Learning to Play the Electric Guitar? 7 Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
Let's face it - learning to play the electric guitar is hard.
There's no 2 ways around it, but most beginners make it even more difficult than it needs to be.
Mistake #1...
Using the WRONG model What does this mean? You need to practice with the one you ultimately want to use down the road.
For instance, if your goal is to use an electric guitar than don't start out with an acoustic model simply because you have one lying around the house.
Bite the bullet and invest in an electric one.
This is important because while many of the skills needed for an acoustic are similar to the electric, many are not.
Therefore you might get really good at playing the acoustic...
only to find that a lot of the things you practiced don't apply to the electric.
You will then need to spend a lot of needless time practicing things you could have just started out knowing.
Mistake #2...
Cutting corners In other words...
don't get a super cheap model just to save money...
this might be most important part of learning to play the electric guitar.
Make sure you find a store that will let you rent out different models and practice with each one you are considering.
This will help you know which you like before buying...
not after.
Mistake #3...
Not getting an expert opinion Even if you don't test drive the guitar before buying, reading reviews by experts is very often enough to help you find the right one.
As a beginner you very likely might not know how to find the best one but there are many experts that do.
Do this before going to the store so you don't let a persuasive salesperson talk you into getting the wrong one.
Mistake #4...
Getting a low quality amp This will kill your efforts before you even start to learn the guitar fret.
Even the best electric model will not sound good with poor amps.
When purchasing be certain you use it at the store prior to purchasing.
Mistake #5...
Not exercising the fingers Yes you heard correctly - there are workouts that will help prevent injury to your fingers.
This instrument is very demanding on the fingers so exercising these muscles is very important.
Mistake #6...
Being tense while playing You often the importance of being relaxed in golf...
but staying loose is also critical when learning to play the electric guitar.
This will help your fingers move more fluently and you will perform much better.
Mistake #7...
Getting a private tutor Yes you read that right...
getting a private teacher used to be the best way to learn...
but that is no longer the case.
The reason is that this is very expensive and the time you have to spend with the teacher is very limited.
Most lessons will cost you $30+an hour...
so even if the teacher does have time to squeeze you in more than once a week, you will pay an arm and a leg to do it.
So if you shouldn't use a teacher...
how should you learn? By using an online course.
Today there are tons of simple guitar programs on the internet to help you learn this skill quickly.
How much do they cost? Most are roughly $40-50...
in other words, about the price you'd pay for 1 lesson with a teacher.
Best of all they allow you to go at your own pace and you don't have to be held back by a lack of money or your teacher's busy schedule.
This is the best method for learning to play the electric guitar now.
There's no 2 ways around it, but most beginners make it even more difficult than it needs to be.
Mistake #1...
Using the WRONG model What does this mean? You need to practice with the one you ultimately want to use down the road.
For instance, if your goal is to use an electric guitar than don't start out with an acoustic model simply because you have one lying around the house.
Bite the bullet and invest in an electric one.
This is important because while many of the skills needed for an acoustic are similar to the electric, many are not.
Therefore you might get really good at playing the acoustic...
only to find that a lot of the things you practiced don't apply to the electric.
You will then need to spend a lot of needless time practicing things you could have just started out knowing.
Mistake #2...
Cutting corners In other words...
don't get a super cheap model just to save money...
this might be most important part of learning to play the electric guitar.
Make sure you find a store that will let you rent out different models and practice with each one you are considering.
This will help you know which you like before buying...
not after.
Mistake #3...
Not getting an expert opinion Even if you don't test drive the guitar before buying, reading reviews by experts is very often enough to help you find the right one.
As a beginner you very likely might not know how to find the best one but there are many experts that do.
Do this before going to the store so you don't let a persuasive salesperson talk you into getting the wrong one.
Mistake #4...
Getting a low quality amp This will kill your efforts before you even start to learn the guitar fret.
Even the best electric model will not sound good with poor amps.
When purchasing be certain you use it at the store prior to purchasing.
Mistake #5...
Not exercising the fingers Yes you heard correctly - there are workouts that will help prevent injury to your fingers.
This instrument is very demanding on the fingers so exercising these muscles is very important.
Mistake #6...
Being tense while playing You often the importance of being relaxed in golf...
but staying loose is also critical when learning to play the electric guitar.
This will help your fingers move more fluently and you will perform much better.
Mistake #7...
Getting a private tutor Yes you read that right...
getting a private teacher used to be the best way to learn...
but that is no longer the case.
The reason is that this is very expensive and the time you have to spend with the teacher is very limited.
Most lessons will cost you $30+an hour...
so even if the teacher does have time to squeeze you in more than once a week, you will pay an arm and a leg to do it.
So if you shouldn't use a teacher...
how should you learn? By using an online course.
Today there are tons of simple guitar programs on the internet to help you learn this skill quickly.
How much do they cost? Most are roughly $40-50...
in other words, about the price you'd pay for 1 lesson with a teacher.
Best of all they allow you to go at your own pace and you don't have to be held back by a lack of money or your teacher's busy schedule.
This is the best method for learning to play the electric guitar now.
