Practice makes permanent. However you start practicing guitar, you will build habits and skills that will last throughout your time as a guitar player. If you start with the right practice habits and routines, you'll be able to play the styles, songs and licks you want to play. Otherwise, your abilities will remain stable, making them difficult to upgrade. Learn habits and practice effectively. You can learn to practice comfortably, balance the basics with fun practice, and develop effective techniques to maintain them and make guitar practice a routine. See step 1 for more information.
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Method 1 of 4: Be Comfortable
Step 1. Find a comfortable chair that will allow you to hold and play your guitar properly
A stool or hard-backed chair can be used, anything that will force you to sit with a straight back and good posture. Padded benches made specifically for playing guitar are very common in guitar shops, which you can look for if you're interested, but regular kitchen chairs can also be used.
Try not to use a chair that has arms, as that will leave very little room for your guitar, which could force you to hug the guitar awkwardly, leading to bad habits. Don't sit on the couch, beanbag, or anything else that will let your body fall into it. Posture is very important for proper foundation
Step 2. Hold the guitar properly
If you're right-handed, hold the guitar so that your right hand falls halfway between the earpiece and the bridge, and support the neck of the guitar with your left hand.
- With the guitar tucked into the body, orient the guitar so that the smallest strings point toward the floor and the thickest strings up. Hold the back of the gitas so that it touches your stomach and chest and rests on your picker's leg. The neck should also point upwards, at a 45-degree angle.
- With your left hand, grasp the neck in the V created by your thumb and forefinger. You should be able to gently move your left hand up and down your neck without holding it back, letting your right leg and elbow rest comfortably on the guitar. If you need to use your left hand to support the guitar up, you are holding the guitar incorrectly.
Step 3. Stem your guitar
Begin each practice session with your guitar stem. Playing an unstemmed guitar can make practice sessions frustrating and counterproductive, making it important that you learn how to stem the guitar as quickly as possible. The ability to tune the guitar quickly will make practicing more fluid and enjoyable.
- Stem using electric stem, hold the stem close to the sound hole of the acoustic guitar, or attach the electric guitar plug directly to the stem with a quarter-inch cable. The stem will indicate whether each string is flat (too low) or sharp (too high), and you can twist the appropriate peg until the stem is just right. On most electric stems, the light will turn green when the stem is correct.
- Stem guitar with him, Hold the E string low at the fifth fret to play the A, which should match the fifth string. Stem the A string until the note matches, then hold the A string at the fifth fret and do the same with the D string. The only variation is the G string, which you will hold at the fourth fret to match the B string. This may not produce a perfect tone., but it's okay to practice, as long as the guitar is in tune with itself.
- Free online stems, is also available to generate precise tones and customize them. Visit stem online for free by clicking here here.
Step 4. Hold the guitar pick properly
Picks, also called plectrums, can be a source of frustration for novice players. To make sure you build proper skill and comfort with your instrument, you need to practice holding the pick properly.
- To hold the pick properly, rotate your pick hand (dominant hand, or writing hand) with your palm parallel to your stomach. Wrap all your fingers toward your palm and place the pick with the thin end pointing at you over your index finger. Hold it with your thumb.
- There should be no more than 2 cm of the pick sticking out of your hand. Holding the pick by the end will result in frequent falls and bad habits. To learn to use a pick and pick properly, hold the pick just slightly out of the hand.
Method 2 of 4: Learning the Basics
Step 1. Practice playing the notes
Practice forming notes correctly and playing clear notes without strumming dead strings. Practice the notes until each sound comes out evenly, not louder or quieter than the other sounds on the note. Practice swapping between notes and making your transitions as smooth and fluid as possible.
- Start by forming the first position note. The first position note is played between the first and third frets, generally combining many open strings. You can play most pop, country, and rock songs with some basic first position notes,
- Common first position notes for beginners include G notes, D notes, Am notes, C notes, E notes, A notes, and F notes.
Step 2. Practice forming a barre note
Barre notes, also called power notes, are all made from the same finger positions on different frets on the guitar. You can form a G note at the first position, or by forming a barre note at the third fret, for example. This is usually quite difficult for beginners because it requires a wide finger position, but is very useful for playing rock and punk songs.
Step 3. Always practice to the beat
One of the most overlooked and most important things to be a good guitar player is playing with time. It would be great if you could play the solo of "Black Dog" at a million miles per hour, but can you play slowly, with feeling? Practicing to the beat forces you to play the notes you see, but not the ones you can play. Developing rhythm in your playing will make you a better guitar player.
Step 4. Practice the scale
If you take lessons, you will most likely be given a scale sheet, which if you study from a book you will have to find the scale and practice it yourself. Mel Bay's books and other resources have been teaching guitar players to strum for decades, where sheet music and online exercises are also available.
- The pentatonic scale is a common rock chord for guitar players to learn. Made up of five keys on each scale, the pentatonic scale, also commonly called the "blues scale" is the basis of many different types of music. Practice on each key.
- Learning different scales and modes is a great way to improve your playing, allowing you to maneuver the guitar, but not the most enjoyable exercise. Take a scale and try to make it a guitar solo. To make the scales more fun, try swinging them, playing at different tempos, once you've mastered the basics.
Step 5. Learn some songs to make practice more fun
Choose a few songs you want to learn and start strumming the hard parts, with the help of sheet music, tablature, or listening. Try and learn the song as a whole, not just a single lick or note progression. Practice combining different parts of a song to play it as a whole, and you'll teach yourself about composition and learn to play with stamina. This is more difficult than it looks.
- For beginners, common folk and country songs are the easiest to learn. Try playing the chords of "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash, which is a fun and easy start. Other popular beginner songs that are good for practicing include "Tom Doolety," "Long Black Veil," or even "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Choose simple nursery rhymes to learn. Usually this song won't involve more than three notes: G, C, and D major.
- For intermediate players, start choosing songs that introduce unusual notes or unusual rhythm playing to learn more complex styles. Try to learn songs you don't normally listen to, to force yourself into unexplored territory. If you like classic songs, try studying "Lithium" by Nirvana, for its really complex tone sound and melodic structure. Rock players might try to study "Fur Elise" by Beethoven, to learn a new style. All players must learn "Stairway to Heaven." so you can say that you've arrived as a guitar player.
- For top level players, choose material with difficult compositions that force you to learn new techniques in the type of music you love. Metal players should master the complex harmonics of Opeth's lead, country players should learn Merle Travis' patented strumming style, and rock players could spend a lifetime learning Jerry Garcia's tracing.
Step 6. Make the base fun
Make a pact with yourself: learn a new song or riff, for each scale you're good at, or a sheet from a practice book that you passed during class. It's also a good idea to talk to your teacher, if you have one, about the song you want to learn, so you don't spend time mastering a Nirvana song you don't like. Most guitar teachers love to teach you what you love.
Step 7. Use your eyes and ears
Most of the greatest guitar players learn to play by listening to the same song over and over again, their ear on the radio, slowly strumming a different piece on their own. Listen to your favorite music songs until you master the tricks and techniques that guitar players use.
Method 3 of 4: Developing a Routine
Step 1. Practice at least 20-40 minutes
To build your guitar playing stamina and maintain the muscle memory you're trying to build, you need to practice about 30 minutes a day.
As you become more proficient and build calluses on your fingers which will make playing more comfortable, you will be able to practice more, but at first it is better to be moderate. 30 minutes is enough to improve and learn enough material, but not so natural as to tire you out
Step 2. Practice at least 5 times a week
Since building calluses and skills is so important in guitar playing, it's important to practice consistently, several times a week, or you'll end up starting all over again every time you pick up the instrument.
- Try to set a time to practice each day, maybe after work or school, or after dinner. Get into the habit of picking up the guitar at the same time every day and spending 30-40 minutes.
- If you rarely practice guitar, it will lead to finger pain again. It will be easier to play the guitar if you practice often because there will be no pain in the fingers and because you will get used to playing and reading notes and tablature,
Step 3. Begin your session with a regular warm-up
Each time you pick up the guitar, sit in your practice chair, hold the guitar and pick properly, then do some exercise for at least 3-5 minutes to warm up your fingers for your session. Plucking a flat quarter note on each of the first four frets of each string, from low E to high E is a common warm-up exercise.
- General warm-up exercises usually involve strumming certain patterns up and down the neck of the guitar, not necessarily patterns that sound pretty, but ones that will loosen your fingers. You can make your own or learn from a guitar teacher you like.
- Anything repeated can be used as a warm-up. Up and down the new scale you're learning, or play your favorite Clapton lick. Whatever you like to play with, play it up and down a few times until your fingers feel loose and comfortable. After that you are ready to practice.
Step 4. Balance skill building with fun practice
In every training session, it is very important to give a balanced weight to what you want to do and what you have to do. You want to practice solo "Smells Like Teen Spirit"? That's fine, but make yourself worth it by practicing your scale sheet first. Weigh the end of each training session with an interesting activity to give yourself something you can't wait to do.
Step 5. Always keep moving forward and challenging yourself
It's possible to reach a high level in your guitar playing skills and start steady. In fact, most guitar players are no better after 5 years of playing than the first 5 months, because of this stability. To practice effectively, you need to learn to accept the challenge of learning a new song, master a new style, or add complexity to the skills you've already learned, so you can avoid flat lines.
Have you mastered the solo of "Black Dog" by Zeppelin? Write a new one in mixolydian mode, or try playing it upside down. Play the entire solo without playing the root note. Give yourself small challenges to force yourself to improvise and improve
Step 6. Practice with and learn from other players
It is very difficult to learn the instrument on your own. While you don't have to take the usual private lessons, there's no substitute for playing with other people and learning new things firsthand. This is a great way to practice.
- Look for "open hour" sessions in your city, where you can visit them and learn tricks from more experienced players. You might be able to get a band from him.
- Use YouTube tutorials. Learning to play guitar is now easier than ever, because we can see great records like Mississippi John Hurt, or Rev. Gary Gavis strummed the composition up close. Where once upon a time guitar players had to listen, you can now look at the fingers of that great man, and learn from his style.
Method 4 of 4: Maintaining Physique for the Guitar
Step 1. Treat finger pain
One of the hardest parts of practicing and learning to keep playing the guitar is the day pain in your fret hands, Pressing steel or nylon strings is very painful at first, no doubt, and will take some time negotiating with the pain until you build the calluses that will make them more comfortable.
Practice more often, but shorter sessions, if the pain is too intense. If you are unable to play 30-40 minutes without uncomfortable finger pain, rest until your finger feels better. Wiggle your wrists and move them to increase blood flow and rest your fingertips
Step 2. Make sure you don't press the strings too tightly
You can make sure you're not pressing the strings too hard, causing unnecessary pain, by finding the "buzzing point" of the strings. Press the string as usual, then slowly release the string as you strum. Look for the point where the string is dead, or buzzing, because you're not pressing hard enough. The best pressure is right after the hum, light enough to be comfortable, but hard enough to prevent hum. (
Step 3. Stretch your arms, back, and hands before and after training
No, playing the guitar may not be a sport, but stretching your arms and back quickly before and after a practice session can make you more comfortable.
- To stretch your arms, wiggle your fingers, waving your fingers like seaweed fluttering in the water. It's also a good idea to do some quick finger push-ups, pressing down on the top of a bench or table with your fingertips, then letting your hands drop and pushing them back up.
- To stretch your arms and shoulders, wrap each arm around your chest, one at a time, as if giving yourself a big hug. With the other arm, pull gently but hard on your elbow to relax the muscles in your arm and shoulder. Do this with each arm for 15 seconds.
- To stretch your back, raise your arms so they reach the sky as high as possible for 15 seconds, then hold the push-up position, as straight as possible, for another 15 seconds. You are ready to practice.
Step 4. Breathe Holding your breath is very common when starting to play on stage, or performing in front of a teacher or other audience
This can even happen during practice, causing tightness in the upper part and a tendency to play irregularly and in a hurry. Practice with as loose a grip as possible on your instrument, and breathe comfortably and deeply, especially when you are concentrating.
If and when you feel you are holding your breath, stop for a second and change your position. Make sure you sit up straight and take a few deep breaths before continuing. Especially if you're getting frustrated trying to learn a certain song or scale, give yourself a breath. This can make a big difference
Step 5. Learn a new instrument or style slowly
Whether you're trying your first jazz chord, switching from electric guitar to classical acoustic, or trying to speed up your finger sport, it's important to start slowly, learn it fast, and give yourself time to adjust to a new way of playing.
Since guitars vary widely in neck sizes, string sizes, and fret spacing, it's important to change up your session with a new instrument a little. It may not be possible for you to play certain songs or scales as fast as you used to. Give yourself time to adjust to a new instrument, and give your fingers a chance to stretch in new ways. You'll need to retrain your muscle memory, if the frets are slightly different
Step 6. Always start a new exercise slowly and then speed up
The popular guitar player's adage says,
"Those who can't play well, play fast. Those who can't play fast, play hard." Bottom line, don't have the bad habit of rushing through each lick to show your speed. The best guitar players are not the fastest guitar players, they are the ones who can play it right. Learn how to practice with time, then speed up to improve your skills once you get the hang of them.
Tips
- Don't be frustrated when you make mistakes. Remember that everyone makes mistakes; even the greatest guitarists in the world make mistakes and I'm not just telling you to follow these steps!
- If you want to be able to play a real song on your guitar, you can search the internet for the name of the song and then type 'tabs' after it. If you don't know how to play tabs, try searching the internet to find out how to play them.
- Always practice what you find difficult first. There's no point in practicing licks that you can easily play. This may sound cool but it won't improve your technique. Where by practicing something that you find difficult, even if you play it with a few mistakes and very slowly, will improve your technique significantly.
- Once you become very experienced, you should try learning tablature. This will be very helpful because once you learn to read tablature (tabs), you will be able to read the most famous songs in the songbook because most songbooks are written using tablature.
- Playing a real song might make you enjoy practicing the guitar. Playing a real song that you like will have a dramatic positive effect on the practice effect.
- If necessary, you can use a foot pad which costs $20-$40. This raises your legs and makes your position more comfortable than if your legs were just hanging from the chair you were sitting in. If you're tall enough, you may feel more comfortable without a footrest because if you use a footrest and you're very tall, your feet will sit in front of your face, a very uncomfortable position.
- Don't look for shortcuts. Learn to play as closely as possible to the original version. Browse YouTube for rehearsals and acoustic versions. If you don't recognize the song before you start singing (at least for a well-written song) it's not right.
- If you don't want to spend money on foot pads you can use a small box or a very small chair to put your feet on.
- It's good to schedule your workout time.
Warning
- Do not turn the volume on your Metronome or guitar amplifier too loud or it may cause ear damage.
- Take frequent breaks from guitar practice to prevent strain on your arms, fingers or eyes.
