Guitar has always been viewed as a musical instrument associated with glitz, glamor and an instrument to impress girls or to show off on stage by many. And they believe that it is pretty easy to play this instrument, and their favorite guitar icons are belting out the fast solos without doing any kind of practice, and they think that it is only their talent that makes them play effortlessly. There is no denying that talent obviously has a role to play in one's ability to master an art or skill, but little do they know that it is their unfailing determination; boundless amount of hard work and their undying passion to learn and practice the instrument that has helped them scale greater heights as guitar players.
The Misconception
This wrong notion about guitar in your minds can play havoc on your dreams when you finally start learning it and can also land you in utter disappointment and despair when you cannot play it as you expected within a short span of time. Then the most imminent thing happens - you give up learning guitar altogether! And the hard earned money that you have spent on buying an expensive guitar and the amplifier will go with the wind! So it is very important to stay well informed of the ground realities and how you must go about learning this beautiful instrument called guitar before you lay your hands on one.
This article gives you some valuable tips on how to go about learning it.
The Truth
With all glitz and glamor aside, learning guitar is just like learning any other musical instrument or art or skill that requires an awful lot of hard work, step by step learning approach, lot of discipline, diligence and the right kind of learning to attain a certain level of success as a guitar player. If you have ever thought that playing guitar is a naturally acquired talent or a walk in the park, then better change that right now!
Learning tips that you must embrace
There are some core guitar learning tips that you must follow in order to turn your dreams into reality! And here are a few of them.
What kind of guitar must I go for?
Are you a serious guitar learner or just a hobbyist who just want to learn couple of chords and play it for fun for your bed room walls? You must first decide what you want to do with your guitar before you buy an expensive guitar, amplifier and/or effects pedal for yourself. If playing guitar is just a pastime hobby for you, then an inexpensive acoustic guitar is enough. Start practicing it for few months and get a feel of it, see whether you enjoy playing it and love spending more time exploring it, check whether your interest is gaining traction during that period. If so, then you can buy a basic electric guitar and an amplifier. This is more than enough for a hobbyist.
And if you are a serious guitar learner who wants to make it big in the music world, then you must definitely approach it with all the professionalism, discipline and dedication. But it is still better to start off with a basic kit of guitar and amps initially, until you have the need for an expensive kit. Again it all depends on your budget, if you can afford, why not buy the gear of your choice?
Where and how should I begin learning guitar?
Well, many of you might go straight over to YouTube.com in the quest for finding some free video lessons to get yourself off the ground. But if you are an absolute beginner, I wouldn't ever recommend that method. It can only help you get overwhelmed than getting your basics clear, in step by step manner. But you must definitely milk this avenue to the fullest if you are an intermediate or advanced level player, it is a massive repository of lessons/songs and ideas that you must utilize.
To attain a high level of success as a guitar player, it is very essential that you learn it in a logical fashion, first starting with the basic stuff, then the intermediate and finally notch up to the much advanced level concepts.
The best logical approach to learning guitar would be as follows.
- Knowing the guitar
- Scales
- Chords
- Advanced concepts
Music theory plays an integral part in grooming you into a highly successful guitar player, so it's very important that you learn music theory from the day one. It will not only help you become a terrific guitar player, but also a highly versatile, flexible and well-rounded musician. Music theory will save you a lot especially when you are playing with other musicians in a band.
What are the best ways to improve guitar speed, versatility and skills?
It's every aspiring guitar player's dream to play fast solos, quick chord changes or progressions and melodious licks on their guitar. In order to accomplish this dream you just need to follow these steps.
Objective oriented practice sessions - Each practice session, no matter how long or short it may be, should be geared towards accomplishing a definitive goal or objective. It may be an effort to perfect a solo, a speed building exercise or an exercise to strum and master certain chord shapes. Whatever the task is, it should be result oriented. You must utilize your practice time fruitfully without fooling around.
Practicing scales - This is your first step towards playing fast licks and solos on guitar. Take any scale and practice it slowly, if possible with a metronome. A Metronome can greatly improve your timing and perfection. Never be impatient to play it faster, it takes time to build up your muscle memory, so be patient and stay consistent and try to devote at least 1 or 2 hours daily, just to practice the scales up and down across the fret board. This is also great way to improve your finger strength and dexterity.
You can take this skill to a step higher and try playing the scales by utilizing the entire fret board. This can help you come out of the rut of getting locked on to a single position on the fret board. This skill will be highly beneficial when you are trying to create your own solos.
If you are unable to squeeze out 1 or 2 hours daily, a practice session of just half an hour can be highly rewarding, but the higher the better. Also make sure that you don't go out of touch for days. Regularity is the key!
Practicing chords - Chords are also as important as scales, and they are the backbone of any musical composition. So as a guitar player you must be well versed with this skill. You must be able to play different chord shapes and change them quickly on the fret board. And this needs a lot of practice.
The best way to practice chords is by practicing a 12 bar blues progression on different keys (or scales)
You will surely get sore finger tips and achy shoulders after you start practicing for the first time, you should not push yourself harder, just take a break for a day or two and continue, but never give up, and in few days you will notice that your fingertips have grown thicker to help you slide and bend the strings effortlessly and your shoulders attuned to the new body requirement. In course of time your fingers will develop strength and dexterity for playing guitar easily.
Listening and replicating - Listening to a lot of solos and licks by other guitarists, especially the pros, and trying to replicate them on your own are very essential in developing your creativity, versatility and skills on the instrument. You will learn a great deal of new techniques and patterns by doing this on a regular basis. You will also hone your skills of learning by ear. YouTube is a great resource for this.
If you want to learn a new fast solo or quick chord change pattern, practice it slowly until you gain speed naturally - you must give enough time for yourself to gain muscle memory for your fingers (on both the hands) to be able to pick the strings and run your fingers naturally over the fret board. Never be impatient to play it as fast and perfect as soon as you start practicing it, you will surely accomplish it slowly and steadily if you are patient and consistent.
Who are some of the best guitar players in the world that I can learn from?
Some of the best players that you can set as your role models are Paul Gilbert, Joe Satriani, Vinnie Moore, Eric Clapton and B.B. King. Of course there are many other great guitar players out there, but I would highly recommend these absolute virtuosos in every sense, that I have listed above. Go to YouTube.com and search for their videos and try reproducing them on your instrument. Believe me; you will learn a lot of new and exciting stuff from them.
Who are the best guitar tutors on YouTube?
One of the best guitar tutors that I highly admire on YouTube is Marty Schwartz, he has an incredible skill of breaking down difficult stuff into easy to consume chunks. Justin Sandercoe is also another highly talented online guitar tutor.
The 5 pillars of learning guitar are patience, determination, regularity, hard work and the urge to explore. If you have these 5 qualities, you will conquer unimaginable heights as a guitar player and musician.
If you have found this article useful, please don't forget to share it with your guitar friends. Thank you very much for taking your time and reading my article. I am sure this article will help you in your guitar journey.
Deepak Eapen is a passionate guitar player with more than 15 years of guitar playing experience with a solid foundation on music theory.You may visit his guitar blog at
http://www.onlineguitarschools.com/GuitarBlog/ for more beginner guitar tips and instructions.
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