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Best Ways To Practice Guitar

person playing brown guitar
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Here are some of my top tips for the best ways to practice guitar.

Avoid callused fingers.

Try not to press too hard on the guitar strings in order to create a clear note. First, just touch the string lightly whilst plucking it with the other hand. It will sound muted so gradually exert enough pressure until a clear note is formed. You will notice that the pressure doesn’t need to be huge to create a clear note. The most important thing is the accuracy of fingering so that a clear note is made. If you press on the metal of the fret, the string will tend to buzz or sound a bit out of tune. Press the string down ideally just before the fret wire which makes the note.

Use your ears.

When first learning guitar beginners tend to strum loudly and not always hit every note that is in the chord. Make sure you play at a reasonable volume to hear all the notes in the chord when you strum. Try playing one string at a time at first to make sure all the notes in the chord sound good before strumming them together. The most important thing is to train your ears to listen to what you’re playing. Practice slowly and methodically being aware of getting accurate finger placement and technique. Don’t rush at it, speed comes in time and if the technique is poor you won’t achieve fluency and speed. In fact, if you rush you will inevitably make more mistakes and you will be practicing these and eventually ingraining them into your playing which will be difficult to correct later on.  DON’T PRACTICE MISTAKES!

Practice little and often.

You will achieve faster results when you start playing guitar by focusing on getting small tasks right like changing one chord to another. Concentrate on just two chords first and gradually add others to the sequence. Chunk the information down into small pieces so that you crack each small step at a time. You will see greater results in a shorter time. Set small goals like playing the same chord change over and over ten times without a mistake before going on to the next thing. If you make mistakes, slow down and check the detail of where your fingers are going, do the task in slow motion if necessary. It allows muscle memory to happen.

Take regular breaks to refresh your concentration.

If you get frustrated, take a break, have a cuppa, and come back to the task later on. Practicing in bite-sized chunks is far better, and more achievable and you will get faster results. Gradually you will be able to play your guitar for longer periods because your skill level will improve and also the enjoyment of what you have achieved.

The best way to learn chords.

Play them in the context of a tune. Preferably something you have heard before and that you like. Use very simple tunes to start and if you can sing along with what you’re playing it helps achieve a performable result. It will possibly impress your friends and family which should encourage you to do more.  Don’t be afraid of performing in front of people, it helps if they can sing along too. If this is something you’d like help with, contact me so I can give you some tips on how to sing along with your guitar.

Affordable Guitar Lessons

You want value for money right? Then it makes sense to get one to one tuition from an experienced teacher. Yes it’s great to surf YouTube but often it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. Save money and time by getting in touch with me.

I can help you achieve your guitar playing goals through individual and affordable lessons.

I have helped many students achieve fast results because I teach correct technique and pace lessons according to individuals ability.

Stay motivated, have fun guitar lessons and realise achievable results.

Dont give up learning an instrument because you feel overwhelmed by the amount of information and skills you need to acquire.

With encouragement and learning in a coherent order with proper explanation you can achieve success

Contact me and start learning enjoyably today.

Guitar Lessons During COVID

I am now offering individual lessons via Skype or Zoom so please get in touch via my contact page. I also envisage offering short courses in the near future to kick start beginners and at even more affordable prices with small group lessons so that people get an idea of my teaching style and get a fast track approach to learning with some peer support and encouragement. If you would be interested in signing up for this, please contact me via the contact page.

Keeping motivated

Sometimes motivation may be a problem with creating and practising your music. I go along with the notion that there are many ways to do this. Simply listening to music can be inspiring so if you don’t feel like playing your instrument, have a browse through your CD collection or online sources to find something new to lend an ear to. Since music is all about listening and replicating what you hear it is a good way to acquire new skills in transcription. Try working out the chords you hear and sing the melody lines then try to play them. Don’t pressure yourself as truly creative moments are inspired and tend to happen when the mind is not subject to stress. Doing something different can help motivation… So just like doing a crossword puzzle, really listening to a piece of music and working out what’s happening can inspire your own creative process. Above all though, make it fun!

Practice

People often ask me how much practice should I do?
The answer is really as much as you like but I tend to think that it is more about the quality of practice really. I think a good start is to warm up with a few scales or finger exercises and perhaps a tune you already know and then try to learn something entirely new. If you can get an hour per day that’s not bad but beginners may be better doing short bursts as there is a tendency to press the strings down overly hard to start with which can cause discomfort and calluses. Bad posture can also lead to sore wrists, neck and back so if you are experiencing any of these get in touch for some advice on how you are holding your guitar as the early correction will increase your enjoyment of playing and enable you to practice for longer.

Guitar lessons in Camborne

Welcome to Camborne guitar lessons. Whether a total beginner, intermediate or advanced guitarist I can help advance your playing with structured lessons which will be enjoyable and fun. I charge £20 an hour or £10 for half an hour. I offer weekly or fortnightly lessons and a generous discount for block bookings. I am currently offering face to face lessons online via Zoom or Skype, please contact me via the contact page to book your lessons.