Beginner Guitar Lessons – What You Need To Know
If you’re just starting out on your guitar playing journey – these beginner guitar lessons will help you progress faster. In my 10 years of playing the guitar, I’ve learned quite a few things. It was not easy in the beginning, but it would have been easier if I had known the things that you’re about to learn.
Get Lessons from a Real Person First
Books, DVD’s, and online lessons are great – but you really need to take your first lessons from a real live person. A real person can physically show you how to hold a guitar, where to place your fingers, and how to strum. And, more importantly, they are there to correct you when you do something wrong. Other lessons just can’t do this. And it’s so important in the beginning. After the first few lessons, once you have a firm grasp of the basics, then it’s okay to start learning from other sources.
Regular Practice is Best
You should try and practice every day – don’t skip more than 2 or 3 days between practice sessions. You don’t need to put in 1 hour everyday. 10 or 15 minutes a day is all it takes to progress pretty fast. It is not as effective to practice once or twice a week for an hour at a time. This fails to build up consistent muscle memory and reflexes.
The First 2 Weeks are the Hardest
Everyone struggles in the beginning. Your arms, hands, and maybe even your back will get sore. But you will overcome this with time. If your back is hurting, that means that your posture is incorrect. You need to take steps to try and relax while playing, and don’t lean your neck over when playing. Your hands will get stronger and your fingers will get tougher after the first week or two. You will begin to form tough calluses on your fingertips and this will be a big help in your playing.
You Need a Quality Guitar
So many people try and save money and start out with a cheap, low quality guitar. This is a terrible idea. Most cheap guitars are extremely difficult to play. The strings usually sit too high off the neck – which makes it hard to press the strings down to make notes and chords. They don’t stay in tune very well – it’s vital to have a guitar that will stay in tune. And often there is bad fret buzz, which will make your music sound terrible. Get the best quality instrument that you can afford. You can find a good quality beginner acoustic or electric guitar for $180 to $200. Try out as many guitars as possible before buying one. Take a friend with you who knows how to play guitar, or ask a sales clerk to demonstrate for you. Stick with a name brand guitar and you won’t go too far wrong. Here are some good name brands that offer entry level guitars – Fender, Yamaha, Ibanez, and Epiphone.
I hope these beginner guitar lessons will lay a firm foundation for your guitar playing venture. If you stick with it, you will be a good player before you know it.
Would you like to find out more about the top beginner guitars? Then visit Jeff Mackie’s site on how to choose the best electric and beginner acoustic guitars for your situation.
