Learn To Play The Guitar In The Shortest Time Possible. Our Beginners Guitar Crash Course Consists Of 30 Short, Easy To Digest Hd Video Lessons. 3 Ways To Earn. Monthly Recurring, Annual Membership Or Complete Course
The guitar is one of the most popular instruments around, and it's easy to see why. Firstly, it's quite easy to get started, and once you've learnt a few basic chords, you can play literally hundreds of popular songs. Secondly, it's a great instrument for accompanying a singer, as even one guitar on its own gives a good backing sound to a song. Finally, although it may be relatively easy to get started with simple chords, it has almost limitless potential for advanced players - you literally never stop learning, and there are many impressive pieces you can learn to play in time.
So if you want to learn how to play guitar, here are 5 tips to help you get started.
1) Get A Decent Guitar
Obviously, the first thing you need is a guitar, or at least be able to borrow one to learn on. My first tip is that for learning, you should invest in a reasonable quality guitar. Really cheap guitars are usually a false economy. They can often have problems with their setup or tuning, and these can end up putting you off playing for good. Probably, more beginners are discouraged after trying to learn on a bad guitar than any other factor.
This doesn't mean that you should go out and buy the most expensive guitar you can possibly afford either. It should be possible to find a reasonably priced quality model that will be good for learning on. The most important thing is it should stay in tune, and its 'action' (that means the height of the strings above the fretboard) should not be too high, otherwise it will feel difficult to hold down the strings properly.
The other consideration is whether to get an acoustic or electric guitar. Acoustic guitars are generally good for learning, tend overall to be cheaper than electrics, and you don't have to worry about an amplifier. However, it really depends on the style of music you want to play. If you really want to play rock or metal guitar styles, you would be better off starting out with an electric guitar from the outset.
There are many places to buy a guitar, and you can get some great deals on secondhand ones. A good place to start looking would be your local musical instrument store. They may stock second hand as well as new models, and can give you advice about tuning and caring for your guitar. If you know someone who can already play, take them along to help you choose.
2) Learn To Tune It
Once you've got a reasonable quality guitar for learning on, one of the first things to do is learn how to tune the strings correctly. The most basic guitar chords will still sound good on a guitar if the strings are in tune. Played with the strings out of tune though, and they can sound awful, even if you're holding down all the right notes.
The first step is to tune the topmost string (the top 'E' string). This can be set to the same note as a piano or keyboard (the note 'E' just above middle 'C'), an 'E' tuning fork, or the high note on a set of 'pitch pipes'. Play the tuning fork or piano note, then sound the top string on the guitar. If the notes sound different, use the tuning peg on the guitar for that top string to adjust the note up or down, as needed.
Then, tune the second string ('B') to match the top one. Do this by playing the second string at the 5th fret, and then sounding the top string. Adjust the tuning peg for the second string until the notes sound the same (don't touch the tuning peg for the first string).
The third string, 'G' is tuned by playing the note at the 4th fret on this string, which should match the note sounded by the second string.
The remaining strings are tuned in the same way, by playing the note at the 5th fret on those strings, which should match the note sounded by the string above.
Electronic tuners are also a real help when tuning, they show you exactly when a particular string is in tune. It's still worth learning the method above though, so you'll know how to tune your guitar if an electronic tuner isn't available.
3) Commit Time To Practising
It would be great if you could buy a guitar, then immediately start playing complex chords and solos on it. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, as when you learn to play guitar, you have to put in some practise time regularly, first to learn the basics, then more complex techniques.
When you first begin learning the guitar, it can all seem a bit overwhelming, and training your fingers to make the shape of a particular chord may seem difficult at first. However, by having several regular practise sessions each week, you will start to acquire the 'finger memory' needed to play chords without thinking, it will become automatic.
4) Learn A Few Basic Open Chords Well
There are a few basic 'open' chords that you will learn when starting out. These are pretty much all formed within the first three frets on the guitar neck, and usually consist of the major chords E, A, D, C G, and maybe a couple of minor chords, like Am, Dm.
If you spend the time learning to play these basic chords well, so that you can form the chord pattern quickly and easily with your left hand, and switch between them smoothly, then you will be able to play a large range of different songs with just these few chords. Even with just the 3 chords G, C and D, a lot of songs can be adapted to use just these chords.
When learning, this is a great point to reach in your guitar playing. Most people I think, would give their reason for wanting to learn how to play guitar as 'to be able to play along with songs'. If you get to the point where you can play a few of these open chords in a regular rhythm, and switch between them reasonably quickly, you'll get a real buzz out of being able to play a few 'real' tunes, and will be motivated to carry on learning.
You may find when learning that it takes a while to get to this point. For example, your fingers don't seem to form the chord patterns quickly enough, or you can play on one chord easily, but changing chords takes a while, and doesn't sound smooth.
Don't despair! The key to overcoming this is regular practice, and slowing things right down until you can change chords at that speed. Then slowly increase the speed, and you'll find that the chord changes come a lot easier. A metronome is a good tool to use when practising like this, as it will keep ticking out the beat that you need to maintain when playing.
5) Use Video Lessons To Boost Your Progress
The final tip here when learning how to play guitar, is to make the most of the wide range of video based guitar lessons that are out there these days. Nothing beats one-to-one lessons with your own personal instructor, but if that's not available to you, then video guitar lessons are the next best thing. And you can watch them over and over, making sure you understand each part.
Video lessons, either on DVD or via online webpages and media, are invaluable for helping you learn the guitar. It's one thing to look at a picture or diagram of a chord in a book, but it really helps you understand how to play it if you actually watch someone else playing it first.
Some of the top video lessons for beginners are Jamorama, Learn & Master Guitar, and the Jamplay site also has many beginners video lessons.
To get more info on these video courses on how to play guitar, visit http://www.theguitarlessonreview.com. You will find comprehensive, detailed reviews of these courses, as well being able to get free sample beginners guitar lessons from them.
This article is devoted to learning how to play guitar (and even those just thinking about learning to play or giving the gift of music to a loved one) and how to approach gaining some kind of proficiency on the instrument. Now, we've all seen people playing the guitar at various times, sometimes on TV, sometimes up close (a real treat), playing various kinds of music and at varying skill levels. I think the hardest obstacle to overcome when you're earning how to play the guitar or thinking about starting is the thought that playing the guitar is only something musicians can do, or is only for people who are musically inclined. The simple fact is that anyone can learn to play the guitar. It's just a matter of spending some time with it on a regular basis, and practicing in a manner that's both fun and productive. Once it becomes part of your routine, it's only a matter of time before your skill level and confidence develop.
When I started learning the guitar, there were a couple of learning aids I found to be indispensable. They include:
Learning to Play Guitar Chord Reference Book - This is really helpful when you're not sure how to play an F chord or a B minor, or want to learn some other ways to play it
Artist Songbook - This is a songbook which has the piano, lyrics, and guitar chords to your artist's favorite songs, and is great for learning how to strum and change from chord to chord
Classical Guitar Book - This helps you familiarize yourself with the feel of scales and arpeggios, and also improves your sight reading
Guitar Tab Songbook - As you progress, you're going to want to play some of the guitar parts from your favorite songs note-for-note, meaning exactly as your favorite guitarist plays them. This type of book has the music for this both in standard notation and guitar tablature
I had a very insightful guitar teacher who started off each lesson by showing me a new chord and how to play it. Some good chord reference books that tackle these types of chords are the Whole Book of Guitar Chords and The First Book of Chords for the Guitar both written by Dan Fox. Once I had a feel for the chord, he would choose a song from a songbook from one of my favorite bands that used this chord (say a B minor or an A7) and would have me learn that song using an appropriate strum pattern. My mom played the piano, and would often visit the music store to buy sheet music songbooks from her favorite artists, so eventually I got her to buy me a few gems of this type:
Beatles Complete - This is a valuable book for two reasons. One is that it's The Beatles. The second is that The Beatles composed songs with relatively few and very easy to play chords ("I Saw Her Standing There" has three), and also songs with many and often unorthodox chords ("Michelle" has, um, a lot), especially when used in rock music. This makes it a great vehicle for learning new chords incrementally via their songs
Neil Young - Decade - My brother wore out this recording and when I started playing some of the tunes from it on the guitar, it gave his little brother some instant credibility. Many of the songs in this book were recorded by Neil on the acoustic guitar, so it lends itself to the beginner who's learning on an acoustic
Led Zeppelin Complete - This is a strange and beautiful book. It has the main guitar riffs for every Led Zeppelin song on the first five albums (I - IV and House of the Holy) but it's in standard notation. I spent a summer learning every song in this book and not only did my guitar playing improve, but so did my sight reading
Eric Clapton Deluxe Revised - This contains some of the best songs from Cream, the Layla disc by Derek and the Dominoes, and some of Eric's early solo work, but it's unique in that it has a separate section with some of Eric's best guitar solos transcribed. Eric is a great role model when you start learning how to play a guitar solo, because some of his solos are simple enough that they can be played by a beginning-intermediate guitar player (though it takes a lifetime to learn to play it with as much feeling as Eric)
Once we covered the chord of the week and the song that went with it, we would tackle a classical piece. One of the best classical books I can recommend, especially if you're not a classical guitarist, is Classical Studies for Pick-Style Guitar - Volume 1. This book is great for developing your right-hand picking and also for developing your sight reading since all the music is in standard notation. There are some interesting pieces by Matteo Carcassi, which require you to arpeggiate various chords, and also some Bach Inventions that are arranged for duet guitar, so you can play with a friend. You can hear how this sounds in an on-line guitar lesson I created at WholeNote - Bach's 8th Invention.
The one thing that's changed over the past decade in sheet music for guitarists is the emergence of guitar tab songbooks. In the late 1990's, an archive of guitar tablature files was collectively created and dubbed the On-Line Guitar Archives (OLGA), in which random guitarists from around the world created text files containing their own transcriptions of how to play your favorite songs by your favorite bands. The problem was that the quality and accuracy of the transcription was hit or miss. Sheet music companies finally wised up and started releasing accurate note-for-note transcription books, which were the real deal. In my day, you were a god if you could play the guitar solo, "Eruption", played by Eddie Van Halen off Van Halen I, because you had to learn it by ear off the record, which is pretty much impossible. Today, you can just buy the Van Halen I guitar tab songbook and get all the music for Eruption both in guitar tab and standard notation. Oh, and they also throw in the rest of the songs from Van Halen I, and from Van Halen II, as well. I've always loved the whacked-out intro that Eddie plays in Mean Street, which opens the Fair Warning recording. The Van Halen Guitar Anthology Series has the tab for this, note for note, including every last harmonic, pick scrape, bend, and tap. It's unbelievable. And it's not just Van Halen. You can find similar guitar tab songbooks for The Beatles, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews Band, Nirvana, Green Day, Audioslave and pretty much anyone else you can think of.
Finally, as you develop your practice routine, the one thing most often overlooked during practice is being able to play in time. When you start to get comfortable with chords and strumming, there's a natural tendency to stop or to hesitate while switching between chords. A good metronome will make you aware of this and force you to play in time. The Qwik Time QT-7 Quartz Metronome is a good budget option and provides a good click, while the Wittner Wood Case Metronome w/ Bell and Cover is the kind you can hang onto forever and pass along from generation to generation (and I should know - I have one from my grandfather). The Fender MT-1000 Chromatic Tuner/Metronome is unique in that you get both a metronome and a guitar tuner in one convenient package. Very handy, indeed.
You too can learn to play the guitar today! Hopefully, this gives you a bit of direction as you learn to play the guitar. Remember that it's simply a matter of spending some time regularly practicing some of the basics and then applying them to your favorite music. Keep expanding your knowledge of the basic chords and learn to play songs that use them, along with the strumming patterns of the tune. Combined with some classical pieces for dexterity and developing your sight-reading chops, you'll be well on your way to mastering the guitar in no time!
Rick Ferguson
Learn to Play Guitar
A guitar is a beautiful probe and is an integral part of any song you listen. Uniqueness of the guitar as a tool is that it sounds great even in solo performances and does not require any additional support to make it sound great.
Regardless of whether or not you want to be part of a band, learn to play guitar is a skill with a high value marketing. This is because the success of each band is always an exceptional guitarist.
Now that you have decided to learn a guitar, really need aprenderlo.Si think that get lessons in playing a guitar for beginners will be difficult, so think twice. There are unimaginable amounts of "how to play the guitar" lessons for beginners the entire network for free.
These lessons are available in text, as well as video lessons too.However, this is only possible if you know where to find these teachings.
The oldest form of learning to play guitar is to find a Professor of guitar in his very important localidad.Es taking lessons from a skilled guitarist. These individuals carry out guitar classes in your home Studio or in the music store.
The other important thing to note here is, contrary to general belief, the reality of the matter is that not all good guitarists are good important profesores.Es that you learn to play a guitar from someone who plays well himself and also knows how to teach someone else the same.
The drawback of this traditional method is tries it in programming.If it is working on a programming hermetic and not reschedule to accommodate guitar lessons, internet will come to your rescue. There are plenty of websites that offer free courses online in the form of playing the guitarra.También there are many available videos that take you through lessons for beginners on how the guitar.
While most of these types of free materials, some of the higher degree teachings could cost an amount nominal.El learning through internet in the comfort of your home is the best way to learn guitar for people who have a family to support, are busy work schedules, etc.
Learn how to search for guitar lessons in the network of professional sources.In this case, websites that charge a fee for giving guitar lessons will prove to be the most reliable source.Since these websites are professionally managed, give you great flexibility in learning the lessons of quality playing a guitar in the comfort of your home and when you want to learn.
The guitar is the most widely used in any genre of music. no matter what song you play, guitar seem to have any part in its composition.This is the reason, why the guitar is the most seductive of all instruments.
There are millions of applicants who wish to learn the guitar.Most singers lead, in the majority of bands are guitarists themselves.
It is not as easy as some professional guitarists do seem like the guitar.What is visible on the television is his mastery of the instrument, which is not visible is the hours and hours of practice that these professionals put - in every day in order to dominate the guitar to the perfection. is this practice that allows them to play the guitar as professionally as possible.
There is no technology or method that anyone can play guitar as a professionally inserting a micro chip in your cerebro.Tocando guitar the professionally requires hours and hours of daily practice released over several years.
Requires patience, perseverance and hard rock commitment and determination to master the art of playing a guitarra.Si you are a person with very poor willpower and flame comes only with a hint of frustration, then, playing the guitar is not for you.
Each time you get frustrated while playing the guitar, remember, if your favorite guitarist had initially called closes it would not have been his idol today.
Learn guitar correctly take tiempo.No will be able to learn to play guitar in a matter of weeks or months or even years. all you need is lots and lots of practice, practice, and practice.
Learn to play guitar always was difficult for me, but now I know how hacerlo.Espero that this article was useful to you.
