6 Tips to improve your Guitar skills
Guitar Tips For Beginners
Published on April 23, 2021
Do you want to learn how to play guitar in a better and more convenient way, but often get stuck without any inspiration, and experience a strong desire to leave playing in between?
If yes, then we’ve got you covered!
Here are a few easy guitar tips which can help you improve your skills, as well as make the process of mastering this instrument easier and faster for you. Inculcate these 6 tips into your daily life, and you’re good to go!
- "Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice" - Anton Chekhov
The more you practice, the more you make progress. Make it a habit of practicing every day. If you ask for one tip to improve your Guitar playing, this is it. Almost 90% of the problems you face can be solved by increasing your practice quality and time i.e what you practice and how much you practice. Start with revising all the basic concepts or exercises and keep on going through them till you haven’t mastered them, and then move on to new concepts. Playing guitar daily for a few minutes is better than practicing for hours only on the weekends. The more consistent you are, the easier it is to master the art of playing guitar. Start with 20 minutes every day as a beginner and then gradually increase the time every week. If you need help, do check out our Guitar course for beginners to learn in the easiest way with a systematic weekly learning structure.
Pro Guitar tip: Record yourself while playing, and then go through it to see the places you need more work on and focus on those points.
- "Speed is a byproduct of good, slow practice" - Guthrie Govan
In order to play your instrument faster, you need to take it slow. Both literally and figuratively. Don’t skip the basics because the whole foundation of playing guitar is based on them, sooner or later you’re going to have to face them. If focused on since the start, you’re guaranteed a smoother ride towards mastering the guitar. Also, don’t miss out on the rhythm and timing. Practice at a slow tempo, as this helps you be aware of the small details you’re missing out on, and then gradually keep increasing the tempo till you start playing in the intended original tempo.
Pro Guitar tip: Use a metronome app to help you stay on tempo, it does wonders to your practice session.
- "Without knowledge, action is useless. And knowledge without action is futile " - Abu Bakr
Research about the various aspects of guitar online, and make a proper schedule and then dive into it. Without a structured plan, you’ll be lost and won’t be able to make much progress. Try maintaining a balance between music theory and practice; understanding the theoretical concepts will help you learn the Guitar in a better and easy way. Start implementing the theory on whatever you learn and play on Guitar during your practice sessions.
Before starting with the musical knowledge, read a bit about the structure of your instrument and the correct way of holding it. Avoid making minor mistakes like placing your thumb over the edge, or stretching your fingers over the fretboard in a way it creates a muted sound.
Pro Guitar tip: Always tune your guitar before playing, else it can sound off to a great extent if played otherwise.
- "The true method of knowledge is an experiment" - William Blake
Experiment with your instrument by getting out of your comfort zone and try out new things such as guitar chords or even songs. Try playing some new chords like advanced 7th, suspended or augmented chords, or different ways to play a chord you already know, getting out of the ‘first three fret’ box of open chords. Challenge yourself by picking up a new song and mastering it within a set time.
You can also try jamming with other musicians as it helps you get comfortable with performing in front of a crowd and also play well among the sounds of other instruments. This can be helpful as else you might find yourself stuck in the same schedule and get a little demotivated.
Pro Guitar tip: Try looking for guitar chords and tabs of your favourite songs on the internet! This will introduce you to new concepts of guitar and add a dash of fun during your sessions.
- "You can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus, and the support" - Sabrina Bryan
Passion; a word so simple, yet such a strong emotion. A lot of times, passion and motivation go together, without one the other cannot survive for a long time. Have a strong desire and dive into this wholeheartedly.
Remember, sometimes you have to create your own inspiration; along with practicing the basics and the new harder concepts, also try to inculcate some fun play into your schedule. This will not only make this interesting for you but also get your mind off of the work and get you refreshed.
Pro Guitar tip: Watch live performance videos of great guitarists. It could be a great motivator for inspiration.
- "To lose patience is to lose the battle" - Mahatma Gandhi
Playing guitar takes time, and might get a little frustrated at times! Hence, it’s important to be patient. If you’re stressed while playing, it’s going to be hard for you to learn and retain new concepts.
Everyone makes mistakes, even advanced players do. Don’t get demotivated when you make minor mistakes while playing guitar, think of it as a step closer to mastering it. Realise where you’re lacking, and then you work on it in order to improve.
The worst thing you can do in this journey of learning Guitar is comparing yourself to others. Everyone has a different style of playing, and trying to be them is like losing your own style. Focus on your progress, and aim to get better at it. Remember: your only competition is yesterday’s version of yourself.
Pro Guitar tip: Don't compare yourself with other Guitarists. Always compare yourself with your past self.
The essence of what we explained:
Learning Guitar demands a lot of patience, discipline, and a balanced schedule covering both theoretical and practical knowledge. Understanding new topics and guitar concepts is a little difficult but can be learned easily when practiced slowly and in the correct way.
Playing guitar all by yourself might be a little difficult, and would often make you feel lost. Hence, it’s important to start with correct and accurate knowledge, and even in some cases, good guidance. Try to do a lot of research as there is tons of information available online to learn Guitar but make sure that you pick up reliable sources and avoid any wrong habits or techniques. Implement it in your daily practice routine with a fixed schedule and a roadmap to progress slowly yet consistently. Divide your practice sessions into small chunks focusing on different aspects like theory, finger exercises, and songs. Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun, as that is the whole point of picking up the Guitar in the first place and it will help you to keep up your motivation to progress on your Guitar learning journey in the easiest way.
If you’re looking for an online guitar course to help you make this process convenient and easier, and guidance to walk on the right path, then you’re at the right place. We, at beAmusician, provide carefully structured music learning courses by experts, focusing on proper music education with other facilities like weekly live feedback sessions, play-along practice tracks, progress tracking, and a lot more.
Check out our Beginner's Guitar course to Learn in the Easiest way. It includes a fun and interactive way of learning the guitar right from the basics, where you learn finger exercises, open and barre chords, major-minor & pentatonic scales, fingerstyle playing, music theory and its practical implementation, and over 10 popular songs along with other various concepts within a time period of few weeks. We have covered everything a beginner might be needing to learn Guitar in the easiest and most convenient way.