Learn How to Play the Guitar

Learn How to Play the Guitar

The guitar is one of the oldest instruments in the world, and is also one of the most difficult instruments to learn to play. Despite the relative difficulty, millions of people learn how to play each year for a variety of reasons. Learning to play the guitar doesn’t have to be that hard. With some simple tips, tricks, and lessons, you can be playing the guitar in no time.

BASIC VOCABULARY

Before you begin playing guitar, there is some basic vocabulary you need to become familiar with. These terms will appear time and time again while you’re learning to play, so it’s best if you learn them now.

• String – a regular guitar has six strings, and each string represents a different note. It is important that you become familiar with each string so you can learn how to play chords.
• Chords – A chord is a set of notes you can play by pressing and not pressing certain strings. The key to learning how to play the guitar is learning how to master all the possible chords.
• Bridge – The bridge is a small piece of hardware that is standard on nearly all guitars. The bridge anchors all of the strings to the base of the body.
• Neck – This is the long skinny part of the guitar, and where your hands will be at nearly all times. The neck is where you will press certain strings to create different notes and chords.
• Pick – a pick is a small tool which is used to act as an extension of your fingers of fingernails. The pick is used to strum the guitar to make chords and notes.

STEPS FOR GETTING STARTED

Learning how to play the guitar is a long and complex process, but you have to start somewhere. By following the steps below, you should be well on your way to learning how to play the guitar, one step at a time.

1.      Being by finding a comfortable, armless chair to sit in. The chair that you sit in will become very important later on. Ensure that you are sitting comfortably and that your back is supported, also be sure you have plenty of room on either side of the chair.

2.      Grab your guitar and place it on your body so that the body of the guitar is nearly touching your own body. Grab the neck of the guitar with your other hand and hold it at full arm length away from your body.

3.      Position your feet firmly on the ground, with your feet about 18 inches apart.

4.      Use your picking hand and start to slowly pick at the guitar to get a feel for how the pick feels in your hand and how the guitar sounds. You will need to tune your guitar to ensure you are getting the most accurate sound as possible. Consult a professional or somebody that has experience on how to tune your guitar, as it can be a daunting task for a novice.

LEARNING HOW TO PLAY NOTES AND CHORDS

Playing notes and chords is the basis of playing the entire guitar. Without playing notes, you will never learn to play chords, and without playing chords, you will never be able to play an entire song. Follow the steps below to familiarize yourself with the various notes of a guitar and how to play them.

1.      Start by simply picking the 6^th string. This is the E note and picking it without fretting on the neck is called playing it “open.”

2.      Now play each note individually, starting from the bottom. This will produce the A, B, C, D and E notes, respectively. Start by simply playing each of these notes “open” so you can get a feel for how they are supposed to sound without frets added.

3.      Now go back to the 6^th string and this time take your fretting hand and hold it firmly on the first fret. This will produce a sound slightly higher than simply plucking the E string without having a fret. After you become familiar with how the first fret sounds, move your hands up the neck until you find yourself through all of the frets. What you have just produced are some of the most basic chords in guitar music.

4.      Repeat this exercise with each of the six strings. With enough practice you will be able to recognize how each note should sound with a certain fret added to it. This is how you will eventually be able to start playing true music.

ADDING CHORDS INTO THE MIX

After you have learned how to pick the strings, strum the guitar, and hold down frets, you can now culminate your entire experience into making chords. Chords are what make up guitar music, and by learning to play chords you will learn how to play the most basic forms of music. A chord is simply a sound comprised of multiple notes, often three or more notes strummed at the same time. There are five major chords used in Western music, the C, E, A, G and D major. By learning each of these five “major” chords, you will be well on your way to learning how to master the rest of them.

Learning to play the guitar can be a daunting task if it’s your first instrument you’ve ever picked up, but learning can be a fun and exciting experience. Don’t let the thought of failure keep you from playing, and don’t be discouraged if you’re not catching on right away. It takes the average person a few weeks before they can start playing music, and a few years before they outright master playing the guitar.