Do You Want to Play Guitar Songs?
July 31, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Prior to making any attempt to play guitar songs, you need to make sure your guitar is tuned correctly. If your guitar is not tuned as it should be you will soon discover that the song you are trying to play will sound absolutely nothing like it should. On top of this, you need to know how to read guitar tabs before you can play guitar songs too.
Of course, learning to play guitar songs, is about training your ear when you hear a song as well as being able to read guitar tabs. First of all, you should listen to the song you wish to play on your guitar. It’s advisable to stick with simple songs, using three simple chords to begin with when you are still at the novice stage of guitar playing.
At the time of listening to the song, concentrate on the rhythm and timing of the chords and strums you hear being played. Then, after you have heard the song a few times you can try to go along with the song by reading the guitar tab at the time it is playing. Carry out this procedure a couple of times and make a mental note of the rhythm and timing.
Now is the time to pick up your own guitar and strum along with the song gently. As long as you do not play your guitar too loudly, you will still be able to hear the song you are attempting to copy and know you are doing it right.
When you fully understand the timing and style of the strumming, you can begin to play the songs on your own, without the song being played in the background. If you forget what you are supposed to be playing, you can always go back a step and listen to the song again before having another try at playing it on your own.
Make sure you work on one song at a time by practicing it on your guitar over and over again until you can sing the song at the same time as playing it. When you have mastered your first song, then you can introduce new songs to your practice sessions.
It’s a good idea to video yourself playing if you have access to the equipment needed to do this. When you have finished recording, you can take a look at the video and this will be a great help as far as improving your technique is concerned.
All that is needed to learn to play guitar songs is passion and patience. It is not difficult and if you don’t get it right at first don’t beat yourself up about it. Most importantly, don’t allow yourself to become frustrated as this will only lead to more mistakes being made. Simply put down the guitar for a short while, busy yourself doing something else and return to the guitar playing a little later on in the day.
Are You Ready to Play Guitar for the First Time?
July 15, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Well, maybe you’ve dabbled with it here and there, but haven’t actually played a cool tune. You know, “Hot-Cross-Buns” or something similar, but not any major music hits. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you enjoy, the guitar is great for any category.
If you want to start a career in the guitar world or maybe as a hobby, it takes patience, dedication, and commitment. Plus, you’ll also have to account for the physical effects as well.
Have you ever held a hammer or something else for too long only to find out it develops calluses? Well, guitar players get them from strumming the strings. Just like someone who types, a guitar player can have his or her hands cramp up because they’re not used to the strenuous activity. Heck, even your shoulders will get sore along the way.
It doesn’t matter who your idol is at playing the guitar, everyone started at the beginning. They had to deal with everything you’re going to have to deal with each time you play.
When you first learn how to play the guitar, it’s important to understand the tuning process. If you can’t figure this out, then your going to hear sounds that are as bad as Mike Ditka’s singing “Take Me Out to The Ball Game” at Wrigley Field (it was horrendous). You have the lower E string, the A string, the D string, the G string, and the B string. These are arranged from the bottom of the guitar to the top. Then of course you have the high E string, which should be tuned last.
Now, you can manually tune your guitar, or you can pay a music store to do it for you. Obviously this will depend on your preference so we’ll leave the decision in your hands. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you can spend a lot of money having it done for you. Then again, they may do it for free. Just ask, and they’ll tell you. We still recommend doing it yourself so you get a better understanding of the sounds it will make for you.
After you’ve properly tuned everything, learn to read the guitar tabs. You can find tutorials for this all around the Internet, and to be honest, most of them are accurate. Just place your fingers on each string, then strum the guitar using the other hand. It’s going to take some practice, so don’t think you’ll be a master after one evening. Just make sure you start out playing easier chords because it will help in the long run. The simple ones are C, G, and A.
Okay you’re ready! That’s all it takes to know how to play the guitar. Add in as much practice as possible and you have yourself a new hobby. Before long we may see you coming out with your own new CD!