Tips For Learning How To Play Acoustic Guitar
March 9, 2011The guitar is a popular instrument, and offers great versatility. If you want to play in a band or merely want to learn basic chord progressions for a few songs, you can gain a lot of enjoyment by learning some basic skills. Learning how to play acoustic guitar well involves many hours of practicing, but with patience you can make good progress.
The regular steel string and nylon classical instruments have six strings, which decrease in thickness from the lowest to the highest in pitch. These are tightened and loosened (or ‘tuned’) with the help of the tuner pegs on either side of the headstock. How rapidly you progress in learning guitar will depend on whether you have existing musical training. If you do not, it is a good idea to learn some basic music theory rather than play by ear, as everything will then make more sense.
If you have already played another instrument for some time, it can be tricky to adjust your thinking to the layout of the guitar, but putting a chart up on your wall which shows where each note lies will help you to memorize the layout of the fretboard quickly. If you can remember where each note is by heart, you will be able to find chords with less hesitation.
In learning an instrument there are three important aspects – acquiring physical ability, acquiring musical understanding, and developing your ear. Working on technique, such as finger picking (plucking individual strings in rapid succession without sounding the others) is usually the first step. If you simply want to learn a few songs, there are instructional videos online and you can also get a chord chart which shows where your fingers need to be placed to sound each chord.
When you are new to the guitar, the strings may dig into the tips of your fingers so that you cannot hold a chord or note down for long without it hurting. Some professional musicians suggest tricks such as rubbing alcohol on your fingertips, as this helps to dry out and harden the skin so that the strings press into your fingers less. Over time, as you practice, you fingers will become tougher by themselves.
When you start on an instrument, you will see better progress in your skills if you practice a little, every day of the week. Playing scales and other simple repetitive patterns can help you develop the approach necessary to carry out more complicated passages, thus it is a good idea to play through a few scales and arpeggios at the start of each practice session.
When you have purchased your first guitar, you may want to also buy a few accessories which will help you. If your fingernails are not yet long enough to strum the instrument properly, you can use a pick or plectrum, a shaped piece of plastic or other hard material. These are cheap to buy. A shoulder strap is useful for comfort purposes, as you can play standing up with the weight of your instrument evenly distributed.
If you want to learn how to play acoustic guitar purely for your own enjoyment, a quick search online will yield free chord charts and other helpful information, including video instruction by amateurs. If you want to work your way towards the advanced skill level of a professional, it is advisable to seek out one-on-one Oakville guitar lessons with an experienced teacher, or to invest in a series of training videos which cover every aspect of learning the instrument.
Guitar lessons Burlington as well as Guitar lessons Oakville are offered in Oakville and Burlington to beginning and intermediate level students of all ages–from children age 6 and up, to young and older adults.
Leave a Reply