In this lesson, we are going to learn the top 5 tips for getting started on the acoustic guitar today. The acoustic guitar is one of the easiest instruments to get started on and one of the most fun. That is why you can find one injust about every household on the world.
#1: Develop the desire
Once you have developed the desire to learn to play the guitar, great! This is the prerequisite for this activity. I say this because learning to play the guitar is a physical as well as mental activity. So, make sure you have the desire.
#2: Find the right guitar
One thing that is great about learning to play the acoustic guitar is that there are many to choose from. They come in many colors, styles, and sizes. The key is to find one that wors for you.
Here is an example of one you can find that might work for you. When choosing your guitar, make sure that it feels comfortable in your hands. I recommend you go to the store and try a few different ones out. You don't need to play it, just hold it in your hands to see how it feels.
#3: Get it in tune
Once you find the guitar that you want, learn how to get it in tune. This is the process of getting the guitar to sound good when you strum the strings. The best way to do this is to get an electronic tuner. These are great little devices that can clip-on onto the headstock.
As you can see , it clips on the headstock of the guitar, and you adjust the tuning keys. I recommend you get one of these once you find the correct guitar. These can easily be found on Amazon. Here you will find a wide variety of these tuners, and you will find the one that is to your liking.
#4: Learn basic chords
This is where the work begins. This is where the question is answered about your desire. Putting your fingers on the guitar fretboard and trying to make music with the instrument. When it comes to learning basic chords, you have two options.
Option #1: Learn from watching someone
Option #2: Learn from reading notation
Both of these options are good. Start with the first one and proceed to the second. You can do the first one by watching videos on YouTube. Just type into the search bar "How to form basic chords on the acoustic guitar." This will give you a lot of guitar teachers you can learn from.
The second way to learn is by learning to read notation. Chord charts are the most popular. These are diagrams that give you insight into where to put your fingers, on what particular string, on the fretboard.
These are very useful for playing the guitar, not too difficult to learn, and are present in all guitar songs. The guitar fretboard is shown facing upward, the vertical lines represent the strings with the biggest string on the left, and the horizontal lines indicate the frets. In this case, the first five. The dots indicate where to put your fingers, and the numbers indicate which fingers to use.
#5: Learn to strum
Once you get the chords formed, you learn to strum them with your picking hand. One hand forms the chords; this is your fretboard hand, and the other hand strums them. The goal is to get the two hands to work in harmony with each other.
As you can see from the picture above, you want your arm to be stretched over the top and your hand to be able to strum across all 6 strings. You do this right over the soundhole for best results. This is how you bring the chords to life. This is the basics of playing the acoustic guitar.
Once you have these fundamentals down, you can progress from there. You learn to switch chords, you learn to pick the notes individually to make them sound more subtle. You learn to read notation, and possibly even some music theory. Then you'll be cookin'! But remember, it all starts with tip #1, having the desire.
Dive deeper
If you'd like to know more about what has been learned here today, I recommend you check out my book I authored and self-published on this particular topic. I did this because I know how frustrating it can be to try something new on your own, without proper guidance.
After getting books from the library, I started to figure it out. Method books were great because they teach step-by-step. This is how I learned many, many years ago, before the wonderful world of the internet. This approach is very helpful because it eliminates gaps in learning, which are very common among guitar players.
Strumming To Success
This method book offers everything you need to get started playing the acoustic guitar. You not only learn how to strum chords, but you'll also learn how to arpeggiate them. You'll dive deeper into everything presented in this lesson. How to hold the guitar properly, many popular chords are found in hundreds of your favorite songs.
Along with easily understanding basic music theory, playing melody, and practicing habits. So if you're serious about wanting to fuel your desire to learn to play the acoustic guitar, I recommend you check out the book. It will get you on the fast track.
Additional help is available
In addition to authoring method books, I also offer private guitar instruction. Customized lesson plans that cater to the student's interests and skill level. These provide quick results, a better understanding, and a fun easy way to learn. If you feel you might benefit from this service, just contact e at my website, and we'll set up a time to talk and discuss details.
Thanks for your time, and good luck with your learning.
Until our next guitar lesson, take care.
Sincerely, Dwayne Jenkins
