Acoustic Guitar for Beginners - Lessons and Tips for Better Guitar Playing

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This article was written to address some of the more basic questions that beginner acoustic guitar players have.

What is the best beginner acoustic guitar?

This is probably the most common question from beginner acoustic guitar players. Do not buy the most expensive top quality guitar, but do not buy the cheapest either. A good amount to spend would be between 100 - 300 dollars.

If you can, find an experienced guitarist to come along with you. Ask him or her to pick up and play every guitar in your price range and then buy the one that feels and sounds the best. Make certain to examine any guitar you plan on buying.

Examine the neck of the guitar to see if it is warped. Check the action on the guitar. The action refers to the height of the strings from the fret board. If the action is too high or too low, it can cause problems with your playing.

Remember that you are just a beginner. Do not spend a lot of money on a guitar at this stage. If you do, and you find that [tag-tec]acoustic guitar playing[/tag-tec] is not your thing, then you will have a beautiful guitar collecting dust in the corner of your room. If you enjoy playing and you find yourself getting better, then consider investing in a better guitar.

Do not get stressed out when choosing your first guitar. Just get a descent one and start practicing.

Some good brands to think about: Epiphone, Takamine, Yamaha and Squier.

Ouch! My fingers hurt. I can’t play!

This is a very common complaint from beginners. Every guitarist has experienced hand and finger pain at some point. It is something that you cannot avoid. The remedy? Keep playing and build up strength in your hands and fingers and develop those calluses!

Building calluses on your fingertips will allow you to hold down the strings of the guitar without any pain while flattening your fingertips to produce a better sounding note.

You build up calluses and strength from practicing. In time the pain will subside, but you have to get through this difficult stage of playing first, so hang in there.

Listen to your body though. If you are in serious pain then by all means give your hands and fingers a rest.

Here is a great exercise to help strengthen your hands and fingers and to build up calluses:

This exercise will also familiarize you with the entire neck of your guitar and give you the agility to play chords and solos. Building the muscles in your hands will improve your stamina for playing and will develop what is called “muscle memory”.

The object of this exercise is to play each note going up and down the neck of the guitar.

Start with your pointer finger on the 6th string 1st fret, let your fingers follow up the neck of the guitar, one note at a time, staying on the 6th string until your pinky finger reaches the fourth fret.

Play the 1st fret with your pointer finger
Play the 2nd fret with your middle finger
Play the 3rd fret with your ring finger
Play the 4th fret with your pinky finger

Note: After you have played the first fret do not lift your pointer finger up. Keep each finger on the string as you play them. This is important as it will aid in the strengthening process.

Repeat the same process on the 5th string, then the 4th, and so on.

When you get to the bottom string, slide your entire hand over one fret without lifting your fingers.

So at this point, your pinky finger should be on the 1st string 5th fret, your ring finger on the 4th fret, middle finger on the 3rd fret and your pointer finger on the 2nd fret.

Now play in reverse, starting with your pinky, going back up the guitar to the 6th string, only this time you have to lift up your fingers as you play.

Then simply repeat the process until you reach the last fret of your guitar.

Do not rush this exercise or you will develop poor playing habits. Go nice and slow making sure you are producing a nice tone with each note you play.

More Beginner Guitar Tips

Make sure to stretch your fingers and hands before practicing.

Learn to actually read music and not just tablature.

Hire a guitar teacher if you can. A teacher can catch any mistakes you are making and correct you on the spot. This will help you avoid poor playing habits. If you cannot afford a guitar teacher, then consider buying a good home study course.

Learn to play chords, scales and other techniques and not just your favorite songs. I know you just want to jump right in and learn “Stairway to Heaven”, but if you do not put the time in to learn the theory behind those great songs, you will not improve as a guitar player.

Do not pack up your guitar. Leave it out in the open. This will make it easier to just pick up your guitar and play at any time.

Practice each day for at least 20 minutes, more if you can. If you find yourself getting bored, or making a lot of mistakes, then take a break and do something else. 20 minutes of quality practice is better than an hour of sloppy practice.

Listen to other guitarists and not just in your favorite genre of music. You will be surprised at how other styles of music can influence your playing.

Play with other guitarists as often as you can. This is a great way to learn and pick up new techniques and advice.

Learn how to string and tune your guitar.

Learn the correct way to take care of and maintain your instrument.

I hope this article has helped. The best tip I can give you is to never give up. Keep playing each day and try not to get discouraged. Good guitar playing is not just about technique, it also comes from your heart. If you truly love playing guitar, and you are dedicated to getting better, then it is only a matter of time. Enjoy and God Bless!

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