Your First Guitar
Before you buy a guitar, decide on what type of music you're likely going to play. If you like soft and gentle music, or intricate but delicate picking, you should consider a nylon string acoustic guitar. Steel string acoustics are ideally for accompanying most folk, pop, and country music, and for old-time country blues. If you're a rocker, you'll want an electric guitar.
Find a guitar you like and can hold comfortably. Make sure you like the size and weight. If you have small hands, make sure the neck isn't too wide. If you plan to solo, you may want a longer neck and better action (strings that are closer to the neck).
You'll also have to decide on strings. Slightly-heavier gauge strings may give you a solid, chunkier sound that's better for playing rhythm guitar. Lighter strings are easier to bend.
Every guitar has a unique feel and sound. This is especially true for acoustic guitars. Some people are comfortable buying instruments online. I'm not. I have to hold a guitar and play it.
Before you buy a guitar, decide on what type of music you're likely going to play. If you like soft and gentle music, or intricate but delicate picking, you should consider a nylon string acoustic guitar. Steel string acoustics are ideally for accompanying most folk, pop, and country music, and for old-time country blues. If you're a rocker, you'll want an electric guitar.
Find a guitar you like and can hold comfortably. Make sure you like the size and weight. If you have small hands, make sure the neck isn't too wide. If you plan to solo, you may want a longer neck and better action (strings that are closer to the neck).
You'll also have to decide on strings. Slightly-heavier gauge strings may give you a solid, chunkier sound that's better for playing rhythm guitar. Lighter strings are easier to bend.
Every guitar has a unique feel and sound. This is especially true for acoustic guitars. Some people are comfortable buying instruments online. I'm not. I have to hold a guitar and play it.
Playing Tips for Beginners
As a teacher of English composition, I had a student some years ago whose work baffled me. He couldn't follow an assignment, at least not in any way apparent to me. I couldn't decide whether his stream-of-consciousness was brilliant or incoherent, or how I could help him control his creative and find his voice. I sought the advice of a more experienced teacher, who suggested that if the student was truly a genius, he'd find his way with or without me. My job was to teach him how to write a history essay.
The same is likely true in music. Most of us aren't prodigies, and we need musical guidance.
Yet many of us squander time and money on lessons that don't help us play better or provide us with greater pleasure and appreciation of music.
As a long-time guitar player and part-time guitar teacher, I've developed a few ideas that might expedite your learning and enhance your enjoyment.
Everyone who picks up a guitar should start with the basics: the open chords. There are a million chord charts on line. Many suggest fingerings on how to form the chords.
Since the mechanics of forming chords can be difficult, not to mention hard on the fingers, I advise getting comfortable with the basic chords shapes before you spend a lot of money on lessons.
Learn the standard fingerings, but don't lock yourself in to thinking that these are the only way you can form them. You may want to change the fingerings for your own comfort. Later, you may want to change fingerings to allow you to add notes to or otherwise "color" the basic chords.
Chords are essentially combinations of notes that are played together. Generally, melodies of most pop songs fall within the notes of the chords. You can strum the chords to keep the rhythm of a song. Picking the individual notes will help you find -- or create -- melodies.
Open chords can be played higher up on the neck, either using a capo or as "barre" chords. These can give your music a different feel. Getting the hang of this concept will quickly open up musical options for even the novice player.
Guitar can be physically demanding. As you play, your hands will become stronger and you'll tend to develop callouses on your fingers. Don't work too hard at this. Take your time. It gets easier. As you become more proficient, you'll play with a lighter touch.
You can practice too much. You can get tired, and sloppy, and end up hurting yourself. You can get bored and lose the spark that makes you want to play music. Music takes a lot of work, but remember: its supposed to be fun. Take a break when it's not.
If your hands, arms, or shoulders become strained, your technique will suffer. Pressing too hard on the strings, holding your wrist or contorting your fingers into an unnatural position, contorting your fingers, or repetitive movement can cause tendinitis and other physical problems. If you do feel a strain, take Advil and consider icing the painful area.
Don't worry if you can't quite finger a particular chord or play it cleanly. If it becomes tiring, move on to another shape, and another, before trying again. It'll get easier when you come back to it.
Make your practices as musical as possible. If you're doing arpeggios, or up-and-down picking, or just strumming chords, try them within the context of a song. Replace a measure of strum with a measure of arpeggios. Or play a lick instead of the chords. Yeah, I know, that requires counting. But that's a big first step to learning how to play rhythm.
You may have learned the riffs to every Led Zeppelin song but get lost when you try to play a song you haven't practiced. If you do learn note-for-note transcriptions, figure out their context: get a feel for the chords and the rhythm behind the solo notes. Eventually, you should learn how to use those solos, or parts of those solos, in other songs and in other contexts.
Most important: Learning to play a song on guitar is easier if you learn to sing it first. The quality of your voice isn't critical (though it helps if what comes out of your mouth is at least recognizable). But once you sing a song, it means you already know the melody, the rhythm, and the phrasing, three key elements of musicality. If you're a beginning player, singing will make your strumming recognizable. If you're an advanced player, you now have the basic framework for soloing.
Once you know the know the chord changes to the song, try picking the melody notes within the chord. This is a basic technique of accompanying yourself and is the basis of soloing.
You really can't learn how to play if you don't have a guitar at your fingertips. Lessons are important to learn the proper technique, but the fun is when you make music at home. Or if you're really confident, in front of people.
Playing Electric Rhythm
Many acoustic players forget that less is more with electric guitars. A simple up and down strum on an acoustic can seem noisy and directionless on an electric. Whether you want to accompany yourself or play with others, learn to play with more conviction, more purpose, more thought to how you're driving the music.
As a rhythm guitarist, you have great responsibility, even if you don't get much recognition. You have to work with the drummer and the bass player. Keep in mind that most rock music is played with a band. Playing rock by yourself or with YouTube videos in your house, can be limiting. You may be able to solo endlessly, but never learn how to accompany a singer. Learn those chords, and learn how to drive a band.
As a start, you have to learn to keep the strummed rhythm while singing. Some players pick this up faster than others. You can find many examples of up-and-down strumming techniques on line. Some songs have pretty precise strumming requirements, but many folk songs simply need a solid rhythm accompaniment.
Rockers will find that much rock requires a steady downstroke.
Keith Richards started out playing simple, steady, and driving rhythms. But over the years, he's learned to make more of less. Of course, the rhythm and lead parts that he and Ron Wood complement each other and don't fit neatly into traditional categories. But Keith's playing adds rhythmic and melodic elements to the music. He once said that he wanted to be a great guitarist, but like his idol Chuck Berry, he failed. That's a clever way of saying he's the best at what he does. In later years, Keith has said that he models his playing on the horn parts of the great players of the rhythm and blues records of the 1960s.
Rule of thumb: Less is more. The spaces between notes count for as much as the notes themselves.
If you have the chance, record yourself playing. Don't be overly critical. Try to listen to your playing the way you'd listen to a stranger play. And if you're considering soloing or trying to develop a sophisticated approach to playing rhythm, play along with yourself. It takes some discipline, but it's worth it
Jamming
If you're playing with other people, a few rules of thumb:
Look, learn, and listen: Watch the other players for body languages, for cues as to where the music is going or changing, when to solo, or when to raise or lower your volume. Jamming is a group activity. Don't get so inside your own head -- or intent on your own hands -- that you don't hear everyone else.
Watch the hands of the other plays. Try to determine what position and chord shapes the other guitarists are using, and where on their necks they're playing. Decide whether you want -- or can -- to play in a position to get a different, perhaps fuller, sound.
Generally, lower your volume when someone is singing. Soloing should complement, not distract from, the singer, and the music in general.
Try to determine your role in the jam session. Are you doing fills? Keeping rhythm? Unless you're a star soloist, remember: your job is to serve the music, not have the music serve you.
Pay attention to chord changes. A lot of players assume they can solo their way through any song, whether they know it or not. Sometimes that may be the case. If you've got charts, follow them. If you don't know the song, follow the charts.
You may have learned the riffs to every Led Zeppelin song but get lost when you try to play a song you haven't practiced. If you do learn note-for-note transcriptions, figure out their context: get a feel for the chords and the rhythm behind the solo notes. Eventually, you should learn how to use those solos, or parts of those solos, in other songs and in other contexts.
Keep in mind that songs that have complex arrangements or are based specific riffs aren't ideal for jamming with people who don't them. Try to be more of generalist so that you can play songs you know in common. Or understand and share the chords and rhythm of the tunes only you know so other players can back you.
Whether you know a song or not, it really helps to have some idea of the notes in the melody. Take a moment and learn them. They'll provide a basis for any soloing you may do.
If you're not sure of your volume, ask the other players in the room. There's a tendency to get louder as the night goes on. Everyone should check their volume -- and their tuning -- periodically.
As a teacher of English composition, I had a student some years ago whose work baffled me. He couldn't follow an assignment, at least not in any way apparent to me. I couldn't decide whether his stream-of-consciousness was brilliant or incoherent, or how I could help him control his creative and find his voice. I sought the advice of a more experienced teacher, who suggested that if the student was truly a genius, he'd find his way with or without me. My job was to teach him how to write a history essay.
The same is likely true in music. Most of us aren't prodigies, and we need musical guidance.
Yet many of us squander time and money on lessons that don't help us play better or provide us with greater pleasure and appreciation of music.
As a long-time guitar player and part-time guitar teacher, I've developed a few ideas that might expedite your learning and enhance your enjoyment.
Everyone who picks up a guitar should start with the basics: the open chords. There are a million chord charts on line. Many suggest fingerings on how to form the chords.
Since the mechanics of forming chords can be difficult, not to mention hard on the fingers, I advise getting comfortable with the basic chords shapes before you spend a lot of money on lessons.
Learn the standard fingerings, but don't lock yourself in to thinking that these are the only way you can form them. You may want to change the fingerings for your own comfort. Later, you may want to change fingerings to allow you to add notes to or otherwise "color" the basic chords.
Chords are essentially combinations of notes that are played together. Generally, melodies of most pop songs fall within the notes of the chords. You can strum the chords to keep the rhythm of a song. Picking the individual notes will help you find -- or create -- melodies.
Open chords can be played higher up on the neck, either using a capo or as "barre" chords. These can give your music a different feel. Getting the hang of this concept will quickly open up musical options for even the novice player.
Guitar can be physically demanding. As you play, your hands will become stronger and you'll tend to develop callouses on your fingers. Don't work too hard at this. Take your time. It gets easier. As you become more proficient, you'll play with a lighter touch.
You can practice too much. You can get tired, and sloppy, and end up hurting yourself. You can get bored and lose the spark that makes you want to play music. Music takes a lot of work, but remember: its supposed to be fun. Take a break when it's not.
If your hands, arms, or shoulders become strained, your technique will suffer. Pressing too hard on the strings, holding your wrist or contorting your fingers into an unnatural position, contorting your fingers, or repetitive movement can cause tendinitis and other physical problems. If you do feel a strain, take Advil and consider icing the painful area.
Don't worry if you can't quite finger a particular chord or play it cleanly. If it becomes tiring, move on to another shape, and another, before trying again. It'll get easier when you come back to it.
Make your practices as musical as possible. If you're doing arpeggios, or up-and-down picking, or just strumming chords, try them within the context of a song. Replace a measure of strum with a measure of arpeggios. Or play a lick instead of the chords. Yeah, I know, that requires counting. But that's a big first step to learning how to play rhythm.
You may have learned the riffs to every Led Zeppelin song but get lost when you try to play a song you haven't practiced. If you do learn note-for-note transcriptions, figure out their context: get a feel for the chords and the rhythm behind the solo notes. Eventually, you should learn how to use those solos, or parts of those solos, in other songs and in other contexts.
Most important: Learning to play a song on guitar is easier if you learn to sing it first. The quality of your voice isn't critical (though it helps if what comes out of your mouth is at least recognizable). But once you sing a song, it means you already know the melody, the rhythm, and the phrasing, three key elements of musicality. If you're a beginning player, singing will make your strumming recognizable. If you're an advanced player, you now have the basic framework for soloing.
Once you know the know the chord changes to the song, try picking the melody notes within the chord. This is a basic technique of accompanying yourself and is the basis of soloing.
You really can't learn how to play if you don't have a guitar at your fingertips. Lessons are important to learn the proper technique, but the fun is when you make music at home. Or if you're really confident, in front of people.
Playing Electric Rhythm
Many acoustic players forget that less is more with electric guitars. A simple up and down strum on an acoustic can seem noisy and directionless on an electric. Whether you want to accompany yourself or play with others, learn to play with more conviction, more purpose, more thought to how you're driving the music.
As a rhythm guitarist, you have great responsibility, even if you don't get much recognition. You have to work with the drummer and the bass player. Keep in mind that most rock music is played with a band. Playing rock by yourself or with YouTube videos in your house, can be limiting. You may be able to solo endlessly, but never learn how to accompany a singer. Learn those chords, and learn how to drive a band.
As a start, you have to learn to keep the strummed rhythm while singing. Some players pick this up faster than others. You can find many examples of up-and-down strumming techniques on line. Some songs have pretty precise strumming requirements, but many folk songs simply need a solid rhythm accompaniment.
Rockers will find that much rock requires a steady downstroke.
Keith Richards started out playing simple, steady, and driving rhythms. But over the years, he's learned to make more of less. Of course, the rhythm and lead parts that he and Ron Wood complement each other and don't fit neatly into traditional categories. But Keith's playing adds rhythmic and melodic elements to the music. He once said that he wanted to be a great guitarist, but like his idol Chuck Berry, he failed. That's a clever way of saying he's the best at what he does. In later years, Keith has said that he models his playing on the horn parts of the great players of the rhythm and blues records of the 1960s.
Rule of thumb: Less is more. The spaces between notes count for as much as the notes themselves.
If you have the chance, record yourself playing. Don't be overly critical. Try to listen to your playing the way you'd listen to a stranger play. And if you're considering soloing or trying to develop a sophisticated approach to playing rhythm, play along with yourself. It takes some discipline, but it's worth it
Jamming
If you're playing with other people, a few rules of thumb:
Look, learn, and listen: Watch the other players for body languages, for cues as to where the music is going or changing, when to solo, or when to raise or lower your volume. Jamming is a group activity. Don't get so inside your own head -- or intent on your own hands -- that you don't hear everyone else.
Watch the hands of the other plays. Try to determine what position and chord shapes the other guitarists are using, and where on their necks they're playing. Decide whether you want -- or can -- to play in a position to get a different, perhaps fuller, sound.
Generally, lower your volume when someone is singing. Soloing should complement, not distract from, the singer, and the music in general.
Try to determine your role in the jam session. Are you doing fills? Keeping rhythm? Unless you're a star soloist, remember: your job is to serve the music, not have the music serve you.
Pay attention to chord changes. A lot of players assume they can solo their way through any song, whether they know it or not. Sometimes that may be the case. If you've got charts, follow them. If you don't know the song, follow the charts.
You may have learned the riffs to every Led Zeppelin song but get lost when you try to play a song you haven't practiced. If you do learn note-for-note transcriptions, figure out their context: get a feel for the chords and the rhythm behind the solo notes. Eventually, you should learn how to use those solos, or parts of those solos, in other songs and in other contexts.
Keep in mind that songs that have complex arrangements or are based specific riffs aren't ideal for jamming with people who don't them. Try to be more of generalist so that you can play songs you know in common. Or understand and share the chords and rhythm of the tunes only you know so other players can back you.
Whether you know a song or not, it really helps to have some idea of the notes in the melody. Take a moment and learn them. They'll provide a basis for any soloing you may do.
If you're not sure of your volume, ask the other players in the room. There's a tendency to get louder as the night goes on. Everyone should check their volume -- and their tuning -- periodically.