Learning How to Play Guitar

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 12:05 am

The guitar is possibly the most versatile instrument ever made. It is used in a wide range of music genres; from classical and folk to alternative rock and country music. Also, when it comes to contemporary popular music, most lead singers in bands are guitar players.

If you want to learn how to play the guitar, you will need patience, dedication and commitment. You must also prepare yourself for the physical effects of playing the guitar as well. For example, you may develop calluses on your fingers, from continued contact with the strings. Also, your hands may cramp a bit when you start learning the different chords, this is because they are not used to being in these new positions. Sometimes your shoulders may also become tired and uncomfortable as well.

You must always remember that whoever your guitar hero is they also had to start somewhere. Just like you they will have encountered finger calluses, hand and shoulder soreness and all the frustrations that come with them. You will understand the relevance of the saying "No pain, no gain" when you first begin learning how to play guitar.

Before you begin learning how to play guitar, you have to learn how to tune it. In order to create a good sound, your guitar needs to be tuned correctly. Firstly you should tune the lower E string, which is the bottom string. The next one is the A string (2nd from the bottom), D string (3rd from the bottom), G string (fourth from the bottom) and then B string (5th from the bottom). The last string to be tuned is the E string at the top. To make tuning your guitar strings easier you can use an electronic tuner; these are readily available from most music stores.

Alternatively you can pay to have your guitar tuned at a music store but tuning is a really useful and important skill that you should learn for yourself. Otherwise, you can end up paying out a fortune keeping your guitar tuned. Perhaps you could ask someone at a music store to show you the best way to tune your guitar. If you buy your guitar from the same shop they may show you tuning for free, or there may be a small fee. A useful skill worth learning it will ensure your guitar always produces the best sound.

When you have tuned your guitar, you can begin learning to read guitar tabs. These are lesson that can be found on the internet and show you how to correctly place your fingers on each string, hopefully lessening the pain that you may encounter. Next, try strumming the guitar using your other hand. Lastly, choose some practice songs that contain the least complicated chords to play, such as the chords C, G, and A.

There it is! Now you know how to play the guitar. Just remember, practice makes perfect and the more you practice, the sooner you will master playing the guitar.