A FREE guitar lesson by Mike Jones from killerguitartips.com
This week Id like to answer some questions I get asked quite frequently.
Very often I'm asked "Do I have good guitar playing fingers?" Or "What is the best guitar for me to learn on?" and "How should I practise?"
Well in my years of teaching guitar, I have seen probably every shape and size of hands and fingers there are, from short and stumpy to long and thin but I have not yet found anything that has prevented a pupil from learning to play successfully!! Its all about practice and practice will gain dexterity in anybody dedicated to learning to play the guitar. So don't worry about the perfect guitarists fingers just keep practicing and adjusting your hand position when you hear a muted (duff) note and slowly but surely you will become proficient enough to play all your favourite tunes easily and smoothly.
What is the best guitar to learn on?
This question is about money and choice! If your favourite music id rock music then you may wish to consider an electric guitar to learn and practice on. If your bag is the sound of an acoustic guitar then this is exactly the type of guitar you should learn on. There are no rules. The way we learn guitar is the same no matter what type as a beginner. Sure, there are different styles but that comes later in your learning progression. For now play what you like to listen to because there is one thing for sure... If you don't enjoy what you are doing you will seriously hinder your progress.
the better guitar you can afford usually means they will be easier to play, in turn being easier to learn on. Try to purchase the best quality guitar you can afford as it will help with the ease of playing. If your pocket cannot stretch that far then don't panic as there are plenty of cheaper guitars that are plenty good enough for you to start out on.
A good point to bear in mind is that an electric guitar will be easier on your hands than an acoustic guitar, however if you learn on an acoustic the transfer to an electric guitar will be a delight. If the transfer is the other way around then you will have to put in a little extra effort to hold down even the simplest of chords. It doesn't however matter what type of guitar you choose, you will still have to put in the practice to obtain good results.
Practicing.
In my personal experience I have found it better to practice for short regular periods rather than trying to cram it all in on a Sunday afternoon!! Half to one hour sessions everyday are best. As well as trying to master new pieces and exercises go over your older stuff just to 'keep your hand in'. Divide your practice time into sections for exercises, scales and chord work not neglecting some time to play your favourite songs. Try and restrain yourself from just messing with chords and ditties, construct a regular practice workout and stick to it!!
I cannot stress the following point enough about the importance of practicing.
Learning to play the guitar is a combination of knowledge (What to play) and physical motor skills (being able to accurately and quickly move your fingers). The two together create great killer guitarists.
Repetition is essential in developing motor skills. Lots of budding guitarists give up way too soon because they struggle to play a piece and blame themselves for not being good enough when their friends stick at it and eventually succeed. One of the main differences between yourself and names like Eric Clapton is stickability. If you stick at it you too can do exactly the same!
You need to develop the necessary skills in order to play a guitar well. Here's a great little piece of advice: Try to learn in your head the passage, chord sequence or riff you want to master before you start to practice. Practice it slowly at first trying not to make mistakes. Keep at it at a slow pace until you have it nailed then slowly increase the pace until you are up to speed.
As mentioned earlier in this article, it is better to practice for short periods of time as oppose to cramming everything in when you can.
Remember 'repetition is the mother of skill' the more practice you can fit in the better player you will become.
There are no short cuts in this game, no free rides. You get out of it what you put in but you must remember to practicer good technique taught by a tutor who knows their craft, not you neighbour next door who knows a little. A little knowledge is dangerous!
This week Id like to answer some questions I get asked quite frequently.
Very often I'm asked "Do I have good guitar playing fingers?" Or "What is the best guitar for me to learn on?" and "How should I practise?"
Well in my years of teaching guitar, I have seen probably every shape and size of hands and fingers there are, from short and stumpy to long and thin but I have not yet found anything that has prevented a pupil from learning to play successfully!! Its all about practice and practice will gain dexterity in anybody dedicated to learning to play the guitar. So don't worry about the perfect guitarists fingers just keep practicing and adjusting your hand position when you hear a muted (duff) note and slowly but surely you will become proficient enough to play all your favourite tunes easily and smoothly.
What is the best guitar to learn on?
This question is about money and choice! If your favourite music id rock music then you may wish to consider an electric guitar to learn and practice on. If your bag is the sound of an acoustic guitar then this is exactly the type of guitar you should learn on. There are no rules. The way we learn guitar is the same no matter what type as a beginner. Sure, there are different styles but that comes later in your learning progression. For now play what you like to listen to because there is one thing for sure... If you don't enjoy what you are doing you will seriously hinder your progress.
the better guitar you can afford usually means they will be easier to play, in turn being easier to learn on. Try to purchase the best quality guitar you can afford as it will help with the ease of playing. If your pocket cannot stretch that far then don't panic as there are plenty of cheaper guitars that are plenty good enough for you to start out on.
A good point to bear in mind is that an electric guitar will be easier on your hands than an acoustic guitar, however if you learn on an acoustic the transfer to an electric guitar will be a delight. If the transfer is the other way around then you will have to put in a little extra effort to hold down even the simplest of chords. It doesn't however matter what type of guitar you choose, you will still have to put in the practice to obtain good results.
Practicing.
In my personal experience I have found it better to practice for short regular periods rather than trying to cram it all in on a Sunday afternoon!! Half to one hour sessions everyday are best. As well as trying to master new pieces and exercises go over your older stuff just to 'keep your hand in'. Divide your practice time into sections for exercises, scales and chord work not neglecting some time to play your favourite songs. Try and restrain yourself from just messing with chords and ditties, construct a regular practice workout and stick to it!!
I cannot stress the following point enough about the importance of practicing.
Learning to play the guitar is a combination of knowledge (What to play) and physical motor skills (being able to accurately and quickly move your fingers). The two together create great killer guitarists.
Repetition is essential in developing motor skills. Lots of budding guitarists give up way too soon because they struggle to play a piece and blame themselves for not being good enough when their friends stick at it and eventually succeed. One of the main differences between yourself and names like Eric Clapton is stickability. If you stick at it you too can do exactly the same!
You need to develop the necessary skills in order to play a guitar well. Here's a great little piece of advice: Try to learn in your head the passage, chord sequence or riff you want to master before you start to practice. Practice it slowly at first trying not to make mistakes. Keep at it at a slow pace until you have it nailed then slowly increase the pace until you are up to speed.
As mentioned earlier in this article, it is better to practice for short periods of time as oppose to cramming everything in when you can.
Remember 'repetition is the mother of skill' the more practice you can fit in the better player you will become.
There are no short cuts in this game, no free rides. You get out of it what you put in but you must remember to practicer good technique taught by a tutor who knows their craft, not you neighbour next door who knows a little. A little knowledge is dangerous!
About the Author:
About The Author: Mike Jones is a Professional Guitar Teacher. Offering Guitar Lessons geared to bringing the beginner through to an great player in the shortest possible time, using unique speed learning techniques developed over twenty years of teaching and playing guitar as a professional. To find out more about Mikes teaching methods and receive FREE tips and tricks each week go to his website at: Guitar Lessons