Is it difficult to learn how to play the guitar? Tips and tricks for beginner guitarists.

Is it difficult to play the guitar? general information

Many people who decide to learn how to play the guitar find that it requires some kind of unattainable and sky-high skills, and that it is incredibly difficult to do it. This myth is taken from watching video clips of famous guitarists who have been playing for more than a dozen years. We want to dispel it and tell you that in order to master basic skills, you do not need to be a genius. This article will fully cover the topic of Is it hard to play the guitar and give advice on how to simplify the process.

We will immediately solve and understand the frequent problems and questions of beginner guitarists

It’s very hard to play the guitar

The guitar is a type of activity that is very easy to learn, but then hard to perfect. With regular practice, you will quickly master the instrument and be able to play almost any part – you just have to practice further and bring your skills to perfection.

I’m too old to start learning

It’s never too late to learn. Let’s not lie – for people of age, training will be more difficult, due to the characteristics of changes in the body, but this is quite possible. You will have to spend more time, but with due diligence, you will master not only elementary skills, but even master the instrument well.

I do not know musical theory and notes, it is impossible to learn without them

If your goal is not to become a professional musician who composes complex compositions, then you will not need this. It will be enough just to learn about the simplest chords and how to play them – and even then you will be able to learn most of your favorite songs.

It will take me a lot of time to learn the first basics

This is far from true. Again, with regular practice, you will feel the result in a couple of weeks or a month, and you will be able to play the simplest songs without any problems. But you can achieve real mastery only after a long time, but then you will already get used to the instrument and classes will only be a pleasure.

It takes talent to play the guitar

To play the guitar all you need is perseverance and the ability to practice. Absolutely everyone can learn the simplest things – you only need to diligently perform these exercises and devote yourself to the instrument every day.

I have short fingers

Contrary to popular belief, pinching chords and intervals does not require long fingers, but a good stretch. She, by analogy with sports, trains and develops over time. Everything depends on, again, regular classes.

Start with classical guitar

Not at all necessary. Of course, you should start with acoustic instruments, but it could very well be a western guitar. If you are a fan of electric instruments, then it is enough for you to master only the basics on acoustics, and after that, with a clear conscience, take on the electric guitar.

Painful fingers and uncomfortable to pinch the strings

When you pinch the strings, your fingers are under a lot of tension, and besides that, they are affected by a hard winding. Untrained hands, of course, will hurt – and this is absolutely normal. Over time, this will pass – calluses will appear on the fingers, they will become more rigid, and they will no longer hurt.

Bad sound of pressed strings and chords

This is a consequence of the previous point. The whole problem is that you have not yet learned how to properly press them. This skill will take some time, but not much – the main thing is that the fingers heal and become rough. After that, the sound will be good and clear.

Can’t sing and play at the same time

This, again, is not a reason to immediately throw the tool. Learn for yourself that all the problems you face are completely normal, and even the greatest musicians have gone through them. In order to sing and play at the same time, you need to develop a desynchronization of hands and voice, and this also takes time and practice.

No listeners – no motivation

Your first listeners may well be your relatives and friends. If you develop and increase the layer of knowledge, then over time you will be able to speak, and there will be much more listeners.

Pleasant opportunities that will open up in front of you when you learn how to play

Disconnect from business, relax and enjoy the game

Making music will allow you to take a break from mental work, and just relax. Enjoying your favorite songs. This is a great way to spend your free time, which will allow you to open up creatively and express yourself.

You will become part of a large community of guitarists. (You will be able to chat, learn something new, and also play guitar together or become a member of a band)

This will greatly expand your circle of acquaintances. You will meet a lot of interesting people, and you can also, if you wish, do stage performances as part of a group. This is a very interesting and exciting process that stimulates further studies and broadening of musical horizons.

You will increase your sex appeal

Usually in companies, musicians who play the guitar are in the spotlight. People are attracted to talented and charismatic personalities, and a person with a guitar immediately attracts attention from the opposite sex.

Listening to music will become more enjoyable because you will begin to see so much more in it.

With the acquired knowledge and developed ear, you will find that you have begun to hear much more in music than meets the eye. Unusual moves and fleeting arrangements that are hard for the average listener to perceive, you will hear without any problems, and get even more pleasure from it.

You will begin to understand what is happening and how everything works. You can compose your own songs and music

As mentioned above, if you become actively involved in music, you will understand how it generally works. This knowledge will allow not only to independently learn and select your favorite songs, but also to compose your own, using the acquired skills.

By learning to play one instrument, you can learn to play others much faster.

For the most part, it concerns musical theory. Notes and intervals remain the same, the principle of playing does not change. However, once you learn how to play a regular guitar, it will become easier for you to play bass, for example, because they are very similar to the guitar.

Who will find it difficult to learn to play the guitar?

Lazy people – who want to learn how to play in 1 day

This type will hard to play the guitar in general, because they will not practice, and therefore will not improve their skills. Yes, classes are also hard work that will require you to spend time and effort, and this must be understood.

Pink dreamers – who think beautifully, but do not reach practical exercises and classes

In order to learn how to play the guitar, you need to do, not think. If you dream of mastering the instrument, but you don’t move towards it, then, accordingly, the dream will never come true.

Insecure people – who are afraid that they will not succeed, feel sorry for themselves and their time

Do not be afraid if something does not work out for you – when learning, this is absolutely normal. Mistakes will allow you to work on yourself, practice and become better. Also, it’s definitely worth spending time on music if you’re really going to master the instrument. Otherwise, it is better not to touch it and do something more interesting for yourself.

Upstart know-it-alls – who shout loudly that everyone can, but in fact it turns out the opposite

Such people, as a rule, miss huge layers of knowledge, believing that they already know everything. This is the wrong approach. You need to constantly swallow new information, and only in this way can you develop further, and not stand still, or worse, degrade in the opposite direction.

Learning to play the guitar is not difficult if you have a procedure at hand.

Buy a guitar or borrow

Obviously, you will need a guitar to start your learning. Buy inexpensive acoustics, or borrow it for a while from a friend or acquaintance. However, you will definitely need your own tool sooner or later – so you should get it as soon as possible.

Tune your guitar

Using an online tuner, or a purchased electronic tuner, tune the guitar to standard tuning. That’s where you should start learning.

Read our tutorial articles step by step

On our site you will find a lot of educational articles. In this section, we have collected all the materials a beginner needs to make learning faster and more understandable.

– How to put and hold chords – in this section you will be taught how to play chords in general, what they are, and how to pinch fingerings.

— Basic chords for beginners — another section with basic knowledge. It describes the basic chords that are used in the vast majority of songs.

How to hold a guitar correctly How you hold the guitar determines how comfortable you are to play. Here you will learn how to do it right.

– Positioning of hands on the guitar – another whale of good technique is the correct setting of the hands. This article will give you a complete understanding of what goes into it and let you start playing with the right skills.

– Learn what a fight and bust – this article is aimed at, again, basic knowledge and learning of terms. In it you will find everything about fighting and busting, and also learn how to play in these ways.

– For practice, start with simple types of fighting Four and Six – these articles talk about the most elementary ways to play, from which you need to build on in the first place.

For the first time this will be enough

To get started, these materials will be enough for you. They will give you a complete picture of Is it hard to learn how to play the guitar? and after you master the basics, you can move on to other, more private things.

Tips to help you try your hand at guitar

Sign up for free open lessons at the music school

Many music schools, especially private ones, hold open days and open lessons that anyone can come to. If you have not yet decided whether you want to learn how to play or not, then signing up for such an event will allow you to understand what it is all about and whether you should start learning.

If your friend plays the guitar. Ask him for a guitar and try to take the first steps

Another option is to borrow an instrument from a friend before buying it so that you can go through the initial training and fully understand whether you like it or not. You have nothing to lose from this, and avoid buying a guitar in the event that you still realize that it is not yours.

Sign up for 1-2 paid lessons with a teacher. To understand if you should

No one will teach you how to play better than a qualified teacher. Therefore, it is definitely worth signing up for at least a couple of classes so that a knowledgeable person will show you how the guitar works in general, place your hands correctly and set the technique.

Practical course. Start playing guitar in 10 hours

Before the start of classes

Before you sit down at the guitar, make sure that no one will distract you. Close social networks and open articles that interest you. Get ready that for the next hour you will simply fall out of life, and there will be nothing left but you and your instrument. It is advisable to turn on a metronome or a drum pad with a convenient playing tempo for you.

This is what your 10 hours of classes look like:

Minutes 0-30. Read this article and other materials of our site several times

To get started, just read the materials that you have to learn. Ideally, make your workout plan for that day, and start working on all the exercises in sequence.

Minutes 30-60. Practice the basic 5 chord shapes

To get started, practice the triad shapes below. Your task is to learn how to rearrange them without pauses, cleanly and without the clang of the strings. It will take time, and probably will not work the first time. The main thing here is diligence and constant practice. Subsequently, this can become your warm-up.

Minutes 60-600. Exercise every day for 20 days for 30 minutes or so

Repeat the exercises from the articles every day several times, be sure to include the metronome. Half an hour is not much, but with daily practice you will feel progress very soon.

chord shapes, which you need to remember: G, C, Dm, E, Am

Information about these forms is given in the article “Chords for Beginners”. You definitely need to remember them, because it is from this knowledge that you will build on later.

Game tips:

1. Always play with a metronome – this is necessary in order to learn how to play smoothly and without breaking.
2. Pay attention to playing technique – especially hand placement and guitar position. The main thing is to get used to how to play correctly.
3. To get started, take simple songs to learn, do not immediately grab onto complex material.
4. Memorize chord forms.
5. In the future, be sure to touch on music theory – this is very important knowledge that will come in handy in practice.
6. In addition to the articles presented, look for tutorials on your own. There are a huge number of good teachers on the Internet who provide useful knowledge in text or video format.

Sample songs you can play after the course:

• Hands Up – “Alien Lips”
• Zemfira – “Forgive me my love”
• Agatha Christie – “Like at War”