We all love music. Music makes our life so much better. If listening to music brings you a feeling of relaxation and pleasure, then playing music can do it ten times better. And in most cases, people to choose play guitars, the most widely played instruments around the world.
If you find yourself hesitating whether you should start learning how to play guitar or not, well, you have come to the right place. This article is going to walk you through a checklist of essential things that you should know before getting down into practice.
Understand Music Notation
Let’s start with the fact that not all of us know!
Music is not as complicated as it seems. To newbies who don’t know a single thing in music, yes, it may look intimidating. However, the more time you spend with it, the more you realize it’s just like learning a pattern.
If you have been learning a second language, then it’s no different when you get to learn about music or, in this case, playing guitar.
The first step you need to do to play guitar is to read music notation. For those who may not know it, the notation shows you how to play a single piece of melody or even a song.
Being able to understand music notation is very important to newbies
If it still looks vague to you, let’s imagine how you would set up your bed without reading an instruction. All you do is pick up all the pieces and try to put it all together. The same goes for playing music without being able to read the notation.
As such, it would save lots of time if you spend some time trying to understand and read the notation first. Once you master the skill, the rest will become easier.
And Music Theory, Too!
Next up, music theory!
I know what you are thinking. Boring and monotonous! All you want to do at this point is to grab the guitar and try to play some notes. I’ve been there.
But let me tell you this. Reading music theory is not a waste of time at all. Music theory is what will help you through your entire process. It’s like learning grammar when you learn a second language. It’s tedious, mandatory, and intimidating at a time, but it helps you improve your speaking and writing skills effectively.
If you are wondering what music theory includes, well, according to musicalstudy.com, there are a few primary musical studies you must understand before playing guitar!
- Chords and how to build them
- What is the key to music?
- Intervals
A critical tip for newbies when getting into details about music theory is that you should not try to memorize all of them. The best way to learn is to put it into practice or at least see how other people put it into practice. Investigate the application of these theories in real songs, and you will be able to learn along the way.
Know a Guitar Structure
Every guitarist needs to understand about a guitar structure
This applies to everything, not just learning to play guitar. When you learn to drive, it is crucial that you know about all the gears, buttons, and even the knobs as well.
In this case that we are talking about, you need to know all about the headstock and the bridge. Knowledge of an electric guitar structure gives you a clear view of how it works.
Hold the Guitar Properly
Basic, right? But because you have never actually held a guitar before, there is a good chance that you will do it wrong.
The right way to hold a guitar is to put your left hand on the neck and your right hand on the soundhole. This position is ideal as it allows you to create the best sound from the guitar without tiring yourself.
What if you are left-handed? Well, I just need to change it a bit. All you’ve got to do is to reverse the strings and use your right hand to hold the neck. Or you can reverse the guitar without having to restring it. Search for instruction videos on YouTube to find a perfect position for you.
Restring a Guitar
You have just learned how to play guitar. Then one day, your strings lose its luster. The sound is not as good as it used to be. The strings become discolored, and it takes more effort to tune your guitar. That’s when you need to restring it.
Restring an electric guitar is not as hard as many people would think
You can do it on your own. Although it looks straightforward, a simple mistake can leave long-term consequences if you are not careful enough.
As such, it would be best if you could take it to a guitar shop for guitar experts to inspect. As they have played guitars longer than you, they will know what type of string you need.
Lastly, Tune a Guitar
A common situation most newbies encounter is when they know a few chords yet unable to tune them. That explains why you should invest some time in online courses or learning from an experienced guitarist to get to know how to tune the thing!
Let’s Wrap It Up,
Playing electric guitar, or any instrument out there is not hard. But it would help if you got it right from the initial stage so that you can avoid wasting time on unnecessary problems.
Start with the basics first; be good at it. Then when you move onto practice, you will see that it becomes so much easier since you have built a rock-solid foundation in your mind about music. Besides, do not forget that practice makes perfect. The only way to get you from zero to hero is to practice only.