Learning to Play the Guitar
Whether you’re an aspiring rock star, or an avid guitar enthusiast; learning to play the guitar correctly can mean the difference between falling short of the mark, and reaching obtaining new skills to impress the masses. So what can you expect when it comes to learning the guitar? How difficult will it be and are you prepared for the journey? Here’s a look at what you can expect from guitar lessons.
First of all, you’ll want to make sure that you have the right equipment. Although guitars vary in price, they’ll all do the same thing, even if some models do have more functions and features than others do. If you’ve chosen an acoustic guitar for example, then you’ll most likely find that your guitar is best suited for solo playing, whereas if you’ve opted for an electric guitar you’ll be able to plug your instrument in to an amplifier and let the whole street hear your chords.
Once you’ve decided on the type of guitar that you want to play, you’ll need to decide on whether or not you’ll be using a set of guitar picks, or if you prefer to use your fingers. Picks provide a little bit more accuracy when it comes to playing, but there’s something quite soulful about using your fingers to create the melody for a song.
Once you’ve got your gear in order, the next thing you’ll want to do is to book a few guitar lessons. Even the most experienced guitar players will have had to learn from somewhere, so unless you intend to be self taught, it’s a good idea to book a lesson or two with a good guitar teacher so that you really learn to play like a professional.
During your lessons, you’ll be introduced to each chord and finger position, as well as learning how to create certain notes and string effects. Although the string effects are better suited to intermediate to experienced guitar players, you can still try your hand at them while you’re learning. A good guitar instructor will understand your pace and skill level and they’ll encourage you to try harder each time. Once you’ve mastered the chords and notes, you’ll be ready to move on to more advanced methods of guitar playing, all of which your teacher can help you to fully understand and practice.
One of the most common problems that new guitar players encounter is the way to position their hands. Left-handed players will mirror their right hand equivalents and there are a great range of left-handed guitars too so you won’t have to miss out if you fall in to this category. Just remember that your hands should remain fluid, manoeuvrable and ready to reposition in a split second. The more that you play, the easier these positions will come, so just keep practicing and you’ll get there soon enough.