Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Buying a beginner guitar
• Part 2 of 3: Learning to read tablature
• Tips

You want to learn to play the guitar, but you don't have enough money to take lessons with a music teacher. Fortunately, there are plenty of free resources that can help you learn to play along with your favorite songs! This article explains how to buy a good beginner guitar, how to read tablature, and how to practice a first scale to improve the strength and flexibility of your fingers.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Buying a beginner guitar

1. Determine your budget. Depending on the quality of the guitar you want to buy, such an instrument doesn't have to cost more than $ 30 or can run into the thousands of dollars. You get what you pay for, of course. How serious are you about this new hobby? If you want to get serious about it, it is worth investing a little more money in your first guitar, as the sound will be significantly better, and you will be happier with your purchase in the long run. However, if you're just looking for something to keep you busy for a while, you might be better off with a cheaper instrument.
   • Any guitar you buy new and unused for less than $ 100 is more likely to fall into the "toy" or "gadget" category. Only buy guitars this cheap if you are not going to take this hobby seriously.
   • A mediocre beginner guitar will likely cost around $ 150 to $ 200.
   • A guitar between € 200 and € 300 is a good investment for a beginner; even if you later buy a better instrument, this first instrument will be good enough to stand the test of time.
   • A good rule of thumb is to stick to cheaper models produced by the big and reliable brands. A partial list of reliable brands includes Gibson, Fender, Epiphone, Yamaha and Ibanez, but there are many more.
   • Keep in mind that an electric guitar also requires the purchase of an amplifier, which is a significant additional expense depending on the quality.
   • You can also search for used guitars so you can buy a high quality instrument for a much lower price.
2. Decide whether you want an acoustic or an electric guitar. Because acoustic guitars are larger, have thicker strings and are generally more difficult to play, some people find them best for beginners as they develop strength and flexibility in their fingers. Others say beginners should buy an electric guitar because the neck is thinner and easier to play. In the end, the only thing that matters is the sound you want to produce with your guitar.
   • Acoustic guitars produce sound through the string vibrations. The strings themselves make very little noise; just play an electric guitar without an amp and it's the first thing you'll notice, what happens is that the vibrations from the strings travel through the saddle and bridge (seen from the front more down on the guitar), to the flat top of the guitar, called the soundboard or soundboard. The vibration of the soundboard, combined with the subsequent vibrations of the air in the hollow sound box of the guitar, produces a sound that comes out of the sound box through the sound hole.
   • Electric guitars have a "solid body", so they cannot produce sound due to the vibration of the air. Instead, they work with a set of "pickups" or pickups, magnets wrapped in copper wire, which convert the vibration of each string into an electric current. That vibration travels through a cable to an amplifier, producing the pitch of the vibration of each specific string. Because the sound is produced electrically by means of an amplifier, you can process the sound of an electric guitar much more than with an acoustic guitar, where the sound is produced by the sound box.
   • When buying a guitar you have to think about the style of the music you want to play. Acoustic guitars are suitable for folk, country and a lot of rock music, but hard rock, jazz, etc. will probably sound better on an electric guitar.
3. Buy your guitar in a music store, not online. When you buy a guitar online you don't know about the most important aspects of it: the sound it produces, how it feels in your hands, how it lies against your body, etc. You should always try different guitars in the store before buying a guitar. make a decision about the guitar you want to invest in.
   • Make sure to choose a guitar that is right-handed if you're right-handed, and left-handed if you're left-handed.
   • Buy a guitar that is the right size for you. You're more likely to give up if your instrument doesn't feel comfortable against your body.
   • If possible, buy a guitar with a low "action". The action is the height from the strings to the fingerboard; The higher the action, the higher the strings of the fingerboard where you press them to play the different notes. If the strings are too high on the fingerboard, they will push deeper into your fingers when you press them, and the result will be quite painful, until you have built up enough calluses.
   • Even if you don't know what you're doing yet, just hit any few strings at the frets and hit the guitar. Can you easily play the guitar without producing an annoying buzzing sound? Then it will be alright. Don't buy a guitar that buzzes!
   • Don't be afraid to ask the store staff for advice. They are there to help you, and they love talking about instruments!
4. Buy the necessary accessories. If you want to play standing, you need a guitar strap for around your neck and shoulders to hang the guitar. You will probably also need a pair of guitar picks, but they are very cheap. You can buy both items in a music store or online. If an employee at a music store tries to sell you additional accessories (such as capos, tuners, etc.), politely decline; you can buy it later when you are more familiar with the guitar, but for now, this is all you need.
   • When you buy an electric guitar, you also need to buy an amp.

Part 2 of 3: Learning to read tablature

1. Study a blank tablature. The easiest way to learn how to play a song on the guitar is to find music as tablature - also known as "tabs". A blank tablature sheet will generally represent the six strings of the guitar, as if you had the guitar lying flat on your lap: both the top and bottom lines are the E string.
   • e ------------------------
   • B ------------------------
   • G ------------------------
   • D ------------------------
   • A ------------------------
   • E ------------------------
   • Alternately, the six strings can also be numbered only, with the E string indicated as both 6 and 1.
2. Find and practice more scales. There are hundreds of different scales and exercises you can do to train your hearing to pick up musical cues and train your hands to move faster. Learn and practice all your scales until you have them imprinted on your mind and fingers; these scales are the foundation of all the music you know and love! The more familiar you are with scales, the easier you will be able to play songs by ear and create new songs of your own. EXPERT TIP

   

   Carlos Alonzo Rivera, MA

   
   
   Professional guitarist Carlos Alonzo Rivera is a versatile guitarist, composer and teacher from San Francisco. He has a bachelor's degree in music from California State University of Chico, as well as a master's degree in performing classical guitar music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has a lot of experience with genres such as classical music, jazz, rock, metal and blues.

   Carlos Alonzo Rivera, MA
   Professional guitarist

   If you find yourself stuck, consider finding a teacher. A good guitar teacher will tell you what you are doing wrong and take your playing to the next level. As you teach yourself to play guitar, look up new information on the Internet or in books from the library or a guitar store. I think the book "The Christopher Parkening Guitar Method" is very suitable for learning to play classical guitar. "

   
   

Tips

• Take your time. Do not hurry. Better to know five songs perfectly than 30 songs that don't sound like anything.
• Don't get frustrated. It takes time.
• If you know someone who has been playing for longer, ask how you are doing and if they have any tips.
• Accept constructive criticism.
• Learn to tune your guitar by ear.
• Don't forget to hold your guitar properly or it will affect the sound.