Stupidly Easy Guitar Lessons
Posted by Johnny Torzoni | Filed under Arts & Entertainment
Beginning to play a musical instrument and especially guitar is one of the most rewarding things one can do. Music is one of the few mediums that can totally cross language and cultural barriers. I love the power ripping through the amp when you strum out a bar chord on an electric. Or singing out songs over your acoustic for family and friends. Actually being able to play songs and even compose your own is an indescribable feeling. So here are some easy guitar lessons to get you going.
So a quick message to all the beginners out there. This does take time and patience, do not give up. I will never forget grabbing my first guitar for the first time knowing I would be jamming to my favorite CDs immediately. Boy was I mistaken. My fingers couldn’t even get one note right and a chord, not even a chance. I didn’t quit, I adjusted my goals and stuck to it.
For most people, playing the guitar for the first time is not simple, your fingers most likely will not go where you want them to. So you need to do drills to get them better. No secrets here to playing guitar, just training and repetition. I’m not the first person in your life to tell you this, practice makes perfect. This first stage of guitar is about getting your fingers strong and bendable. It can become tedious sometimes so I would work in front of the TV until I improved.
Getting both hands to play nicely as one is also going to take some time so don’t get dispirited. At first your fingers tips will hurt, practice through that pain for as long as you can, don’t just take a breather right away . Before you know it the calluses on your finger will develop and you will be practicing for hours. The worst part of starting with the guitar is this just starting out phase. Please just stick with it and battle through it, the rewards will be immeasurable.
So let’s start with your strumming hand. This is your picking hand and your rhythm hand. You can use a pick or your fingers. Practice picking slowly and steady, alternating down and up. Start slow and play along as you tap your foot to keep in time. Down, up, down, up, down, etc. alternating slowly. Don’t rush this, build up speed as you get comfortable. Practice this on 1 string then move on to 2 strings, then 3 strings and so on as if you were practicing chords. When beginning or practicing in front of the TV you can mute the strings with your other hand to really pay attention to the rhythm.
Ok how about that fretting hand. This is the hand that is going to pick out the notes to be played. This is the hand that also may start to hurt and the hand that doesn’t seem to know what it is doing when first beginning. Again take it slow, take it steady, and please be patient. We need to get all four fingers working with each other. Now it is easy to skip out on the pinkie training because they are the hardest, do Not do this. If something feels uncomfortable when playing guitar it just means you need to practice more.
So here is the nitty gritty drill to get you smoking on that fret board. On fret 1 of your low E string press down firmly with your pointer finger. Continue pressing and add your middle finger to fret 2 on the same string. With your other fingers firmly on the fret board add your ring finger to fret 3. And of course the pinkie on fret four . The picking should be a down, up, down, up alternating for each finger. You then simply back up this process by lifting your pinkie first, then ring, etc So playing fret 1, 2, 3, 4. And back down again four, three, two, one while you alternate your picking.
Start this exercise slow and get it precise, do it until your fingers are bleeding. Then as it gets simpler build up your speed. Practice this on all strings, all over the fretboard. This will unlock your fingers and really get them going. Get this down pat and exact then build up. Guitar is my obsession and hopefully this can help you on your way. It truly is an amazing instrument. Videos and photos will really help burn these concepts in your brain. Check out these easy guitar lessons.
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