Ready to start learning guitar? That’s fantastic. You’re about to board on a lifelong journey – though it’ll be a challenge, but seriously worthwhile. There are five basic things that a beginner guitar player should learn. From how to hold the instrument to playing open chords, these basic skills are vital in developing a strong technical foundation.
Guitar Anatomy
If you’re going to take guitar lessons in Vienna, it’s helpful to become familiar with its basic anatomy. Here’s a little information about some of the key parts:
Tuning pegs:
The pegs on the headstock of your guitar are used to
adjust the tension of the strings, and in turn, tune the instrument.
Frets:
Located on the neck of your guitar, frets are strips made from metal embedded on the fretboard. These help you play different notes.
Sound hole:
In acoustic guitars, a louder sound is projected by
the sound hole.
Saddle:
Adjusting the action on a guitar is key to producing great sound. The action refers to the distance between the strings and the fretboard. To change the action, you’ll need to adjust the saddles, where the strings sit.
Holding a guitar
This seems to be a little too basic, but, this helps learn guitar lessons if you’ve never actually held a guitar before. Right-handers need to grip the neck with the left hand. Your right hand will naturally sit on the soundhole. But, if you’re left-handed, you have a few options. Either purchase a guitar specifically for lefties or re-string the guitar in reverse order and flip the whole thing upside down, so your right hand is gripping the neck. Finally, leave it as is, try to be ambidextrous!
Tuning a guitar
An out-of-tune guitar can seriously hinder your playing experience. As a beginner guitar player, your best bet is to purchase a tuner. These easy-to-use devices can be your guitar teachers and may give you a perfect result. Tuning apps can also be helpful but these aren’t as reliable. You can also learn to tune a guitar manually but this is a little trickier, especially if you’re just starting.
Playing open chords
A beginner guitarist needs to learn open chords, one of the first skills. You can play a whole host of popular songs mastering just three. Apart from attending guitar lessons, following a chord chart is one of the best ways to get familiar with the basics. You can start practicing transitions, Once you feel confident playing three or four chords.
Improvising in rhythm
Playing chords accurately is one thing – playing them in rhythm is another. Jump with a simple one-stroke-per-beat pattern. You may like to use a metronome to keep you on time. Then, you can begin experimenting with more advanced playing patterns.
Feeling stunned?
Trying something can be scary especially when it’s something as complicated as playing guitar. Working with a guitar teacher in Austria to overcome these obstacles is the best way. You can learn all the basics properly from him, so you can reach your full potential.