Just about everyone at some point in their life will consider playing a musical instrument of some sort. This is because the desire to make music is inherent in human nature.
If you don’t believe that just try and think of someone you know who does not hum, sing in the shower, play faux drums when listening to music or who does not try and sing along with every song that comes on the radio. It’s hard isn’t it? That’s because people love music and that is a given, period.
Stop Dreaming and Get Busy
There is a distinct difference between someone who dreams of playing guitar and someone who actually does it. You can sit around and talk about the fact that you wish you knew how to play the guitar or you can do something about it, the choice is yours. If you are serious then the first thing you are going to want to do is choose the best guitar for beginners.
Think about what kind of guitar you would like to end up playing. Will you ultimately want to play rhythm, lead, bass, classical etc.? This is a pretty important decision and having a goal in the beginning is always helpful. Remember, you can always switch later.
What Kind of Guitar to Start With?
Most seasoned guitar players will suggest that you begin learning acoustic with a classical guitar, the operative word being most. Many will say that it doesn’t matter much and that if your goal is to play lead then you are fine starting out with an electric guitar. However, a classical guitar has much softer nylon strings and tends to be easier on the fingers.
In addition, having a great foundation for guitar builds success. Learning to play acoustic first is a great suggestion. Later, you can get an electric guitar and an amp and start creating riffs but always start with the basics first.
Is Reading Music Necessary?
If someone tells you learning to read music is not important, you might want to think twice. Learning to read music can be paramount to becoming a great guitarist, no matter what your style is going to be. If you do some research and look into many of the most successful bands of our time and of all time, you just may find that many members of the band had degrees in music.
Yes, there are some exceptional guitarists who never learned to read music and no one can deny that but it really is a much better choice learning to read and write music. It will make life a lot easier when you begin to write you own songs.
What To Expect in The Beginning
Let’s touch on something not many people will tell you about right off the bat and that is the development of sore fingers and calluses. No matter what it is in life you want to do there is always going to be a little pain in becoming good at it. With guitar your fingers will be the victims.
Some people will tell you they practiced until their fingers bled and they probably won’t be lying. However, do not let that stop you. Over time your fingers will become acclimated and playing will become less painful. Just remember not to pick at or peel away any calluses you begin to feel. They are going to be necessary in the long run.
The truth is there really is nothing bad or ugly about playing the guitar but there are going to be some obstacles to overcome. There will be times when you feel like giving up because you think you will never get it. There will also be times that you will literally have to make yourself practice, even when you’d rather be doing something else. Just remember the reward is going to be greater than any of the setbacks you may experience on your journey. The most important thing is to stick with it until you by pass the hard part.
A special thanks goes out to EasilyPlayGuitar.com for their information and knowledge in helping to put together this article.
Photo credit: Philippe Ramakers