So, what do you struggle with? The guitar is physically challenging and it requires a considerable measure of strength and coordination to play a tone or chord well.
Coordination skills, muscle memory development and physical strength are all part of learning how to play guitar.
But what about the intellectual requirements that are involved? There are many musical concepts that need to be understood in addition to the physical elements, such as:
counting time, strumming a steady beat, reading a chord grid, reading guitar tab, reading standard notation, chord construction, chord progressions, etc., etc.
So, if you are a beginner guitar player, I would like to invite you to leave a comment below and let me know what you are struggling with at this present time. That will give me some idea of how I might be able to help you. =)
Please try to limit your comment to one specific area that is giving you the most difficulty right now. It might be something like having trouble playing a D major chord, or perhaps it might be moving from D to G. It could possibly be that you are having trouble understanding a specific musical concept relating to playing the guitar. Whatever it is, just leave a comment below and we'll see if I can help point you in the right direction.
Till next time...
Keep practicing!
K.Unruh
Free guitar lessons
when I play my fingers seem to deaden the chords,I have fibromyalgia in my hands. Is there an easy way that will help me
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to feel enthusiastic about playing the guitar if you are experiencing pain. Probably one of the best things you can do is to incorporate a few warm-up and stretching exercises before each practice session. Here are a few suggestions...
Delete- Rotate your arms in large circles both directions to improve circulation.
- Press your hands firmly together in prayer position, elbows out to the side.
- Open and close your fingers in rapid succession.
When your are ready to pick up your guitar, begin with a chromatic scale (playing each sting, on each fret, with each finger):
1st string: -0--1--2--3--4--
2nd string: -0--1--2--3--4--
(etc.)
Playing scales are a great way to warm-up and educate your fingers at the same time.
If you hands feel cold, rub them together or place them in warm water before you play.
The key is to warm up slowly and increase the difficulty as you feel comfortable. Push yourself a little further each session... Remember: No pain, no gain... but pay attention to your body signals so that you avoid injury.
See my reply to Anonymous below for further tips on how to keep from deadening the strings.
More help at:
http://www.abclearnguitar.com/guitar-chord.html
I have so much problem going from any chord to the D major. I thought about giving up guitar because I cannot fret the D major correctly everytime.
ReplyDeleteIf you are having trouble fretting a D major chord, try breaking it down into smaller pieces...
Delete1. Begin by placing only your 1st finger on the note A (3rd string, 2nd fret)
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2. Strum the top 3 strings. Make sure all the notes ring clearly. If they don't...
- adjust your 1st finger until you can get a clear sound. You may need to apply more pressure to the string if it sounds muted.
- Another reason the sound isn't clear might be that your 1st finger is interfering with one of the open strings and damping it. If that's the case you will need to bend your 1st knuckle in order to play the string with just the very tip of your finger.
3. Keeping your 1st finger down, add you 2nd finger to the note F# (1st string, 2nd fret)
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- Strum the first 3 strings again and repeat the check-up process and make any necessary adjustments. When everything sounds clear with these 2 fingers...
4. Add your 3rd finger to the note D (2nd string, 3rd fret) and repeat the process.
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Isolating each finger will help you identify the problem. Once that is established you can concentrate on improving your technique by strengthening one finger at a time.
More help at...
http://www.abclearnguitar.com/guitar-chord.html
I recently started learning to play the guitar. I am actually learning on my own and it is a bit difficult when no one is there to assist you. I really find it difficult to change chords. I hope you would be able to post tips on how to improve changing chords, on the techniques on how guitarists do it. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGet my free guitar tips at:
Deletehttp://www.abclearnguitar.com/free-guitar-lesson.html