Learning The Guitar

Learning the guitar may seem a daunting prospect to many people. There seems to be an almost endless array of chords and scales, techniques and styles, that some people are put off completely. Those who do decide to persevere often feel so overwhelmed by all the information, in books and on the internet, that they don’t know how to proceed, and many give up all together before they ever really get going. All of this is a shame; it needn’t be so hard. This article attempts to address the main points of confusion and frustration for those wishing to take up playing the wonderful, expressive instrument that is the guitar, and to guide them in the right direction towards many long and happy years of guitar learning. If you're looking for a great way to learn the guitar we recommend Jamorama.

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There are lots of reasons for learning the guitar. Some people want to become professional session musicians, others want to write their own songs or form their own bands. Some have no further aspirations than just jamming along to their favourite records in the privacy of their bedrooms, but whatever their reasons for learning the guitar everyone will share the same sense of achievement and satisfaction as they improve. It’s not always easy but, as with much in life, the more you put in the more you’ll get out of it

The first decision you’ll have to make after deciding to learn the guitar is whether you want to play an electric or an acoustic guitar. This will largely come down to the style of music you want to play; for heavy metal or rock, for example, an electric would be best, whereas for folk or singer-songwriter type music an acoustic guitar would be more suitable. Of course generalisations like that are only intended as a guide, and there’s no reason you have to follow them, it’s really up to you. A few other things to bear in mind though:

• Acoustic guitars tend to have heavier strings than electrics which can make them a bit harder to play, especially for beginners who haven’t yet built up a lot of strength in their fingers. Electrics, on the other hand, with their lighter gauge strings and, usually, better access to the upper frets probably feel a bit easier to play. 
• Electric guitars obviously need to be amplified in order to be heard properly. This means buying extra equipment like leads and an amplifier, which can be very expensive, not to mention noisy! Acoustic guitars, by their very nature, can be heard perfectly well on their own so there is no need for any extra expense. 

Having decided on what type of guitar you’re going to play, the next step is to decide whether you want to pay for private, one to one tuition or try and teach yourself from books and other learning resources. The obvious benefits of a private tutor include his or her ability to show you exactly what you’re doing wrong and how you can improve, and to develop your own tailor made learning program and take you in exactly the direction you want to go. Obviously private tuition is going to cost money, but if you look around you should be able to find some to suit your budget, although, as with many things, you tend to get what you pay for.

On balance then, if you can afford it, I would recommend getting a private tutor, at least at first, as this will ensure you get all the basics right, from the start, and prevent you from developing any bad playing habits. Having said that, these days there are some really fantastic resources available in the form of books, videos, internet sites, and downloadable courses, such as Jamorama, which can show you everything you need to learn, just without the personal touch of a real tutor. Either way, if you’re prepared to put the time and effort into learning and follow what you’re being taught, either approach should work just fine.

Regardless of whether you teach yourself or not, the first thing most people learn when learning the guitar is how to play basic chords. A chord is two or more notes played at the same time, and a large amount of guitar music is based on strumming chords. Once you’ve got to grips with that you’ll probably want to move onto some more advanced types of rhythm playing, such as power chords and riffs. After that you’ll probably want to start learning some scales to prepare you for playing lead guitar. That’s where the real fun starts! After that the possibilities are endless.

Of course it doesn’t matter how great your teacher is, or how fantastic the books you’re learning from are, the only way you’re ever going to improve is by practicing. However, there are right and wrong ways to practice, and the difference can be enormous. Use your practice time effectively and efficiently and you will make vastly more progress, in much less time, than someone who practices in the wrong way. The primary goal of effective guitar practice should always be accuracy. Play everything slowly and cleanly, making sure it’s as accurate as possible, and always use a metronome to keep your timing in check. Once you’ve got it down accurately at slow speed it should be easy to speed it up to full tempo and still be clean and tight.

So there you have it. I hope you’ve found some of this information useful. If you’re thinking about learning the guitar, or have already started, I hope it’s inspired you to get practicing.

If you’re looking for a fantastic way to speed up your guitar learning, I thoroughly recommend Jamorama, a brilliant downloadable guitar course complete with video lessons and jam tracks, all for less than the cost of an hour’s tuition with a private teacher.

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