How To Play Guitar For Dummies

How To Play Guitar For Dummies

When we think about the guitar, most of us picture a guy with long hair, leather pants, and lots of tattoos. Throw in some wild solos and screaming vocals and you have an image of what we think a rock star looks like. The guitar is also one of the hardest instruments to learn. It’s not as easy as playing the ukulele or learning piano chords. So, how do you get started? How do you begin playing the guitar for dummies? Before you begin, it’s important to understand that there are many different kinds of guitars: acoustic, electric, classical, and more. Your first step is to figure out what kind of guitar you want to play before exploring the rest of this guide. Once you know which type(s) interest you, read on for detailed instructions on how to play guitar for dummies:

How To Play Guitar For Dummies?

  • The first step is to buy a guitar. You can get one from a music store, or you can go online and buy it.
  • The next step is to go to the music store and try out a few guitars until you find one that feels comfortable and sounds good to you.
  • The next step is to learn how to play chords on the guitar and how to play some songs by ear.
  • After that, you can start learning how to read music with tablature (this is called “scales”). This will help you learn how to read the guitar fretboard quickly and easily, which will make your playing more fluent, fluid, and natural looking (in addition).
  • Once you have learned all of that, then it’s time for some serious practice! Seriously though, this will take a lot of dedication on your part but if you’re willing or able, then keep going! If not, then don’t worry about it too much as practicing a little bit each day is better than nothing at all.
  • After you have learned a lot of songs, then start adding some more chords and some more scales to your repertoire. This will bring your guitar playing to the next level!
  • Once you’ve learned all that, then it’s time to learn how to play lead guitar! This will be similar in nature to the way you learned how to play chords on the guitar but with a little bit of a different focus and mindset. Here are some resources that can help you learn lead guitar:
  • Once you have learned all that, then it’s time for some serious practice! Seriously though, this will take a lot of dedication on your part but if you’re able or willing then keep going! If not, then don’t worry about it too much as practicing a little bit each day is better than nothing at all.
  • Once you have learned a lot of songs, then it’s time to learn how to play lead guitar! This will be similar in nature to the way you learned how to play chords on the guitar but with a little bit of a different focus and mindset. Here are some resources that can help you learn lead guitar:
  • Once you have learned all that, then it’s time for some serious practice! Seriously though, this will take a lot of dedication on your part but if you’re able or willing then keep going! If not, then don’t worry about it too much as practicing a little bit each day is better than nothing at all.

Basics Of Playing The Guitar For Dummies

  1. Have a guitar in your hands.
  2. Pick up the guitar and strum the strings with your first finger, then the second finger, then the third finger, etc.
  3. Pick up an E chord on the 5th fret of the 1st string and play it back slowly, then strum it slowly to make sure you got it right.
  4. Start playing chords by holding down a button on the neck with your thumb and pressing another button on each fret with your fingers (with your other fingers still holding down that same button). You can also do this by pressing two buttons at once with one finger while holding down another button with another finger (you’ll still need to use two fingers to hold down all six buttons).
  5. Practice playing different chords as you move from one string to another (starting from open strings).
  6. Learn how to play simple songs such as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or “Mary Had a Little Lamb”.
  7. Learn how to play songs by ear.
  8. If you want to learn songs that are harder, then learn “Chords and Scales” from the book of the same name by Mike DiMeo.
  9. Start learning to play a song by ear (this means you’ll have to memorize each note in a song).
  10. Learn how to read music.
  11. Learn how to read tablature (the way guitarists think of music).
  12. Play along with your favorite song and make sure you know the lyrics and chords well enough so that when you play along with it, you can play what’s written on the page (if there aren’t any tabs posted yet, make some up!).

Strumming Techniques For Dummies

1. The Pick

The pick is the most common method of strumming, and for good reason. It’s easy to master, and it doesn’t require a great deal of coordination. However, if you want to get a little more creative with your strums, you should try the “downstroke” technique. With this technique, you use your pick to press down on the string while you strum forward. This is a great way to add some extra volume or sustain to your strums. You can also use this technique in conjunction with alternate picking to create some awesome lead lines.

2. The Slide

This one is tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it can be very effective. The slide is basically another pick that moves along the string while you strum forward. The main difference between this and the previous method is that instead of pressing down on the string like a pick would do, you pull the string to get the slide to go down. This technique is great for creating funky rhythms and effects, but it will take some time to master.

3. The Hammer-on/Pull-off

Hammer-ons are just like pull-offs, except you’re not switching strings. Instead, you’re hammering on or pulling off the string you’re playing on (depending on the technique). This is a great way to add extra notes to your strums and create some cool effects. More advanced players can also use this technique as a replacement for strumming entirely. You can play using alternate picking techniques while hammering on or pulling off strings, which gives your playing a very unique sound.

4. The Sweep Technique

This one is pretty simple in theory, but takes some practice to perfect. Basically, this involves moving your pick from one string to another with each strum of the guitar chord you’re playing at that point. If you’re playing a C major chord and you want to add an E note, you can sweep from the D string to the G string.

5. The Slide-up/Slide-down Technique

This technique involves using your pick to move up or down the strings in conjunction with your strums. The main difference between this and the previous method is that instead of pulling on the string like a slide, you use your pick to press down on it. This is a great way to create some extra notes or effects while playing, but it will take some time to master.

6. The Slide Technique (Part 1)

This technique is pretty simple in theory, but takes some practice to perfect. Basically, this involves sliding up and down the strings with each strum of the guitar chord you’re playing at that point. If you’re playing a C major chord and want to add an F note, you can slide from the D string to the G string.

7. The Slide Technique (Part 2)

This technique is pretty simple in theory but takes some practice to perfect. Basically, this involves sliding up and down the strings with each strum of the guitar chord you’re playing at that point. If you’re playing a C major chord and want to add an A note, you can slide from the D string to the A string.

8. The Tremolo Technique

This is a great effect for any guitarist looking to add some extra bite to their strums or rhythm patterns. Essentially, this technique involves using your pick while picking the strings with your thumb and fingers at the same time. This gives your strumming a very unique sound that will really set it apart from anything else you’ve played before!

Conclusion

As you can see, learning how to play guitar isn’t easy. It’s a challenging and rewarding instrument that can take years to master. The good news is that you don’t need to start off as a beginner. You can learn at your own pace and with these tips, you’ll be playing guitar for dummies in no time! In fact, don’t be surprised if you attract a few long-haired rock stars who want to know how you mastered the guitar so quickly!

Ramiro Stephens
Ramiro Stephens is a technical writer and content strategist. He has a passion for helping people understand complex topics, and he enjoys sharing his knowledge through writing. Ramiro has worked in the technology industry for over 10 years, and he has experience in a variety of roles including software development, product management, and marketing.