10
Steps to Being a Great Acoustic
Guitar Player
Acoustic
guitars are wonderful instruments
that are fun to play. They can be
used in almost any style of
music, and to accomplish almost
any type of sound desired.
Many people
want to play the acoustic guitar,
but often give up during the
learning process. If you really
want to play the guitar or any
instrument, it's going to take
lots of practice and
perseverance. Here are 10 steps
to being a success with your
newfound hobby.
1. Learn
How Acoustic Guitars
Work
When
playing any instrument, first
learn how it works to make the
sounds and music. Study the names
of the parts of the guitar and
the functions of each part. Learn
how various notes are blended to
form chords and which chords go
together.
Also, study
how music is written and the main
keys of the songs you love. Even
if you plan to play guitar by
ear, you'll still need to be able
to recognize keys and chords for
songs. Or, you might desire to
read classical guitar sheet
music, which will likely require
lessons.
You can
learn using several methods: 1.
Hire a music teacher. 2. Learn
with a home study course. 3. Take
interactive beginner guitar
lessons online.
2.
Toughen Your
Fingers
Hurting
fingers is one of the main
excuses new guitar players give
when quitting their lessons. Yes,
it does hurt the fingers and
cause them to become very tender
when you first start playing.
But the
good news is this doesn't last
very long. As you practice,
you'll notice them hurting less
and less. If they are really
sore, give it a break for a day,
but don't take too many breaks
from practice.
Practice
makes perfect... and much
practice will cause calluses on
your fingers so they won't hurt
any longer.
3.
Practice without
Looking
Sit and
practice changing chords and hand
positions silently while looking
away from your hand. Try to
memorize where each chord is
located and switch from chord to
chord without looking until you
can play without looking at your
hands.
This will
allow you to read music or words
to a song while playing without
missing a note. Hint: Though
you're not actually playing
during these exercises, still
press the strings down as hard as
you would while playing to help
callous your fingers.
4. Build
Hand Strength
Exercise
your fret hand (the hand that
holds down the strings) daily by
squeezing a tennis ball or other
similar object for at least five
minutes several times a day. This
will help build muscles in your
fret hand so you can play those
difficult barre
chords.
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5.
Practice Your Acoustic
Guitar Playing Skills
One at a
Time
You
might be tempted to
learn all acoustic
guitar skills at once,
but try practicing only
one aspect of playing,
one chord, or one song
at a time until you
master it.
If
not, you'll end up very
frustrated with it all
by trying to busy
yourself with too many
things at
once.
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Learn a
chord and learn it well. Then add
another chord with it and switch
between the two until you master
that. Add another task only after
you've mastered the one at
hand.
6. Music
CD Lifesavers
Use your
favorite songs on CD for
practice. Try playing along with
the songs you like and rewind and
repeat parts of the songs until
you master a particular song.
It's a fun way to learn your
favorite songs if you plan to
play by ear.
7. Work
on Your Singing
Whether you
plan to play with a band, solo,
or in church, you'll be more
versatile if you learn
to sing
along with your playing. You can
take singing lessons through an
instructor or even online if you
want to maximize your
skills.
8. Use
Picks Instead of
Fingers
Some guitar
players choose to use their
fingers and nails to play, but
using a guitar pick will help you
play louder and you won’t
have depend solely on your nails
for playing. Nails can break and
cannot be replaced on the spur of
the moment whereas many spare
picks can be stored in your
guitar case!
9. Get a
Capo
A capo can
help you switch to other chords
for singing purposes on any song
even if you only know how to play
the song in one chord. The capo
shouldn't be used as a cop-out
for learning new chords - it
should be used, however, for
emergencies when you need to
switch keys at the last
minute.
10. Add
Your Own Musical
Flavor
Don't be
afraid to experiment with your
acoustic guitar playing. Add your
own style and be creative in how
you play the notes and chords.
You don't have to do everything
exactly as someone else.
You've
probably noticed how ten
different guitar players will
play the same chord ten different
ways. That's because musical
ability is meant to stir the
creative side of your mind - so
let your imagination run freely
and enjoy the music!
This article
about playing the acoustic guitar
is presented by Music
Playground.
Have some fun and learn to read
music FREE by visiting
www.largemart.com/read-music
today...
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