Guitar Practice Tips

Chris Simpson asked:


For many, learning how to play jazz guitar can be quite the challenge because it is one of the most tedious, time consuming tasks. It is not impossible, but many times it will feel as if it is. Jazz guitar is quite popular so obviously it can be done. Anytime you are learning to play an instrument it is going to take a great deal of time and focus, dedicating yourself to learning this new skill that will soon become a talent. It takes a special kind of person to have the determination that it will take to do this without deciding to quit because of become frustrated over not getting it quickly enough.

Practice is always the key when it comes to learning how to play any kind of instrument, especially something as difficult as the jazz guitar. Becoming familiar with your guitar and the types of music you will eventually have the ability to play, is a very important process in learning to play the jazz guitar. Jazz guitar has been being played for a very long time now and many people have become famous because of their talents. The thing that is so important with learning jazz guitar is that you are going to have to train yourself to understand all of the different types of beats.

When you are first deciding to get into learning the jazz guitar, one important thing to keep in mind when you are preparing to practice is that you have got to have a metronome. The metronome will help you with your timing, because it will give you clicks to follow when you are listening for your timing. When you are practicing you are in fact displacing your metronome clicks with the beats you are picking up on. With every click of the metronome, you are learning a new beat for your style of guitar. You can not rely on anyone else’s beats in the band to help you with keeping up with the rest of there sounds. You have got to use this in order to learn the proper techniques of playing your jazz guitar so that you can impress your family and friends just as the rest of your mates are doing with their instrumental skills.

With jazz guitar you have to really open up your mind to new ideas and thoughts on music itself. It is so different from all other types of guitar that it is actually in a league of its own. You can practice your jazz guitar with or without your instrument on hand. A small metronome can be taken with you anywhere that you go and with this you do not need your guitar, you can sing along with the radio and learn the beats by using your metronome. Certain metronome techniques will help you when you are first beginning to play the jazz guitar and you will be guided into the right direction, forward, towards the beginning of your jazz guitar playing hobby or career.



TYSON

Bella Mclaine asked:


If you are influenced to play guitar then you ought to know about learning guitar. It’s the passion that works or motivates behind every beginner. Because playing guitar not like playing with doll so but natural knows all about playing guitar. A person wanted to learn about guitar depends on his personal interest, information file of guitar that works to build his musical life.

Playing an instrument is the thing not only doing for your won sake, happiness or pleasure but it is music is that thing when sometimes you are not interested or in good mood in you’re life or things happening around you is the force driving you to feel the enjoyment of satisfaction from it.

Experience of playing bass guitar will give a good outline of learning it. If you feeling the joy while playing the instrument you will carry down for a longer period of time but if you get disheartened while playing it then its of no use to keep the guitar with you. If you want to be a good or professional guitarist player then the desire or passion should work within from you’re heart, stop bothering about its output. Just feel the pleasure while playing and enjoy it. Learning guitar is not a big deal; many ways can be followed to walk on but with one condition learning it with sincerity and passion. As the time will go, you will used to by all musical & technical skills to sharpen your guitar playing.

To be a good guitarist player, you’re mind should be focused enough to groove the stage show, restaurant or hall. Because it’s the passion that drives you away or motivates you to work further with interest. Motivation will take care of your discipline to practice but then it all depends on your great desire to learn playing guitar.

There is something to learn that is very essential and the primary need is to know about you because it plays an important role rather than getting best of bass guitar and learning from proficient teacher.

The will power that works in you positively answer if you love playing guitar or the fantasies that you keep on dreaming for you favorite guitarist idol, their music notes that comes like true or a replica of your dream that carries you away to learn and comes out with fruitful colors.

So now comes the role of playing you’re guitar. All you need to do is to take your bass guitar with vigor and stop thinking about scales, chords, amplifier or even the sound quality. Just get into the world of music by closing your eyes and the song that you always love to listen or touch your heart and start the magic while playing guitar. Don’t think too much about the sound, rhythm or the musical notes. You just need to enjoy it.

With every practice that you do, you are surely going to achieve something and that is part of learning. Need not to hurry or worry at all. That is not going to work here, don’t be so anxious. Initially, learn hardly and play in a simple way. This will help you to go further, just take some notes full of harmony and music and start your work. With every first and little success at each step that keep you’re will to practice. Of course with every success the satisfaction also increases. And this how the learning cycle works and helps to reach your goal. This is how practice your guitar playing in different session and rock the world.



CAROYLN

Victor Epand asked:


Have u bought a new electric guitar? Want to create magic with that six-string instrument? Don’t worry. It is not at all a tough job. You just need to follow some guidelines.

Once you have the guitar then go to a proper tutor. Your tutor is the best person who can best teach you how to learn and play electric guitar.

A tutor can help you in many ways. He will be able to show you the chords practically; you can discuss your queries with him and over all he can boost you up, when you are down. Remember that even though playing an electric guitar is easier than playing an acoustic guitar, you still need a lot of patience.

But if you think that you don’t need a tutor and you can do it by yourself, then here are some simple tips for you on how to learn and play electric guitar.

- Buy some books where you can find notations of different songs. Start with simple 4/4 beat songs or 3/4 beat songs like Yankee Doodle, charade etc. These notations will help you increase your reflex. It will also help your fingers move easily.

- Once you get used to these notations then go for some more complicated ones, where you will get a chance to move your fourth finger. Remember, while you are playing an electric guitar, you need to be able to move your four fingers. Only the thumb will be on the neck for support.

- Now when you have got hold on all of your fingers, experiment with the time signature. Try to play more complicated key signature notations. Play 6/8 beat, 2/2 beat, 7/4 beat etc.

- You must remember one thing, if you want to be a good guitarist; you need to be fluent on scales. Practice scales everyday. Practice both the major and minor ones, the harmonic and melodic minors.

- Try to play on different fret positions. Try to be fluent especially on the 3rd, 5th and 7th position. Remember you cannot learn how to learn and play electric guitar, unless you feel comfortable playing in every frate position of your guitar.

- Now, let us come to the chord section. Knowing to play rhythm is very important in electric guitar. Start practicing the easy chords first. Chords like D major, A major, E major, G major will be your first attempt. Play them on the nut position first. After becoming comfortable in nut position, go for the bar chords and the minor chords.

Try to play the ornamental chords like diminished, augmented, 7th chords, 6th chords etc. Practice different kinds of rhythms.

- To know how to grip the chords, go for good music books. There are lots of good books that will teach you how to grip these chords.

These are the basic guidelines. But there is something else also. If you seriously want to know how to learn and play electric guitars then you must listen to good solo electric guitar pieces. The more you will listen, the more you will get to know a lot of things.

And remember one more thing. Do practice everyday. If you do not practice sufficiently then this how to learn and play electric guitar lesson will be of no use.



ZELMA

Josiwax asked:


I know it takes practice to sing and play guitar at the same time. Right now I can do it with very simple strumming patterns and slow chord transitions.

What’s the best way of practicing this?

Learning the song first with the correct strum patterns and then adding vocals or practicing singing and playing at the same time with a simple quarter note strum pattern and eventually changing to the correct one?

KATHARINA

Peter Edvinsson asked:


It is a very satisfying feeling to experience that you are progressing as a guitarist. In other words, to have the confidence that you are becoming a better guitar player day by day. By small means you can change your practicing habits towards success!

To practice guitar and become a better guitarist is like filling a bucket with water. Filling the bucket is the hours of practicing. But, the bucket has some holes resulting in leaking water.

The holes symbolizes the bad practicing habits that actually prevent you from progressing in the pace you should.

Let us start by looking at those holes in the bucket. What type of bad habits can hinder you from getting better? Here are some suggestions:

1. You do not have any idea what type of guitarist you want to become. This makes it difficult to set goals. If you do not focus on the things you have to learn to progress towards your goals you will have so many things to practice that it will be overwhelming. No guitarist has time to practice everything if he wants to succeed!

2. You are not practicing an exercise long enough. Maybe you are aimlessly wandering between guitar exercises that are good but has to be practiced with concentration over a period of time to really be incorporated and become part of your skills.

3. You are practicing things that are above your level of proficiency. Probably you have some very accomplished guitarists that serves as models for what you want to become. That is good! It gives you inspiration! But, you are probably not as good as those guitarists yet. If you try to play as fast as they do and the things the play you might hinder your progression!

4. You do not pay attention to your hand posture and body posture as you play. The way you practice a guitar exercise will also be the way you perform it in front of an audience. Bad posture will only take you so far and then your progressing will level away.

5. You are practicing too fast. A very common and understandable mistake. Every guitarist wants to play fast sometimes. However, playing fast can be the most effective way to stop your progression!

6. You forget that playing guitar is about creating music. Without this overall goal you will not enjoy playing guitar for very long and your listeners will also lose interest in your playing!

Let us mend those holes in the bucket and you can practice for a shorter period of time every day and still progress faster! Here are some suggestions:

1. Take time to ponder your feelings regarding your guitar playing. Write down a goal as to what type of guitarist you want to become. This makes it much easier to choose exercises that are appropriate and that leads you towards your goal. It will also be much easier to evaluate your progression when you know what you want to become. You do not need to be too nervous about this as you probably will change your goals over time.

2. If you prepare your own homework as a guitarist remember to practice the exercises well enough to learn the skills involved completely and long enough to commit them to your long-term memory. When you have incorporated a skill completely into your repertoire it will become a building block that helps you learn other exercises easier.

3. Choose exercises that are challenging but not too difficult. If your exercises are too hard to learn you will lose interest in practicing them long before you have accomplished your homework.

4. Remember to always practice your exercises with correct hand posture. This means to hold and use your hands in a way that minimize tension. This will prevent muscle injuries, hasten your development and secure a pleasant experience for you when you play.

5. When you learn new things on your guitar it is very important to practice slowly, sometimes very slowly. The paradoxical truth is that you will progress much faster if you practice slowly. What will happen is that you avoid making many of those mistakes that slow down your progression.

6. Give yourself the pleasure of listening to good music, this means, music that is performed in a musical way. Listening to any instrument in any musical setting helps you develop as a musician and as a guitarist.

Also remember to learn pieces of music by heart thus building up a repertoire of your favorite pieces to play to your friends. It is a satisfying feeling to know that if someone asks you to play you are actually prepared to play pieces you have practiced and can perform well!



ERNESTINA

Chris Simpson asked:


If you are considering learning how to play the bass guitar, you can expect that it will be quite a bit different from learning how to play a regular guitar, the bass guitar is much more complicated. The bass guitar is all about the different beats that you hear of a song. Being able to hear the beat is very important when playing the bass guitar, it is the focal point of that song you are hearing and playing. Each beat throughout the song must be heard properly so that you can have the correct timing down when you play. When you are listening for the beats you will be able to literally feel these pounding beats in your chest, it is an incredible feeling.

When you begin learning how to play your bass guitar just keep in mind that it is all about the beat and your timing ability. It is something that is going to take some time and so much patience, so do not get discouraged too quickly. If you continue practicing and learning new techniques, in a matter of time, you too can learn how to play the bass guitar. If you believe it, you can achieve it! Remember that each time you begin feeling kind of down about not catching on quickly enough, it is not something that can happen overnight.

Another important thing that you have to keep in mind when trying to learn how to play the bass guitar is that the bass guitar is tuned pretty much the same as the regular guitar. The difference in the bass guitar is really the strings. The bass guitars usually only have 4 strings and they are not like the strings on the regular guitar, they are quite a bit thicker than the strings on a regular guitar. What you will begin practicing when you first attempt to learn something about the bass guitar is, the notes. With a regular guitar you have to worry about which chords to play and when. With the bass guitar it is not about chords but rather about the guitar notes. You still need to be pretty familiar with a regular guitar, as far as the proper tuning and the notes, as with the bass guitar. Learning about both types of guitar will benefit you greatly when you are learning to play the bass guitar.

Figuring out where to put your fingers on your bass guitar can be tricky at first. You should also try and learn how to play with both hands, not just one, this will definitely help you when playing the bass guitar. Last but not least, practice doing things to help on improving your grip in your fingers and hands. Practice, practice and more practice, that is what it is going to take to help you learn how to play the bass guitar. Work hard and in a matter of time, you will be able to show off your skills to all of your family and friends. Good luck with it!



TROY

METALLICA asked:


like i mean how much is enough practice to be good at guitar like 1hr 2hr 3hr etc i do 7hr a day is that enough? and could over do your practice?
could send me some links that will help me improvise and do some solo’s for guitar, and anything that might come in handie
please and thank you

CAMILLE

Christopher Sung asked:


This article is devoted to learning how to play guitar (and even those just thinking about learning to play or giving the gift of music to a loved one) and how to approach gaining some kind of proficiency on the instrument. Now, we’ve all seen people playing the guitar at various times, sometimes on TV, sometimes up close (a real treat), playing various kinds of music and at varying skill levels. I think the hardest obstacle to overcome when you’re learning how to play the guitar or thinking about starting is the thought that playing the guitar is only something musicians can do, or is only for people who are musically inclined. The simple fact is that anyone can learn to play the guitar. It’s just a matter of spending some time with it on a regular basis, and practicing in a manner that’s both fun and productive. Once it becomes part of your routine, it’s only a matter of time before your skill level and confidence develop.

When I started learning the guitar, there were a couple of learning aids I found to be indispensable. They include:

Learning to Play Guitar Chord Reference Book - This is really helpful when you’re not sure how to play an F chord or a B minor, or want to learn some other ways to play it

Artist Songbook - This is a songbook which has the piano, lyrics, and guitar chords to your artist’s favorite songs, and is great for learning how to strum and change from chord to chord

Classical Guitar Book - This helps you familiarize yourself with the feel of scales and arpeggios, and also improves your sight reading

Guitar Tab Songbook - As you progress, you’re going to want to play some of the guitar parts from your favorite songs note-for-note, meaning exactly as your favorite guitarist plays them. This type of book has the music for this both in standard notation and guitar tablature



I had a very insightful guitar teacher who started off each lesson by showing me a new chord and how to play it. Some good chord reference books that tackle these types of chords are the Whole Book of Guitar Chords and The First Book of Chords for the Guitar both written by Dan Fox. Once I had a feel for the chord, he would choose a song from a songbook from one of my favorite bands that used this chord (say a B minor or an A7) and would have me learn that song using an appropriate strum pattern. My mom played the piano, and would often visit the music store to buy sheet music songbooks from her favorite artists, so eventually I got her to buy me a few gems of this type:



Beatles Complete - This is a valuable book for two reasons. One is that it’s The Beatles. The second is that The Beatles composed songs with relatively few and very easy to play chords (”I Saw Her Standing There” has three), and also songs with many and often unorthodox chords (”Michelle” has, um, a lot), especially when used in rock music. This makes it a great vehicle for learning new chords incrementally via their songs

Neil Young - Decade - My brother wore out this recording and when I started playing some of the tunes from it on the guitar, it gave his little brother some instant credibility. Many of the songs in this book were recorded by Neil on the acoustic guitar, so it lends itself to the beginner who’s learning on an acoustic

Led Zeppelin Complete - This is a strange and beautiful book. It has the main guitar riffs for every Led Zeppelin song on the first five albums (I - IV and House of the Holy) but it’s in standard notation. I spent a summer learning every song in this book and not only did my guitar playing improve, but so did my sight reading

Eric Clapton Deluxe Revised - This contains some of the best songs from Cream, the Layla disc by Derek and the Dominoes, and some of Eric’s early solo work, but it’s unique in that it has a separate section with some of Eric’s best guitar solos transcribed. Eric is a great role model when you start learning how to play a guitar solo, because some of his solos are simple enough that they can be played by a beginning-intermediate guitar player (though it takes a lifetime to learn to play it with as much feeling as Eric)

Once we covered the chord of the week and the song that went with it, we would tackle a classical piece. One of the best classical books I can recommend, especially if you’re not a classical guitarist, is Classical Studies for Pick-Style Guitar - Volume 1. This book is great for developing your right-hand picking and also for developing your sight reading since all the music is in standard notation. There are some interesting pieces by Matteo Carcassi, which require you to arpeggiate various chords, and also some Bach Inventions that are arranged for duet guitar, so you can play with a friend. You can hear how this sounds in an on-line guitar lesson I created at WholeNote - Bach’s 8th Invention.

The one thing that’s changed over the past decade in sheet music for guitarists is the emergence of guitar tab songbooks. In the late 1990’s, an archive of guitar tablature files was collectively created and dubbed the On-Line Guitar Archives (OLGA), in which random guitarists from around the world created text files containing their own transcriptions of how to play your favorite songs by your favorite bands. The problem was that the quality and accuracy of the transcription was hit or miss. Sheet music companies finally wised up and started releasing accurate note-for-note transcription books, which were the real deal. In my day, you were a god if you could play the guitar solo, “Eruption”, played by Eddie Van Halen off Van Halen I, because you had to learn it by ear off the record, which is pretty much impossible. Today, you can just buy the Van Halen I guitar tab songbook and get all the music for Eruption both in guitar tab and standard notation. Oh, and they also throw in the rest of the songs from Van Halen I, and from Van Halen II, as well. I’ve always loved the whacked-out intro that Eddie plays in Mean Street, which opens the Fair Warning recording. The Van Halen Guitar Anthology Series has the tab for this, note for note, including every last harmonic, pick scrape, bend, and tap. It’s unbelievable. And it’s not just Van Halen. You can find similar guitar tab songbooks for The Beatles, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews Band, Nirvana, Green Day, Audioslave and pretty much anyone else you can think of.

Finally, as you develop your practice routine, the one thing most often overlooked during practice is being able to play in time. When you start to get comfortable with chords and strumming, there’s a natural tendency to stop or to hesitate while switching between chords. A good metronome will make you aware of this and force you to play in time. The Qwik Time QT-7 Quartz Metronome is a good budget option and provides a good click, while the Wittner Wood Case Metronome w/ Bell and Cover is the kind you can hang onto forever and pass along from generation to generation (and I should know - I have one from my grandfather). The Fender MT-1000 Chromatic Tuner/Metronome is unique in that you get both a metronome and a guitar tuner in one convenient package. Very handy, indeed.

You too can learn to play the guitar today! Hopefully, this gives you a bit of direction as you learn to play the guitar. Remember that it’s simply a matter of spending some time regularly practicing some of the basics and then applying them to your favorite music. Keep expanding your knowledge of the basic chords and learn to play songs that use them, along with the strumming patterns of the tune. Combined with some classical pieces for dexterity and developing your sight-reading chops, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the guitar in no time!





KATI

johnyyyy asked:


I want to get as good as to play canon rock.
Any advice too!

Thxs

GLENN

Ian Williamson asked:


Learning to play the guitar can easily be achieved by almost anyone who wants to try it.

Most newbies tend to quit excessively early. This is because most of them are not trying hard enough to learn the instrument and give up the instant they encounter difficulties.

Many of these newbies insist that they no longer have time to practice the guitar or that their fingers hurt. What they do not realize is that practice makes perfect, and the reason they find it difficult to learn to play the guitar is that they do not practice as much as necessary. They simply do not know what it takes to endure the lessons that have to be learned.

For those who do want to learn to play the guitar, here is a list of tips that you need to bear in mind:

1. Invest a little

Learning to play a guitar is almost equal to using the best instrument possible. Naturally, people learn faster and easier if they have the right equipment for the activity.

For this reason, it is important to invest and buy a good, not necessarily the best, guitar. This is because good guitars have better strings that will trigger quality play and better sound. Good guitars provide comfort to those who have not yet experienced playing the guitar.

2. Practice makes perfect

It is important to practice every single day. It is the ONLY way for you to learn how to play the guitar and learn to play it well.

3. Self-learning

For beginners, it may be better to learn to play the guitar by yourself. In this way you will not be pressured and acquaint yourself with yourself with your guitar in as little time possible.

This does not necessarily mean that you do not need an instructor. What is being pointed out here is that it would be better to teach yourself the basics of playing the guitar before you seek the help of an instructor.

The bottom line is to get started and once you are familiar with the guitar, then, it would be easier for you to listen to and understand the instructor. Indeed, learning how to play the guitar is as easy as 1-2-3. It just takes a combination of interest, determination, and grit to advance to the next level. Like anything in life - the more you put into it the more you will get out in the end.



OLLIE