“Art is making something out of nothing, and selling it.” - Frank Zappa
When you start playing the guitar, there are limitless possibilities. You're like a newborn baby who doesn't know how to walk and is learning to take their first steps. In this case, it can be difficult to work out where to start and how to stop playing the guitar.
Here are our 10 tips for becoming a better guitarist.
1. Warming Up is an Essential Part of Improving Your Guitar Playing
When you play the guitar, your hands will be in positions that they're not used to being in.
To be able to comfortably play the guitar, it's a good idea to warm up first. However, unlike when you do sports, the goal of warming up before you play the guitar isn't to avoid injury but rather improve your dexterity.
Start by warming up your neck and your shoulders so that you're comfortable when playing. The next thing you should do is warm up your arms, your hands, and your fingers with a series of circular motions with your elbows and moving your wrists as if you wanted your hands to touch them.
Make sure you keep your back straight when you're playing the guitar. 5 minutes of warming up will help you feel more relaxed and improve your playing.
To warm up the fingers on your left hand (if you're right-handed), there are plenty of different exercises you can do.
Bit by bit, you'll see your speed and dexterity improve. You'll also see that you make more progress during a session if you've warmed up.
2. Use a Metronome to Improve your Guitar Playing
Even the most beautiful chord progressions in the world will sound awful if they're not being played in time. Being able to play in time is an important skill for any guitarist.
I know it doesn't seem very glamorous playing with a metronome that's constantly clicking away, but if you want to learn how to play in time, it's essential!
Practicing with a metronome will ensure that you are always in time. Don't worry if you can't manage it at first. Over time, you'll get there.
The goal is to get so used to playing in time that you can eventually play without a metronome. You'll start hearing the regular ticking of a metronome even when one isn't there.
3. Play Slowly at First in Order to Improve Your Speed
To get the most out of playing with a metronome, it's a good idea to start off slowly at first. You can set the tempo to whatever you want.
However, if you want to improve, it's a good idea to start off slowly and work on individual phrases and master playing them at the slower tempo.
You can’t play quickly if you can’t play slowly. Your brain needs to understand every little movement that you need to make in order to play the correct notes with the correct timing.
If you start by playing quickly at the beginning, you'll never progress. In fact, your playing will be sloppy and you'll pick up bad habits that will be difficult to correct later on down the line.
4. Study, Understand, and Memorize Chords in Order to Play Guitar Better
Chords are an essential part of guitar playing.
To get better at them, you should check out chord diagrams.
By spending just 10 minutes a day studying your chords, you'll discover new chords and fingerings. Don't forget to go back over chords you've already studied from time to time.
You'll also need to study intervals: second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.
Finally, don't forget to work on your scales and their relation to different chords in order to improve your improvisation and composition.
5. Motivate Yourself to Become a Better Guitarist
If you aren't motivated, you'll never progress. It's pretty obvious when you think about it. You're going to learn better if you actually want to learn.
However, you may notice that your motivation wavers. One day you might be incredibly motivated to play the guitar and another day you couldn't care less. Don't worry, though. This is normal. As human beings, we need stimulation in our daily lives.
One thing's certain, you'll progress more quickly if you're motivated.
So, you'll need to find ways to motivate yourself. Set yourself short and long-term objectives to achieve such as discovering new music and bands, talking to other friends who are musicians, writing new songs, working on new techniques, etc.
To feed your motivation, make sure that you keep things varied. This could include taking a regular guitar class, playing for your families and friends, watching films and documentaries about famous musicians you like, reading books on your favorite guitarists, etc.
Just don't give up if you're not feeling motivated one day, your motivation will come back.
Find good guitar lessons online here.
6. Regular Practice: the Best Way to Improve Your Guitar Playing
We often say this on Superprof but it's true, practice makes perfect.
Whether you're learning a language, playing a sport, or learning how to play a new musical instrument, doing a little bit of practice each and every day is far more effective than doing a lot of practice once a week.
Even if you can only practice for 10 minutes a day, do it! It's better than not practicing and all.
Ideally, you'd be able to get a break from work for half an hour to practice your guitar playing. Don't forget to set aside some time where you'll be doing nothing or at least not playing guitar.
You'll also need to give your brain time to assimilate everything you've learnt, and bit like when you put a computer on standby.
To get the most out of your practice sessions, consider creating a schedule of when to practice and what to practice.
Being able to see what you're working on and what you've achieved is a useful way to stay motivated and monitor your progress.
7. Improve Your Playing by a Recording Yourself
Sometimes you need to be objective and critical of yourself in order to improve. Recording your playing and listening back to it is a good way to see the progress you're making and highlight any errors that need correcting.
Similarly, it can be useful to film yourself playing as this will allow you to see any physical mistakes you're making. You can also use this for learning languages, dancing, or other performance arts.
You can use this to check on your posture, your finger placement, and avoid picking up bad habits. It's a great way to take a step back from your practice sessions and evaluate yourself in a more objective way.
Some guitarists will only see the negative aspects of their playing whereas others mightn't be able to see anything wrong with what they're doing.
It's important to try and place yourself between these two extremes and be aware of both the good parts and bad parts of your playing.
8. Play Without Any Accompaniment to Improve on the Acoustic Guitar
As a guitarist, you might be used to playing along with the music. You may even get the impression that you playing to the best of your abilities as if you are playing as part of the famous band. Try playing on your own and seeing if you do really sound that good.
Playing records on their own one sound exactly the same when you've got no music to back you up.
As you train and practice, you can imagine yourself playing in a famous band.
9. Improve Your Guitar Technique by Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
You won't improve without putting the effort in. You need to work on something that you aren't already an expert in otherwise you won't progress. It may be comforting to do something you're good at but it won't help you get better.
If you really want to improve, you need to challenge yourself and stepped outside of your comfort zone. Take a song or a guitar solo that you've dreamt of playing and break it down.
Slow down the tempo and play it bit by bit, step by step, until you can play it at full speed. While this may take some time, research, and perseverance, it will all pay off in the end because you'll progress more quickly than if you hadn't.
Find good guitar lessons here on Superprof.
10. Play as Part of a Band in Order to Become a Better Guitarist
Finally, our final tip for those who want to become better guitarists is to join a band.
The guitar is a great instrument to play as part of a band or as part of a group. Learning to play with other musicians, singing, creates songs, improvised, and perform shows is a great way to become a better musician.
It's also a great way to motivate yourself because you never know what you're going to play or how you can improve.
So are you ready to become the next Joe Satriani?
If you're struggling, don't forget that private guitar lessons could help. Your guitar teacher can help you learn to play, understand music theory, and improve as a guitar player as you go from strumming a few basic chords to improvising complex jazz solos.
The main advantage is that they'll tailor each guitar lesson to you. Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or expert, they'll be able to teach you at your level with a focus on the types of music you like.
In beginner guitar lessons near me, you can learn how to play guitar at your own pace. Once you reach the intermediate level, you can take lessons focusing on techniques specific to genres such as blues guitar and rock guitar. By the time you're an expert, your music teacher will be able to show you the best guitar techniques and how to master them.
What Should You Expect in a Guitar Class?
During your class, your tutor would likely introduce you to basic aspects of the guitar. This introduction includes different segments, which you need to know when you learn guitar as a beginner.
For starters, you need to learn parts. Different parts of the guitar have functions that help with sound production.
One of the most important parts of the guitar is the body. Guitars have hollow bodies, amplifying the sounds of your strings.
Playing the guitar as a beginner will be a straightforward process when you have the right resources and instructors. Here are things you should expect during your lessons.
- Parts of the guitar
While there are different types of guitars, most guitars have similar parts, which your instructor will educate you when taking lessons for beginners. For instance, all guitars have a neck, where you can see strings align. While playing, you need to hold the neck firmly to ensure easy playing. Additionally, your guitar class would likely show you the importance of strings. Strings are an essential part of all string instruments.
- Holding the guitar
Before progressing in your guitar tutorial, you need to know how to hold the instrument properly. Whether you are using a beginner guitar or a professional guitar, you have to hold the instrument firmly to help you learn. Also, try playing the guitar standing and sitting to aid the process.
- Tuning
Tuning is the process of ensuring your instrument is at the right pitch. During your lessons for beginners, your instructor will show you how to tune your instrument to ensure the best sound production properly. Also, to assist you when learning, buy the best guitar for beginners.
Guitar Tricks for Quicker Learning
Let's face it; everyone wants to learn to play their favorite instruments within a short period. However, instruments are often very technical, requiring adequate insight and practice. This makes it necessary to equip yourself with all relevant information and guitar tricks to ensure quicker learning. Other learners have used these tricks, and they found them useful when you want to learn guitar.
Practice in an ideal environment
Before you start playing, ensure you have a good place to practice electric guitar. And if you have kids learning the guitar, ensure they have a good place to practice. Coupled with a good practice room, you should also buy a guitar for kids to help their learning. Different age ranges have different guitar sizes, so ensure you check out numerous types of guitar before making your purchase. If you want to learn the instrument quickly, ensure your practice in a cool, quiet, and clean environment.
Find a good tutor
Tutors are essential for all guitar learners. You can register for a tutorial to commence learning. When you register for this class, your tutor will show you the ropes and recommend great tricks for faster learning. Thanks to the internet, you don't have to attend an in-person class to learn guitar. You can find an online platform organizing classes for new students.
Are There Different Types Of Guitars?
Guitars are one of the oldest instruments in the world. In the past, musicians used guitars to complement their vocals, thereby creating quality music. Today, there are numerous types of guitars in existence. Whether you want to buy guitar kids or buy chords guitar, you need adequate knowledge before making your decision.
Electric guitar
This guitar is a unique type of guitar, which cannot produce sound on its own. Unlike other guitar types, an electric guitar needed an amplifier to produce sound. It converts string vibrations into electrical signals. You can buy this guitar for kids or buy it for yourself. Similarly, they can be heard when playing for large crowds. During concerts, musicians prefer to use this instrument because of they can control the volume.
Acoustic guitar
One of the most common types of guitar is the acoustic guitar. You can buy the best acoustic guitar for beginners at recognized music shops. If you are still learning how to play this instrument, you can buy an instrument to aid your learning. Unlike other guitars, the acoustic guitar has metallic strings, which helps it produce a louder sound. Unlike guitars that need electricity, you don’t need electricity to produce sound. Being one of the oldest kinds, this guitar is loved by most musicians.
Electro-acoustic guitar
This is a type of guitar that mixture of both an acoustic and an electric guitar. You can play this guitar without electricity, and you can also choose to amplify it by connecting it to an amplifier. Many musicians use this guitar within the studio to create music.
Should You Attend a Guitar Tutorial?
Attending a guitar tutorial is a big decision, especially since you have to consider time and cost. However, taking guitar lessons for beginners is worth it—making it necessary to register to learn. Thanks to the internet, there are lots of instructors and platforms offering affordable tutorials. Still, you have to make your own decisions regarding the tutorial.
Before starting your tutorial, you need to buy your instrument. Purchase your best acoustic guitar for beginners to make the process easier. When you need to practice what you've learned from the class, you can easily do that. Attending a class has numerous benefits, and some of the benefits are below:
Learn from a guitar tutor
Unlike in self-teaching, when you attend beginner classes, you learn from experienced tutors willing to teach you all they know. When you teach yourself, you might miss out on essential aspects, which may affect your performance. Also, you can register your child for guitar kids classes to ensure they also learn from a good teacher.
Better Understanding
Your tutor will break down everything you need to know before playing. They may also recommend the best guitar for beginners for you and your kids, helping you make a better purchase decision. The types of guitars you buy make a huge difference when playing. Fortunately, when you take lessons, everything becomes straightforward.
Save time
Self-teaching is time-wasting, especially if you have no experience in music. You can save a notable amount of time when you attend beginner guitar classes. These classes were specially structured for people who have no previous experience in playing. You will learn the guitar through a straightforward process.
Benefits of an Electric Guitar
This instrument is a relatively new type of guitar. Unlike other types of guitar, you can amplify your electric guitar, which makes it appropriate for concerts and other events. However, when using this chords guitar, you need to connect to an amplifier or produce any sound.
Also, when taking your guitar lessons for beginners, this guitar is not always appropriate for practice. Still, here are some benefits you derive from buying this kind of guitar.
- Volume control
Unlike classical or acoustic guitars, you can control the volume of an electric guitar. If you want to bring down the music while still playing, you can do this when buying this type of guitar. However, an electric guitar is quite expensive, and you need to connect to an amplifier to enjoy quality sound. This gives you the ability to control how low or high you want the sound.
- Sound
When you produce sound with this kind of guitar, it tends to be clearer and more pronounced than other types. However, some musicians prefer the sound produced by an acoustic guitar to an electric guitar. It would help if you decided on whichever you want for your music production.
Where to Find a Guitar Class
Finding a class is easier thanks to Superprof. Superprof is the world's best platform for online guitar classes. Whether you want to learn from your home or in a classroom, you can choose to do this with Superprof.
Superprof is one of the best platforms for students ready to learn diverse courses. Instructors are qualified and experienced at what they teach. Similarly, you can hire a tutor from numerous tutoring platforms, considering their price, experience, and reviews.
In the past, students spent months finding a good tutor who would help them actualize their goals. However, times have changed, especially in terms of education. You can access some of the best instructors on all kinds of subjects and instruments.
Besides learning the guitar, you can also learn other instruments, such as the violin, piano, and drums. Playing the guitar is an excellent way to relax after an exhausting day or make extra income to supplement your existing one. Experts also explained that playing an instrument may improve your mental health.
On Superprof, you can find qualified teachers. Teachers are experienced in teaching and playing the guitar. Experienced teachers are crucial if you want to learn how to play an instrument within a short period. Similarly, your instructors can also show you guitar tracks for easy learning.
In terms of cost, Superprof is an affordable platform, and most instructors teach the first class for free, which is a great way to assess your teacher's ability.
Check out even more advice for guitarists.
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