Learning to play the guitar is not as hard as most people would think. It just requires a lot of discipline and passion. Below are some useful beginner's guide to playing the ultimate musical instrument- the guitar.
1. Get a good teacher
If one can afford it, he should get a good guitar teacher who does not only have the technical skills in guitar playing but has the passion for teaching as well. There are many people who were able to learn to play the guitar by themselves without any formal training, however, the best and fastest way to learn is to have someone hold your hand as you go past the first few stages of guitar playing.
2. Mind your Posture
There are a lot of beginners who sacrifices posture for convenience. The proper styles of playing are more often than not scrapped by these beginners and they lose a lot when they do this. When playing the guitar while standing, make sure that the straps are well attached and that they are neither too loose nor too fit.
The angles of the hands while playing will be affected by the looseness of the strap. When sitting down, make sure that your back is properly aligned and avoid being stiff. Stiffness will usually lead to strain and stress.
3. Read a Chord Book
If one is learning to play the guitar by himself, he would definitely want to look at and study a chord book. After one is oriented by how the chords are arranged, it would be much easier for him to be able to learn the more advanced steps.
4. Use a Nylon Guitar
Using a guitar which has nylon (as opposed to metal) strings is a good practice for beginners. Nylon strings are more finger-friendly and has a warmer sound than metal ones. The fingers need to be associated with the pressure of the strings and using metal ones will definitely be very uncomfortable. After some time, one can eventually use metal strings if he likes to.
5. Practice Makes Perfect
Playing the guitar is not an overnight affair. It requires lots and lots of practice. If one is serious about learning to play the guitar, he should always make some free time for practice. I would suggest an hour of practice daily to ensure quick progress in learning guitar basics.
6. Get Inspiration
After one is able to learn the very basic concepts of playing the guitar, he should be able to identify a certain inspiration why he has to keep on playing. Listening to one's favorite songs and singers can truly boost up one's inspiration.
7. Exercise the Fingers
Using stress balls or doing finger exercises will definitely improve one's capacity for playing the guitar. Guitar playing is all about finger work and no one will progress unless he has good finger coordination. Exercising those fingers will definitely help.
These are just some basic tips for beginners who would want to play the guitar. The most important thing for beginners is discipline. No one succeeds without discipline. So take that guitar and start practicing!
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Written By: Tim Lee
