I had a guitar lying around in my closet for around 3 years before I eventually decided that I was going to make it my mission to pick it up and learn how to play. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t have any ambitions of being the next Page, Clapton or Hendrix, I just wanted to be able to play some of my favorite songs or perhaps entertain the family.
I know so many people who say that they wish they could learn to play the guitar and say things like ‘but I don’t have the hands for it,’ let me tell you that to be able to play a tune or two requires no natural born or anatomical ability, just some hard work and a little help and if you want to play then here is how to get started.
Go Acoustic
An acoustic guitar is the best place to start when it comes to learning how to play the guitar, it will give you a better experience of learning rhythm and it is more difficult to play. This means that when the time comes to play the electric guitar, your fingers will be able to easily use the fret board as it requires less pressure. The other side of it is that an acoustic requires nothing but the guitar and your hands, no need for amps or pedals.
Use The Internet
The internet is absolutely packed with helpful guides and lessons on how to learn to play the guitar and you should use it to help you out. I used a lot of the Tom Hess guitar lessons on YouTube which really helped me to learn the craft and there are many other fantastic step-by-step guides which you can follow to improve your skills. You should also learn to read tablature, it is relatively simple to learn and far easier than learning sheet music, once you have learned this then you will be able to use the internet to find out how to play your favorite songs.
Practice
I cannot stress enough how important it is to practice every day in order to improve. Even if you can only allow one hour per day to play the guitar, you should ensure that you do so each and every day. Practice keeps your fingers loose and allows you to rehearse songs until you can get it right. One way that I begin my practice is with a simple blues lick which I will play over and over again, practicing this simple lick allowed me to improve and strengthen my fingers so that when the time comes to play songs, my fingers are juiced and ready.
Jam With Others
If you know someone who plays the guitar then try to meet up with them for a jam session, this will allow you to learn from someone else and also help you to better understand rhythm, it can be difficult at first but will definitely enhance your capabilities.