So you want to learn to play the guitar – you’re in good company, as countless people all over the world are taking up the guitar or continuing to develop their skills. This post takes a look at some of the things you’ll need to think about before you begin learning to play guitar.
Why Learn The Guitar? – Motivations For Playing
There are many reasons why people want to know how to play a guitar. The best reasons are based in a love of the instrument itself, and the guitar certainly has a lot of attractions. For one thing, the guitar is a very versatile instrument that lends itself to many playing styles, including rock in all its forms, country, classical, Spanish and flamenco styles, blues, folk and much more. This versatility especially appeals to those who have diverse musical tastes, and don’t want to be limited to one style or genre of music. The guitar also works great as both a solo instrument and for accompanying a singer, a band or other instrumentalists.
The guitar is also capable of producing an enormous range of sounds, from the mellow tones of the classical guitar to the almost infinite variety of effects that can be produced with an electric guitar and a set of pedals. This huge sonic palette will ensure that you never get bored with playing the guitar!
Another reason why people want to learn guitar is that it’s relatively easy to get some good results early on. Now like any instrument, becoming an expert guitar player will take a lot of time and effort. But unlike with some instruments, such as the violin, or the oboe for example, even a beginner can get a decent sound out of the guitar pretty quickly. You only need to learn a handful of chords and a basic up-down strumming pattern, and you can be playing along with some of your favourite songs, or starting to put together tunes of your own. Similarly you can learn to pick out simple melodies with a plectrum or your fingers (depending on which type of guitar you have), and being able to play something, no matter how simple, and sound reasonably good in a short space of time, is very encouraging to new beginner guitarists.
Some people learn to play guitar because they want to play in a band. This is a great experience, and can be a lot of fun for players of all levels. Playing with others is a great way to improve your guitar skills quickly, gives you a break from playing alone in your room, and can be very motivating too.
And then there are people who want to learn how to play guitar because they think it’s ‘cool’, or they want to impress their friends, or get girls/guys etc. This isn’t the greatest kind of motivation, and unless it’s accompanied by a genuine interest in music and in the instrument itself, these people aren’t likely to last long, when they realise just how much dedication is needed to learn to play really well. Having said that, there are some guitarists in well known bands who seem to get by with just a handful of chords and whose technical expertise and musical talent appears limited to say the least, so who knows, maybe there is hope for some of the poseurs after all!
Where to Start
Ok, so whatever your reasons for wanting to play the guitar, you made the decision, and are wondering where to begin. The amount of options for learning guitar can seem overwhelming at first, so it helps to ask yourself a few questions, such as:
Why types of music are you most interested in playing? This will have a large influence on the type of guitar you buy – wannabe rock musicians will need an electric guitar, whereas if you like folk, you’ll probably opt for a steel string acoustic, and so on.
What is your level of experience with the guitar and with music in general? Maybe you already own a guitar, in which case your best bet might be to start with that (assuming it’s of reasonable quality). If you already know how to read notation and/or TAB, or know some chords, you may not want to start with absolute beginner level material (although it never hurts to revisit the basics).
What is your budget? This will obviously have a large impact on the type of guitar you buy and also on how you choose to learn – regular private lessons for example are much more expensive than teaching yourself with a book or a course of online guitar lessons.
What is your motivation? As discussed earlier, people have many reasons for deciding to learn how to play guitar. It’s important to be honest with yourself – if you’re just a bit curious about it, or you want to impress others, then go ahead by all means, but you might not want to spend a lot of money on a guitar and gear if you’re not sure that you’ll be in it for the long run – opt for a cheaper model instead, and then if you do lose interest you won’t be too out of pocket.
Types of Guitar
You’ll also want to think about the type of guitar that you want to learn to play on. Many guitarists own several guitars, often of more than one type, and you’ll need to do this if you want to play in a variety of styles (country, rock and classical music all require different types of guitar, for example). But when you’re just starting out, it’s best to pick one guitar type and stick with that until you’ve mastered the basics. The major types of guitar are:
Electric Guitar – as the name suggests, this type of guitar makes very little sound on its own; instead the sound comes from electrical amplification. When you buy an electric guitar, you’ll also need to get an amplifier – many beginner electric guitars come with a small practice amp, or you can buy one separately at just about any music store. Electric guitars also make use of accessories such as various effects pedals, but you won’t need to worry about these as a complete beginner.
Steel String Acoustic Guitar – acoustic guitars don’t need an amplifier to produce a sound; instead they possess a resonant body cavity that amplifies the sound of the strings without any external help. Steel stringed acoustic guitars produce a louder sound than their nylon-stringed counterparts, and are often used for accompaniment purposes in various musical styles, such as country and folk (although they can be used for soloing too). Steel string guitars are normally played with a pick (plectrum), although some players do play them fingerstyle.
Classical Guitar – the classical guitar is usually a little smaller in size than a steel string acoustic, and uses nylon strings, which give it an attractive warm, mellow tone with a long sustain. The classical guitar is played by plucking the strings with the fingers, and this style of playing can produce very complex and expressive melodies. You will need to be able to read musical notation to play music written for the classical guitar.
Flamenco Guitar – the flamenco guitar has a similar appearance to the classical guitar, but is usually slightly smaller, is made from different types of wood, and typically has a somewhat brighter tone and louder volume. It also features a plastic tap plate (or golpeador), which provides protection to the guitar body when the player is tapping on the wood (percussive effects are an important element of flamenco style). The flamenco guitar has traditionally been used to accompany flamenco dancers and singers, but is commonly used as a solo instrument today.
Bass Guitar – the bass guitar, unlike the types mentioned already, has four strings rather than six, and is pitched an octave below the four lower strings of the regular guitar. Electric basses are the most common, and are used by bands in all genres to provide rhythm and harmony. However the bass guitar can also be used as a solo instrument, and acoustic basses are available too.
There are also more specialised types, such as electro-acoustics, 12-string guitars and dobro guitars – in general, you’re best off staying away from these until you’ve learned the fundamentals and have a clear idea of where you want to go next with your music.
Which Guitar Is Best For Learning On?
A common question asked by beginners is what is the best type or model of guitar for learning on? In truth, there’s no one right answer to this – it depends on the factors we’ve discussed, such as you budget, the types of music you want to play. If you know you want to play rock music, get an electric guitar. Similarly, if you want to play classical, get a classical guitar, and so on. A steel string acoustic can be a versatile choice, and would-be rock guitarists can learn the basics on one of these too.
When it comes to deciding which brand and/or model of guitar to buy, the answer is a little less clear cut. It’s best not to get a hugely expensive guitar to begin with – if you’re learning to play the guitar and don’t have much (or any) experience, you won’t yet know what you want out a guitar. As you gain more skill and experience you’ll get a clearer idea of what your needs are. To begin with, you won’t have that knowledge, so it’s best to opt for a good general ‘all rounder’ that is aimed at the novice guitarist.
However! This doesn’t mean going for the cheapest option. Many ‘beginner’ guitars are truly horrible, and are so badly made or poorly set up that anyone unfortunate enough to buy one will find the whole learning process much harder and more uncomfortable than it needs to be. For example, many cheap guitars have a very high action (the distance between the string and the fretboard), making it difficult to press down the strings properly when playing, and increasing your risk of injury (and decreasing your motivation too!). Others simply sound nasty, even with decent strings, and one thing’s for sure – if you’re playing on a poor sounding instrument, your motivation to continue will take a beating. So before you buy or get tempted by what looks like a great bargain, do your research, and google for reviews to see what others are saying the guitar first.
Types of Guitar Lessons
Right, so you’ve got your guitar – how are you going to learn to play it? Those who want to learn how to play the guitar have a few options. Many people learn by ear – by listening to music they like and playing along with it. This is a great technique, and it’s vital to develop your aural skills if you want to be a good guitarist. However, when used alone, it’s not a very adequate way to learn, as you run the risk of developing bad habits, as well as missing out on a lot of vital information and skills, such as learning to read tab and/or notation, technical exercises, and exposure to different playing styles. Instead, you should combine this type of ear practice with a more formal method – such as a tutor book/DVD, in person guitar lessons with a teacher or an online guitar lesson course. Let’s have a brief look at some of the pros and cons of each of these.
The cheapest option is to buy yourself a good tutor book and work through the exercises at home. Most books these days come with a CD, so you can hear how the tunes are meant to be played, which can really help a lot. They also usually cover such topics as reading music and tab, scales, arpeggios and other technical exercises, chords, strumming and other playing techniques, as well as a variety of tunes. You can learn successfully by this method, but you do need to be very aware of what you should be doing – it’s all too easy to pick up bad habits such as poor posture or hand position when there’s no-one there to correct you, or you don’t have an example (such as in a DVD) to follow (the books will include photographs, but they’re not as easy to follow as an ‘in the flesh’ person. Learning from a combination of a book and an associated DVD (or just the DVD alone) can help to overcome some of these problems.
Another popular option is learning to play the guitar with the help of a live teacher, either with private lessons from a teacher, or with a group of other learners. The obvious advantage here is that you get one-to-one attention, and the teacher will be able to show you exactly what to do, and what not to do. There are a few potential downsides though – regular lessons can be expensive, and you need to find a teacher who is both competent and a good match for you personality-wise, which isn’t always easy, especially if you live in a more rural area. Some people also feel uncomfortable playing in front of others, and do better when they can learn in solitude. Some teachers will also attempt to impose their own individual playing style on you, and are not open to experimentation. Others may also be highly specialised, and not be able to teach you a wide variety of playing styles. Having guitar lessons with a teacher can be very helpful, but you really do need to choose your teacher with care, and have the budget to cover it.
The final option is an online guitar course. Learning how to play guitar can be a rewarding experience if you go this route, as you get a lot of the advantages of both book learning and in person instruction without the disadvantages. For example, a good online guitar lessons plan will include both written instruction (generally delivered in the form of PDFs or other electronic print media), and videos and audio recordings too. The videos will help you to see exactly what you should be doing, the text will explain it thoroughly, and the audio will enable you to play along and get experience of playing with others, albeit not in a live format. Some courses (such as Jamorama) also come with software to help with such skills as learning to read music, training your ear, and tuning your guitar. With an online course you can work through the material at your own pace, and once you’ve paid for the course (assuming that you opt for a paid course and not free guitar lessons), you don’t have any more expenses, so it can be a lot cheaper than having regular lessons.
However, there are some downsides to online guitar lessons too – there are plenty of sites offering them, and the quality varies a lot, so do your due diligence, and find out what others are saying about any course that you’re considering before you buy. You can also opt for some of the free lessons that many sites offer – again, some of these are great and others aren’t, and in many cases you do get what you pay for, so be careful. Your success as a guitarist is very dependent on learning the basics in the right way, so don’t entrust that development to anyone who offers poor quality materials or doesn’t really know what they’re doing.
What To Expect
Once you’ve found a good source of instruction that shows you how to play the guitar, you’re on your way. Assuming that is, that you have committed to a regular practice routine! If you practice each day and always do the best you can (remember – sloppy practice will produce sloppy results), you’ll soon be making progress. But how much, and how quickly?
Many people want to learn to play guitar fast, and are more concerned with ‘getting there’ than with taking the time to get each step right along the way. While it’s understandable, this is a sure fire route to failure – if you skip over the fundamentals, you’ll run into problems ahead, and will end up taking longer to reach your goal, because you’ll have to start over and unlearn all of the bad habits you’ve picked up. Or, more likely, you’ll just give up out of frustration, and never learn how to play guitar well at all. So if you really want to learn to play well, make a commitment from the outset that you’ll take it at a steady pace, and learn to walk before you run. Sure, a slower pace can be a bit frustrating, but the satisfaction of really knowing that you’ve mastered each skill as you go along will go a long way towards making up for that.
Just think of it this way – you have a lot to learn. You’ll be learning about notes, chords, scales, arpeggios and other technical exercises, strumming and picking, left hand techniques such as vibrato and hammer on and off, improvisation, note and tab reading, playing by ear, transcribing music, playing with others, performance skills, getting to grips with various pieces of guitar gear (especially if you play electric guitar), learning how to maintain your guitar, developing strength in your hands and flexibility in your fingers and so on… it’s a lot to master! And of course people will progress at difference paces, depending on factors such as natural aptitude, previous experience, practice habits etc. So cut yourself some slack, and don’t expect to figure it all out at once.
Are You Really Committed To Learning The Guitar?
This brings us to the most important thing to consider in many ways – you know how to learn guitar now – but are you committed to actually following through? Sadly, many people who start to learn an instrument give up within the first year. The fact is, after the initial burst of enthusiasm wears off, it can get a bit dull and frustrating, especially when you hit a rough patch (and you will – everyone does!) So you really need to make a deliberate effort to keep that passion alive when the going gets tough, and above all else to just keep going, day in, day out. Keep your larger goal in mind, and don’t let yourself be discouraged when things don’t go as smoothly as you’d like.
One thing’s for sure – if you start to learn to play the guitar now, and stick with it, in a year’s time you’ll be making some cool sounds, and in five years you’ll probably have developed some serious skills – and it’ll be worth all the effort and sore fingers! Related posts:
