How to Learn to Play Guitar
Welcome to the World of Guitar. This page is for the new guitarist who wants the truth about what they really need and need to know to learn to play the guitar.
There are infinite approaches in how to learn to the play guitar. As you get started on your guitar journey, you will find some things work better than others and it’s important to know who to trust and listen to.
Im assembling these guitar resources for your guitar journey based on 45 years of music as a bass player, guitar player, musician, performer and for 23 years a music attorney.
The Best Initial Advice
The best advice really depends on your purpose of playing guitar. The path of the casual porch strummer and that of a young player seeking a career as a professional musician or artist is quite different.
Tip #1 Think Like a Musician
I would start by encouraging any new guitarist to #1, think like a musician and not box yourself in by the convenience of the fretboard. I agree with John Mayer when he talks about the transformation from playing sick riffs to really focusing on what he wanted to say and how he could think outside the convenience of patterns of the fretboard.
If you’re already a musician learning to play guitar, you’re ahead of the game. If you’re totally new to playing music and playing the guitar, some basic music theory knowledge is essential.
Start with basics:
Key Signatures
Scales
Chords
How they work together is what will make you a better guitar player as you advance in your technical skills and fretboard and picking hand knowledge.
Tip #2 Play for the Song
Songs. Songs beat skills every day of the week. Obviously you must learn the fretboard, you must learn chord positions and patterns. But if you dig deep into the best guitar players, they were brilliant musicians not because of just their guitar skills, but how they knew enough about the chord theory of the song to add that special guitar sauce.
Tip #3 Learn From The Masters
“Good artists borrow, great artists steal!”
Pablo Picasso
Follow the passion of whatever music gets you excited. Not every guitarist has to aspire to be Jimi Hendrix, BB King or Eddie Van Halen. But if you want to be, you have study the masters and practice listening for cool parts and licks, the try to imitate them.
One thing is for sure, you’ve got it a lot easier today, largely thanks to YouTube. Take advantage of watching concert footage and study the greats and especially the guitarists you feel a closeness to their music as well as their guitar playing.
Tip #4 Which Guitar YouTube channels are The Best?
There are many guitar channels on YouTube but they are hardly equal. Lots of great guitar players are not good teachers. Knowing things is much different than the skill to effectively teach.
The truth is, there is something that can be learned from everyone and it is also a matter of who you enjoy learning from. I’ll be sharing various guitar channels where I think the teacher is competent on guitar, knows how to teach and make its enjoyable.
