But first some cool facts!...
- Did you know that the first guitars were created thousands of years ago and went through a great evolution until the guitar we know today?
- Did you know that the technological advances caused the birth of the electric guitar, which uses electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations into electrical signals? Such a nerd!
- Did you know that the guitar is the leading figure in jazz, flamenco, tango, rock and roll, blues, funk, punk, pop, and metal music, and an important part of folklore from various countries? The guitar has become the quintessential symbol of popular music nowadays! Isn't it incredible?
In this article, you can find out about when to learn to play the guitar.
The guitar is one of the most important musical instruments in Canada. and represents a symbol of freedom, rock, and roll, pop songs, and groupies!
It is a versatile instrument that can be adapted to all ages. It can be learned by teenagers, adults, and even the youngest members of the family. So no matter what age you are, learning to play guitar is possible for everyone with a little motivation and effort! Even many famous musicians started to get involved in the art of guitar when they were a little older. So don't let anything limit you. There is no reason why you shouldn't learn to play it. It's never too late!
How to learn to play the guitar faster
If you feel curious about starting to play guitar, and one of your goals is to learn quickly, you can progress more easily if you follow the tips below. However, you need to know that there are no such shortcuts to success, my friend. The only way to become a guitar expert is with practice, practice, practice, and more practice! These tips can help you along the way:
- Be constant. Through perseverance, you can achieve any goal you have in mind. If you want to learn to play the guitar or succeed in any artistic or sporting activity, it is essential to be consistent with the practice. Learning to play a musical instrument does not happen overnight, in fact, to become an expert requires many years of training.
- Patience is a virtue. Learning to play an instrument requires time, effort, and hours of practice. Every process takes time. Fo this, avoid setting impossible goals, such as learning to play the guitar in a week, as they will only make you feel frustrated, leaving aside what you have learned and dropping out of the process. Enjoy the journey, and remember that none of this is an obligation. This can be a perfect moment to spend time with yourself!
- Take your time. If you want to learn to play guitar, you won't acquire all the basics in the blink of an eye. Plan your practice sessions better, and the knowledge will come by itself. Begin with the basics, and when you've got the hang of it, move up to the next level. A good tip is to focus on learning the songs you like the most!
- Invest time in your study. Generally, we tend to live very fast-paced lives, and it is difficult for us to be consistent with what we set out to do. However, if you dedicate some time each week to practicing the guitar, it can even be a time to disconnect from your daily activities. And even a meditation time!
- Celebrate your achievements. Believe it or not, rewarding yourself after achieving a goal is an essential part of learning reinforcement and maintaining motivation. Maybe cooking your favorite dinner when you reach your first notes isn't such a bad idea!
- Practice with simple songs. Remember we told you to learn guitar with your favorite songs? Practicing with music you enjoy has many advantages because if you know the rhythm, it will be easier to replicate it on the guitar. Plus, you'll feel more motivated! But we recommend you to start with the easiest songs, especially if you are starting from scratch.
- Learn through virtual tools. Surfing your computer you can find great platforms of free videos and tutorials, online games, social networks, and thousands of blogs to start playing guitar step by step. Never before have we had so many possibilities and practicality simultaneously, so make the most of them!
- Sign up for guitar lessons. Some students look for more personalized lessons to progress faster in guitar. You know yourself better than anyone else. If you see that practicing guitar on your own is not working, you can always look for the option of having private lessons, whether you decide to choose face-to-face or online classes. Improving your guitar playing is just a click away! Just search for "guitar lessons Calgary" or elsewhere on your favorite search engine and you'll find hundreds of teachers.
- Enjoy the process! There is nothing more to say here. The important thing in everything you do is that you enjoy the process. It applies to learning guitar, selecting a job, and everything in life. Stay cool as a cucumber!
Discover the amount of time needed to learn the guitar here.
How to start playing the guitar?
If you are starting to practice guitar at any age from scratch, here are some steps you can consider to get started, especially if you want to learn by yourself.
Choose the guitar of your choice. You must know the different types of guitars that exist, as well as the musical genre that matches each one of them. Whether you choose the classical and flamenco guitar, the acoustic guitar (folk, electro-acoustic, and jazz), or the electric guitar, fall in love with the one you like the most. Let your musical tastes and curiosity lead you to decide!
Knowing how to tune. It is essential to know how to tune a guitar, as they can be a bit sensible to humidity, heat, constant movement, etc. Tuning is very simple, and you can follow the standard tuning pattern, or even use an app with your mobile phone or computer (for this technology also helps us).
Change the strings constantly. Changing strings frequently will help your guitar sound better and may even break down. Also, more worn strings tend to sound duller and out of tune. To change them you must remove the previous strings, then place the strings on the bridge of your guitar, place the strings on the corresponding pegs, and cut the leftover ends. Don't forget to retune your guitar again, and voila! You are ready to create delightful music!
Learn the seven basic chords. Learning the basic chords will help you to play your first songs. These are the basis of everything. Basic guitar chords are C, D, A, G, E minor, A minor, E, and D minor. Learning these chords will lead you to play any song you like faster!
Rhythms and strumming. Strumming refers to strumming the guitar strings, causing two or more strings to vibrate and thus producing sound. At first, simplify the strumming, as if you were strumming downwards (down arrow) so you can better change the chord and then complete the corresponding strumming.
Learn to read tablatures. Tablatures show us the positions that the fingers require to have to reproduce a certain sound. You must learn to interpret them, as it will be easier for you to read the sounds you have to reproduce.
Find easy songs that you like. There is no better way to stay motivated than by playing your favorite songs! Here you will find very popular songs for you to practice!
*Ideas of easy songs for beginners:
- "I wanna be there" by Blessid Union of Souls.
- "What’s up" by Four Non-Blondes.
- "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- "Love me do" The Beatles.
- "Hotel California" by The Eagles.
- "Knockin’ on heavens door" by Bob Dylan.
Even if you have no idea how to play the guitar we are sure that these tips can give you a good guideline. Learn guitar in a fun way so you can progress easily! What are you waiting for to get started?
What is the best age to play the guitar?
Learning to play the guitar can be a very rewarding experience at any age. Indeed, no matter what age you are at the moment, successful learning depends mainly on two factors: the time we can dedicate to study and the motivation we have to continue. Whether we are children, teenagers, young adults, or older adults, these two factors will always be decisive for success.
It is true that when we are young it is easier for us to acquire knowledge because the brain is in full development. Children tend to be more flexible and spontaneous, which makes it easier for them to learn the guitar and any musical instrument. However, as children, the motivation to learn to play the guitar is often driven by parental expectations rather than the child's own, and if there is no accompaniment and exigency, the child rarely manages to continue over the years.
And it also depends on the age of the child. Like most musical instruments, the guitar can be a bit more complex for younger children because it requires more coordination. A very young child will probably not have the skillfulness to achieve this.
During adolescence, the guitar can become an instrument for exploring new personal areas, developing self-esteem, a sense of belonging, and finding new friends. Learning to play an instrument during adolescence is always recommended for meeting new people, developing new cognitive skills, and there is usually a bit more time available to practice!
Generally, learning to play the guitar as a young adult, i.e. between the ages of 20 and 40, can be much more effective than in earlier stages. Even if they do not have enough time available due to work, family, and personal issues, if young people are looking to learn to play the guitar they will find a way to do it, and that is for sure! Young adults seek to play a musical instrument for several reasons, like finding a new hobby, taking their mind off their worries, getting out of the routine, or connecting with themselves.
Adults in their fifties and sixties have a clear idea of what music they like, what they want to learn, and how to achieve it. If you are in this age range, a good idea might be to find a preferred style of music and set a specific time to practice. This way, you can make excellent progress!
If you are an adult over sixty, learning guitar has all the above advantages and more! You usually have more time to practice, something that young adults can't even dream of enjoying. Learning guitar will keep you focused, will help you to exercise your memory, and your coordination. You can make even the same progress (or even more) as a young adult since your motivation to learn things you are curious about will be sky high! Maybe taking guitar lessons with your kids could be a great time to catch up!
If you are looking for an experienced guitar teacher, all you need is to type "guitar lessons Toronto" in your browser. There are plenty of options!
At any age, you can learn to play guitar and everything you set your mind to. Don't forget that to reach an advanced level or to progress as you expect, you need constant practice, excellent guidance, a good work plan, and achievable goals.
Although it is said that the ideal age to learn the guitar is during the school years, the reality is that it's never too late to start! Learning can be one of your greatest satisfaction!
Can I study the guitar on my own?
You can play guitar anywhere in Canada today, for example at the Guitar Societies all around the country. However, today it will be much easier for you to be a self-learner if you use all the tools at your disposal and if you find it easy to stay motivated. The internet provides us with excellent study tools 24/7, you just have to be ready to use them.
On the Internet you can find many ways to learn guitar, you just have to select the one that best suits your way of studying and that best suits your budget. You can even enjoy finding virtual tools for free. There is a wide variety of virtual platforms where you can find videos, tutorials, and blogs dedicated to the guitar that explain step by step how to complete your training, and that are quite affordable! So if you were wondering if it is possible to be self-taught when it comes to learning the guitar, the answer is, of course, yes! You can learn everything in a self-taught way.
Furthermore, you can always ask for advice of teacher as there are lots of great musicians across Canada. Just google "guitar lessons Vancouver" to find your match.
On the Internet, you will find everything you need to become an expert musician! You just have to find a good guitar, set up a space at home to practice, and let your neighbors know that there will be a bit of noise. Having a good internet connection will give you endless learning possibilities!
However, we recommend you go to find an expert to have better progress. Although we can learn everything on our own, being accompanied by an expert guitarist can help you identify when you make a mistake, receive feedback, gain guitar skills and even get more tips to enjoy guitar better. Opting for face-to-face or virtual guitar lessons can offer you many advantages, which may be more difficult to find as an independent student.
You see, a lot of times when we are learning on our own it can be a bit difficult to differentiate if what we are doing is correct or not. When you are a guitar beginner and don't know how the instrument works, you can get frustrated more easily with so much information online and not knowing how to discriminate between the methods that work and the ones that don't. However, it's your choice. However, it is your decision.
If you feel comfortable learning the guitar in a self-taught way, go for it! Do you want to know if you are a natural self-taught guitar player, or if you have self-taught skills? Read on!
Main qualities of self-learners
- They are easily self-motivated: Motivation for a self-taught person is like green kryptonite for Superman. It is crucial for a self-taught person to stay motivated, and the only way to keep on learning and facing any obstacle.
- They step out of their comfort zone: Self-learners have no problem stepping out of their comfort zone when it comes to finding resources to further their learning. Whether it's going to the library, watching videos, enrolling in courses, or seeking additional tutoring, self-learners go further.
- They know that perseverance is a virtue: Because self-learners will try to go beyond a traditional education to acquire more knowledge in the subjects they are interested in, they also know that they will have to invest more time and effort to achieve their goals.
- They are very organized with their time: To achieve better reinforcement of learning, they set concrete goals and know how to prioritize them. They tend not to procrastinate and allocate the necessary time to learning.
If you identified yourself with most of these qualities, you are probably a self-taught person. You don't necessarily have to be able to study everything on your own, even this is only achieved when you are really interested in learning something. In this case, it will be easier for you to learn to play the guitar in a self-taught way!
However, if you don't identify with these characteristics, don't worry! We are sure most of us are on the same page as you! There will always be options for you to become that guitar expert, or just to learn how to play the song you like the most. For example, virtual and face-to-face lessons! Learn guitar fast!
The advantages of face-to-face classes
The traditional classes we are all familiar with have many advantages concerning the teaching-learning process. Through face-to-face education, we can easily establish bonds of friendship and encourage teamwork and companionship. We can't forget all the positive points that we can achieve through socialization, since as social animals this will contribute to better learning.
Also, it will be much easier for you to stay motivated and focused if you are physically present in a classroom, as it is easier to be part of a group dynamic, enabling better participation and better performance of you and your classmates.
The figure of the teacher is crucial in the teaching and learning process. When the teachers provide a face-to-face accompaniment, they reinforce learning by monitoring the students, giving them more confidence to express themselves, establishing an active communication dynamic, and identifying and correcting mistakes. Also with face-to-face education, it is easier to stay interested in the subjects. And more so when you enjoy a good time with your teacher and colleagues. And well, in case it happens your learning won't be limited to bad internet connections and technical problems with digital platforms.
By searching for "guitar lessons Edmonton", you can find a good teacher near you and learn music at your convenience.
Advantages of online guitar classes
After the sanitary situation, we have experienced in the last few years, we could all witness the great advantage that the internet and online classes can offer us. Thanks to technology, we keep in touch with each other, attending classes and working, and trying to continue with our lives as normal as possible. Moreover, online education can bring you more advantages than you can imagine! Ready to be even more part of this digital era? Be part of Superprof!
- More flexibility over time. With online learning, you can decide the frequency of guitar practice and the days of the week it is convenient for you to have lessons. No worries, you can still attend your dancing lessons!
- Better range of options. You can consult the best online resources available. Having access to excellent e-books, online tutorials, social networks and excellent virtual platforms, such as Superprof is way easier now!
- Affordable resources. Through online learning, you will be able to find much more affordable options for your pocket and needs, as you can easily compare their pros and cons. For example, with Superprof, you can find the best online tutor near you that best suits your pocket!
- You can take lessons from anywhere in Canada! Whether it's from the comfort of your own home, from your favorite café, or taking turns with your friends to practice guitar together. Your guitar lessons will always be available to you with Superprof!
Regardless of which of the two modalities you like the most, you can choose to have both to learn to play guitar with Superprof! Do you want to know what we are talking about? Don't waste another second and visit the best virtual platform for face-to-face or online guitar lessons in Canada! Bring out your inner guitarist with Superprof!
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