Learn to Play Guitar - Free Tips for Beginner Guitar Players

By: Ralph Serpe

Find a Good Teacher - There is no substitution for a good guitar
teacher. You can buy all the books and videos you want, but in
order to really become a good guitar player, you need to learn
from a pro. A professional guitar teacher has the experience and
wisdom necessary to teach you how to become a proper guitar
player. Books, videos, and the Internet for that matter, lack in
their ability to provide you with feedback and advice. A good
guitar teacher will correct you if you are doing something wrong
so that you don't form bad habits or techniques. A good guitar
teacher will also encourage you when you are doing something
right.

Do Not Get Discouraged - When first learning the guitar, or any
instrument for that matter, you may find yourself getting
discouraged, or perhaps saying to yourself "this is just too
difficult". You may find yourself practicing the same song or
chords over and over again, and never getting any better at it.
Do not let this discourage you. Sometimes are brains just need a
little rest, or need to be occupied with something else. Take a
break and come back to your practice with a fresh mind.

Practice - The more often that you practice your guitar the more
familiar you will become with the instrument. Your playing will
become easier over time. Try and free up at least 20 minutes of
time every day to practice your guitar. Find a time and location
where you know you will not be interrupted. Interruption can
really kill your concentration and snap you out of a good
rhythm. Warm your hands and stretch your fingers before you
play. Talk with your guitar teacher to develop the best practice
exercises that are right for your style of playing.

Create an effective practice schedule - The length of your
practice is not necessarily the most important thing. Usually it
is the quality of your practice that is most important. Make
sure your guitar teacher is giving you a well-rounded approach
to guitar playing and helping you make the most of your practice
sessions.

Slow Down - One great bit of advice with your practicing; don't
play too quickly! Many new guitar players will rush through a
lick or a song in the beginning, trying to play it exactly as
they hear it and only wind up butchering it. Before you can play
anything correctly, you must learn to slow down and play it
right at a much slower speed. You can then slowly increase your
speed as you improve.

Watch your posture - Guitar playing should not be extremely
painful and uncomfortable. If you find yourself with various
aches and pains in your shoulders, your neck, your back, etc.,
chances are you are not in a correct playing posture. Ask your
guitar teacher to demonstrate a proper playing posture, then do
your best to stick to it. Tell your teacher to observe you
during practice and correct you whenever you fall out of the
correct posture.

Get a metronome - A very important part of guitar playing is the
ability to keep good timing. An instrument, which will help you
become better at timing, is called a metronome. You can purchase
this at any guitar center. When working with a metronome, in the
beginning, you should start off at a slow speed. This will help
you build your muscles and develop better control and good
playing habits.

Change your strings - Your guitar strings are very important to
the quality of sound your guitar produces. How often you change
your guitar strings really depends on how often you play.
Professional guitar players may change their strings before
every gig. Others who don't play as often, may change their
strings every 2 months or so. Again it really depends on how
often you play, and how well you take care of your guitar
strings. Don't wait until your strings break before you change
them and you should change all of your strings at the same time.

Try new things/experiment - If you feel uninspired in your
guitar playing why not try something fresh and different? If you
have mastered a particular song on your electric guitar, why not
try the same song on an acoustic guitar? If you only play your
guitar using a pick, put down the pick and just use your
fingers. Perhaps you only enjoy playing blues guitar. Why not
try some jazz or classical?

I hope these guitar tips were helpful. The most important thing
is to never get discouraged and never give up. Persistence is
key when it comes to playing the guitar. If you really have a
sincere desire to learn, and you continue to practice, you will
become a better guitar player.

About the author:
You can learn how to play guitar free online. Visit http://www.artsymmetry.com/Category/Guitar-Lesson
s/199 for more great articles on guitar playing.