When you start to learn to play the guitar for the first time there seem like endless things to practice, from finger positions and chord shapes to the names of the strings and how to hold your pick or strum a rhythm. It takes time for your guitar playing to develop, so here's my top seven tips for anyone learning the guitar.
- Tune your guitar accurately
Tuning a guitar can seem difficult to the beginner and there's a temptation to not worry too much whether it's in tune when you're struggling to get your first sounds out of the guitar. But if your guitar is not in tune, how will you recognise the correct playing of that chord when all your practice has paid off and the notes start to ring out clearly? The easiest way is to use an electronic tuner. These are definitely the best bet for a beginner and are very straightforward to use. Just remember to start with the string slightly flat and slowly turn the tuning peg to increase the pitch until the tuner registers the right note. - Learn the five basic open chords
All beginners should learn five major chords - C A G E and D. This is sometimes referred to as the "caged" system, for obvious reasons. With these chords you will be able to play a wide range of basic tunes and you will soon feel like you are playing proper music on your guitar. When you are confident with the five CAGED chords you can then progress to minors, sevenths, ninths and all those other cool variants! - Hold your guitar correctly
Whether you're playing electric or acoustic guitar, ensure that you are comfortably seated in a firm upright chair, or standing with a well-adjusted guitar strap. Be sure to avoid the common mistake of tilting the guitar backwards to look at your chord hand and if you play standing you'll need the guitar held above waist level, not around your knees in a rock-star pose! - Concentrate on your finger shape
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make when fretting their first open chords is not bending their fingers enough, using the flat of the fingers instead of the tips, and pressing too hard (over-gripping). Although all of these things are understandable when trying to master unnatural and unfamiliar finger positions, they can seriously prevent you from progressing as a guitarist. Try a Space Trainer (available from http://guitar-gizmo.com ) to help you form the correct finger shape. - Practice slowly - REALLY slowly!
We all want to progress quickly, but our muscles learn slowly. One of the best techniques for learning is to position your fingers one at a time, concentrating on getting the finger shape and position just right, and then holding this and strumming very slowly. Practicing like this develops "muscle memory", which will help your fingers to naturally find the right position when playing at the proper speed. - Practice holding your pick correctly
Another "unnatural" thing that guitar students need to master is using a pick or plectrum. The two most important things are to use only the very tip of the pick (the last 2mm or 1/8") and not to grip too hard. Practice strumming without holding down chord shapes, so you only have one thing to concentrate on. - Learn to play your favorite songs
There's nothing that gives more encouragement to the beginner guitarist than being able to play a recognizable song. So Google the chords to some of your favorite tunes until you find one that uses only a few basic chords. Don't be over-ambitious, just concentrate on learning a simple version of a song you know well... preferably one you love!
Paul Leverett has been a guitar player and enthusiast for over 30 years and writes widely on all guitar subjects, particularly supporting young and novice guitarists.
For news and useful information for novice guitarists visit http://guitarstringguide.com
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