Simple Tips When Learning To Play Acoustic Guitar
One can learn many musical instruments, but when you learn to play acoustic guitar, it’s a completely different story. Something about the acoustic guitar makes it different from the rest. Perhaps that’s partly due to its versatility. Nowadays, you would see people mastering the art of playing electric guitars. Nevertheless, even before the advent of these guitars, acoustic guitars have already made their mark in the world of music. Unlike the electric guitar, the acoustic one has a hollow body and doesn’t make use of amplification to produce sound. Instead, it relies on natural sound produced by strings when its vibrations bounce inside the guitar body’s hollow cavity. Aside from that main difference, an acoustic guitar differs from an electric guitar in that it’s very simple. You don’t have to plug it into any electronics to produce amplification.
Most people who are trying to learn how to play acoustic guitar often end up frustrated. That may be because they fail to pay heed to things that could help make the lessons easier. That’s not to say that acoustic guitar lessons are difficult. It’s far from it. The only time the lessons become tricky is if the student fails to put his heart and mind into the lessons. Otherwise, a person can pretty much breeze through the lessons. If you desperately want to learn how to play an acoustic guitar, you need to practice often. The key to not losing focus when practicing is to play along with your favorite song. You would be surprised at how wonderful a motivator your favorite song can be when you’re still trying to learn the ropes.
Supposing you already know how to read chords, the best thing to do is to browse the Internet for the chords of one of your favorite songs. As much as possible, you need to start with a song that has a simple chord progression. Once you have picked a song and downloaded the chord charts, you may start practicing how to play acoustic guitar chords. Nevertheless, it would be wise if you start a system for learning. What does this mean? You can sum the answer up in one word – discipline. If you really want to learn how to play the guitar, you need to set the right time and place for you to learn even the simplest of chords. It would also be a good idea if you give yourself a timeframe to complete one course. For instance, give yourself two weeks to learn the basics. Three to four days of practice in a course of one week is good enough.
You also need to make sure that your guitar is tuned properly. Some people commit the grave mistake of “playing” an acoustic guitar without even knowing that each guitar string needs to be tuned to a specific pitch. When you tune your guitar, you need to make sure you get it exactly right. If one of strings is off pitch, no matter how good you play, the sound won’t come off as good. Buying a pitch pipe could help you set your guitar in tune. Keep in mind that tuning the guitar is done from string to string.
It’s easy to play acoustic guitar as long as you’re using the right plectrum or pick. Many who are just starting to learn how to play usually ignore the pick. They have no idea that it contributes a lot to guitar playing. Guitar picks are available in various gauges, and this determines what kind of sound you would be able to produce with each strum. If you use a very thin pick, the sound would be much softer than if you use a thick pick. Other people opt not to use picks and just use their fingers. It’s actually the guitar player’s choice.
Those are just some of the ways that can help you as you learn how to play the guitar. So as not to become overwhelmed when practicing, try to limit the lessons to twenty or thirty minutes each day. One hour a day may be a bit too much. You may practice as little or as often as you please, making sure you practice at the same time every day. Invest on guitar and chord books other than downloadable chords and tabs. Before you know it, you’ll learn to play acoustic guitar songs like a pro.
