Here are 20 things you probably don’t know about guitarists but that you should learn about if you want to improve your skills.
Guitarists love to make mistakes. They also love to play in the front row in front of a packed room of people. That is why we have this article, we want to help you avoid these mistakes and improve your guitar playing.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
When you are learning to play guitar you will be doing things like practicing scales or chord progressions. You will be making mistakes as you are trying to develop your technique. It is perfectly normal to make mistakes.
Use good posture
When you are playing the guitar it is normal to slump or slump forward. This can create a bad posture which is uncomfortable to play in and can cause you to be tense. Instead of slouching, you should be sitting up straight with your head facing forward and the guitar resting in your lap or on your thighs.
Practice with a metronome
If you want to practice in a more effective manner, you should use a metronome. This will allow you to practice the same pattern over and over again and eventually you will be able to play the song without it.
Listen to the right guitarists
There is a reason why musicians know how to play guitar so well. It is because they listen to other guitarists who are better than them and emulate their style.
Master Scales
You should spend your practice time doing what you want to do rather than being stuck in a routine. You should work on practicing specific scales or chords in a particular order. For example, if you are learning the C major scale, you should practice the C major scale at the start of your practice session.
Don’t use the same scale in a song over and over again
If you play a song, you should try to use all of the chord progressions you hear throughout the song. Otherwise, your practice session will be very repetitive.
Practice playing out of time
When you are playing a song, it is often the case that you are playing it out of time. To improve you should practice playing songs in time as well as practicing with the metronome.
Listen to a guitar teacher
Your guitar teacher is the best person to learn from because they have played guitar for a while and know how to play. If you don’t have a teacher you can watch youtube videos and read blogs online.
Learn to count out loud
You should always count out loud when you are playing in the key of a song. This will allow you to keep up with the chords you are playing and you will also sound more professional.
Practice more
Practice more often so that you improve. I guarantee that if you practice regularly and spend time practicing scales or practicing chords and songs, you will see your progress improve.
Not learning to read music
As someone who learned to play by ear, I understand how hard it is to sit down and read notes. However, I feel that music has such a beautiful language and is quite hard to read. If you just practice reading for 15 minutes every day you will get better. Start off by reading simple pieces in one key until you feel confident enough to move on.
Not knowing how to change your strings
Guitar strings need to be changed. They just do. It is that simple. You can wait until the last minute and put sticky tape over some of the broken strings or you can use your common sense and change them. Guitar strings don’t last forever. You need to change them every 6 weeks.
Not understanding how to tune your guitar
This is another mistake that seems to haunt guitar players. Knowing how to tune your guitar should not be confusing or scary. It will take you a couple of hours to figure out how to tune a guitar, once you have done it a couple of times it will be second nature.
Not listening to other music
If you are not listening to music then you are probably not developing your playing skills. You need to find some of your favorite music and listen to it every day. Over time you will pick apart your favorite songs and see how the musicians played together. This will definitely help you in your playing.
Not focusing on one skill at a time
I think this one is pretty obvious. When you feel like you are getting really good at something, like changing strings or reading music, for example, it is important to stick with it and move on to the next skill. This will save you a lot of time and energy, however, it is important to keep things in perspective and not overwhelm yourself.
Picking one style or one genre
You need to find a couple of artists that you really like and listen to them. You will definitely develop an appreciation for different genres over time. If you find a style that you like, follow it for a while but don’t forget to expand your horizons.
Buying cheap or second-hand equipment
Equipment is tricky. It is expensive to purchase a good guitar. However, cheap equipment will cause you more frustration in the long run. Try to find a good quality guitar and make sure that you understand the maintenance required.
Thinking too much about your playing
This is a very common mistake. When you start playing the guitar it is an amazing feeling. You are holding this beautiful instrument and strumming along creating sounds that make you and your friends happy. However, it is easy to get too caught up in playing and forget to relax and enjoy the hobby. I think that every guitarist needs to remember to take a step back and enjoy playing.
Not playing live
Playing live is an amazing thing. You will meet so many other musicians and play with them. It is a really great experience, especially if you can get used to playing in front of a crowd.
Conclusion
The guitar has been around for centuries and has been well-loved by music fans all over the world. It is incredibly simple to pick up and learn to play which makes it a very accessible instrument to play.
However, while it may be simple to pick up and play there are some things that can go wrong if you are starting out. Over the years I have noticed that there are a lot of things, both musical and instrumental that can go wrong when someone is starting out. I have collated the top 20 most common beginner mistakes that I have noticed over the years.
Finally, I hope this article will help you to avoid some of the mistakes that I and many other guitarists have made. I hope that you enjoy your instrument and appreciate the sounds it makes.
