Teach Yourself Guitar
How often have you thought about playing guitar along to your favorite songs?
We all do it. But only a few people will actually realize how fun it can be to play in real life. We all usually assume that guitarists are talented and have been playing and practicing for years … and while this is usually true, it’s not as difficult as you may think to teach yourself guitar from the comfort and privacy of your own home.
As a graduate with a bachelor of science degree in music, I can tell you first hand that the question I get most from people who want to learn how to play guitar is usually something like, Should I teach myself guitar, or pay for private lessons?
While private lessons are great in terms of mentorship, the truth is that for many beginners, you can teach yourself guitar faster by purchasing a quality teaching product that will allow you to practice on your own time and by your own terms.
Learning the basics of guitar playing including learning chord structures and common chord progressions, strumming techniques, finger picking, and even guitar sight reading are going to require practice no matter if you teach yourself guitar, or hire someone else to teach you when they have time.
To teach yourself guitar, I’d start with videos. Unlike with private lessons, you will be able to rewind and practice in certain areas you find more appealing, or perhaps where you feel you need more practice.
I’d also suggest that you subscribe to this blog, as I will be posting invaluable guitar lessons that will help propell you through the beginning stages of guiar playing in record time.
For example, here are some open position guitar chords to start learning and practicing:
“Open Position” means you start at the nut (the top where the head meets the fretboard). Strum all the strings unless the string has an X above it. 1 indicates the placement of the index finger on the string, 2 indicates the middle finger position, 3 indicates the ring finger, and 4 the pinky.
Once you get your “chops”, you will start to notice how fun the guitar can be and be glad you didn’t spend too much on private lessons.