So do you want to learn how to play the guitar? Keep reading.
Steps
Step 1. Make sure you really want to
Playing a guitar isn't as easy as it sounds and if you don't put in a little effort you'll throw in the towel halfway. And you will have wasted money and time.
Step 2. Make sure you buy a decent guitar
After all, we are talking about a good investment. A good guitar lasts decades, a cheap or 'beginner' guitar will not keep a good sound for long and will soon force you to buy another one.
Step 3. Look for someone in the Yellow Pages who can teach you to play the guitar
If you can't find anyone you like, search among your friends: there is always someone who knows how to play it and who can help you learn.
Step 4. Buy some guides to learn how to play the guitar
Remember that a good book has illustrations of chords to practice with.
Step 5. Make sure you are dealing with a good teacher
If he teaches you wrong techniques, it will not be easy to get back on the right path.
Step 6. Choose what kind of technique you want to learn to play, solo or rhythm, and inform your teacher that you want to focus on that particular style
It is better to be good in one field or another than to be mediocre in both.
Step 7. Buy yourself some video guides to watch at home
Step 8. Never stop practicing
Step 9. Don't be discouraged if some things seem impossible
The professional guitarists you listen to on the radio had to practice for years before they could play fairly well.
Step 10. Always make sure your guitar is in tune or it will sound awful
If you still can't tune it by ear, buy an electronic tuner (you can find it at any musical instrument store).
Advice
- You don't have to be a 'born guitarist' or have a natural talent for music to be able to play a guitar well. A little predisposition helps, but don't listen to those who say that special talents are needed. With the right determination, anyone can do it.
- You don't have to know how to read sheet music to play properly. Even some of the best guitarists in the world are not capable of it.
- Find yourself a personal 'idol'. A guitarist, of course, someone like Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison or Steve Clark. Take their style for example, but don't copy it entirely - always add a personal touch to your musical style.
- If someone criticizes you, forget it. Just listen to constructive criticism. Most of the time, critics don't even know how to hold a guitar. Otherwise they would know how difficult it is to learn to play it and would understand that you don't become Jimi Hendrix in one day.
- Even if it seems like the results never come, don't give up. It's a matter of time, once you are 'unlocked' you can become a great guitarist - the secret is to be patient.
- For a beginner it is better to use a six string guitar rather than a twelve string guitar.
- Look for some friends who like you want to learn to play the guitar, set up meetings in which to compare and learn from each other. Learning together is very important to stay motivated.
Warnings
- Choose a good pick that is neither too stiff nor too flexible. The pick has a huge impact on the sound of your guitar, so test it in the store on a guitar before you buy it. You also have to 'get along well', each guitarist has his or her favorite pick.
- When you play, press the strings firmly and firmly, or the guitar will emit a hum that is not at all pleasant to hear.
- There are no miraculous shortcuts to learning to play the guitar.
- Often, it takes years to learn how to play the guitar well.
- Take care of your guitar and take care of the strings with anti-rust products (for steel strings).
- If you buy a used guitar, check it carefully in every point before proceeding with the purchase, for damage or cracks. Ask someone from the store to tune it and try playing it to see if it's the right one for you and if the sound is what you expected.
