Acoustic Guitar playing for beginners

By John Kauri

Have trouble with the basics of guitar? Fingers cut, the

skin peeling away from the blisters, and yet nothing is making sense for you? The conventional way of learning the guitar just not working for

you? There’s got to be something wrong with the way you hold your

guitar.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Playing something as complicated and beautiful as the

Acoustic guitar, is fraught with pit-falls and

complications. All you really have to do is simplify. All you need to start with, is a guitar, a pick, and some patients. Access to the

internet also helps, plus, maybe some guitar books if you feel so inclinded.

Tune the guitar. This is vitally important for some obvious

and not so obvious reasons. Obvious because you need to know what the notes and

chords are supposed to sound like. Not so obvious, because if the guitar is

tuned to high, and the strings are old, you run the risk of breaking a string

and then the whole guitar goes out of tune because of the difference in

tension. So, find someone who can tune the guitar properly for you, picking up

a guitar tuner from a local music store is also an option, they can get pretty

expensive, so stay with the basic model, you

don’t need anything fancy. Or, you can always find tuning guides online.

Once you’re guitar is properly tuned, then it’s

time to start. Looking for a coach, instructor or someone you can learn from.

Finding a professional coach is one of the hardest parts of learning the

guitar. If you don’t’ get along with them, or you don’t

understand them, or even just their style doesn’t match up with yours,

then it’s going to be tough road.

Make sure you know your teacher before you start. Talk to

them, ask about them, even look online. You’d be

amazed what you could find by looking up someone just by typing their name into

any search engine.

You may feel more comfortable with a virtual coach, or an

online method. The benefits of the online teaching course, is that they usually

have a free trial, or a sample pack that you can try risk free. Then you can

decide if you like what they offer. Plus the bonus’ that come with the

online courses can be really helpful as well.

When you’re all ready, make sure you have a really

good rehearsal space picked out. Someplace where you can sit comfortably, and  your guitar

must be supported.

The biggest, and most important

part of learning the guitar, aside from the guitar itself, is to listen. You

have to follow your instincts, and listen to the sounds that the guitar is

making as you strum the chords, you will soon learn to feel a wrong note and

feel when your fingers are not on the correct frets. If it feels wrong, it

probably is wrong. Listening is one of the most effective ways of learning.

Playing an acoustic guitar, means that you

are getting the purest sounds of the guitar. You don’t need any

electronic devices to make it sound like it’s supposed to sound. 

The biggest fundamental that all

guitarists must know and master, even acoustic guitar players, for beginners,

is to learn the basic chords. Know your

fingering positions, know your frets. C, A, G, E, D chords, these are your

building blocks of a successful journey in learning to play the guitar. Not

only are these chords easier to achieve, but they are also extremely common in

most music today.

Keep rehearsing the basics,

don’t be in a rush to jump forwards too fast. Close your eyes when

playing, and go through the scales and chords. The instruction you receive from

your coach, either in person, on online, will at most, be a guide or a

corrective process, the true music comes from inside you.

Keep playing, and enjoy.