Maybe you’ve heard a professional playing the guitar and felt like it’s a skill that’s out of your reach. The guitar is not a hard instrument to learn. Keep reading for tips about teaching yourself guitar.
Keep yourself motivated. Many people think they want to learn how to play the guitar. They buy a guitar, practice for a few weeks, then shove their instrument in the back of a closet to gather dust. Try to keep yourself enthusiastic about learning to play. Never let yourself get discouraged.
Learn to play in time. This is essential to playing the guitar like a pro. You may have your fingering down, but you may have slight, almost inaudible pauses when you switch chords. This will greatly affect the sound of your music. Try using a metronome, a person, or a music CD. Start playing slowly and learning how to play fast as you get more comfortable with it.
Try not to spend too much money when you’re just starting out. It can be alarmingly easy to overspend on a guitar and all sorts of gear you don’t really need as a beginner. Find an affordable guitar to start with. Try not to go over $100 until your absolutely sure guitar playing is something you want to stick with.
Try and aim to learn one simple song per week. Practicing your scales can get old. Don’t obsess over learning the basics too much. Make sure you apply what you’ve learned to actual music. Learn how to play children’s rhymes or Christmas carols and work your way up from there.
It bears repeating that practice is the most important thing you can do when learning how to play guitar. Don’t plan on practicing for just a single, long session every week. Practicing consistently every day, even for short amounts of time, is important and the best way to develop the finger memory you’ll need for playing guitar.
When you start to play the guitar, be sure to pace yourself. You can damage your fingers by playing guitar too much, especially when you’re not used to it. You don’t need to practice for hours. You also don’t need to practice until you reach perfection. Be patient and practice around 20 minutes a day.
You will probably want to buy a metronome. Practicing with a metronome will help you get a better sense of timing and rhythm. Begin slowly, and as you get better and more comfortable, you can pick up the pace. The metronome will help you figure out different chords and songs much easier than you would have been able to otherwise.
Start off with an affordable guitar. There is no sense in investing in a very expensive guitar, only to find that it doesn’t feel right in your hands. An inexpensive guitar is best for learning on and it can bear the brunt of any mistakes you make in caring for it without a great loss. Once you are used to the feel of a guitar, then you can move to a more expensive model that suits you.
This article has hopefully opened your eyes to the world of guitar playing. Use these ideas with a guitar you own or can borrow. Soon, you’ll have the ability to play some songs or just play better in general.