For beginners, learning to play the guitar is like a puzzle impossible to solve. However, with an excellent attitude and daily practice, the art of learning guitar may not be so complicated and much more manageable. To learn to play the instrument properly, you can take lessons with a teacher. Although sometimes, you may realize you can not afford it due to money issues or because you cannot find the time. If this is your case, you do not have to worry. However, know that many guitar experts learned on their own and practically without any musical knowledge.
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Getting Started in Learning to Play the Guitar
The first step to learn how to play the guitar is to consider your posture. Take a chair that is your height, keep your back in an upright position, and separated from the back of the chair. Next, place your right foot firmly on the floor and the other one on a stool. This posture makes the guitar secure, and you can play the instrument without worrying that it will fall to the ground. Of course, there are other positions to play the guitar, but we will define the classical one.
Regarding the left hand, the thumb must be at the back of the fretboard, where the strings pass, and we have to press the strings with the tips of our finger firmly; otherwise, the guitar may be out of tune.
To have a good sound, we have to combine the fingers to have each finger in place.
The second step is to make the guitar have the right sound even when plucking the guitar strings in the air. That’s just guitar tuning. We can do it by ear, including a method or a low-priced physical tuner. With this device, we can make the guitar ready to start playing.
Although not so important at first, a third step is that we have to keep in mind the state of the strings. Mainly since the edge of the string oxidizes over time and the sound becomes much more muted.
The challenge of learning to play the Spanish guitar
Once we have all of the above ready, we can get started. First, we should do some exercises with a simple song that we know, and if we can find the score on the Internet, it will be even better. Alternatively, do some chord exercises.
It is necessary to pay close attention to the chords of the Spanish guitar, and for this, you have to know how to place your fingers; so that you have no problem with the flat (b) and sharp (#) chords. When you play your songs, the notes will come out organized if you follow the score.
Regarding the capos, practice will make perfect. Learning to play the guitar is not easy, and if you are not patient enough, you might lose interest.
Another challenging and complicated point is the rhythm and frictions done with the tips of your fingers; the chords must have a good rhythm.
It can take a little more time, so we must persevere. There are manuals on the Internet about these issues and can prevent this from happening to us.
At this point, the key is to have a little patience; in time, we will notice that the songs will start to sound great with their rhythm.
Another point to consider is in what fret we have to put each finger according to the score. In these scores, there are some techniques that, by repetition, if we rehearse a little, we will remember the chords without realizing it.
Learning to play the Spanish guitar is great entertainment
It’s time to play the songs that we like best and to surprise our family and friends. Playing these songs will make us want to play the guitar every day. Also, if we have frustrating days and want to disconnect, we can pick up our guitar and play.
We will have a real moment of tranquility for the people who surround us and ourselves. Do not forget that if you master the guitar, you have to play it every day. The guitar technique is something that can be lost very quickly. So all the time we invested in learning will go to waste if we don’t practice enough.
How to learn to play guitar with other more modern chords
Yes, that’s right, we can play the guitar with other chords called fifths or power chords. These chords are a remake of the basics, and what is more surprising, they are not complete! Playing with these chords may seem like a joke, but it’s not. If we play, for example, rock, we see that this type of music sounds terrific.
It does not lack any musical notes since it is the most important thing in music. In addition, this type of chord does not stress us with challenging postures while we continue practicing the guitar. Although learning how to play the guitar is not easy, this method can help us a lot.
Another aspect to keep in mind is that learning to play the guitar is the starting point to play any guitar. However, each guitar sounds different, and that does not mean that we play badly, but the acoustic depends on the type of guitar that we play, and that we have to keep that in mind.
And of course, if we know how to play guitar, we have to assume that we can play any guitar and that playing the lute is not the same, but it is much easier if you already know the basics of the guitar.
How to progress in the learning of the Spanish guitar
If you have already taken your first steps and want to follow the path to become a guitarist, there are many ways to improve your craft. The Internet has everything you need to achieve a minimum level with very few resources. However, if you choose to take it seriously, other more or less traditional forms such as books, music schools, conservatories, and private tutors will help you reach this goal.
On the other hand, the Internet has changed how we do things and allows us to meet other musicians close to our level and share knowledge. If you want to professionalize your passion, we recommend that you go hand in hand with a good teacher. He will always shorten your learning path by showing your weak points. He will give you adequate exercises to learn faster.
He will also guide you into other subtle aspects that you would not find easy to find otherwise. Whether you learn in one form or another, we know with certainty that the effort is non-negotiable. Becoming a guitar virtuoso requires much time, lots of practice, and lots of knowledge. Fortunately, nowadays, we can enjoy the virtuosity of those who have reached the top by sharing their knowledge through the web.
I want to be a virtuoso in the shortest possible time, and now what?
We could recommend some guidelines, always in our humble opinion. What is more important, but that can go unnoticed, is to know “yourself” where you want to go. If you’re going to be a guitar virtuoso, you can do it alone, with the Internet, with a teacher, or whatever you want, but what you have to do is practice, practice, and … practice, sometimes until exhaustion.
Yet, it is not sure that you will become so, for the path of repetition and routine is very difficult. It is a personal journey driven by your passion. On the other hand, if you want to be “recognized” as a virtuoso, this is an entirely different ballgame. We think that the shortest way is to study the classical model. Start at an early age and by the more traditional methods until you reach the music conservatory and graduate.
Study hard, practice, and enter all the contests and prizes you can if you have the sufficient level. Your teachers will help you at all times along this path. We also recommend that you go to monographic courses by other artists. Then, you dive entirely into the instrument and all its aspects.
But this path is not easy either, since you will have to stand out among many other musicians who, like you, have decided to follow the same direction. If you have a passion for the guitar, you should follow the path dictated by your heart. We invite you to practice all that you can while enjoying the music.
Once your journey begins, any progress will give you enough pleasure to move on. Finally, we are sure that in the future, when you look back, and in all cases, it will always have been worth it.