Beginner guitar Archives

Which guitar is best for beginners?

The first thing you need to decide on is what kind of music you want to play. Acoustics are very versatile and suit the majority of musical genres and styles. Rock, blues, fingerstyle, flat-picking. Electric guitars are similar in respect to what you can play, like the acoustic it suits the majority of musical genres and styles. Rock, blues, fingerstyle, flat-picking. Electrics are designed to be used with an amplifier. Classical guitars use nylon strings (gut strings) and are designed to play classical music, a disciplined style of play. If you want to play classical, it is highly recommended to [...]

Peter2022-03-21T16:16:50+11:00

What is the best way to learn guitar?

Ideally, a private lesson with a professional guitar teacher heads the list. It might be the most costly initially, the cheapest method when you factor in the time saved because of the structured way a teacher would employ. Professional instructors will not allow you to develop bad habits which may prove hard to change once they become ingrained. Another method is to join a learning group of people learning to play. The third method is you learn online, either privately or by buying an online course. The last option would be to learn from books, cheapest also the most challenging [...]

Peter2022-03-21T16:25:34+11:00

My strings buzz when I strum at times?

If you are just starting out, then a little buzz is acceptable, in time as your technique improves, the buzz should disappear. Are you strumming really hard, does the buzzing diminish if you strum easier? It may be your strumming too hard in which case you need to play less aggressively or have the action of the guitar checked by a luthier. Raising the action a little might help. Back to basics; confirm your fretting hand is in the correct position and that the fingers are contacting the strings at the right angle and just behind the fret. Do not [...]

Peter2022-03-07T13:04:33+11:00

Fingers hurt playing guitar

If you are a beginner, just starting out learning to play the guitar, your fingertips are likely to be soft. When you fret a single note or a chord, the string will sink into the flesh of your fingers. When this happens, another part of the finger may be contacting another string. As you develop calluses, this occurrence is much less likely as the calluses develop, the string will not sink into the flesh anywhere near as much. Another possibility is that the fingers are not appropriately angled as they contact the guitar strings. If they are leaning over rather [...]

Peter2022-03-24T10:45:52+11:00

Do I need to learn theory for guitar?

You do not need to learn theory to play the guitar, however, having some knowledge about musical theory will enlighten you about how music works. How much you learn is a personal choice, you do not need to read volumes of text to at least get some understanding about the fundamentals of music. It will make your musical journey with your guitar much more enjoyable.

Peter2022-03-07T13:06:18+11:00

What are Barre chords?

A barre chord is where the guitarist forms a bar across all 6 or 5 strings of the fretboard emulating the nut on the fretboard. It is effectively a movable open string chord. It allows the player to move an open chord up and down the neck. The technique opens up a whole world of tonal possibilities. Chord charts are graphical reparations of how to make a chord. Barre chords are often very challenging for anyone learning to play the guitar. What about big fingers, does that hinder playing barre chords? No it does not.

Peter2022-03-21T16:13:50+11:00