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the Electric Guitar” 5 Simple Steps to Start Playing the Electric Guitar Have you always wanted to play the electric guitar but never got started? Are you overwhelmed by all the guitar lingo, tech, gear and can't figure where to start? If that describes you, you're going to learn the quickest way to get started and competent enough to start playing your favorite songs in 5 simple steps. 1. Buy proper equipment. You're going to need some equipment to start playing the electric guitar. First off, you're going to want to buy an amp so that you enjoy everything an electric offers - the loud sound, distortion, crunch and all the intricate sounds you can create. That's probably why you bought an electric guitar in the first place as opposed to an acoustic. A budget of $100-$200 is good for an amp and cables. I recommend you start out with a 15-watt amp and upgrade later on. Line 6 provides a great sound with presets for different sounds. Next, you'll need to get new string (if necessary) and a few guitar picks. I recommend a .9 or .10 gauge to start out with. As for the picks, they vary from extra heavy to extra light. Try out a few to see what you're most comfortable with. I recommend starting with the medium weight ones first. 2. Buy a guitar instruction book. It's absolutely necessary to learn the basics first before diving into more complex playing. Buy a guitar instruction book as well as a music stand and practice on a comfortable chair. You have to spend some time learning the basics such as chords, notes, finger positioning, reading music, reading notes, learning timing, etc. It's a little tedious to grow through this in the beginning but it will pay off big time as soon as you finish the basics. 3. Practice with a metronome Why do you need practice with a metronome? It's simple: You need to be able to play in time if you want to play with other musicians and keep up in songs with different tempos. It doesn't matter if you can play that killer guitar solo or lick, if you can't play it in time, it will come out jumbled up, You also can gradually increase the bpm in the metronome which will help you increase the speed and precision of your playing. 4. If possible, take a few lessons. Having a guitar instructor help you out will accelerate your learning and understanding of how the electric guitar works. It'll also help you learn how to read and work with music, tablature - which is much simpler if you have someone there to teach you. Although many people will not be able to afford an instructor for the long haul, I recommend taking a few lessons in the beginning at least to get a head start. 5. Develop a practice schedule. The last thing you want to do is grab the guitar and spend hours fiddling away at it only to be at the same level of proficiency as you were a week ago. The reason why many people get frustrated and never get better is because they waste time fiddling around the guitar. Instead, set a certain amount of time practicing scales, chords and learning to read music. Then set some for drills and some time practicing your favorite songs. This way, you will practice your chops, learn the technicalities of music and have fun with your favorite songs. So these are the 5 steps you should follow when learning to play your electric guitar. This will cut your learning curve and get you started right away without confusion. Rock on! |