Learning to play the guitar can easily be achieved by almost anyone who wants to try it.
Most newbies tend to quit excessively early. This is because most of them are not trying hard enough to learn the instrument and give up the instant they encounter difficulties.
Many of these newbies insist that they no longer have time to practice the guitar or that their fingers hurt. What they do not realize is that practice makes perfect, and the reason they find it difficult to learn to play the guitar is that they do not practice as much as necessary. They simply do not know what it takes to endure the lessons that have to be learned.
For those who do want to learn to play the guitar, here is a list of tips that you need to bear in mind:
1. Invest a little
Learning to play a guitar is almost equal to using the best instrument possible. Naturally, people learn faster and easier if they have the right equipment for the activity.
For this reason, it is important to invest and buy a good, not necessarily the best, guitar. This is because good guitars have better strings that will trigger quality play and better sound. Good guitars provide comfort to those who have not yet experienced playing the guitar.
2. Practice makes perfect
It is important to practice every single day. It is the ONLY way for you to learn how to play the guitar and learn to play it well.
3. Self-learning
For beginners, it may be better to learn to play the guitar by yourself. In this way you will not be pressured and acquaint yourself with yourself with your guitar in as little time possible.
This does not necessarily mean that you do not need an instructor. What is being pointed out here is that it would be better to teach yourself the basics of playing the guitar before you seek the help of an instructor.
The bottom line is to get started and once you are familiar with the guitar, then, it would be easier for you to listen to and understand the instructor. Indeed, learning how to play the guitar is as easy as 1-2-3. It just takes a combination of interest, determination, and grit to advance to the next level.
If you are learning how to play the guitar, the basic 4/4 strumming technique is one of the first guitar playing techniques that you must be able to master. This is usually used by beginners to hone their guitar skills and get the feel of the instrument.
In learning the basic 4/4 guitar strumming, you must be knowledgeable about the different basic requirements for guitar playing:
Strokes
Guitar strumming is basically composed of two different strokes: the downward stroke and the upward stroke.
The downward stroke is done by drawing the picking hand (usually, this is the right hand) from the uppermost string down to the other side. The upward stroke is the opposite of the downward stroke.
Finger placing
When reading guitar instructional materials, the fingers are usually assigned numbers. The left-hand fingers are numbered from 1 to 4: the index finger is numbered as 1, the middle finger is numbered as 2, the ring finger is number 3 and the little finger is 4. This numbering is important to remember because tablatures show a beginner how to form chords by placing the fingers properly on the fret board.
The fingers of the left hand are supposed to be placed near the succeeding fret bar to ensure that you get quality sounding vibration from the strings. You must remember not to stress your fingers when pressing the frets.
4/4
If are playing the guitar by reading notes, you can refer to the beat shown near the clef sign to determine if the song should be played with a 4/4 beat as this is what you call the time signature. The time signature looks like a fraction when written in musical notation, the upper number tells one how many beats there are in one measure and the bottom number indicates what kind of note will receive one beat.
D-A-G-A
In learning the basic 4/4 guitar strumming, one can use the different chord families when practicing. One of the most popular chord patterns used in practicing this particular technique is the D-A-G-A chord pattern. It’s very popular because the chord patterns are easy to remember and very easy to perform.
You must first memorize the placement of the fingers on the fret board to be able to do the chords. This can take some time and beginners must be patient. Learning the guitar takes time and dedication and cannot be done overnight.
When you are able to master the chords, you should practice doing the chords one after the other, and this is where the 4/4 strumming comes in. In strumming the guitar in a 4/4 rhythm, you should count 1-2-3-4 repeatedly for each chord and shift to the next chord as you repeat the count. You can use downward strokes for each chord when you begin and then practice strumming the chords upward and then downward-upward.
A beginner will almost always find that the left hand is left out when practicing strumming because the fact is that the fingers are still adjusting to doing the chords properly. It will take time and a lot of practice to do the 4/4 strumming technique but it will be worth it.
When the left hand is being left out, you must not stop the right hand and wait for the left hand to form the chord patterns. Be consistent in your counting and strumming to prevent the right hand from becoming slower and train the left hand to be faster in forming the chord patterns.
After you become comfortable doing the 4/4 strumming technique with the D-A-G-A chord pattern, then shift into doing other chord patterns such as C-E-F-G or G-C-F-G. Opt to learn the different chords and familiarize your fingers with forming them. Learning the chords and strumming should be done simultaneously which will allow you to be able to learn at a much faster rate and understand the mechanics behind playing the guitar.
You must remember that the guitar is an instrument of passion and you cannot be a guitar expert in one night. There are many things that you must learn about the guitar to truly appreciate the beauty of the instrument.