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“When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.” … Bob Dylan
Tips For Beginner Guitarists
Practice
One of the most important things to understand about learning to play guitar, is that you have to practice. As with anything you do in life, you need to practice in order to improve. The more you practice at something, the better you get. You will need to allow a certain amount of time, in your daily schedule, to practice. An hour a day is ideal, however even 20 minutes a day is better than none. If you are able to devote more than an hour, your playing will benefit from it.
Practicing should not be treated as a chore. It’s not a tedious task that requires a lot of effort. It should be something that you look forward to doing every day, and it should be fun. For some people, practicing is a great way to unwind and relax from their daily routines.
When you are just starting to play the guitar, it can be a little frustrating. It’s the same as anything that you are trying for the first time. Naturally, you may get impatient when you can’t play a certain song or chord. This is why practice is important. Take a break when you feel overwhelmed, but don’t quit. It’s a learning process, that will develop over time. If you stick with it, you will notice improvement and begin to enjoy playing.
Just remember, do not give up! Even your favorite musicians had to start somewhere. The amazing skills they have didn’t come overnight. They started out as a beginner, just like you. It took them many years of hard work and devoted practicing to reach the level of playing they are at.
Practicing the guitar pays off. When you realize the simplicity of many songs, and that you are able to play them, you will feel more confident. It’s a great feeling to play your favorite music. As you continue to progress, you’ll be able do more and even create your own style.
Slow Down
We all want to play songs that sound like the original. When you are first learning chords and strumming, your fingers will seem uncoordinated. They aren’t used to being used in the ways of playing the guitar. Don’t force them, it will only frustrate you.
The best way to master notes, and develop muscle memory, is by playing slowly. Even if it means playing 10 times slower than the song’s original tempo and looping it over and over again. Playing slowly is the way to master what you are doing, because you want to play notes and chords the right way. Technique is very important and you want to have a clean sound. As you feel more confident, you can speed up the tempo until you are playing at the normal speed.
You shouldn’t feel rushed. Focus on one goal instead of many different ones, and build up your skill level one step at a time. In order to play a fast arpeggio, you have to know where all the notes are and how to play them. After you master the basics, you will soon notice that everything else will fall into place much quicker and easier.
Play Around
It is also very beneficial to simply play around on your guitar. Messing around and experimenting is important because it helps you become more comfortable with the entire fretboard. By feeling your way around the guitar, you become more familiar with it. You can even make interesting sounds or create riffs by meandering. Its a great way for beginners to explore and hear the sounds of notes all over the fretboard.
After improving your technique and overall knowledge, you will definitely find yourself understanding more about your instrument. It’s an extension of practicing. Playing what you’ve learned and mixing it with your experimenting, can create surprising results. You will find your own rhythm and be able to create music, as you become more comfortable with the guitar.
Know your limitations, but don’t be scared to try and play something more complex and challenging. You will become more comfortable with the techniques you’ve already learned, and be able to advance your skills.
Stay Positive
Try not to feel discouraged when you don’t understand something or hit an obstacle. We all have days, where we can’t concentrate or just don’t feel great. Even if you are short-tempered or irritable, try to stay positive.
Again keep in mind that all of the greatest musicians were once beginners and amateurs, just like you.
Keep your cool, slow down, or just take a few minutes to relax. Sometimes it helps to re-practice some of the things you’ve already mastered. You will notice, that every time you play it a little better than before.
Allow yourself to learn with an open mind and keep your goals simple. With a good attitude, you will be able to accomplish more and feel good about it.
Sometimes we set goals for ourselves that are too difficult. This doesn’t mean it is impossible. It just means that we need to allow ourselves more time, or try something a little less challenging.
It’s important to learn every new technique , one step at a time. Master each task, before starting a new one. You want to progress at playing, naturally and avoid being frustrated. The nice thing is that you set your own goals and deadlines, so don’t overwhelm yourself with hard tasks.
Remember you are learning something new, so don’t be too hard on yourself. It wont be long before you realize that you’ve accomplished skills that you never knew you had.
Whenever you feel defeated, just take a step back and look at how much progress you have made. Sometimes we just need to simplify the goals we set for ourselves. It’s a safe way of keeping yourself motivated.
Have Fun
This is the most important thing to keep in mind. Make sure you are enjoying it. After all, playing the guitar is a lot of fun, and it is something that can be shared with others.
The moment guitar playing becomes a chore for you, you’re doing it wrong. Try to remember that this is a life-long experience. Even the most skilled and accomplished guitarists, continue to learn more, all the time. Most of us are never truly satisfied, because there are so many styles and aspects to guitar playing. We really never stop learning and growing.
No matter how desperate you may feel when you are struggling to play a certain riff or solo, just relax, go back, and try again. Never, never, never give up. Ultimately, every effort pays off! Like I said before, just look at everything you’ve already mastered, and be proud of yourself. The guitar is a beautiful instrument, and fun to play, at any skill level. It can deliver a wide range of emotions through its soothing or fast-paced melodies. It’s fun to play and fun to listen to. Try playing different genres and styles, because there are so many out there.
As a beginner, you know that there is still so much more to learn. That should be inspiring to you and keep you excited as you continue to grow as a guitarist. When you begin to play with other musicians, then you will discover a whole new dimension to playing guitar. Playing music with other people who love playing, is such a fun and exciting experience.
This is just the beginning of a whole new world for you. So enjoy yourself and have a good time doing it. If you keep all of these tips in mind, you will grow as a guitarist. You will be amazed at how simple it becomes, to play songs, as your skill level improves.
Practice regularly, take it slowly, play around, stay positive and have fun. In no time, you’ will see amazing results!
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