Category: Articles

Learn How To Play That Guitar

Posted on by Guitar Lessons Nelson

In this world with all kinds of styles of music and bands, finding someone to teach you what you really dream of playing is kind of tough. The problem is finding a teacher who’ll give you a good guitar lesson that doesn’t include all the stuff that really doesn’t matter when it comes down to just playing a song.

You can practice for many hours to replicate your favorite guitar player playing style, but when you have the proper instruction you have the path to get to the point of playing fluently you will be able to copy the style and get it down.

Some play fast and narrow and others play wide and slow, this is how you learn how to use different vibrato techniques, practice and more practice. Once you’ve achieved a basic understanding of the correct notes and sounds you are ready to start learning how to tune by ear. The traditional way of learning guitar is by taking private lessons from a guitar teacher. The number of choices is overwhelming, ranging from distance instruction learning or online lessons. Today there are many options to learn how to play instruments whether you like rock, jazz, rock or classical music, these are just a few of the many types of music.

The key to mastering the guitar successfully is in making the chord changes which will help in playing the instrument. They are the C major chord, G major chord, and the D major chord. You should spend hours practicing chords and scales forms and all the while making sure that each note sounds perfect.

But you will find that if you use these simple scale forms in conjunction with an appropriate chord progression this will sound good more often. A chord progression based on the A minor chord will sound good with A minor pentatonic and a C major chord will sound good with C major scale.

When learning how to play the guitar, often many people form and create bad habits which does not help with the playing of the guitar, they need to work twice as hard to switch to good habits and get back on track.. These bad habits are easy to overcome once the person realizes that he has them and becomes familiar with the proper way to play the guitar.

You know the saying, practice makes perfect. But it is something you should try to incorporate into your practice as regularly as possible if you want to see a real improvement in the solos and melodies you make on guitar.

Learning How To Play Guitar Songs Should Be Fun Not Work

Posted on by Guitar Lessons Nelson

It is a universally known fact that when people do not enjoy doing an activity they will do everything in their power to avoid it. Several of us have had experience with this concept when we were taught musical instruments as children. We have memories about playing boring scales and being forced to practice endless chord progressions. Being taught to perform on a musical instrument does not have to be dull. In fact, it should be fun rather than work.

The right education system will teach students not only that practicing is a vital part of learning a musical instrument, but also that practicing can be a very enjoyable activity. When you love your instrument and you love your education program, you will love to practice. That is why it is very important that when you learn how to play guitar you are also being taught the right practice strategies.

Sitting down to start practicing should be an activity that is actually thought of as sitting down to play. The musician should not view practicing as a chore, but rather a great pastime. In order to ensure that this course is good, you must make sure that the student is always engaged. An exciting how to play guitar course will keep the student’s interest and keep them wanting more.

The first thing that a great system will provide is the immediate opportunity for the student to start playing. This means that right from the first lesson the student should have their instrument out and be strumming along. By creating this atmosphere the program is demonstrating to the student that they will see instant results and quick improvements in their skill. By getting them playing as soon as possible, a program has students learn how to play guitar immediately.

The second thing that an engaging system will provide is better alternatives to tablature music. Musicality has made such great advancements that musicians no longer have to rely on difficult to read tabs. Instead, students should be taught methods such as quick reading music, sight reading, and even playing by ear. Being able to learn how to play guitar through these avenues is much more enjoyable and effective.

Finally, students will enjoy a musical education program so much more if they actually like the songs they are being taught. There is a tradition in music that seems to require that students be forced to learn old and out of date music. This music does not get the students excited. Instead, students should be able to learn how to play guitar by practicing on the songs they love. This way they will be excited to start strumming and show off to their friends.

Should You Learn Guitar Chords In Each Key

Posted on by Guitar Lessons Nelson

When first starting to learn guitar chords, one of the most difficult tasks to master is to get your fingers to do what you want them to do. Independence does not come easily. This is why most beginning guitar players focus on and learn the most commonly used guitar chords and scales and proceed to use those handful of chords for the rest of their life.

Most guitarists do not experiment with different areas of the guitar or try adding or subtracting a note or two to the original chord so as to give some hint of originality or a personal style, that is why a lot of guitar music around today is so uninspiring and un-original.

Once guitar players get a few licks and tricks under their belt they become lazy. When you consider the combinations that are available from just one chord in one position on the neck, it is absolutely mind boggling, let alone the hundreds of other positions and variations available. Just by experimenting with one chord shape at a different starting place on the fretboard can take your mind and fingers to uncharted areas you could not have conceived of before.

Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider breaking out of old patterns and learning guitar chords in a new key.

1. Inspiration can come immediately from taking one of your most prized over used chords and moving it over one fret to a new key. You probably will have to re-arrange your fingers to accommodate the new shape, but persevere with it, this new chord is no harder than any chord you have learnt so far. Now try moving all of the chords to this new key. Now you have just doubled your fretboard knowledge.

2. Play through those chords and just listen to the sound those new ‘shapes’ are making in the new position. You are breathing new life into your tired, worn out, over used chords. Remember that discovering new, original ideas and sounds is part of why guitar playing can be so much fun in the first place.

3. If you have a song that you know quite well, transpose those chords to another key. What you will find is that the song can have a different feel and take on a whole new life of its own.

Learning new guitar chords doesn’t have to be a chore, if you decided to learn just one new chord per month, you will be in front of most of the guitar players on the planet. Most people who learn to play guitar, usually play for a lifetime. I have never met any guitar player that played for a year or two then declared they didn’t like playing the guitar and just stopped. It is an ongoing pursuit, a skill to be mastered over the course of a lifetime, something to be enjoyed.

I know that you enjoy the chords that you are already playing, but if you break out of the same old guitar chords and scales that you play all the time, I promise you, you can rediscover all the amazing feelings of why you started to play guitar all over again. So I ask you – do you think it might be a good idea for you to learn guitar chords in each key?

Should I learn guitar scales

Posted on by Guitar Lessons Nelson

Do you really need to spend any of your valuable time learning guitar scales and theory?

The argument that a guitarists will use to not learn any type of theory is that they will be in danger of losing there originality. They won’t be able to be or sound like themselves, they will be caught up and constrained within the confines of rules and regulations. The only problem with that kind of thinking is that you are in danger of not growing and progressing as a musician.

All basic lead guitar instruction courses at the root level will tell you to learn chords, scales and arpeggios because they know that you will gain a greater understanding of how the music process inter-grates and works together, you will expand your playing with new possibilities and concepts, rather than the reverse.

And here is the most important factor. A lot of self taught musicians tend to suffer from episodes of self doubt because of not knowing what to play, which in turn can breed insecurities and lack of self confidence in your playing.

Knowledge is power as they say, so if you want to advance your guitar playing to expert status as a lead guitar improviser or if you want to be taken seriously as a professional musician, there is no two ways about it, you are going to have to set some time aside to practise modes, scales and learn notes on your guitar fretboard.

Here are some pointers you might want to keep in mind when getting started.

1. 5 or 10 minutes a day of disciplined practise will yield more results than 10 years of picking up your guitar and ‘noodling’ about, sitting on the end of your bed.

2. Set aside ten minutes for a practise session and decide before hand what it is you are going to do and learn. Too many guitarists tell me they practised for 8 hours a day and when I ask them what did you learn – I’m not usually given a clear answer.

3. Always use a drum machine or metronome when practising as you will learn in time that timing is everything.

4. You don’t have to practise at the speed of sound when you start. You will find most guitarists who play fast, find out that speed is not what music or guitaring is really about and end up going back to their roots and playing melodic phrases that satisfy themselves.

5. Don’t beat yourself up because you are not Steve Vai or Dave Gilmour after 2 weeks.

Also, something that isn’t discussed very often about practising guitar scales or modes or arpeggios is that it doesn’t have to be drudgery and boredom. Spending 10 or 20 minutes a day working on the theory aspect of your playing will yield benefits far beyond what you can come up with on your own. I don’t think that there is a single musician on the planet who has spent time learning theory and said I wish I hadn’t have spent all that time learning all that crap.

Conclusion: If you want to advance your playing or write songs that are original and express who you really are, you should consider opening yourself to some solid theory because the road to originality is through other peoples stuff. If you have a good working knowledge of guitar scales, you will identify what your favourite players are up to and be able to duplicate those phrases in all keys for yourself.