So you’ve decided to learn to play the guitar!
Maybe you’ve already had a lesson or two?We’ve put together a few tips that you may not have thought of that will help make you a better guitarist.
1 – Hand placement. Don’t place your thumb over the top of the neck. It won’t let you easily reach your fingers up onto the front of the fret board. At first it will not feel natural, but try and place your left hand thumb on the middle of the back of the neck, this position wont feel natural at first, but it will feel natural with time and will set you up as a better player from the beginning.
2- Being accurate is more important that being fast! Don’t worry if you cannot play your favourite songs up to speed straight away. The key is to make sure you are actually hitting the note that you mean to. This is important when practising a scale, or even just doing basic finger exercises, ensuring that you hit each note cleanly will make you a better player. As time goes on, hitting the right notes will become easier and you will learn to play faster!
3- Learn your pentatonic scales! These will come in handy when learning to Solo and can be used for many rock and blues styles. You’ll need to spend a little bit of time learning the different positions and patterns, but this will allow you to play some really good licks and solos early on. It makes learning the guitar more enjoyable when you can show off a little, and will help introduce you to scales and soloing.
4- Practice playing sitting down and standing up. If you ever want to perform there is a good chance you will need to stand up to play. You may need to sit down to play in the beginning, but as you get more confident, don’t forget to practice standing up as well! It’s a slightly different experience to sitting down and you want to make sure you can handle any gig situation that comes your way!
5- Be patient. Don’t get frustrated that playing the guitar is difficult. Playing the guitar can seem hard sometimes, but the main thing to remember is that every time you practice, you get a little bit better. It will take years to come a great guitarist, but you’ll be surprised how quickly you will be able to play songs that you know and love. Practice makes perfect.
If you are interested in learning to play the guitar, contact us at Manhattan Music, we can explain everything you need to know about lessons. We also have a fully stocked music store and can guide you through buying your first guitar!