Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Learning To Play

Your priority when trying to learn to play the guitar should always be to find the highest quality instruction available to you. This can be the prime factor in how easy you find it to learn and consequently how likely you are to succeed. It is not recommend that you attempt self instruction as this often leads to frustration in the future.  You will develop bad habits that will be difficult to break and will prevent you from playing more difficult music in the future.

Having a Tutor
A good way to learn is to find a good local tutor although this is not always possible, and it can be very expensive.  In addition classes may not be at a convenient time or location.  Before starting lessons from a tutor it is best to get references from former students.  A good tutor should gladly provide you with contact info for former students.
Online
If tutoring is not possible there are some great online sites to learn to play acoustic guitar but choose wisely and be sure to try out their sample lessons first. You need to make sure that the pace and which they teach, the style and level of the lessons are suitable for you.
The ideal situation is to have a combination where you learn from a variety of different sources simultaneously. For example, 1-1 lessons with a real tutor plus online guitar lessons or books and DVDs. You'll need to be self motivated and committed to daily practice which not everyone is  but assuming some kind of inspiration is driving you to learn acoustic guitar everything should be fine!
One of the most popular questions asked by beginners is How long does it take to learn? I would say that normally its around 4 to 6 weeks before you can strum along to basic beginner songs. This assumes you're being taught a good quality method for guitar and possess an average aptitude for the instrument.  However learning to play the guitar is a never ending journey which you'll probably never reach the end of no one ever does!
Practice
Along with high  quality guitar lessons the most important will be in knowing how to practice correctly. Practicing is a technique you have to learn! Learning how to practice correctly will shorten the time to takes you to learn to play acoustic guitar enormously, it may even mean the difference between success and failure.  You will need to devote time everyday to practice,  and that means 30 to 60 minute everyday.  If you can handle more, you will benefit enormously.

No comments:

Post a Comment