Playing the guitar is a great hobby even if you've had no prior experience in playing any musical instrument. However, it's understandable that learning a new instrument can be a challenge, even if all you want to do is learn how to play a song on the guitar!
If you want to learn guitar but don't know where to start, this is the introductory lesson for you. To learn how to play guitar, you must start from the basics: the guitar parts, the basic guitar hold, how to select a guitar pick and the best guitar classes for beginners. Let's get started.
What are the basic parts of a guitar?
There are, in fact, many guitar types that look and sound different: the classical guitar, the steel-string acoustic guitar, and the bass guitar are among just some of them. Although these guitar types come in different shapes and sizes, all guitars are made up of these three main parts - the head, neck and body.
Head
Known as the headstock, this is the part of the guitar attached to the slimmest part of the neck (the "nut"). Headstock shapes vary across different guitars, but it remains constant that the strings will firmly connect to and twist around the tuning pegs at the head of the guitar. The tuning pegs, also called tuners, allow you to adjust the pitch of each guitar string.
Neck
The neck of the guitar begins with the "nut", which has small grooves to guide the strings up to the tuning pegs. Essentially, the neck connects the strings between the head and the body of the guitar. Examine the neck closely and you'll see metal strips running across its surface - these are known as "frets" on the guitar. As you play guitar, much of your focus will be on placing your fingers along the neck to generate different notes.
Body
If you're looking at an acoustic guitar, this is the large, curvy part of the guitar with a round sound hole at the centre of its front body (electric guitars, on the other hand, have thinner and compact bodies that come in different shapes). This wood body acts as a sound chamber, amplifying the vibration of the strings when you strum your guitar.
Do study up on the kind of guitar you want as you may even come across "headless" guitars in your guitar lesson! Knowing your guitar parts is important to become accustomed to playing the guitar, even if you are still learning to master the best methods for learning to play the guitar.
How to learn guitar as a beginner
After studying your guitar parts, you should also know how to correctly play your guitar. Truth be told, there never really is an accurate way to play guitar because guitar styles are constantly evolving. However, these tips below may help you if you are just picking up a guitar for the first time.
How to hold your guitar
Start by getting yourself into a comfortable sitting position. It's recommended that you sit on an armless chair while placing your back against the chair - this will help you build good posture for when you learn guitar. When first holding your guitar, ensure your headstock points to your left if you are a right-handed person, and if you are left-handed, hold your guitar so that the headstock points to your right.
Now pick up your guitar and allow the back of its body to come into contact with your stomach or chest. Check that the neck runs parallel to the floor and allow the body to rest on one of your legs. This is usually the leg furthest away from the headstock (i.e. if you're left-handed, this would be your left leg).
Then, pay attention to your "fretting hand" which is the closest to the guitar neck. Allow the thumb of your "fretting hand" to rest behind the neck, and keep the rest of your fingers curled at the knuckles. Let the rest of these fingers relax above the strings, and you're ready to start playing.
How to choose your guitar pick
Using a guitar pick, or a plectrum, can affect the tone of your guitar, however, a beginner should use a guitar pick especially if your guitar has steel strings. It is recommended that you get guitar picks anywhere from light guitar picks (less than 0.6mm thickness) to medium guitar picks (0.75mm thickness) if you are just learning to play guitar.
With its noticeable "pick noise", light picks are best for learning strumming techniques; medium picks provide you with more flexibility in terms of tone. The shape of your plectrum also matters for smooth playing: sticking to either a teardrop shape or standard shape is highly recommended as both provide a solid grip and are great for beginner players.
It's also recommended that you purchase a left-handed guitar if you are a lefty. Who knows: you could be the next Jimi Hendrix and stand among the best guitarists in the world!
What guitar chords do you need to learn guitar?
Some who are just learning to play guitar find it easier to learn the guitar chords rather than learning how to play all the notes. To play a chord, one would play two or more notes at a time, which is done by placing the fingers of the fretting hand on several places along the neck. Guitarists will learn to play open chords and barre chords, but let's start with the essential chords first.
Among the first chords to learn guitar, also considered the easiest, are E minor, C, G and D. Before playing these chords, follow the "How to hold your guitar" steps again and get your fretting hand into the relaxed position. Here are some numbering systems to follow for the position of frets, strings and fingers when you play the chords.
- E minor: This is arguably the easiest chord to play. Simply place Finger 2 on Fret 2 of String 5, and Finger 3 on Fret 2 of String 4.
- C: Let's step it up a little. Place Finger 1 on Fret 1 of String 2. Finger 2 goes on Fret 2 of String 4 and Finger 3 is placed on Fret 3 of String 5.
- G: This one's a little interesting. Finger 2 goes on Fret 2 of String 5. Fingers 3 and 4 will both go on Fret 3, but Finger 3 is placed on String 6 while Finger 4 is on String 1.
- D: With D added in, you can play a multitude of songs! Fingers 1 and 2 will go on Fret 2, but Finger 1 goes to String 3 whereas Finger 2 is on String 1. Finger 3 is placed on Fret 3 of String 2.
Remember that for certain chords, you only need to play specific strings to create the right notes and sound. For instance, you should only play Strings 1 to 5 to create the C chord. Therefore, learning how to strum your guitar is as important as knowing the guitar chords. If you need support to learn the chords and strum your guitar, it may be time to reach out to a guitar teacher.
There are many health benefits of playing the guitar when you take guitar tutorials!
What should you expect at your first guitar lesson?
You are encouraged to take guitar classes if you want to learn how to play the guitar well.
When you take guitar tutorials, an experienced teacher will get to know you first before guiding you through the basic steps if you are learning to play guitar for the first time. These can include learning some notes on the guitar strings, basic guitar chords and how to strum a guitar correctly. You will get to know the many styles of playing the guitar as well.
Did you know you can learn guitar from tutors both in and out of Malaysia?
Find the best guitar teachers worldwide when you visit the Superprof Tutors page. You can learn from a guitar teacher in your area if you'd like to have face-to-face lessons, or learn various ways of playing the guitar when you take courses online with an international tutor. With over 6,000 tutors available on the Superprof Tutors page, finding the right tutor who can teach you the guitar basics has never been more convenient!
Here's another advantage to taking a guitar lesson with a Superprof tutor: you can have your first class for free. This is a great option if you're unsure about learning to play guitar and would like to give it a try without breaking the bank. Nonetheless, Superprof ensures a smooth learning experience when you sign up on their website - that way, you can get to know your tutor better.
Every Superprof tutor is required to explain their teaching style and methodology to potential learners on the website, in addition to providing testimonies from previous students. You can even message your Superprof guitar teacher directly to let them know about your learning expectations, as well as what you would like to learn as a beginner. Don't forget to bring your guitar along, too!
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