electric guitar chords Article

How To Play The Guitar For Beginners - 5 Key Tips You Must Know To Learn The Guitar
By Chris Chan
Are you trying to get started with the guitar? Is there a song you want to play or maybe one that you've written? Perhaps you started, gave up, but now are ready to really learn again. Whatever your motivation, now is the time to pick up your and become the guitarist you were meant to be. In this article I share five secrets on how to play the for beginners.


Tip #1: Get to know the basic "open" chords

I remember when I first learned the power of chords. I thought they were magical. I still do. By holding down two or three strings, all of a sudden all of the notes automatically sound good together. My advice is to start out with the relatively simple E, A, D, C, and G chords. These are the chords that only require two or three fingers. Not only are they easy to learn, but they are also are all that is necessary for hundreds and hundreds of classic songs.

The trick is to practice holding a chord and strumming it until you get a clear sound. Then practice releasing your hand and try to reposition your fingers again as rapidly as possible. Once you've mastered a few chords in this way, concentrate on alternating back and forth between chords as smoothly as you can. Make sure to strum the each time so that you can measure how well you are doing.

Tip #2: Learn to play a real song

I can't emphasize this step enough. It is important to learn recognizable songs as soon as possible. Avoid getting lost in drills or renditions of "Mary Had A Little Lamb". The point of learning to play the to actually play songs on the guitar. There are hundreds and hundreds of songs that are based around only two or three basic chords. Learning a few recognizable songs early on will keep you motivated and boost your confidence.

Tip #3: scales really are necessary

Yes, scales are necessary. In fact, they are vital to your future success. You can compare practicing scales to weight training and conditioning in athletics. If athletes really want to be their best, they need to spent far more time training than playing the game. It is the same with

playing the guitar. Musical scales form the foundation of nearly all music. Practicing scales trains your fingers to back and forth all along the neck of the guitar. Mastering scales makes it easy and effortless to play the right notes. You'll barely even have to think about it after awhile.

Tip #4: Learn to play without looking

This is one technique that really helped me advance my skills. I practice chords this way. I also practice picking notes and composing whole songs this way. By practicing without looking, you are teaching muscle memory and your fingers to go where they are supposed to go on the guitar. You will develop a "feel" for the this way. If you are ever playing for an audience, you won't have time to stop and look for the right finger position. The key is to train your fingers to automatically go where they need to go.

Tip #5: Use an expert

Finally, the real key to learning how to play the guitar, for beginners especially, is to get help from an a pro. You might choose a private tutor or an online video training program. Which ever way you decide, you need an experienced teacher to help you navigate step-by-step through the process of learning. A good teacher or program will know what challenges and pitfalls you will encounter and will know how to guide you past them.

My personal preference is to invest in a good online training program. Not only is this much more affordable, but you still get all the benefits of a personal tutor. With an online learning program, your "virtual" instructor will be available any time, day or night to help you learn. You can also speed up and rewind a virtual tutor. Try doing that with pay-by-the-hour instructor.

These are the essential steps for learning how to play the for beginners. Follow these tips and you'll be playing great in no time. You will progress faster than you thought possible. You will be surprised how soonyou will be playing the with skill and with ease. Your friends will also notice and "Wow! Where did you learn to play like that?"

Now, get playing!
For my top recommendations on how to play the guitar for beginners, please visit www.guitarpath.com.