Get Ready To Rock With These Guitar Basics.
Do you dream of rocking out with a guitar in hand? Learning to play guitar can be an exciting, impactful and even life-changing experience. Whether it’s country, pop, blues or heavy metal, the guitar is an iconic instrument and a must-have for any musician.
If you’re ready to turn your dreams into reality and start learning to play guitar, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for a thorough introduction to the fundamentals of electric and acoustic guitar playing.
In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know to kickstart your guitar journey. We’ll cover must-know terminology, the tools you need to start playing and basic beginner-level techniques. So whether you’re picking up a guitar for the first time, or you want to brush up on your existing skills, these guitar basics are for you.
Let’s start by looking at the essential skills you need to master when playing electric or acoustic guitar.
Essential Skills for Playing Guitar
Whether you’re playing an electric or acoustic guitar, these are the essential skills you’ll need to master in order to make the most of your instrument.
Chords: Chords give a song character and make it sound complete. Learning how to play basic chords is essential for any beginner guitar player.
Scales: Scales are like a musical alphabet. Knowing the different types of scales and how to play them gives you the freedom to interpret and arrange music as you please.
Rhythm: Being able to keep a steady beat and understand time signatures is key when playing along to a song.
Technique: Knowing the right technique and posture are important when it comes to playing the guitar.
Knowledge of Your Instrument: Your guitar is a unique machine and comprehending its electronics and components — such as controls and pickups — will help you make the most of it.
Now you have an idea of the basics of guitar playing, let’s look at what you need to get started.
What Do You Need to Play Guitar?
There are many items you’ll need to get started when learning to play guitar. The basic essentials include a guitar, a strap, strings or cables and relevant accessories such as a guitar stand. Let’s take a look:
Guitar: If this is your first go at playing guitar, consider starting off with an electric or acoustic guitar that fits your price range and skill level.
Guitar Stand: A guitar stand helps keep your instrument safe when you’re not playing and neatly tucked away when you’re doing so.
Strap: A guitar strap helps you keep your hands free so you can fret and strum as needed. Make sure you choose one that is adjustable and fits you comfortably.
Strings or Cables: Depending on whether you’re playing an electric or acoustic guitar, you’ll need the relevant strings or cables. Electric guitar strings are usually steel, and acoustic guitar strings are usually bronze or brass.
Cleaning and Maintenance Tools: It’s important to feel after and care for your instrument — especially for electric guitars. Use cleaning and maintenance tools to keep your guitar clean, free of dust and sounding great.
Now you have all the tools you need to start playing, let’s take a look at handful of beginner-level techniques that will help you make beautiful music.
Beginner-Level Guitar Techniques
Before you can start shredding like a pro, you’ll need to learn basic beginner-level guitar techniques to a satisfactory level. Here are a few important guitar techniques you should learn:
Fingerpicking: Fingerpicking uses your fingers to strum the strings instead of a pick. This technique uses several fingers of your right hand, and it can help bring a light and airy tone to your guitar playing.
Picking: A strong, fast and precise technique, picking uses a guitar pick. The pick helps create a powerful sound, making this a great technique for rock, hard rock or metal genres.
Tremolo: Tremolo — also known as string wobble — is an effect that mimics the natural vibrato of a human voice or bows used on string instruments. This technique uses a fast back-and-forth picking technique to create the quaver or warble heard in many songs.
Slides: Slides are used to transition between two notes in a smooth and pleasant manner. In this technique, you place your finger on the note you wish to transition to and slide it to the right note.
Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs: Hammer-ons and pull-offs technique help give your playing a more percussive sound. This technique works by hammering a note onto the string and then quickly pulling the string off to play the note later.
Time to Put it All Together!
Putting it all together, you need the following to get started:
Guitar
Strap
Strings or cables
Guitar stand
Cleaning and maintenance items
And an introduction to essential skills, techniques and tips for playing guitar:
Chords
Scales
Rhythm
Technique
Knowledge of your instrument
Now it’s time to start playing. Grab your guitar and start your guitar journey by putting the basics into practice!