Learning to play a few chords on the guitar is not that difficult. Is it possible to become a professional musician without a degree from a conservatory, a music college, or at least a music school? Practice shows that it is possible. Among the outstanding guitarists, you will not find many certified musicians.
Where to begin?
To learn to play, you first need, of course, a guitar. And from the very beginning it is advisable to choose a good tool. It is not necessary to make it to order, among the serial tools you can find something suitable, and they usually cost less than ordered ones. Immediately buy a good case (preferably a hard one), spare strings, a tuning knob, and if a guitar with a removable neck, then a key for adjusting. In addition, you will need:
- self-instruction manual;
- chord table;
- tablatures;
- metronome;
- tuning fork.
You don't have to buy a metronome and tuning fork. Many music sites have electronic ones. In addition, you can install a special program like GuitarPro, which contains the necessary devices and tables.
Don't try to pick a guitar yourself. Take someone who already owns the tool with you to the store.
If you don't know the notes
Does the guitarist need sheet music? Of course, literacy is never superfluous, so if you have the opportunity, study elementary music theory. You can do this yourself. What is needed at the first stage is in the tutorial: the names of the notes, the place of each on the staff and on the fretboard. Start mastering chords right away. Learn the simplest sequences. To do this, of course, you need to know the basic steps - tonic, subdominant and dominant. It is also advisable to remember the dominant seventh chord, its appeal and resolution.
The same guitar sound can be taken in different ways. The more options you master, the better.
Learn the notation
You will definitely need chord letters. In many songbooks, you can see Latin letters above the lines of the text. Such a recording is called digital. In a good guitar reference, you will find all the options for recording a chord - sheet music, digital, and tablature.
What is tablature?
Tablature is a drawing that shows the position of each finger when a musician plays a particular chord. You do not need to remember where which note is written. It is enough to find the desired fret and place your fingers as shown. This recording option is used by many musicians, and not only beginners.
What does the right hand do
Play the simplest chord, such as A minor or D minor. With the fingers of your right hand, play the strings from the thickest to the thinnest and vice versa. Then try hitting all the strings together. When it starts to work out, try to master the simplest sequence - for example, tonic-subdominant-dominant-tonic, that is, the notorious guitar "square". Learn to quickly rearrange chords. Train on the same sequence until you succeed, and only then move on to the next. Please note that almost all popular songs can be played in a square, and there is a capo to change the key. If you are learning to play the electric guitar, there are a few more tools to learn how to use. Having learned to play brute-force confidently, start mastering the fight and its different variants. The best way to learn is from songs, when the voice is leading the melody.
