Here are some of the more common ways to learn to play the guitar. Try each method to see what works best for you.

Group Lessons: Learning guitar in a group setting can be less intimidating for the beginning musician. You not only get the benefit of having a teacher to help you along you can often judge your progress by where the other students are in the class. The worst part about taking guitar lessons in a group setting is the teachers time is divided so you may not get as much attention as you might need.

Private Lessons: This is the best way to learn to play the guitar if you can find the right teacher. The instructor can gauge your progress each week and custom design your lessons for you. You have your teachers’ undivided attention and you can ask anything you feel is not clear. (more…)

Protecting the investment you have made in your acoustic guitar is very important. Here are a few tips and ideas for making your instrument last more than a lifetime.

Let’s consider some potential threats to your acoustic guitar. Some of these threats may be glaringly obvious while others may be a bit more obscure. While it would be impossible to include every scenario or potential threat element in one article, perhaps the items mentioned in this article will prevent a new guitar owner from experiencing the certain regret associated with a damaged instrument. (more…)

Regardless of whether you are a guitar novice or already have some training in playing the guitar, the following guidelines will prove useful. You shall be told how to properly hold a pick (plectrum). “That’s ridiculous!” you may say. “It’s so very basic, what’s there to know?” But following my instructions could help you improve your guitar play quickly and easily.

Picks used to be earlier made from animal bone or tortoise shell, but nowadays they are mostly made of plastic. They come in various sizes and shapes. I recommend beginners to use medium size picks because these are the easiest to play with. This is of course only a suggestion, a general rule of thumb and not an absolute. You might experiment with picks of different shapes, sizes and materials to find out the one most suitable for yourself. Also because picks get easily frayed and perhaps, as easily lost, it is a good idea to keep quite a few picks with you at home. Having a few picks in reserve is not difficult as they are fairly cheap. (more…)

Knowing how to tune your guitar yourself is one of the most basic as also one of the most integral constituents of learning to play the guitar. Even the most skillful guitarist’s performances can go awry if the guitar is not in tune, and tuning the guitar is consonant with the ear of the guitarist becoming one with the sound of the guitar. Thus though many novices to baulk at the idea of tuning their instrument, especially because they find the activity difficult, there are certain easy rules which, when followed, make the matter simple and effective. There are in fact several different ways to tune your guitar depending on the desired sound, and this article shall provide you with some easy to follow instructions for tuning your guitar without you having to invest in any extra equipment. (more…)