Electric Or Acoustic
You are going to need to make a choice between an electric or acoustic, decide what you would be more interested in. An acoustic guitar is perfect for traveling as there is no need for an amp. However, an electric guitar is going to offer more fret room for those incredible squealing solos. And if you want to practice quietly, you can just go unplugged.
Start Cheap
You more than likely find yourself drooling over those expensive guitars on the wall of the local music shop. However, you want to save up your money and start with a hand-me-down or used guitar. If you really want something new, you can purchase a good beginner acoustic guitar for under a few hundred pounds. Take a look at our guitar range for a new guitar suitable for a beginner. Take the time to practice a little and learn a few chords before you pluck down the megabucks for a Les Paul.
Grab A Tuner For Perfect Pitch
It is quite easy to download a free chromatic tuner of your phone or use our very own. If you are thinking of purchasing an electric guitar, you will need a physical guitar tuner. An electric guitar will need to physically plug into a tuner and use the sound from the pickup.
Thinner Strings
Lighter gauges are going to be one of the best ways to minimize the chance of soreness while you are learning to play. For an acoustic guitar, consider a .011 gauge and .010 with an electric.
Learning Chords
Chords are the best way to build up your hand strength and are the overall building blocks of songs. Many songwriters will begin with a simple progression of chords and it is actually quite easy to learn many songs with 3 simple chords. The easiest way to get started is by checking out our 80 Guitar Chords You Need To Know!
Learn Strumming Patterns
Do you wonder just how many strumming patterns you really need to know? Would you believe that the majority of intermediate guitar players only know a few? If you want to break free and know all of the essential strumming patterns, you should check out TrueFire’s Essential Strumming Patterns. This is a hands-on guide that is going to help you learn 30 strumming patterns you need to know for cover tunes, jamming, and original compositions.
Beginner Courses
We offer a free beginner course that is designed to get you up and running and learning to play the guitar as quickly as possible. There is no need to learn music or theory, even spend time with boring and time-consuming exercises. In the very first lesson, you are going to learn how to start strumming the right way. In fact, you are going to play every single day during this free course.
Essential Chord Charts
The majority of chord charts are moveable and you will be rather surprised at just how many variations there are of the C chord. You will want to find alternate fingerings in an effort to make the transition between chords. In fact, you just might find the perfect chord variation by accident. You can always download our free guitar chord chart.
Bending Fingers At The First Knuckle
To ensure you have the correct finger placement, you always want to bend your fingers at the first knuckle. The string should hit your fingertip at about a millimeter away from the nail.
Watch That Pinkie!
We usually pay little attention to the pinkie finger, but while playing the guitar it is a strong force to be reckoned with. However, many guitarists admit that the pinkie is their most underdeveloped finger. While it may be difficult, creating a strong pinkie is going to allow for some serious shreds down the road.