Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Do you want to learn how to play the guitar? Read this article!

Steps

1. 1 Make sure you really want it. Learning to play the guitar is not easy, and if you are not dedicated enough to this goal, you will quit halfway through wasting time and money.
2. 2 Be sure to buy a good guitar. This is a good investment. A good guitar will last you decades, and if you buy a cheap "beginner" guitar, you will end up with a new one a little later, as these guitars are usually of poor quality and stop sounding very quickly.
3. 3 Find a guitar tutor through the ads. If you can't find someone you like, ask a guitar friend to teach you.
4. 4 Buy a good beginner's compilation. A good book will usually have chord illustrations that you can use to practice.
5. 5 Make sure your tutor understands what is being taught. If you are taught the wrong technique, it will be very difficult to relearn in the future.
6. 6 Decide which guitar you want to learn to play: on a solo or rhythm guitar - and tell your tutor about it. It's better to play just one kind of guitar well, rather than mediocre both.
7. 7 Find how-to videos for home use. This is not strictly necessary, but it can be very helpful if you are not sure if your tutor is doing the right thing.
8. 8 Train, train, train!
9. 9 Don't be discouraged if something doesn't work out for you. Many professional guitarists you listen to on the radio have worked for years to get things going.
10. 10 Always check the tuning of your guitar, otherwise it will sound terrible. If you can't tune it by ear, buy an electronic tuner (ask your local music store).

Tips

• You don't need to be able to read sheet music to play well. Some of the world's best guitarists can't read music at all.
• Find a hero for yourself among guitarists. Something like Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, Steve Clark, etc. and strive to emulate their style of play, but do not copy it completely, add your own special style of play.
• Even if it seems like you are not progressing anywhere, just keep working and sooner or later you will take the leap and become a great guitarist! (just be patient with yourself).
• If you played for someone and you were criticized, do not listen, this is non-constructive criticism. Most likely, these people do not even know how to hold a guitar, otherwise they would understand how difficult it is to learn to play, and would show an understanding that you are not Jimi Hendrix yet.
• Find some friends who also want to learn guitar. You can get together from time to time and show what you have learned, while at the same time, through this, learn from each other. Among other things, it is also a good way to keep yourself motivated.
• In order to play the guitar well, you don't have to be a musical person and have a fine ear. Sure, that would help, but don't listen to those who claim that you need a special talent to play the guitar. Anyone who decides to conquer this instrument will be able to play it one day !!
• It is better for a beginner to tackle a six-string guitar than a twelve-string guitar. The twelve-string guitar is difficult to play even for experienced guitarists.

Warnings

• Make sure you grip the strings firmly enough when you play, otherwise the guitar will start to make an unpleasant ringing sound.
• There is no shortcut to learning guitar.
• It can take several years to learn how to play properly.
• Take proper care of your guitar and periodically wipe down the strings with a rust-free solution.
• Choose a good pick, not too soft, but not too hard either. The pick affects the sound of the guitar, so it's best to take the guitar with you to the store to check the sound quality right there. Also make sure you are comfortable playing with it. Different musicians prefer different picks.
• If you pick up the guitar, check it carefully on all sides for cracks or damage. Ask the person in the store to tune it, and then try playing something on it to see how comfortable you are with it and how it sounds.

What do you need

• Guitar
• Mediator. Buy several at once in case one gets lost.
• Electronic tuner (optional)
• Amplifier and cable (if you have an electric guitar)
• Guitar strap (optional)
• Anti-rust solution (for metal strings)
• Extra strings (in case one breaks). This usually happens with nylon strings, or if the string is too tight or too harsh.
• Willpower
• Motivation