These beginner guitar lessons will get you off to a good start. I have been playing guitar for over 10 years now. In the beginning, I had to learn about these things the hard way. If you follow this advice, you can avoid the problems that I encountered.
Take Guitar Lessons from a Real Person First
Online lessons, books, and dvds are excellent resources. But, I believe, they just can't take the place of a real live instructor - especially when you're just getting started. An actual live person has the ability to reach out and demonstrate the proper way to hold your guitar, exactly how to position your fingertips, and the correct ways to strum. But, the most important thing that an actual person can do is correct your mistakes in real time. This just isn't possible with online guitar lessons, books, and videos. This is essential when you're just starting out. Go to your instructor for a few lessons, or a few weeks until you get a good foundation established. Then you'll be better prepared to seek out other types of instruction.
Practice Consistently
If at all possible, fit daily practice into your routine. It's not a good idea to skip more than a couple of days between practice sessions. It doesn't take an hour a day to get good. You can make real progress putting in a solid 10 or 15 minutes a day. If you only practice once or twice a week, you won't progress nearly as fast. Even if those sessions are hour long sessions. Muscle memory and guitar reflexes need consistent, regular reinforcement.
It's Not Easy in the Beginning
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
In an effort to save money, many beginning guitar students start out with a low-cost, poor quality guitar. This is never a wise decision. You might be saving money, but these cheap guitars are difficult to play - even for an experienced guitarist. The string action is usually way too high (strings sit high off the neck) - which makes it difficult to press them down and form notes and chords. These guitars have a hard time staying in tune. They often go out of tune after a couple minutes of playing. It's no fun having to stop and retune your guitar every few minutes. And fret buzz is usually an issue. Fret buzz will make your playing really suffer. Good quality beginner guitars don't cost a lot of money. You can get a nice, playable guitar in the $180 - $200 range. If you can't afford a new one, get a used one. Go to your local guitar shop and try out as many guitars as you can to get a feel for them. If you don't have much knowledge, take a knowledgeable friend with you or ask a sales clerk to demonstrate them for you. I would advise getting a name brand guitar - because they are known to put out quality instruments. What are some good name brand guitars for beginners? Fender, Yamaha, Ibanez, and Epiphone are companies that can be counted on to produce quality instruments.
Hopefully, these beginner guitar lessons will get you off to a great start. Just be consistent in your practice schedule and you will definitely make consistent progress.
Take Guitar Lessons from a Real Person First
Online lessons, books, and dvds are excellent resources. But, I believe, they just can't take the place of a real live instructor - especially when you're just getting started. An actual live person has the ability to reach out and demonstrate the proper way to hold your guitar, exactly how to position your fingertips, and the correct ways to strum. But, the most important thing that an actual person can do is correct your mistakes in real time. This just isn't possible with online guitar lessons, books, and videos. This is essential when you're just starting out. Go to your instructor for a few lessons, or a few weeks until you get a good foundation established. Then you'll be better prepared to seek out other types of instruction.
Practice Consistently
If at all possible, fit daily practice into your routine. It's not a good idea to skip more than a couple of days between practice sessions. It doesn't take an hour a day to get good. You can make real progress putting in a solid 10 or 15 minutes a day. If you only practice once or twice a week, you won't progress nearly as fast. Even if those sessions are hour long sessions. Muscle memory and guitar reflexes need consistent, regular reinforcement.
It's Not Easy in the Beginning
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
In an effort to save money, many beginning guitar students start out with a low-cost, poor quality guitar. This is never a wise decision. You might be saving money, but these cheap guitars are difficult to play - even for an experienced guitarist. The string action is usually way too high (strings sit high off the neck) - which makes it difficult to press them down and form notes and chords. These guitars have a hard time staying in tune. They often go out of tune after a couple minutes of playing. It's no fun having to stop and retune your guitar every few minutes. And fret buzz is usually an issue. Fret buzz will make your playing really suffer. Good quality beginner guitars don't cost a lot of money. You can get a nice, playable guitar in the $180 - $200 range. If you can't afford a new one, get a used one. Go to your local guitar shop and try out as many guitars as you can to get a feel for them. If you don't have much knowledge, take a knowledgeable friend with you or ask a sales clerk to demonstrate them for you. I would advise getting a name brand guitar - because they are known to put out quality instruments. What are some good name brand guitars for beginners? Fender, Yamaha, Ibanez, and Epiphone are companies that can be counted on to produce quality instruments.
Hopefully, these beginner guitar lessons will get you off to a great start. Just be consistent in your practice schedule and you will definitely make consistent progress.
About the Author:
Visit Jeff Mackie's site for even more information on choosing the best beginner electric guitars and beginner acoustic guitars.
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