GUITAR TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

What tips would you like to give to someone who started learning guitar?

“Sometimes you’ll want to give up the guitar, you’ll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you’re gonna be rewarded.”

-Jimi Hendrix

There are no shortcuts for the best way to learn guitar.

But the great thing is that there are easy ways to start playing today.

As rock legend Jimi Hendrix has rightly said, the one thing that you require to learn guitar, or any instrument, is the willingness to stick with it. There will be days when your fingers will hurt and you wouldn’t feel like picking up your guitar. Don’t let those feelings conquer you. In such times, remember the quote above.

Now, coming to the specific steps which you can take to learn guitar at a fast pace.

Learn a bit of Music Theory. I’m not telling you to learn the notations and stuff. Just learn about the musical notes, how they are arranged on piano and how you can find them on the guitar. It will be helpful if you learn about scale formation and how chords are formulated from them.

Learn something new each and every day.

Start with playing tabs. Tabs for almost all the songs are available on the internet. Learn how to read the tabs and start playing the tunes of your favorite songs. Playing tabs comes first as it will strengthen your fingers for playing chords.

Learn open chords. Start with some basic group of chords which are easy to play. Find out songs with the same or similar group of chords and play along. Some easy sets are - (C,Am,F,G), (G,Em,C,D), (A,D,E), etc.

Find chords or watch guitar lessons of songs on Youtube. There is no need to join any classes or hire a teacher for learning guitar. There are hundreds of people around the globe who can teach you how to play your favorite song in a matter of minutes.

Practice regularly for short duration. Pain in fingers is one of the most common reasons why people quit guitar. But, believe me, It is only a matter of time when your fingers will gain strength by developing calluses.

Love your guitar and Music. All pieces of the puzzle will fall into place if you just love your guitar and the music it creates. Let that love drive you towards learning more and reaching new heights in this expedition. Find people with whom you can play. It may be your friend with whom you want you jam with, the college band you want to become a part of or your beloved one for whom you want to learn the guitar.

If you practice the same song again and again, even though you play it well enough, then you are just killing time. If you are unable to change between a set of chords, then practice it slowly and then play at the original tempo. Diversity and variety is required to get better at playing guitar. Practice with an aim.

Don't Forget To Enjoy It!

Above all, enjoy playing guitar and enjoy the journey! Look forward to 3, 4, 5 years down the line when, if you've been persistent with your practice time (and allowed plenty of time for noodling), you'll have accomplished so much. This is all about freeing up your creativity, bit by bit, so you can express yourself on guitar as naturally as you can with speech. Doors will open all throughout your progress. Each new door that opens is like a new outlet for your creativity.
The more of these doors you open over time, the more creative options you'll have at your disposal and the more your music will have the chance to be unique to you - and that is, in my opinion, the ultimate purpose for learning guitar, or any instrument.

The sky is the limit and guitar playing is a never ending process that you will love more and more.
Practice regularly and reap the rewards!

Even the best guitar players used to beginners, just like you.

Word to the wise: strengthening your fingers is a must. Learning to play acoustic guitar will help increase your finger strength faster than learning on an electric guitar.