07.21.08
Can you play without a guitar pick?
Posted in Guitar Playing at 9:07 pm by Sam
Most people who play the guitar or who are learning to play the guitar use a pick. Some people don’t have to because of their experience level and how comfortable they are; and sometimes it’s just because of the song they’re playing.
It can also depend on whether you’re playing an acoustic or electric guitar…
I would suggest always practicing guitar with a pick but also don’t be afraid to use your fingers… It may seem a little difficult at first but it may come in handy down the road.
07.20.08
Does Being Good at Guitar Translate to Guitar Hero?
Posted in Guitar Playing tagged learn to play guitar fast, learn to play the guitar at 11:30 pm by Sam
LOL …Sorry I just had to write about this because I saw the question asked somewhere. Fast answer: NO! You probably already knew that but hey, some people don’t know any guitar players and could only wonder right?
Well, while I’m writing this post, let’s try to cover something useful…
What should your practice schedule be like?
- First, always make sure that your guitar is in tune.
- Next, practice your finger placements a little bit each day until you have them memorized.
- Learn a few scales and play them several times… You can even try playing them backwards.
This should give you a good place to start with as a beginner.
What are Frets?
Posted in Guitar Playing tagged guitar frets, learn guitar frets at 12:39 am by Sam
Frets is a common word in the world of guitars; therefore it is important to understand what they are and what they do.
Frets are the elevated sections of wire that are positioned at intervals along the neck of the guitar. They also mark the move to the next semi-tone up or down the scale.
After playing for a while, frets will definitley get worn down… The bad thing is, they’re not adjustable so if you need to change the tune or make it a higher pitch then you can try adjusting the bridge of your guitar so that some of the pressure is taken off. Acoustics or guitars without adjustable bridges will have to go to a specialist or dealer if you want the frets fixed…
Now let’s talk about the dots on your guitar that allow you to keep track of where you’re at:
First dot = 3rd fret
Second dot = 5th fret
Third dot = 7th fret
Fourth dot = 9th fret
Double dots = 12th fret
Hope that helps!
07.19.08
Changing Chords…
Posted in Guitar Playing tagged guitar chords, Guitar Playing, learn to play the guitar online at 5:24 pm by Sam
When you own a guitar; you’re almost certainly have to change out your guitar strings every once in a while… If you’ve never done this before it can be very time consuming and frustrating.
You’re better off learning how to change chords from the beginning so that you won’t have a problem changing them once a string finally gives out.
Depending on the type of guitar you have, things may be slightly different; but you mainly want to keep a relaxed hold of your chord; don’t put too much pressure on it or you’ll mess up the sound.
After you finish changing out a chord start off slow and don’t too much tension on it; work your way up slowly until it sounds just right.
Acoustic or Electric?
Posted in Acoustic Guitar Playing tagged how to play acoustic guitar, learn to play acoustic guitar at 4:19 pm by Sam
A lot of beginners get confused when starting off to play the guitar because they aren’t sure what’s easier to learn from…
On one hand you can learn on an acoustic guitar which is overall easier to learn on because it’s simple without the changing of string sounds and extra gear that goes along with owning an electric guitar.
So as you can see I lean towards acoustic guitars just because they’re simplified… There’s no need to go all out when you’re first starting out. Besides you may not like playing guitar and then all of the money you spent on an electric guitar will be a waste.
The Guitar Routine…
Posted in Guitar Playing tagged guitar lessons, guitar upkeep, learning how to play guitars, taking care of your guitar at 4:15 am by Sam
Strings
The first thing to always keep in mind when you first start out with a guitar is to get into daily habits…
Your first daily habit should be tuning your guitar strings. If you ignore this your guitar will sound like trash, so simply tune your guitar each day and you’ll be fine.
You can start out with an electric tuner but after a while, you should be able to tune your guitar by ear.
Songs
You should get into the habit when you’re first learning to play the guitar to stick with one song until you can play it all the way through… If you just give up half way through and move onto something easier, you’ll never get any better.
So pick one song and then master that song; then you can start on a new song.
Reading
You have to make it a point each day to study your music notes… It may take a while to memorize depending on the person but once you get the hang of it, you’ll have a much easier time playing through songs without having to stop and think.
Lefty or Righty…?
Posted in Guitar Playing tagged guitar playing for beginners, how to play guitar, learn to play guitar fast, playing the guitar at 2:59 am by Sam
Back in the day when people first started making instruments; all of the lefty’s in the world were sorta kinda ignored…
I know, dumb right… So if you’re left handed and worried about learning to play the guitar because you think it’ll be too hard, don’t worry!
All you have to do is just turn your guitar upside down. This looks a little funny I know, but a lot of left handed musicians do it so don’t feel bad.
Your good hand has to be pretty precise when playing certain songs so using your weaker hand will take you much longer to master the guitar; do yourself a favor and just deal with the snickers about your upside down guitar… It doesn’t matter!
Before You Start Playing Guitar…
Posted in Guitar Playing tagged guitar lessons for beginners, learn to play the guitar, playing guitar at 2:51 am by Sam
There are a few good pointers to keep in mind before you dive into playing the guitar. This first and one of the most important things to do is to get the right guitar… Now acoustic guitars are easier to learn from but there are many different kinds of acoustic guitars.
If you’re going out and buying a new guitar make sure it’s not a cheap one… Cheap guitars are the worst and only last for a few months… The sound is off and they don’t carry the same tune as a real deal guitar; it has something to do with the wood and how it’s prepared but all you need to know is to steer clear of the super discount section; it’ll end up costing you more in the long run anyway because you’ll have to buck up and buy a better guitar if you want to get better.
Now, sometimes learning to play the guitar can get a little frustrating; but not nearly as much if you have the proper equipment…
This means have the right tuner… Having a quality tuner make or break your progression. If you’re always playing in the wrong tune; you will get fed up quickly because nothing will sound right.
There are a ton of different tuners out there; I suggest you do your own research to find what best fits you or just do a search on ebay and find a deal.
Another important part of progression is your posture and where your hands are on the guitar. If you start off sloppy it will show down the road so get it right the first time and you won’t have to worry about it.
Practice, practice, practice! What else can I say; stick with it long enough and make enough mistakes and you’ll eventually become a good guitar player.
Learn to Play the Guitar Fast…
Posted in Guitar Playing tagged learn guitar, learn to play guitar, play guitar at 1:12 am by Sam
Learning to play the guitar is like anything else… You get better with time, and you need to put forth a good amount of effort to get the results you desire.
If you want to learn as quickly as possible, the trick is to start off small… Don’t try to become advanced over night; it’s never going to happen, you will probably get frustrated on more than one occasion but those who stick with it, become damn good guitar players.
Do yourself a favor and practice entire songs instead of just solos or riffs… This allows you to feel the rithym better, and also makes you look cool in front of your friends if and when they ask you to play a song for them.
I know that a lot of people now-a-days are only interested in instant gratification and if they can’t get what they want now, then they just quit. If you really want to become more then just a mediocre guitar player, do not quit! Think about it… Everyone no matter how good they are was once in your position. They kept at it until they got good and all you have to do is the exact same.
