7 Crucial Things To Know Before Starting To Play The Guitar
Guitarist Teemu Suomala has put together a list of 7 things that you should know before you start to learn how to play the guitar.
This article comes from Teemu Suomala, a guitarist who creates helpful content over on Guitaristnextdoor.com!
Jumping into guitar playing is a really fun and exciting thing to do! Play your favorite songs, impress your friends and family, and just have a good time! Sounds good right?
But before you do all that fun stuff, hear me out a little…
Because way too many people let that excitement about guitar playing vanish when the years go by. The guitar starts to gather dust in a corner, then it moves to the closet, and eventually, it’s sold in a garage sale…
I don’t want that happening to you.
And that’s why I wrote this value-packed article for you. If you are aware of these 7 crucial things before you even start, you have gained a head start and are on your way to guitar mastery…
Let’s go!
1. It’s A Marathon, Not A Sprint
You get your first guitar and play it for hours. And the next day you play it even more. We’re all gone through that…It’s a “honeymoon-phase.”
No one has mastered the guitar in their first month though. I’m not here to bring you down; it’s awesome that you play a lot when you get your guitar. But getting your perspective right will set you up for success!
If you are aware that learning the guitar takes time, you don’t give up after playing for a month.
Even after 6 months…you understand that “hey this takes time”, and you keep honing your skills and get motivation from all the things you have already learned.
And that motivation and attitude will guide you through the whole progress of learning the guitar!
2. Having A Habit Guarantees Results
Our lives are built from different habits…we automatically brush our teeth every day (hopefully), we brew a coffee in the morning, we hit the gym after work, etc.
The trick is: we need to do the same with guitar playing. Because if practicing comes automatically every day, we are onto something special.
Try this: Store your guitar in a visible place, and practice for 15 minutes at the same time every day. Once in a while, reward yourself for practicing.
Of course, you can play more than 15 minutes a day, but it’s a great starting point/minimum to aim. If you continue this for years, you will gain some serious skill!
Bonus tip: If you start from 15 minutes per day and then increase the time practiced every 2 weeks, results will compound like crazy!
3. The Most Misunderstood Sentences of Guitar History
You might have heard many variations of these…”I practiced 8 hours every day”, “I locked myself in a room and practiced hours every day”…etc.
Most people focus on the length of the practice here and think that it’s the most important thing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s important. But you know what is even more important?
Practicing consistently. Every day. That’s where we should focus on. Especially when starting out. So the emphasis is on every day, not on how many hours are spent practicing.
Note: Of course, if you want to master the guitar, practice much as you want, but please, do it consistently. If you practice for 4 hours and then don’t practice for a couple of weeks, your practice can be almost worthless.
4. Teacher Is Not An Absolute Must But Helps A Lot
If you want to learn fast, get a teacher. Or invest in your education in some way. It speeds up the process a lot and ensures that you get things right.
If you want to save money or plan to be a casual DIY hobby player, you can learn by yourself too. But it will take more time and you are likely to make more mistakes on the way.
Tip: If you want to do everything for free I recommend checking this post out: How to Play Guitar? Get Started Fast and Free!
5. The Guitar Matters
I’m not going to advise you to spend big money on your first guitar, but you should take a couple of things into consideration…
1. Buy a guitar that allows you to play what you love
If you love rock music, go for the electric guitar. If you are into country, Dreadnought acoustic is a great choice. If you love classical music or flamenco, go for nylon-stringed guitar (classical guitar).
If you have a guitar that allows you to play the music you love, you will play more and have more fun doing it!
2. Buy the best guitar you can afford. You get what you pay for, so get the best instrument you can. Remember: usually the cheapest products are not really the cheapest in a long run, because you might end up replacing them with new/better ones soon.
Bonus tip: This guitar buying guide will help you out!
6. Warm Up Is A Gamechanger
When muscles are involved, we should always warm-up. And btw, your hands have over 30 muscles in them.
So, unless you want to feel slow and annoyed because your fingers are just not getting where you want, warm-up a little. At least a couple of minutes. Here’s a video that reveals a couple of useful warm-up exercises.
7. Play What You Love
The one thing that kept me playing when starting out was the music I loved. I had a chance to learn my favorite songs on a guitar. It was so much fun! And that kept me practicing often.
So, learn the right technique, theory (if you want), and go out from your comfort zone (that’s how you make progress fast…
But always remember to play the music you love. Music will keep you playing for years and years. And when that happens, you will be pretty amazing at guitar playing!
Conclusion
I wish that someone had told me these when I started out with the guitar in 2009…instead, I banged my head against the wall way too often and even stopped playing almost completely for 3 years.
But luckily you have now gained this valuable knowledge…
It’s a marathon. So, choose a guitar that allows you to play your favorite music, practice consistently (every day), and warm-up before playing. These tips will kickstart your guitar journey and make progress faster!
Have fun my friend!
🎸 Check out the full guitar tab collection at Musicnotes.com!