Tips For Starting Playing Guitar

[Gijs]

He Guys,

I decided to pick up the guitar. I learned to play the piano already, so I kind of know what route to follow.

What I'm wondering is are there tips you guys can give me that are less general (like learn the chords, play other songs etc) that where very helpfull to you? Or maybe things you wish you had learned earlier in your progress of learining the guitar?

Thanks! I guess you I will keep you up to date with my progression thru the songs I post.

[TapperMike]

Friends, You'll learn faster and enjoy it more if you are playing with friends. As soon as you can play two chords together start playing infront of people. It'll make you want to learn songs more and will focus your playing. A lot of people get self concious quick. Then they think they need to know more or play better before they can play for people. Don't be like that because it's a rabbit hole that gets deeper. I knew people who played for years bu not in front of others. The time alone made them too self concious to perform and when they got infront of other players it made things worse. It took a lot of coaxing ti get them out of the shell and play at the level they were capable of but were to shy to let it out.

Also expect your fingers to hurt. The more you practice the quicker your callouses will develop and the less you'll notice.

[TapperMike]

I just wanted to add, Being around musicians in real life even if they are only aquaintences really helps. You'll look at someone and think I can do that or I can't do that I want to be able to. If you play with people who are at your level or just above your level it gives you the opporitunity to excell. If you play with people who play beyond your abilities it can frustrate you. But the important thing is not to be shy about playing infront of others. As soon as you have a song to play, play it.

[Gijs]

I just wanted to add, Being around musicians in real life even if they are only aquaintences really helps. You'll look at someone and think I can do that or I can't do that I want to be able to. If you play with people who are at your level or just above your level it gives you the opporitunity to excell. If you play with people who play beyond your abilities it can frustrate you. But the important thing is not to be shy about playing infront of others. As soon as you have a song to play, play it.

Thanks for the tips Mike! I responded to you post earlier, but I quess something went wrong.. I don't have anybody I know of my level at the moment. (I have a friend who started to play the guitar a few months ago, but he seemed to have given up on it already..) I will take up on your tip to refrain from being shy about it. As soon as I think I need a guitar in my sings I will jump at the occasion and play it in myself.

p.s. my finger hurt already.

[TapperMike]

Well, Keep the faith.

One more thing,,,,

Record yourself.

Each week lay down a barebones track, Just you and the guitar. Don't try to get to sophisticated or technical with a daw.

The following week. Listen to your stuff the week before after you record for this week. Don't get judgemental on your own playing. Keep em all. Sometimes some really good ideas come to mind that you can use later and it will give you a track record to work from. In some ways playing a musical instrument is like a sport or athletisicsm. Progress isn't always a straight line. You work at something and work at it and then you reach a new plateau. And then even as you are learning and playing you hit a wall where you don't feel you're improving even though you are. And then you get another jump from seemingly nowhere where your playing ability rises again. Output isn't always consistant with input. However consistant input atleast keeps you on the same level as you were before.

I was never a natural, although I did have some beginners luck. I worked hard for every note and when I took time away from the instrument my playing suffered. One day I had a relevation. Either I was going to quit playing the guitar or I was going to play it for the rest of my life even if I wasn't going to be the greatest guitarist who ever lived. I knew a lot of guys who quit playing and never looked back. They were in my mind a million times better then I thought I would ever be. Well, I'd be out gigging and they'd come in to watch the show and they'd all compliment me. If anything I've learned you don't have to know it all and be it all you just have to enjoy what you are doing. A simple song played well is just as effective as a complex one.

[Nellington]

My advice is, never bother learning a song that you know you'll easily be able to play. Always push yourself with songs that are just that bit beyond you, you'll improve a lot faster that way.

[TapperMike]

I don't know about that. Music isn't a gymnastics competition and there is no sense in setting yourself up for a fall. Play the music you like and like the music you play. A simple song performed well can be more effective then a complex one performed poorly.

[Mahesh]

I don't know about that. Music isn't a gymnastics competition and there is no sense in setting yourself up for a fall. Play the music you like and like the music you play. A simple song performed well can be more effective then a complex one performed poorly.

I think Nellington's advice was related to improving technique Mike, & not exactly about it being performed.

But I do agree with you,If you are to perform somewhere on stage anytime soon,learn a simple song inside out,and own it on stage.I feel you have more freedom to express yourself this way since you dont have to think "Oh here comes the tricky part" when you are performing.

But if you want to improve your technique,then you NEED to challenge yourself. There is no point if the ONLY thing you do is learn songs having a few chords. Learning technique by going through lessons is one thing,but figuring out yourself how a song is played on the record is learning on a totally different level. Thats where your OWN unique playing style is born .

[Baldy]

In my experience, no matter how you do it, as long as you put the hours in you'll progress in some way. But it really depends on what you want to learn. I started wanting to learn metal, so the first thing I did was learn how to read tabs and then just started finding songs I wanted to play and kept at it until they weren't sounding totally awful.

But that said, if acoustic music is more your kind of thing, then start with the chords and build up from there.

Consistantly playing is the real key I think, at least it was for me.

Edited June 7, 2012 by Baldy