7 Tips For How To Play A Guitar

by Ed Vickerry

This article contains seven tips for how to play a guitar. If you read and follow these tips, they will help you achieve your musical goals.
1. Pick a guitar that's right for you
Take the time to pick out the right guitar for your needs. You should like the way it looks and the way it sounds. It should also be the right size for your body. Finally, the strings should be close enough to the fretboard that it is easy to press down the strings to make chords and notes.
The more you like your guitar, the more you'll want to play it.
2. Create Your Own Practice Space
You should practice in the same place every day. If you have the space, it's best to make a place that's just for guitar practice. All you need is a comfortable chair without arms, a music stand or small table, and good lighting so that you can see what you're doing. If possible, a place to put your guitar when you're not using it would be helpful, too.
3. Find a Teacher
Find a guitar teacher you like, and take at least one or two lessons. Or, find a group class. Group classes, offered at community colleges or adult education centers, can be a better value than private lessons. Either way, it's good to have at least a few lessons with a teacher so that you can avoid developing bad habits.
4. Practice Every Day
For best results and continuous improvement of your playing, try to practice every single day. Your playing will improve faster with short daily practice sessions than it will with longer practice sessions that take place less often -- even if the total practice time is the same.
5. Play For Other People
Once you've learned a few pieces, or songs, that you can play all the way through without mistakes, play them for a friend or family member. When you can do that without making mistakes, try playing at a local open mike or at your place of worship. This will really build your confidence.
6. Play With Other People
Another way to improve both your confidence and your ability is to play with another person. You probably know one or two people who play instruments and like the same kind of music as you. Arrange to get together and play some songs that you all know, or learn some songs together.
7. Learn Some Music Theory
Learning some basic music theory might seem dull, but it will help you in the long run. For starters, learn how scales and chords work. Any good teacher should be able to help you with this, or you can use a theory book or a web site.
Remember, follow these tips and you will be well on your way to meeting your musical goals.

7 Tips For How To Play A Guitar