Okay, maybe you won't be Slash, Hendrix, or Hammett overnight, or even a year. But the electric guitar can be very simple to play; you just need the right starting point, otherwise it will seem too easy or too difficult and you will give up. The most important thing is to challenge yourself.
Steps
Step 1. Buy a guitar, which doesn't have to be good or expensive
Make sure you also get an amplifier, tuner, and cable.
Step 2. Learn some easy riffs, grab a book that has a lot of them for the guitar and play any kind of song, without feeling tied to a single genre
Step 3. Learn some better riffs
Once you've mastered the basics, find some good riffs to play; It is very important to start playing exciting songs right away: you have to keep your interest alive with songs you like, otherwise you will give up. Here are a few to get you off to a good start:
-
Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
- |-----------------|---------------|----------------|------------------
- | or ---------------- | --------------- | --------------- - | ------------------
- |--0---3---5----0-|---3---6-5-----|-0---3---5----3-|---0----(0)-------
- |--0---3---5----0-|---3---6-5-----|-0---3---5----3-|---0----(0)-------
- | or ---------------- | --------------- | --------------- - | ------------------
- |-----------------|---------------|----------------|------------------
-
Brain Stew - Green Day
- |------------------------|--------------------------------|
- |------------------------|--------------------------------|
- |------------------------|--------------------------------|
- |-7-7--5-5--4-4--3-3-2-2-|-7-7--5-5--4-4--3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-|
- |-7-7--5-5--4-4--3-3-2-2-|-7-7--5-5--4-4--3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-|
-
|-5-5--3-3--2-2--1-1-0-0-|-5-5--3-3--2-2--1-1-1-1-0-0-0-0-|
There are quite a few good and easy riffs out there - you just have to find them
Step 4. Start learning whole songs
If the song has a solo, play it if you can, otherwise learn the rhythm behind it so you can hear what an entire song feels like playing.
Step 5. Now that you have mastered the basics, develop them
It is vitally important in playing the electric guitar, because if you stick to the basic riffs you will tire of playing and will not improve.
Step 6. Learn some more difficult songs, expand your boundaries
Step 7. Try songs with solos
Some easy but effective are: Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana, and Teenage Kicks - The Undertones.
Learn to Play Electric Guitar Step 8 Step 8. Learn new techniques
Have you become an expert in hammer-on and pull-off? Maybe you could try some tapping: once you learn it, you will amaze people, especially if you can master erupting tapping - Van Halen. If you are really good you could try some sweep picking arpeggio.
Step 9. Form a group:
anything to keep your interest alive.
Step 10. Keep playing and learning:
if you stop learning new songs you will get tired of the ones you keep playing all the time, and so will anyone who lives with you.
