playing in a group. So learn to listen while you learn to play.

• Listen to what others play, both live and in the songs. Which guitar are they using? Which chords are they playing?
• Listen to yourself while you practice. Can you hear yourself making a mistake? Is your guitar tuned?

8.   Have a variety in what you play

Regular practice with the same type of music could be boring. Learn to play different songs with varying chords, rhythms and scales.

Learn to play songs which you like. Use the movability of your guitar and play it wherever you feel like.

9.   Avoid making it excessively louder

When learning something new, it’s a wise move to know if there are any risks. Keep in mind that excessive volume might damage your hearing.

While using your headphones or earphones, avoid listening at higher volumes. Also be careful about not to set the volume at high while using an amplifier.

The final and one of the most important tip is “Not to practice until you get it right but practice until you can’t possibly get it wrong”. If you think you have played it perfectly in the first attempt, repeat it for 5 times. If you follow this, you have all the reasons to be soon entitled as an excellent guitar player.

If music is your passion and you wish to learn how to play a Guitar, you can post your Guitar requirement here.

Please leave your questions and feedback in the comments below.