So recently a new guitar player was commenting on the member forum that he was really struggling…
And after asking some questions and getting some more info, a couple of things came to mind that might be holding him back.
You see, there are some very common mistakes that almost all beginning guitar players make (and even some not-so-beginning players) that can be pretty easily avoided.
So let’s run down the top 5 here now:
- Believing that you have to start on acoustic… I don’t know where this old wives’ tale started but it’s simply not true. Now if you prefer the sound of acoustic over electric, that’s one thing. But if you think it’s going to be somehow easier you are mistaken – in fact it will be more difficult. If you like the sound of the electric, get an electric.
- Trying to make a badly setup guitar work… This is one I see a lot. The student drags a guitar out of the closet and brings it straight to the lesson. The neck is warped, the strings are old, and there’s about 6 feet between the strings and the fretboard – and he wonders why it’s hard to play a chord. Even a brand new guitar can need a setup and a few weeks after you get it home it’s almost guaranteed to need some TLC as it adjusts to its new home. Guitars are wood and wood will change with environment.
- Using heavy strings… Your fingers will hurt at first. Acoustic guitars especially are setup from the factory usually with a medium gauge (thickness) that is really hard to play for a beginner. Get extra light strings (as light as you can) and have them put on by someone who knows what they are doing. Keep in mind that changing the gauge of the strings will change the overall system and you may have to get the neck adjusted soon after (see #2.)
- Sitting poorly… When you sit to play, your guitar can be on your right or left knee, but your knee must be higher than your hip (or at the very least even with your hip.) Don’t lean back, sit up as straight as you can so that the guitar is not leaning back at an awkward angle for your wrist. With an acoustic guitar, you’ll likely have a hard time seeing the strings when you do it right (yet another argument for #1 above.)
- Trying too hard… This is a brand new thing for some very small muscles and your patience will be tested. Guitar has a high barrier of entry, meaning it takes longer on a guitar to play seemingly simple things. When you push a piano key it makes a sound but when you play a note on guitar it might not always work out at first. Don’t practice more than 20 minutes at a time or possibly even less if you find yourself zoning out. But feel free to practice 2, 3, 4, or more times per day in short spurts.
If you’ve been playing a while, chances are you even made at least 1 or 2 of those mistakes. If you’re new to the guitar, hopefully this will shortcut that curve a little bit.
The important thing is not to give up on it in the beginning. If you can make it past that initial hump there’s a lot of great music and fun to be had.
131 replies to "5 Most Common Beginner Mistakes"
I bought my first guitar when I was 16. I never took lessons, because my father didn’t believe I would ever stick with it. At 21, I bought my Gibson Blue Ridge, and 50 years later she has only gotten better with age. At 60, I bought a Taylor, which I didn’t love (until I had her set-up and put lighter strings on). Then a year ago, I developed some life threatening health concerns, an because I didn’t want to sit araound waiting to die, my wife bought me a Gibson Les Paul. First thing I did was have it set-up and had new, lighter strings put on her. I still have health issue (I am waiting for a kidney transplant. So, if anyone has two working kidneys, and doesn’t mind living with one, I’d gladly take one off your hands).
Hey Griff thanks as always for the helpful hints . I have been playing for quite a few years now and love the blues . It’s my favorite music to play. I really dig all the old stuff . I can’t play with a lot of speed,I just love the old style of phrasing . Have a great one man . Peace bro.
Good advice Griff.
12/6/18
Sometimes it’s the way the student is set up and not the guitar. When I was 10 my father bought an acoustic electric guitar so I asked him if I could use his old guitar to learn how to play. He reluctantly agreed and let me use the guitar. It was set up correctly and ready for him to use and he did play it for many years. The problem was it was a massive dreadnaught and the medium size strings were set up about a half inch above the fretboard. I could barely wrap my fingers around the neck, much less press the strings down to the fretboard. Attempting to play was a lot of work and little fun.
I went to the music shop one day when my father needed some work done on his Fender Twin Reverb amp (all tubes, no solid state electronics, still sounds sweet today) so I Checked Out the inventory of guitars. A salesman handed me a Telecaster to check out and compared to the Dreadnaught playing was much easier. The neck was thin. The strings were much closer to the frets. And the strings were very thin. Much more conducive for a 12 year olds hands.
I wanted that Tele but had no $ for it. Dad bought me a small cheap acoustic and put nylon strings on it. Much easier to play. I decided right then that I would learn to play on acoustic but one day would play an electric. I eventually bought a Stratocaster ( Hendrix and Clapton used them) and soon discovered that although my acoustic and Strat were guitars they had only 3 similarities: 6 strings, a pleasant sound and you placed your fingers in the same position on each guitar to play chords and notes.
The electric is much more sensitive and less forgiving than the accounting. Little mistakes barely heard on the accoustic were AMPLIFIED on the Strat. Just the slightest string bend made notes sound much different on the Strat. Learning to get that sweet tone and setting the volume at the right level for playing wasn’t an issue with the accoustic but all of this had to be learned in order to play the Strat. And then there were the little black boxes and pedals that you had to learn along with the amps,pre amps and Heads in order to get that distortion or wah sound everyone is looking for.
Now I spend most of my time on the acoustic for 2 reasons. I spent many years on acoustic trying to get good enough to play electric so it’s a habit. Also, the acoustic requires no amps to plug in, no guitar to plug in, no little black boxes to fool with. I pick up the acoustic and it’s ready to play. However, there are times when I plug the Strat into the stack of Marshall’s, hook up the pedal and distortion box, dial up the volume and crank out a blistering sound that usually ends up with the wife yelling “Turn it down, you know that Purple Haze and Back in Black give me a headache, grow up, you’re not in high school anymore!”
My experience too, My wife called it satanic as well and now she is happily gone after 20 years and now I have someone who appreciates me and the music. Be careful about who you marry!
I get no complaints when I play Kenny Logginsp “Pooh Corner” or James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” so I guess it all evens out. I tolerate the soft stuff and she tolerates but still complains about the head banging stuff
2 Arbonne you’re wrong about YouTube instructors that is where I found Griff after going through bgu I also found Steve Stein Eric from active Melody you may have heard of Tim Pierce these guys are all excellent instructors with the only desire of teaching you to play guitar not everybody learns the same way if you don’t need to be told where to put your fingers then I guess that’s on you some people do need to be told
straight up totally agree and still find myself overexerting ….pure determination
Yup on all five!
Been playing two years now, lovin it!.
I can play Malcoms rhythem (sort off) (actaually quit well)
Bring on Angus’ stuff!
I agree with all or most of the majority of comments, There is only my experience, I started on acoustic, All types, I’m 59 now & never really wanted to be in a band & never have.I would watch all these great guitar players & they had Electric, So I had to get one, Not knowing a thing about them, I bought one cause it looked real nice.I was about 18, No utube, Internet then, Only Book I remember learning from was Mel Brooks (think that’s right).Anyway the Electric turned out to be great, A Fender Strat, Standard. The neck on the acoustic was too big in comparison. WE.
I think you mean Mel Bay. I used one of his books to learn chords back in the 60s.
I thought I would leave a suggestion for anyone struggling with an acoustic who wants to play acoustic guitar. Some of you who are a bit older might remember a song called “In the Year 2525.” by Zager and Evans. Denny Zager now makes guitars at his home and sells them online. I have played a long time and his guitars are acoustic but play as easily as an electric guitar. They are reasonably priced and come with a beautiful case. I bought one and play it more than my Martin. You’ll have to google “Zager Guitars” since I don’t remember the url off- hand. His goal was to make an acoustic for electric guitar players Trust me for the price it is much better than buying some starter guitar that hurts your fingers He doesn’t sell them in stores ( and no, I don’t work for him).
I have to agree with Andrew on the quality and easy playability of Denny Zagars guitars. I stumbled upon them while researching better acoustic guitars. I own a nice Taylor but wanted better. Looked at Martins but ended up pulling the trigger on this sweet Zagar model! Actually got a phone call from Denny about a slight blemish on the one I wanted. He knocked a hundred bucks off the price, upgraded me to a nice hard case and to this day I still can not find the blemish. Love the guitar. Hope to be playing it through the year 2025!
“If man is still alive, if woman can survive.”
Hey Griff,
All good and true to the word tips.
Electric is much better to learn from and experiment with sounds and the Fret board action. Bought a electronic KORG Pitch clip for tuning. Now 3 years ago I know when one of the strings is out of tune by ear now. Temperatures also have affects on the strings so need to keep them pitched before practicing.
Every time I pick up one of my 5 guitars I tune it systematically prior to doing one of your courses. I usually get the music shop to change the new strings I purchase they do it in about 5 mins as apposed to my 30 mins. They showed me how to do it and I can do it but it is quicker and they do it for free as I bought all my equipment from them.
Great tips,
Michael-Sydney-Australia- April 2016
Great tips. Take your guitar to a pro for setup and learn how to restring properly.
really enjoy your tips for a beginner like me. I mostly want to be a good STRUMER as opposed to a big time riff master. I am 73, but really like music. I play mostly Chords D, G,A7, which seems best for oldies pop and country.Question is, TUNING i have an acoustic guitar with a light up battery type gadget which goes green when properly tuned, however i find not great getting good tuning.Should i stay with GUITAR TUNER on line or get a tuning device for my guitar? I always seem to be a little off on proper tuning. Any suggestions? PS I have a Fender acoustic guitar.Thanks Norm A
How old are your stings, if they are old they tend to go out of tune more frequently. Oil on fingers and general wear & tear ultimately affect the brightness and tone of strings, if you play your guitar frequently they’re more likely to go off sooner. I play everyday, and notice a change in the playability intonation, even bending becomes more difficult, less malleable is a way to describe it. I’ve been playing for over 45 yrs and I can sometimes notice it through my fingers, than just the the tone. I sometimes change them monthly & give the guitar a good clean with recognised polish, there’s plenty to choose from on EBay or online. Regards Ian
Yes buy a tuning device. In fact buy one for every guitar you own, unless you play through an amp or pedal board that has a tuner. Also a phone app tuner can come in handy.
I find that an electronic tuner with the green and red lights is much better than using an online tuner or a smart phone app. They can be inexpensive and very easy to use. Beats hitting the E on a piano and tuning by ear.
Thanks for your email. It’s all great advice most of which I thoroughly understand. As far as the time devoted to practice i spend at least 1 to 2 hrs. Everyday if possible. I love it so much the time just flies by. I even took up the banjo as well. Always wanted to play one of those. ( this instrument is much harder than guitar I find, but I won’t give it up even though it’s a slow learn process for me) thanks again Griff.
I think most of us been there done that, if not you are not playing guitar or attempting to play. Excellent advice
Wise ( and VERY timely ) advice.
Thanks to all for some great tips!
Thanks Griff,My problem is I think slow,so you will play a rif,but I need to slow it down,then I can get the notes down,and then play it up to speed,so consequently I never improve,just the same old same.If I could mtape it and then slow it down,I would have it.When I read the notes I am so slow it doesn,t make sense,I am ok on a song I know.The blues notes are like jazz to me,I don’t know theory,I play by memory,but just playing blues notes,doesn,t do the job.I know its my problem,but I keep trying,as its an honor to have you teach,you are the best.Part of my problem is that there is no one around here interested in blues,just country and old time fiddle music.Thanks for listening,Griff.
hey, Len! sounds like you need this. http://downloadsurgeon.com/ I have it, and it works great!
Thanks Griff which has reminded me of your teaching. Us students should aim to play well at least one ‘tune’ for acoustic and one for electric. We need BOTH.
Yep, done all of them. I still do number 3 and have a bad posture period.
Number 2 strikes a (non) chord. I have tried to play some real crap guitars in my time.
Good advice as always Griff. Keep it coming! I do enjoy these emails we get from you.
Number 5 can’t be overstressed. I think long practice sessions can easily lead to just practising mistakes over and over again rather than taking a bit of time off to think and work out how to get past those inevitable difficult hurdles. In the past I have sometimes practised for 2 hours + only to find that I was worse at the end than I was at the beginning. What works for me now is positive, focussed practice for short stretches of time and being really disciplined about getting the challenging parts right rather than fudging over them because the rest of the song sounds all right.
Great advice. I would to ask if you have any blues material in the DGDGBD tuning?
all very good advice . of course the guitar will need adjustments . good luck finding someone who can do it correctly. thing is i took my yahama electric to a guitar place for work . the guy leveled the frets and recrowned them . he was also to set it up . showed up to get it back and played a barr cord and had a awfull fret buzz. the guy says that well maybe it needs a truss bar adjustment . he messed with that and still had te same problem. got up left with it . hey i like the guy he plays out and hate to hear what his guitar sounds like. well i went on line and learned how to set up a guitar for myself and with alot pratice and fumbles i now am pretty good at it . anyone here could maybe do the same by just following the instructions. i have at least set up so many for friends and family i concider myself an expert. leaning a guitar expecially a acoustic agianst a wall can change the set up in under an hour. get a stand or put it back in hard shell case . get rid of the bag type case . if not put guitar against wall facing the opposite way . no preasure on neck . i once changed the neck adjustment on a vintage fender bass by hanging it from the ceiling while de tuned in a month never touching the truss adjustment. hope this helps some of you out there .
A year and a half into learning to play the
guitar and all you say is true. I would add, stay focused on the lessen at hand.
Griff, your advice is always helpful across the board. I would say I am an intermediate level payer, and, yes, it’s terrific to be shown how Eric Clapton does things; but those of us with short memories find reminders like your ‘five most common beginner mistakes’ a useful memory jog.
All best,
Richard
My wife just thinks I’m short of a fret or two
I am waiting for the ultimate course to resolve this;)
I do love everything you send thank you Griff (that is heartfelt) and I read your great knowledge every day
And bought Acoustic Blues Unleashed – great….making my way through it:)
(maybe a free course offer of a DVD ‘Play the Blues and Keep the Wife’ could be packaged) or
Understanding how to respond to ‘I don’t care if you are learning the guitar up there – here’s the grocery list and keys to the car’
Have a great day Griff x
Take up the bagpipes or accordion. She’ll be begging you to go back to the guitar in about a week,
I’m a disabled Vet and I’ve signed up for Guitars For Vets at my local VA clinic. It’s a 10 week course of instruction for veterans that are disabled and need the music for therapy. I’m thankful for Blues Guitar Unleashed that has at least helped me online so I’m not just a raw beginner! 🙂
In what key?
I too am a disabled veteran (Vietnam).and.would be.interested.in.learning more
about the course offered at the VA. Who do I contact? Thanks..
While helping my grandsons learn, I was quick to find simple music with maybe three or four chords. But most encouraging was to find a recording either original or karaoke in the same key that they could play along with. That experience of hearing the fuller result was very helpful and most important a lot of fun.
I play Acoustic most of the time. About a year ago I was given a squire strat ,I always wanted an elec.,I found the strat was harder for me, then I noticed the strings were closer together, making it haed for me to chord properly, long story short I measured the nut on my acoustic and found it was longer than the strat.so I bought an elect. with the same nut size and made it better.
I had the same trouble with the neck on my cheap, box store Starcaster electric.
Went to the local guitar shop and they set me up with a PRS SE Bernie Marsden with a wide fat neck.
My old fat hands fit perfectly.
No problem getting clean sounds now.
You need to get a good fit, just like shoes.
I’ve noticed that the different scale lengths between my acoustic and electric guitars causes me to misplace my fingers on the frets when I switch between.
Only a half inch difference, but I always seem to be short of the fret on the acoustic.
I guess that means I need to look at my fingers more.
My wife seems annoyed when I practice, so I bought an amplified headset that replicates the VOX AC30 amp.
Just another cord to avoid strangling myself with and another battery to replace.
Stopped playing for quite awhile due to hand problems and now need to start over.
Should come back fairly quickly as I still seem to have some muscle memory remaining.
Well 2 yrs in and I’m 78 , I practice almost one hour a day , an have been going on two years, I’ve got basic chords down an can read music to some degree I love it when Griff gives up some things to practice on as my finances are really limited on SS so at present I can’t to afford to
Buy the lessons , but I sure will if I get some coin. Any way I love trying to play!!! Bob Sheets
I can only imagine how difficult the violin can be: no frets and you have to control bow while holding it in place.
Get an semi hollow electric, like a ES335 or Epi Dot,or copy. best of both worlds.Sounds great for Blues too! Set it up,and tune it! Play it a while, then plug it in to an amp.You too will be hooked.
Man #1 really takes me back in time about 40+yrs……….when I was a kid I wanted an electric guitar, parents said no, after begging like little kids do, they relented & said I could have an acoustic….so I said NO THX!
Then I bought my first guitar when I was about 48…..agh what cud have been! Parents out there pls take note for your kids sake!!! 🙂
Great advice as always Griff. I recently bought the beginning blues guitar course,after having bought the blues guitar Unleashed last year,and I have to be honest it fills in a lot of gaps and answers about lot of questions I had. I love it and all your courses are very easy to follow. Thanks Griff.
I have made all these mistakes, thnx for bringing it to our attention. Now if I just get the dog to quit howling when I sing!!!!
Maybe the dog is singing a duet with you!Lol
I like this site and I am actually learning ever day after years of playing around with my guitar and strumming cords without playing. The blues beginner course is great. I am actually learning something new everyday. I guess I need to practice in short spurts instead of playing scales until my left hand is hurting. Do not know if it is my Osteo-arthrise or what but I learn every time I checkout Blues Unleashed…….
Great article
Hi griff great work im a newbie to guitar playin but find your lessons easy to follow keep up the good work.
Thanks
un site tres bien ficelé
Thanks Teach!! Great reminder for some of us not so starters (but still a learning novice) I saw a video just yesterday in which one of the guys from ZZ Top said when he first started, he used heavy strings for a fat blues sound. Later he met B.B. King, and B.B. was going to play his(Billy’s) guitar at the show that night and noticed the strings. His only question for Billy was why would he even want to work so hard to play? Billy later went and changed all his electric guitar strings to the lightest he could find,(.070)with B.B.’s approval of course! 🙂
hi griff. i`m a 60 y/o man learning to play. i bought the keith urban that came with an acoustic guitar,how after read this thred i`m going get my 1958 fender stratocaster that my dad gave me when i was a child i used this when i was a teen but didn`t stick with it.thanks for the advice.
sry about the typos
Very good are your points Griff, thanks. I play an electric guitar,but use the acustic sound. I play now only in standing, as I want to learn not to look onto the strings, but to concentrate on the notes, which works very well. I also found, that playing in standing makes your strumming more freely and even.
Hi Griff,..just wanted to say that i’m thinking of getting an Electric Guitar,..if I could fined a starter Guitar I really think that I can learn faster,..I’m having a little problem with my acoustic,..a friend of mine is trying to sell me his,..he also told me that it would be easy to learn on an Electric so I’m going for it,..please stay in touch,..Thanks again,..Mr.Griff
It wasn’t until I did the reverse that I made my first major breakthroughs,that is I began on an electric but ultimately switc hed to acoustic when I fell in love with old school acoustic blues fingerpicking. Back in the day there were no computers or tools to play electric quietly. I had neighboring apts to think about plus an ex-wife who gave me hell constantly when I tried to spend time with my guitar. As a result I fell into the habit of always picking my electric unplugged no matter how dead the sound was. It took me a few years to figure out that if this is the way I’m playing I might as well go acoustic, and once I did the revelation of cascading gorgeous tones I was getting compared to my unplugged electric made me fall head over heels in love with acoustic blues. It’s only now, two ex-wives and some 20 odd years since I last touched one, that I’m getting seriously into honing my electric guitar playing skills, and I love both equally.
Sit on a yoga ball while playing and you will be in the proper posture.
Great advice and its so easy to ignore,Len.
My rule is don’t play anything until you tune the guitar. Nothing worse for your ears and sound than playing a guitar that is almost in tune.
Poor setup is a real drawback. My grandson bought a used Tele and was having nothing but trouble trying to get the sound I was getting. I took him to my guy at Guitar Works and had him do as setup. The kid couldn’t believe the difference and has progressed substantially since.
i’m sure in the 40 years i’ve been playing i have made some mistakes. when it come to my guitars, i have made my own custom electrics. some people would bring me kits, but mine where made from scratch. just bougth the necks. a guitar that’s not set up right is one of my pet peaves. every time I change strings, i set the neck and set up the intonation. then i streach them and do the set up all over again. i tried to make your gig in Long Beach, but was feeling to ill to drive. wish i could have made it. would love to meet you Griff. thanks for all you do for us guitarist. Paul.
I have a Tele Highway One with fat frets. With the usual Tele 3 bridges (2 strings per bridge), intonation was a constant problem. My guitar guy took off the 3 bridges and added 6 individual bridges from a Stratocaster. It made all the difference and is something I think all Tele guys could do to eliminate the intonation problems.
#1. How true…it took me years to figure that one out and finally bought an electric and I cannot believe how much easier it was to play and learn. Of course when you have a great teacher like Griff it makes learning fun.
I tried a Seagull acoustic at a music shop and it seems to play almost as easy as an electric. Sad to say the price tag was a bit beyond my budget. Perhaps someday….
I’m a 54 year old gonna be beginner. I just ordered my first left handed guitar. I’ve had two acoustics that were rightys, never could get it. Now I’ll have a lefty, electric and no excuses. Both of my acoustics, you could drive a truck under the strings.
thanks Rick,..I also have a couple acoustics,..I think I’ll buy an Electric Guitar,..
Hi Griff. As a guitar tutor, I often suggest to the student to have the instrument set up by an expert, a bit costly, but worth it.
this is great advice I started on a acoustic and had a lot of head aches
I tried to send a person’s email to you for the “4 note Solo” but cdn’t–she wd like to be on your list—
here it is irinakirilenko@msn.com She is an intermediate player.
that’s great advice I’ve been switching back and forth from acoustic to electric is that a good idea
Get stoned!
Everything sounds better when you’re stoned man. That is when I do my best guitar playing. Great advice. But get a setup also.
Great advice Griff I’ve made em all too back in the 70s cheep guitars were really planks I remember a old 335 copy with awful action now days with the advent of CNC machines companies like Fender Squire and Gibson Epiphone are producing very good guitars with proper set up they sound and play fantastic for little $$
Setup Setup and situp!!!!!!!! take care of that guitar and it will take care of you…..!!
Everything I learn and practice is on acoustic guitar with somewhat heavy gauge strings and from experience, if you have developed speed on an acoustic guitar where you have blended legato and heavy bends, false harmonics, double stops, fast pull offs and hammer-ons, with the added equipment such as sustain, wah wah pedals, and other stuff you should be much faster on an electric guitar, not that I think that speed is the ultimate to playing guitar, but it’s good to have it if you need it or you want to use it. Only thing that I find not the greatest on electric guitar is playing jazz chords where you really have to concentrate on blocking out strings not being used, which at times is a real chore, because I hate sounds that don’t belong in what you are playing. Really annoying and it makes you feel like you lack skill in trying to play a song perfectly.
The biggest obstacle to learning to play really well…MOTIVATION!
WHY play?! If you have no goals, purpose, or plan, what are you trying to accomplish?
After 50 years of owning guitars, I’m still trying to figure out how to QUIT!
you sound like me, my daughter sings on stage, when she is around I play wheelie she singe, but when she goes home, I have 4 dust collectors. the two of us are the only ones in my family that do ay music, the rest just like to listen. oh well. at l eat twice a year I play.
you can’t quit and you know it!
I can sign every word from the post.
And two more things helped me a lot:
– Bad setup can be temporarily(!) fixed by using Capo on a first fret (which is most-most difficult to use).
– And the rule “at least 5 min EVERY day”. usually 5 min easily can become a 10-15 min more.
Yuri Yolkin,..hey thanks for the pointers,..I think I’ll buy a capo tomorrow,..thanks again,.
Sir am a electric quieter apprentice, sir , my question is how to play 5sting cord?
I believe number 2 is the biggest reason for people to fail to learn. In fact I was talking about this at a local guitar store before Christmas. They agreed, and also said they get people bringing in poor guitars (and asking for them to be fixed). They also said some are so bad that the people in the guitar shop can’t play them, so what chance does a beginner have?
Good stuff Griff. Going on the Forum is a big help too because I get a lot of good suggestions there.
Even though I have been playing for many years I still use #5 all the time, when learning something new that I am having a problem with I find I pick it up quicker by practicing it for a short intense period, moving on and getting back to it later, sometimes taking a day or two away from it.
Always look forward to these little pearls of wisdom from you Griff!
Excellent comments and advice as usual Griff.
Regarding string guage for beginners. Bends are easier to learn on a lighter guage string. If you cannot make a full bend get a lighter striing. When you can make accurate bends you can go to a heavier guage if you wish. Itis not a question of manhood. Dont be intimiddated by some jerk telling you it is all wrong. It is just a set of strings. It is a learning tool.
Pat
As an intermediate player I find that reviewing the basics is always good. For example I sometimes tend to slouch. I will recommend however that playing on the left knee, if your right handed, helps in easier finger positioning on chords and better finger extension. Raise the neck too.
Yes you have to have guitar Inthonated went you change string size and warped neck can be stighten out by adjusting it by the tressrode justment on the neck you no why i no this becuse A friend and I build guitars and we now how to set them up On electric guitar you can also adjust the bridge from in side the back of the body and it will give you sound that you want and adjust the action on the guitar by adjust the bridge peaces on the bridge
I started with acoustics but subsequently purchased a Telecaster Highway One with fat frets. The Tele requires a much lighter touch with the fat frets, as they have a lot more space for the strings to be pushed down, changing pitch. I love my acoustics, only playing the Tele out at jams. Learning solos on the acoustics is far more difficult to me than on the Tele, mainly because of the sustain with the electric. I feel the need to flat pick most every note on the acoustic, and the bends are far more difficult, even impossible in the lower ranges compared to the Tele. But, I also think learning on the acoustic is harder, and makes one better on the electric. Just my 2 cents….
I have had an acoustic nylon string classic for decades that because my job traveling did not allow me to play often enough. Last year I bought a nylon string Marten “back packer” and the acoustic blues coarse. I play it every day and am pleased with my progress.
I have tried many times over the years to play steel string acoustic, and electric guitars and for the life of me I can’t figure out how anybody can find steel strings easier to play than nylon strings on an acoustic.
Thanks Griff
I very big problem I had to over come is muting string. When I learned open chords on an acoustic, you try real hard to make all the strings ring. Your fingers get in the habit of being perpendicular to the fret board. I transitioned to barr chords and my fingers were perpendicular. Then I started playing with a group with a teacher and he made me realize how many “extra” sounds I was getting and how bad it sounded (when you play louder, those unmuted strings now get vibrated from your amp and others) . Re-learning to flatten some fingers and to play “sloppy” so the tip of one finger would, on purpose, touch an other string to deaden it was, and still is, a very difficult work in progress. PLAY WITH AN AMP so you can hear your mistakes other wise you are in for a rude awakening later on. Then there’s palm muting.
A similar thing happen when I tried pinch harmonics and other picking techniques. I realized the way I hold the pick was, an is, not right. Re-leaning how to hold a pick and still strum smoothing is turning out to be near impossible for me. It almost like if you gave me a lefty guitar.
Learn the correct way.
Excellent advice as usual Griff. I am guilty of #4, but will certainly not do this anymore. Thanks again for very helpful posts.
How long does it take to learn guitar. I have an electric and have been taking guitar lesson for a year. I know all the notes but can’t play an entire song. I practice everyday and most times two to three short period. I would love to play by ear but have not grasp that concept. Any suggestions would be appreciated
Short answer, it takes a lifetime to learn the guitar. Now, I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it should be your goal to make it a permanent part of your life. The answer you are looking for, however, is that it depends upon what you want to do. If you want to strum chords and sing, you can do that within your first year. If you want to play rhythm guitar, a couple of years should get you playing fairly well with friends. However, if you want to play lead or solo guitar, after two to three years, depending upon how much you practice, you could have a few songs in your repertoire. Get the basics down, train your fingers, learn your chord shapes all over the fingerboard, and familiarize yourself with the various styles (blues, jazz, country, etc.) and then focus on one. Learn to be happy with the little improvements that you make. I have been practicing every day for 1/2 to 2 hours for a little over two years and I’m nowhere near ready for the stage, but I can play a couple of songs fairly well and I enjoy playing bits of others that sound good to me. I only play for myself, and I just enjoy the process of learning. My wife says she likes my playing, but I think it stinks. That’s just the way it is. 🙂
I am so here. So mechanically gifted but tone deaf and mangled hands & fingers. 40 plus years of just plinking. Wondering how it all works. Playing with others. I’m just thankful that I’ve almost always had a friend within reach.
By the way, if you are in more of a hurry, I suggest personal, professional instruction.
It is easier to use your fingers and hands to play than your ears! A little humor there.
Also, go back to one of Griff’s other blogs about progress. If you try something now that you tried a year ago, you will likely find it a little easier to play now. I try that exercise from time to time when I am a little frustrated. When you are in the thick of it, you often don’t notice any improvement. Kind of like putting on weight! You don’t notice until a year has passed and you have put on 20 pounds VERY SLOWLY!
Don’t give up James, that’s the biggest secret of all time. If you want it bad enough you’ll get it. Pick up your guitar EVERY single day and spend at least a little time on it. Learning to play guitar is not a fast, or an easy process. I spent a good three years practicing before I felt I could at least play a little bit. The main things to do are play every day and don’t ever quit. EVER!
You hit the nail on the head griff
You’ve always got our backs Griff!
As an instructor myself, I preach the same message. Including “never let your instrument hold you back” . Like a shoe, the guitar must fit the player. Setup is key to being able to achieve.
Thanks Griff!
A few years ago I started with an inexpensive acoustic with steel strings, and had a hard time, but tried to stick with it. Then I bought an acoustic with nylon strings, and had it set up correctly and it played totally different and much easier with a soft sound without a pick. I love it.
Then, I bought a really nice acoustic electric which I love to play plugged in over backing tracks. I play the acoustic with nylon strings every night for my husband: a combination of a little blues, a little jazz, with the boxes that I learned from Griff, and the scales. I finally learned all the names of the notes on the frets and it has really opened up a new sound. I am an old gal who picked this up late, but something I always wanted to do…and I love it.
I loved reading your comments, good on ya.
I must say Griff’s take on this is dead on to me. But I do not agree about playing either an acoustic or electric is the same. For me technique is vastly different with the two. I approach things such as palming, muting, flat picking, harmonics and so on quite differently. An example would be, for me, slide. What I developed on acoustic did not transfer well to electric and had to modify my technique.
I started with a cheap, used acoustic but quickly became discouraged because I could never get the chords to produce a clean sound. Then I found a higher quality acoustic-electric in a pawn shop. What a difference, the sound made me want to strum chords just for pleasure.
Then, after a few months of practice, I purchased an amp and plugged it in. Wow! I could not believe the difference. I was hearing sounds that I could not make unplugged. So, since I live alone, I practice plugged in. Some day, I might even try the Les Paul style electric guitar that I bought at a good deal from e-Bay but have not yet played.
Also, now that I am practicing more often but for shorter sessions, I have noticed an improvement. I was practicing until my hands cramped and then would be reluctant to practice if I did not have enough time to recover.
Thank you for the helpful tips. I might have figured those things out eventually but at 72 years of age, wasting time by making ‘practice-errors’ is not a good thing to do.
R-von
I don’t know what YouTube you are watching but I have to disagree with your assessment as to the value of learning things about the guitar on YouTube. I have used YouTube for years for learning different things on YouTube and my experience has been the total opposite of yours. No doubt you can always pick out those whose teaching method lacks proper skill but overall considering that what they are offering is free, it is amazing the amount of good information you get from these people. Right now I am working on scale modes outside of your normal pentatonic scales, such as Dorian, Lydian, Phrygian modes and I wouldn’t have known a thing about them without YouTube. I am learning the scales, how you can apply them, how you can mix them with blues and pentatonic scales, and all of this learning I don’t have to pay for. Due to this I bought a Yamaha keyboard and I am learning piano via YouTube now, so as you can see my experience has been very different than yours.
Paul
I agree with you Paul that there is excellent guitar learning material on YouTube. The real danger it represents is a scattering of focus, jumping from one video to the next and one teacher to another but never really mastering anything, it’s happened to me a time or two to where I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. For this reason I believe a structured program or approach is generally best. You Tube is fine if you spend enough time to give a teacher or approach it’s due, and then stay with it until the lesson is fully absorbed. Some of the YouTube teaching IS quite excellent, but because it is free it isn’t respected enough to spend the proper amount of time on it. I see both sides.
Good advice as usual, thanks Griff.
Good additional advice from Gus for an electronic tuner, preferably the type that clips on to the headstock.
Two other suggestions:
– learn a few two finger chords to begin with for fast and encouraging results – but do not stop there!
– Follow a structured course of tuition (there are many, but Griff’s are excellent) rather than just hopping about on U Tube.
RE: YouTube guitar lessons – a total waste of time, except for the brief excerpts from Griff. Most of the ‘instructors’ are either trying to impress, or go so fast that it is difficult to follow them or seem to know nothing about music theory.
I especially do not like to be told where to put my fingers, like 1st finger on 3rd fret, 2nd string, 2nd finger on 4th fret 3rd string, etc. Even Griff does that sometimes.
Just tell me to play E on the A string – I will find it. I do not understand why guitar teachers are reluctant to use note and string names rather that fret numbers. It is by learning where the notes are and understanding the fret pattern that we eventually make progress.
Music theory is not a bad thing to learn. YouTube is the worse place to learn it.
I don’t think that the perception is that playing an acoustic is easier than playing an electric. I think that the belief is that an acoustic is more difficult to play and if one learns on an acoustic then playing an electric will be easy. This belief is founded on the fzctvthstvwe neck on an acoustic has slower action than the electric neck. It is fatter thicker and probably has heavier gauge strings especially when compared to slinky type strings. For me ot is easier to make chords and play lead on the Strat but the strat ismore sensitive to correct finger positioning and feed back while playing rythm. So even if you master the acoustic your going to have to learn all the little nuances that make playing a Strat challenging
amen….
When I started it was impossible for me to play an open E chord. That did not register to me, so I wore my fingers to the bone. I would not give up. I guess that was wrong !!! I think about that often and I still can’t figure out why it was so hard. Now after 5 yrs. I can play 200 chords with no problem. I use #8 strings then & now and they sound great !!!! Electric always !!!!
Dam Brother Lindsey,..I’m 70 years old I got to learn fast,..did you say 5 years,…I was thinking like maybe 1 year,.
Spot on Griffin. Especially nos 2 & 5. Love your stuff I find it ensures and reminds of things forgotten.
A couple of things I’d mention.
If you are buying a new guitar two things to bear in mind.
Electric guitars are heavy, much heavier than you might be expecting, so make sure you get a strap.
Acoustic guitars are big so make sure you can get your right arm comfortably round the one you choose.
And finally, learning to get your fingers into position will require you to learn new arm, wrist, hand and finger alignments. Some of the ways you will teach yourself to make chords will be bad for your future guitar playing health.
Make sure you don’t just memorise where the fingers go to make a chord. Learn as you go how to align the arm, wrist, hand and fingers otherwise you’ll bed in bad habits and you’ll get muscle and playing fatigue problems.
Not sure I agree fully with #1.
Yes, it is a little harder to learn on an acoustic. On the other hand, if you have learned on an acoustic, it is quite easy to transfer to Electric, not so much the other way around
I agree, good on you Mate, keep it up!
Nickŕ
Thanks Griff, great points. I have just one comment, more of a question really on the Acoustic vs a Electric “debate”. It seems most Electrics are more sensitive to pitch changes (sharp) when being played on the first 3 or 4 frets than playing the same notes or chords on an Acoustic. I’m not sure if it’s the fret size, string gauge, neck radius or all three that makes the difference. Any insight is, as always, appreciated.
I play mostly acoustics but also have several electrics too. My personal experience is that the ‘sharp pitch change’ is all about thin strings and the ease with which you can over pressure them between frets, particularly at the bottom end of the neck.
I started my acoustic playing on 14s and as a result my left hand has a grip like a gorilla. I now play on 11s (lights) but most of my experienced electric playing buddies can still only play my quality acoustics for a few minutes before saying their fingers are hurting.
Conversely, I’ve got a pretty little semi-acoustic LP copy strung with 9s and all my buddies love it – but I really have to concentrate on not strangling it – with all the accompanying sharp pitch changes.
Tommy Emmanuel strings his acoustics with 13s and 14s and quite a few electric guitar greats use 11s and 12s. I guess I’m in exalted company with these other gorillas!
Thanks Griff
Hi Griff,
Yup all that and a Chromatic Tuner.
Sound advice griff, many thanks.
Bang on! Made ’em all and more………….
well said my friend. how easy we forget the basics!
I agree with the post…..some guitars are unplayable, untunable, and are guaranteed to discourage even the most dedicated new learner. Nowadays you can get a pretty decent sounding guitar for a couple of hundred bucks and with a proper set up will encourage, not discourage the new player.
I prefer the sound of an acoustic guitar, but use my electric if I haven’t been playing for a while, and my hands are soft. Also, an electric has the advantage of being able to be played through earphones so you can hear it, but others can’t……useful if practicing late at night with others in the same house.
Ross