Learn to Play the Guitar

How to Get Going..

The reason why most people who try to play the guitar are not up to snuff is that they give up too easily. The problem with these people is that they tend to think that there is something wrong with them and that is why they simply cannot get the strings sound right.

In reality, falling short in learning to play the guitar is not based on the capability of the person but more on the kind of style he is using. So to speak, if he is trapped in a certain level of progress in guitar playing, it should likewise be blamed on the person but on the kind of approach that he used.

Hence, when things like these happen, the only way to get going is to change the style, and there will be remarkable results.

In fact, 8 out of the 10 people who were asked what made them continue learning to play the guitar, they answered that it was because they have used a wonderful technique that some people just take for granted. This approach is known as “feeling the beat.”

In fact, people who are considered as experts in playing the guitar insist that the only distinction that sets a good guitarist from a distinguished guitarist is based on how they apply the approach “feel the beat” to their tune using their instrument.

The basic argument here is that trying to get things going by simply feeling the beat while you play the guitar will absolutely change your style of learning and playing the guitar. This is because when people try to feel the beat as they play the instrument, they get to internalize the pulse of the music as it flows from the strings out to the audience.

This is probably the same reason why some people insist that music is the language of the soul. That is basically the main idea of using this kind of approach.

In fact, music experts assert that it is how the great composers and singers stand out from the rest. When musicians learn to feel the beat, they tend to put the notes into their system, letting every tone flow along with the beat of their heart.

Therefore, the question now is on how you start feeling the beat. Here are some tips to get it going:

1. Internalize the beat

When you want to learn how to play the guitar, it is best that you get your emotions ready. Try to feel the beat by listening to the music and bridge some connections between your feelings and the music.

The very core of this approach is to feel the beat of the music flowing into your system.

Once you get the beat connected to your system, take hold of your guitar, and start hitting those strings. Try not to play some song that you already know. The idea is to release the feeling and let the notes flow with what you feel.

2. Play by the ear

As soon as you learn how to feel the beat, you can already start playing by the ear. This is when you can easily play the song on your guitar just by listening to it over and over again.

In fact, historical reports show that some great musicians learn to play the instrument by using this kind of approach. This is because once they start to sense the pulse of the song; they gradually pluck the notes and begin to play the song as they continue to play.

Moreover, most of the people who play the guitar and write songs do not simply use those tabs and musical sheets. They just try to fathom the song by “playing by ear.”

The bottom line is that learning to play the guitar does not have to be rigid and strict. That is why guitar playing is not specifically exclusive for the talented in music. The instrument is open for everyone, young and old, big and small, boy and girls.

The idea is to take some time to learn the instrument. Trying to feel the beat does not happen in a snap. You have to allot adequate time to start putting the notes into your system.

The truth is that people who failed to learn guitar playing simply lack the time to do all these things. There is no way to become an expert overnight. Keep trying, make certain you are having fun and before you know it the melodies will come!

No, despite the similarity of the words, the capo is not your regular trigger-happy Mafia leader although it does come from the Italian word “capo tasto” which means head of fingerboard. Instead, the capo is a harmless gadget or device attached to a stringed instrument like a guitar, to raise its pitch.

Capos come in different brands but the common kinds are the elastic capos which are the least expensive and commonly used by guitar players, the nylon capos and the steel string capos.

While it may look a bit strange and highly technical stuff for non-guitar players, the capo can be easily attached to a guitar. It is placed on any of the frets of a guitar neck. A fret is a small ridge on the fingerboard of a stringed instrument. In layman’s term, it looks like equal divisions located in a guitar’s neck or handle, the one attached to the guitar’s semi-elliptical body.

To use the capo, just attach the device in any of the frets and make sure the clamp can hold all the strings down. Inspect for any kind of pulling of the guitar strings as it may cause the guitar to sound out of tune.

A special kind of capo, the third hand capo, is a gadget that can surely and easily clamp all the strings of the guitar in place. Like the ordinary capos, it allows the guitar player to play tunes that may be difficult to get or to play using the bare guitar strings.

If you have tried singing accompanied by a guitar, or just playing the guitar, you may be familiar with songs that are either too low or too high and you just can’t get the right pitch. This is where the capo comes to the rescue, by making the pitch right.

The capo is not only used by guitar experts because it also allows beginners to enjoy different kinds of tunes without any difficulty. However, using the capo can sometimes be frustrating for most guitar players as they can sometimes hinder proper playing or proper hand reaching.

While capos are used in stringed instruments, it is commonly used in guitars. Guitars can either be acoustic or electric, but the basic method of playing the said instrument remains the same. Ordinarily, guitars have a total of six strings but there are 12-stringed guitars. But no matter how many the guitar strings are, it is played by strumming or plucking the strings with a person’s right hand. Sometimes, a pick is used to do the plucking or strumming. The left hand is used to hold the guitar in order to come up with a note or chord.

A guitarist must possess the following essentials:

1. Extra Strings-guitar strings usually break when you least expect them to so do yourself a favor by keeping a change of strings for emergency purposes. Guitar strings should be changed every two months even if they do not break. However, if you use your guitar more often than the regular guitar player, then you should try changing strings more than once every two months to keep your guitar in shape.

2. Picks-stock on this little things because they are easy to lose. Other guitar players who only have one pick and lose them use alternatives like carving a pick image from a hard plastic. However, professional pick is always better.

3. Capo-the capo is a very important device for guitar players because it can help one strum a higher pitch of a song proves too low. You would not want to be frustrated if you cannot get the right pitch so better invest on a good capo.

Guitar teachers advise their students, especially beginners, to use an electronic guitar tuner so they can focus on learning how to play the guitar. Like the basic tuner, the capo is one of the essential accessories a guitar player should have because it can easily change keys that may sound awkward with ordinary strumming.

If you have enough budget, then go for the most durable and reliable capo, even if they are more expensive than the ordinary ones. But before buying a capo, you must first have a guitar where you can attach the gadget.

The following are tips in buying and maintaining a guitar:

Price must be an important consideration because you would not want to buy a guitar which is well out of your budget.

The guitar of your choice must be easy and comfortable to play. Experts suggest that buying a guitar with strings that are closed to the fret board would be good for easy playing.

A beginner should not only invest in a good guitar but should also get hold of the essential guitar accessories like the capo.

Keep your guitar rust-free by making sure you wash and drain your hands properly before playing the guitar. Remember, the guitar strings are pone to rusting so take care of them.

Keep you guitars in a safe container and away from sudden weather or humidity changes.

If you are learning the guitar as a beginner, as a slightly more advanced player or as someone coming back to playing the guitar, you can appreciate how frustrating it is learning the skills and techniques without seeing any noticeable results. The time and effort that many put into exercises don’t seem to be reflected in their standard of playing. There also seems to be a frustration in the lack of quality information on the market.

Ben Edwards and the team at Jamorama have bucked the trend with the latest version of Jamorama. They had considerable success with their first release of it, and given the positive feedback from the success of this package, the team decided to develop the product further. They have come up with a new package that is unrivaled in terms of quality and its comprehensive nature. This package truly does enable guitar students to accelerate their learning, and includes an impressive array of features.

In addition to the quality information in the glossy two book series, the team at Jamorama has spent 1,000s of hours developing 148 video examples and exercises so the student can hear and see exactly what they should be doing. Their team have also included two exclusive educational computer games to develop your skills in reading and training your ear to transcribe music. They also included the pro version of Jayde Musica and GuitEarIt! as free bonuses that give the student the ability to train their ear to recognize notes and transcribe songs from the radio. Both of these programs are very well made and presented, and most of all are easy and fun to play.

Add to this package the two additional free bonus ebooks are “Advanced Learning Techniques for Guitar”, and “How to tune your guitar”. Advanced Techniques introduces the idea of mental visualization, which is a powerful tool in speeding up your rate of learning. Mental visualization uses the same pathways inside your brain other than the fact you are not performing the activity physically. The second bonus book, “How to tune your guitar” solves the problem with tuning guitars, and introduces the reader to the most effective way of tuning a guitar.

If that weren’t already enough the Jamorama Metronone also comes with the package at no additional cost.

With all of the information in this package there really is no excuse to delay learning to play your guitar. The Jamorama team has given the reader four high quality books, two fun educational games and access the Jamorama forum with all the resources you need to play like a professional in no time.

This package is by far the most complete and fresh approach to guitar playing that I have seen in a long time. I highly recommend this product because I do believe it will deliver results and have you playing popular songs like a professional using the most effective techniques. There is something here for every guitar player, regardless of ability. And at the current cost, it really is worth every dollar spent!

Also, don’t forget to check out the 5-lesson free course and Jamorama Bonuses here.

-The LearnPlayGuitar.org Team.