Guitar chords are an important part of playing songs. Not all songs can be played on a single string; that is why you need to learn about chords. Learning more about guitar chords will put you a step above your current skill level.

In this article, we will talk about what guitar chords are. We will also discuss the main problems many begginers have had, and how to learn to overcome these problems.

The Basics of Learning Guitar Chords

You may be wondering, as a begginer, how hard it would be to learn guitar chords by yourself. ‘Where do I begin?’ is a very common question. You should start at the beggining; learn what a guitar chord actually is.

The dictionary says that a chord is a combination of musical tones sounded at the same time. For the guitarist, it means that you need to hit the strings of the guitar at the same time with the fingers of the hand you use to strum, while holding down the strings at the required places on the fretboard. This should produce the sound.

There are tons of guitar chords to learn; some simple and some complex. As a begginer you should learn the easier chords first. These are named the simple guitar chords, or beginners’ guitar chords. The first chords you should learn are G Major, C Major, and D Major.Once you have memorized and are comfortable with these chords, you should practice some other ones.

The Main Problems of Learning Guitar Chords

As we discussed earlier, to play a guitar chord you must hold down different strings on the specific places on the fretboard. Each chord requires you to put your fingers in a very precise position. This leads to three problems:

- Sharp pain in the fingers coming from holding down the strings.
- Fingers may become numb, or even blister
- Fingers stiffen and reaction time slows down

Everyone experiences these problems while learning to play chords the first time. Fortunatley there is solutions to the problems stated above.

You feel pain in your fingers mainly because they aren’t used to being put in such uncomfortable positions. To solve this problem you should make a routine of doing finger exercises before you play everyday. Stretch your fingers out and play some single string notes. This stretches and strengthens your fingers, while also increasing your ability to move your fingers across the frets.

Your fingertips begin to get numb and sometimes blister is because your fingers rub against the hard metal frets. Rubbing in some methyl alcohol over the area before practice should help out a lot.

Your reaction time slows down because your fingertips begin to become stiff. This is because you have never played guitar before and your fingers aren’t used to it. As you learn more about the different chords, your fingers will be much more comfortable with the positions that are required to play them. You should also practice changing chords. The only way to improve is through practice.

About the author: If you’re are serious and really want to learn to play guitar, visit www.dailyguitarlesson.com. It has everything that a begining guitarist like yourself needs to get started. It really helped me get started with free guitar lessons and guitar videos.
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Buying your first electric guitar can seem like a pretty daunting experience. Having no doubt admired many an axe-wielder, the obvious idea would be to buy the same guitar as one of your heroes. The problem with that is the equally obvious issue of money. Unless you’re willing to spend several thousand pounds on a plank of wood you can barely play, a few helpful hints can ensure that you buy the right guitar to suit your needs, skill level and budget.

The right type of guitar will depend on the style of music you are most likely to play. For example, if heavy metal is your thing, a semi-hollow body guitar, like the Gibson ES-355, made popular in recent times by such luminaries as Noel Gallagher, will probably not be what you’re looking for. For the right style, see what kind of guitars your main influences are playing and see if there are cheaper versions available.

When it comes to the price you’re willing to pay, there must be some leeway. A cheap guitar might be within your budget, but if the wood, pick-ups and frets are substandard, it will lessen your incentive to keep playing. That’s not to say your first guitar should cost a fortune, but even spending £100 more could significantly improve the quality of guitars available. The same can be said for the shape of the guitar, although the most aesthetically-appealing guitars might not always be the best-sounding. The key is to always try the guitar before buying, even if you can’t really play anything, be it in a guitar shop or from a private seller. The sound and feel of playing the guitar should feel right before you part with any of your money.

Every electric guitar needs an amplifier, so unless you’re buying a guitar and amplifier together as part of a deal, you should try several ones to find the right one for you. As a general rule of thumb, always try playing through the amplifier with your guitar or one similar to your own. The amplifier might sound fantastic with a top-of–the range PRS Custom guitar, but that might not be the case with your Squier Strat.

Even though several guitarists, from Jimmy Page to Matt Bellamy of Muse, have been mainly self-taught, it is still worthwhile taking a few lessons to learn the rudimentary workings of a guitar. A look through online classifieds will allow you to see quickly and easily if there are guitar teachers in your local area. In addition, there are several online resources to further your training, where you can learn guitar chords and find transcriptions of your favourite songs. Certain software packages, such as Tab Editor can play transcriptions of songs as MIDI files, with notation to teach you how to play the song in real-time. This is great for when you’re starting out, but be beware of relying too much on these packages, as figuring out songs for yourself is needed to develop your musical ear.

At the end of the day, the most important thing about progressing as a guitarist is, unsurprisingly, to keep practicing. It can seem frustrating to not be able to play your favourite songs straight away, but with tenacity and the right equipment you can reach far further than may seem apparent at first. Rock on.

About the Author: Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.
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So you want to learn how to play acoustic guitar? Do you have hopes and dreams of one day becoming a professional guitarist in a popular band? Perhaps you just want to play for the purpose of entertaining yourself, family, and friends. Whatever the case may be, I do hope the following article will help you achieve your goals as an acoustic guitar player.

The very first step in learning how to play the acoustic guitar, is of course to get a guitar. For the sake of argument, I am assuming you already own a guitar and are ready to start playing. If not, you may find it easier to purchase a second hand guitar in the beginning while you are practicing and learning the basics. You will also save some cash. When you get better you can always upgrade.

Whether you are buying a new or used acoustic guitar, you will save a lot of headaches if you do your research first. Visit free newsgroups and forums online to see what other guitar players have to say. If you are buying a used guitar make sure you are able to physically see and check out the guitar before buying. You will need to examine the entire guitar for any visible damage or other imperfections. You want your guitar to have the correct action, intonation, and pitch. Your best bet, if you are that lucky, is to find an experienced guitar player to take along with you before you buy.

Once you found your guitar, it’s time to start practicing. Learning the correct way to practice is probably the most important part of your acoustic guitar playing success. It is better to practice 10 minutes of quality focused exercises then to spend an hour on the couch messing around trying to learn a complicated song. The environment that you learn in is equally important. You will need complete silence and privacy. You should not have any interruptions at all if possible.

You will need to recognize the learning method that works best for you because everyone is different. The last thing you want to happen is for your guitar learning to become boring and monotonous. I think every one has come to that point at one time or another. You appear to hit a dead end where your guitar playing doesn’t seem to get any better. No matter how long you practice,no matter how many finger exercises or chords you learn, you cant seem to get over that hump. Your brain is not responding as well because it isn’t being stimulated. Definitely do not become discouraged by your lack of progress. Put down the guitar and take a break. Stimulate your brain by doing something else for a while, then come back to your guitar practice.

Don’t give yourself super challenging tasks to complete in the beginning. You are setting yourself up for some major disappointment. Start off slow and easy. Learn the easy stuff first then tackle the more difficult stuff later on.

Set easier goals for yourself. When you set easier goals that you know you are capable of doing, you are building confidence and you are making progress.

Think about the growing stages of a newborn baby. The baby does not come right out of the mothers womb and instantly knows how to run marathons. No, he learns to crawl first, then walk, then run. The baby has to develop his muscles first in order to support his body. The same holds true for guitar playing. If you want to be able to produce clean sounding chords or play complicated solos, you have to develop your muscles, and this only happens when you are patient in your practicing. Over time, you will begin to develop what is known as “muscle memory”. This refers to the body’s ability to remember, or automatically perform, a well practiced motion. If you ever watch a professional guitar player, you will see this in action as the guitar player plays complicated chords and solos without looking or even thinking about it.

Be persistent. I don’t care if takes you 6 months to learn two chords. Never stop trying. If you have the desire to become a good acoustic guitar player, then you will succeed. It is simply a matter of time.

Listen to as much music from as many different artists as possible. Do not limit yourself to only your favorite artists. There are a multitude of acoustic guitar players out there in a number of different genres including classical, folk, jazz, rock, etc. If you limit yourself to only one particular area, you are depriving yourself of some beautiful music. You never know what artist can influence your playing style. So be open to new styles of music.

About the author: Do you want to get a HUGE head start on your acoustic guitar learning? You can right now with a FREE 8 Part beginner acoustic guitar instructions course. This Ecourse includes audio and video examples as well as a fun music theory game. You can get your first lesson right away by heading over to: http://www.learn-acoustic-guitar.com.
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