Deadly Sins of Guitar Learning. It's never been easier to learn to play the guitar on your own, which means it's never been easier to make bad mistakes
There has never been a better moment to learn to play the guitar than right now. The number of free (or nearly free) guitar tools available online is astounding, ranging from gamified learning systems to YouTube gurus to apps that help you stay in time and tune. However, if you dive in without an instructor, you will make mistakes and have no one to correct them. Here are seven rookie mistakes that almost every "I just started" guitarist commits. Catching them early prevents them from becoming bad habits.
Failure to play on time
Playing basic rhythm is as simple for beginners as counting to four or tapping your foot, but it's perhaps the most overlooked component of learning guitar for the self-taught student. Rhythm is more vital than any other aspect of composing music, regardless of style—you may learn every chord, know how to sweep-pick in Lydian mode, and play a $10,000 Gibson, but if you can't groove, you suck. If, on the other hand, you're rock solid on the beat, all you need is one power chord shape to sound like Johnny Ramone. So, use a metronome or a beatbox, listen to music, tap your foot, and count to yourself.
Being overly critical of yourself
Learning to play the guitar is really difficult. It encourages you to bend your fingers into strange shapes, perform odd actions, and admit to yourself that you sound awful. It physically aches until your fingers develop callouses, and it takes a while before it becomes enjoyable. But don't be disheartened. This is the identical process that every guitarist (with the exception of Prince) went through when they first started, and there is no way around it. Rewiring your autonomic nervous system through repetition is an important part of learning to play guitar. Once that happens, seemingly inconceivable guitar feats, like as moving from a F chord to a C chord in less than a minute, would become natural responses that take no thought at all. It's truly mind-boggling.
Not paying attention to yourself
Many beginners, particularly self-taught novices, practice guitar without listening to themselves. They're so focused on where to place their fingers, how to strum, what's going to happen next, and everything else that they're not hearing the sounds they're generating. You must actively listen to yourself while playing. Make a recording of yourself and play it back. Play in the shadows. Use headphones to play. Just figure out how to hear yourself.
In the same vein, try playing by ear. Don't be afraid, but spend some time listening to music and attempting to mimic how it sounds without looking up the tab online. You won't be able to accomplish it at first, but you will improve.
Not interacting with others
Play with other people as soon as you can confidently play a couple of chords halfway. Even if you're a jerk. Even if you're worried. Even if they want to play blues (shiver). Simply do it. Nothing improves your musicianship like getting together with a group of folks and dicking about. Make no attempt to impress. Simply listen to how it sounds when combined with other instruments. Play only one note. What does it matter? Just make sure the individuals you're playing with are aware of your talent level and cool enough to say, "Yeah! Connect your device! " rather than "I'm not sure. We're pretty serious." (Avoid "serious" performers at all costs; music is meant to be enjoyed.)
Not Tuning Enough
Guitars go out of tune all the time, so make sure your strings sound harmonious before you perform. Begin by trying to tune by sound alone to train your ear, but when that fails, use a tuner. You can download hundreds of free phone tuners or pay around $10 for a clip-on one. Both alternatives are excellent.
Two of my guidelines are covered in the video above. A great guitarist performing on an out-of-tune instrument demonstrates how important tuning is. However, it also demonstrates the need of playing on time. His de-tuned music sounds incorrect and strange, but it's not exactly horrible. Even playing merely random notes will sound strange, but it will be fine if you play in time (and the rest of your technique is on-point.)
Playing too quickly before you're ready
The collective wisdom of all guitarists throughout history is as follows: learn to play a piece correctly as slowly as necessary, then gradually speed it up. Everyone understands that this is the only way it works because everyone else has tried and failed.
It's really frustrating and makes you feel stupid to play very slowly, but you'll never perfect "Thunderstruck" at full speed until you've played it at 40 beats per minute 500,000 times, then 45 BPM 500,000 times, and so on. Check out The Amazing Slow Downer, a software that slows down audio without affecting the pitch.
In a guitar store, Playing "Stairway to Heaven"
"Stairway to Heaven" is a fantastic song for a beginner to learn, and you may be tempted to proudly blast it out on a floor model at your local Guitar Center once you've mastered it. But if you do, be aware of the implications. One of the "forbidden riffs" in "Stairway" is a musical piece that your local guitar shopkeeper has heard ruined so many times that they may stop you from playing it or prohibit you from the store entirely. Other forbidden riffs include "Iron-Man," "Wonderwall," and "Smoke on the Water." This is more of an inside joke than a law, but you should know what you're getting yourself into before busting out the Led Zeppelin.
#GuitarLearning #LearningGuitar #GuitarForBeginner
SOURCE: lifahacker
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