Playing The Guitar First Time

Looking for a new guitar can be confusing if you are only just learning to play the instrument. Strolling down to your nearest guitar shop will help you determine the different designs, but it will not help you to decide on which guitar to pick. The first time I had received my first acoustic guitar was when I was seventeen. I had no idea how to play it, nor did I know that the strings needed changing or that the frets were a little worn down.

To me it was all about having a guitar and finally being able to learn to play - the trouble is how would I learn how to play? What would I need to do to maintain my guitar and what strings do I need to buy to replace my existing ones? The truth is, I had asked all my friends and decided to visit the nearest guitar shop and gain some helpful tips from them. I soon learnt that I needed to but very specific strings and found they came with varying thickness.

The point is there is no 'beginner' guitar, apart from sticking to a six-string guitar, which can be acoustic or electric. Acoustic guitars tend to need harder strumming, I find, but if you do buy an electric guitar, you will need to buy a good Amp to go with it.

Getting a guitar is about playing and making music with it, so for those who are learning to play for the first time should endeavour to learn more about the guitar itself as well as learning how to play it. So now, you have the guitar you find yourself strumming away to painstaking noises, scratches and distorted tunes. You think to yourself, that maybe you should take another trip to the guitar shop and perhaps buy a guitar playing guide for beginners. Alternatively, you could buy a DVD tutorial, audio CD with an accompanying book or look up for music teachers.

In the nine years, that I have had my guitar I have to this day not learnt how to read or play music, because I learnt how to read guitar tabs. This is a much simpler and easier version of reading music notes. Instead of learning your notes and their tones, you are learning which fret to place your fingers and what string to play that note. They are easy to read and with a short practise, you will be picking it up in no time.