To many people who are interested in music and want to learn how to play a musical instrument, the tendency for most is to learn how to play the guitar. This is because the guitar is a very convenient instrument to learn and carry around. It can also be used for group sing along wherever you are as the instrument is easily transportable.

People want to learn how to play the guitar for many reasons. For some, they just like to reproduce songs they have heard and liked very much while another may wish to write their own songs while others want to be a rock star. So if you are contemplating in picking up the guitar, here are some tips for beginner guitarists.

The first thing that you should do is to decide which type of guitar you want to learn to play since there are many types of guitars. For instance, the classical guitar has a wider staff compared to others. The classical guitar is of course meant for those who are into classical music as this guitar allows for a more flexible picking of the strings.

Then there is the acoustic guitar which is usually the guitar of choice for the beginner because it can be used to learn almost any genre of music and is a great guitar for social gatherings.

Of course there is also the electric guitar and the bass guitar which is mostly used in bands and especially rock bands. The bass guitar has only 4 strings rather than the usual 6 strings. However, there are also 6 strings bass guitar available or for that matter, 12 strings acoustic guitars. But these are exceptions rather than the norm.

Next, you should decide whether you want to learn guitar by yourself or take formal guitar lessons. Although it is certainly possible to be a self taught guitarist, learning from a good teacher is highly recommended. This is because if you learn by yourself, you could possibly learn the wrong techniques and due to muscle memories, it will be very difficult to correct them in the future. Also, it will be much faster for you to pick up guitar skills from a professional teacher rather than doing it yourself.

Alternatively, you can have hybrid learning. This is because there are now many online guitar courses or teach yourself DVDs by professional guitar teachers which you can use to learn how to play the guitar without a “live” one-on-one teacher from the comfort of your home.

The first thing that a beginner guitar player should know is to learn the fundamentals of the guitar which include knowing the guitar parts, how to tune the guitar strings and guitar maintenance. As a beginner, you should also study guitar theories as this will teach you how to read notes and play scales. This is especially important if you are learning how to play classical pieces as classical music pieces often require you to read notes and play from scores.

As a beginner, you should also learn how to identify and use the right guitar pick. These picks come in various designs and it is important to choose the pick which you are most comfortable with. You should first start with a soft pick so that you can strum faster and use a harder pick for producing a richer quality sound or to pick guitar strings for riffs.

Lastly, the most important thing for a budding guitarist to do is to practice and practice until you are the master of the musical instrument of your choice, your guitar!

Author Bio: Chris Chew is the resident author at How To Play Guitar Lessons and Teach Yourself Guitar Playing

Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: for beginners, how to play guitar