The Beginner’s Guide to Starting Guitar: 10 Tips You Must Know

Do you have a guitar and want to start with a quick little lesson?

Guitars are one of the oldest and most popular musical instruments to be bought and played by people. Not only do they look and feel rocking, but also they sound pleasing or rocking! That is the beauty of this instrument; no matter your music taste, it fits every song. Whether it is a retro classical or a heavy metal song, a guitar is what you go with!
 

All new players have confusion in their minds; the biggest one is whether it is difficult to learn guitar? Can I teach myself? To be honest, anyone who starts has a little bit of fear in their minds, but so was the case with John Petrucci, James Hetfield, and some of the most prominent guitarists you can think of! They all overcame it. And once you get on with it, there is no way you are leaving it.
 

The most enjoyable part is that when you are getting good at the guitar, you can practice it with Backing Tracks and karaoke tracks, which blend in with your playing and improvise your skills. 
 

If you are any one of those who just got a guitar and are too excited to play it around, here are the ten tips you should know!

This is the initial and the most crucial step when you begin. What kind of a guitar do you want, an acoustic or an electric? This might sound like a trick question to you, but it isn’t. You need to decide. Playing an electric guitar is easier than an acoustic one, but buying an acoustic guitar is always suggested. It does two things, it makes your fingers prepared for any guitar, AND it fits in your budget! 

When you buy an electric guitar, you also have to spend money on cables and an amplifier. So, it is always recommended to start with an acoustic. 

Sure, you might have been intrigued with the guitars you see in videos or the ones you see in stores, but it is not wise to spend your money on them when you are just starting. They are something you earn as you move your way up playing the instrument. For example, if you do not handle the instrument carefully, you might damage it; honestly, it would be okay to damage a cheap guitar rather than an expensive one. 

That is why sticking to a budget-friendly, cheap guitar is profitable. 

A tuner is something that you have when you are an amateur guitarist or you are professionally playing. Playing an untuned guitar is like listening to the most disturbing music. A tuner essentially helps you to tune your guitar up to the correct pitch. 

The best part is that you don’t even have to spend money on it; there are hundreds of free tuner applications on mobile phones that can be used to tune up to perfection!

Some complications may seem to arise when you just start playing the guitar, especially if your skin is too soft. It can hurt you while playing, and you may even develop finger cuts. No to worry, this can be easily solved by getting a lighter gauge of strings. 

The gauge is the apparent thickness of the strings. A heavier gauge means thicker strings that are hard to play, and a lighter gauge is thinner strings, easier to play. 

So if it feels really hard on your fingers, get yourself a thinner gauge of strings. 

One of the most important and melodious parts of the guitar is the chords. Chords are, well, just individual notes played together in harmony, the simplest way to define them. You can also learn many of the latest pop songs with just three chords if you have just started! And it will significantly help you listen and learn chord progressions, essentially improving your knowledge of music. 

Once you have learned the chords, you need to learn the way to play them. Strumming patterns are how you strum the chords while playing because not all the songs have the same patterns and time signatures, so you’ve got to learn many of them. They are usually up and down strokes while playing. 

It may seem easy to learn a guitar all by yourself, but it is always best to have a person guide you. Of course, beginner courses are designed to fit your needs to be the perfect guitarist, so it is always recommended to buy a course, anyways.

Getting a chord chart is like the bible for guitars. A chord chart has a maximum of chords with variations and how are they played. This is one of the essential things you will need to practice shifting and learning chords. 

You should stretch your arms and fingers well before you start playing on a cold winter morning. This reduces the pain you might feel while playing and helps you play precisely instead of messing up notes. 

This is one of the most primary and lasting things you will need. A metronome provides you with a rhythm to go on with while you practice. Start with the slowest speed, and progress upwards as you learn. This will increase your accuracy, muscle memory, and speed. 

Playing the guitar is not that big of a deal as it may seem. You just have to follow the above-given tips when you play. 

Another crucial part is practice. Music requires a lot of practice, and once you start, you are hooked up with it. So make sure you practice every day for around an hour or so to get the best out of your guitar playing.