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7 Tips For How To Play A Guitar

This article gives seven tips for how to play a guitar. If you follow these tips, they will help you to learn how to play a guitar and meet your musical goals.

1. Choose a guitar that you like and can play comfortably.

Spend some time to pick out the guitar you are going to use. You'll be happier if you like the way your guitar looks and the way it sounds, and the more you like the guitar, the more you'll want to play it. It's also important that you be able to play the guitar comfortably. This means it should not be too large or too small for your body.

Also, it shouldn't be too hard to press down the strings on the fretboard. The distance between the strings and the fretboard is called the "action" of the guitar. The action should not be too high, or it will be hard to press down the strings (or "fret" the strings). On the other hand, the action should not be too low, or the strings will buzz.

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2. Create a Practice Space in your Home

Create a place in your home that will be your guitar practice space. It should have a comfortable chair, preferably without arms, where you can sit while you play. It should have good lighting and either a music stand or a small table where you can put music that you are playing. It should have a place where you can put your guitar when you're not playing it, and a place for your other guitar equipment (tuner, picks, tape recorder, etc.). It should be in a place where your playing won't disturb other people you live with.

3. Find a Teacher

If you can afford it, you should find a good guitar teacher and take some lessons. Getting started with a teacher will make sure that you don't form any bad habits. After a few lessons, you might decide to continue on your own, or to continue taking lessons. Some teachers will let you take a lesson every once in a while instead of being on a fixed schedule. This can be a good way to save money while still getting the benefit of working with a teacher. Depending on where you live, you might also be able to find group classes at a local community college or adult education program. Group classes are a great value, since you get the benefit of learning from a teacher at a much lower cost than private lessons.

4. Practice Every Day

Practice every day. Even if it's only for ten minutes. You will get much more improvement in your playing by practicing for ten minutes every day than you will by practicing for 70 minutes once a week. Try to practice at the same time every day. If you can set up a routine and practice in the same place at the same time every day, it will make it easier to be consistent. Consistent daily practice is what will bring the best results.

5. Play For Other People

As soon as you feel ready (better yet, before you feel ready), start playing for other people. You might start out by just playing a song for a friend or family member. As your confidence and skill improves, try to find places where you can play for more people. You might be able to play at your place of worship, or at an open mike at a local coffeehouse. Playing in front of people will help you build confidence and learn to keep going even when you make a mistake.

6. Play With Other People

Find a friend who plays the guitar or the piano or another instrument. Pick a song or two that you can both learn, and schedule a time once or twice a week to play together. Playing with another person will help your sense of rhythm and your ability to keep playing when you make a mistake, both important skills that are easier to learn with another person than when playing by yourself.

7. Learn Some Music Theory

Learn how to construct a major scale and the chords in a key. You can learn this from a teacher, from a book, or even online. Learning a little bit of music theory will help you understand why certain notes and chords sound right and why others don't.

This article has presented seven tips for how to play a guitar. If you follow these tips, you should be well on your way to meeting your musical goals.

 

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"Practice doesn't really make perfect, but it sure as hell makes for improvement." -- Pete Seeger, Henscratches and Flyspecks

"Subconscious activity never ceases. Muscles develop after exercise; and the mind, apparently resting, assimilates material provided during the practice hour." -- Lilias Mackinnon, Music By Heart