Beginning to play a musical instrument and especially guitar is one of the most rewarding things one can do. Music is one of the few mediums that can totally cross language and cultural barriers. I love the power ripping through the amp when you strum out a bar chord on an electric. Or singing out songs over your acoustic for family and friends. Actually being able to play songs and even compose your own is an indescribable feeling. So here are some easy guitar lessons to get you going.

So a quick message to all the beginners out there. This does take time and patience, do not give up. I will never forget grabbing my first guitar for the first time knowing I would be jamming to my favorite CDs immediately. Boy was I mistaken. My fingers couldn\’t even get one note right and a chord, not even a chance. I didn\’t quit, I adjusted my goals and stuck to it.

Your fingers are in all probability confused and throbbing and it maybe just plain uncomfortable when you first pick up the guitar. So you need to build some strength and elasticity through aerobics. No secrets here to playing guitar, just exercises and repetition. Practice makes perfect and all that stuff. When I was just starting I liked to sit in front of the Tube and just go over drills kind of unconsciously just to get my fingers strong.

Getting both hands to play nicely as one is also going to take some time so don\’t get dispirited. At first your fingers tips will hurt, practice through that pain for as long as you can, don\’t just take a breather right away . Before you know it the calluses on your finger will develop and you will be practicing for hours. The worst part of starting with the guitar is this just starting out phase. Please just stick with it and battle through it, the rewards will be immeasurable.

So let’s begin with your strumming hand. This is the rhythm hand and the time keeper. The hand you will hold your pick or finger pick. Slow and steady is key here. Practice with your pick, alternating between down strokes and up strokes. I like to tap my foot to keep tempo, it helps me practice in time. Alternate steady and slowly, down and up and down and up. No need to rush you will build speed as you improve. You can practice this on one string to start and then work into 2 or 3 strings as if your were strumming chords. You don’t even need to make use of your other hand at this point or use it just to mute the strings so you can watch TV.

Ok how about that fretting hand. This is the hand that is going to pick out the notes to be played. This is the hand that also may start to hurt and the hand that doesn’t seem to know what it is doing when first beginning. Again take it slow, take it steady, and please be patient. We need to get all four fingers working with each other. Now it is easy to skip out on the pinkie training because they are the hardest, do Not do this. If something feels uncomfortable when playing guitar it just means you need to practice more.

So here is my favorite exercise to help you play like grease. On your top string, the thick string, your E string, press your index finger on fret 1. While still pressing use your middle finger on fret two. While holding both down press your ring finger on fret three. Last but not least press your pinkie on fret four. As you are doing this you should be picking, always alternating, down and up, down and up. Now you reverse lifting the little finger, then ring, then middle, etc. Fret one, two, three, four and then back down 4, 3, 2, 1 all while you are alternating your picking down, up, down, up.

Start this exercise slow and get it precise, do it until your fingers are bleeding. Then as it gets simpler build up your speed. Practice this on all strings, all over the fretboard. This will unlock your fingers and really get them going. Get this down pat and exact then build up. Guitar is my obsession and hopefully this can help you on your way. It truly is an amazing instrument. Videos and photos will really help burn these concepts in your brain. Check out these easy guitar lessons.

Videos, tabs, and more insanely easy guitar lessons

Guitar and music in general is personally one of the most fulfilling hobbies you can pick up. Music is blind to color, culture and deaf to language. Any person can simply take pleasure in any style and truly sense it. It’s extremely stimulating when you blast out a power chord through an amp at a rocking decibel. Or singing out songs over your acoustic for family and friends. Releasing your feelings and emotions through sound is a truly mind-blowing moment. So lets jump right into some easy guitar lessons.

One more thing to the newbies before we start. Do not give up and have patience. I will never forget grabbing my first guitar for the first time knowing I would be jamming to my favorite CDs immediately. Boy was I wrong. I couldn’t even get a single note to sound out clearly and definitely couldn’t hold multiple fingers to form a chord. I didn’t give up, I adjusted my goals and stuck to it.

For most people, playing the guitar for the first time is not simple, your fingers most likely will not go where you want them to. So you need to do drills to get them better. No secrets here to playing guitar, just training and repetition. I’m not the first person in your life to tell you this, practice makes perfect. This first stage of guitar is about getting your fingers strong and bendable. It can become tedious sometimes so I would work in front of the TV until I improved.

Getting both hands to play nicely as one is also going to take some practice so don’t get dispirited. Your fingers are going to hurt at first so play through it as long as possible and then take a breather. Calluses will build up on your finger tips and the soreness will go away. Trust me the worst part about beginning guitar is beginning guitar. Please just stick with it and battle through it, the rewards will be immeasurable.

Here are some pointers for your strumming hand. This is your rhythm hand and our plucking or picking hand. Slow and steady is vital here. Practice with your pick, alternating between down strokes and up strokes. Start slow and play along as you tap your foot to keep in time. Down stroke, up stroke, down stroke, etc. Slow and steady while you alternate. Increase speed as you go. Play this on 1 string then move on to 2 strings, then 3 strings and so on as if you were practicing chords. When starting out or practicing in front of the Tube you can mute the strings with your other hand to really pay attention to the rhythm.

Ok how about that fretting hand. This is the hand that is going to pick out the notes to be played. This is the hand that also may start to hurt and the hand that doesn’t seem to know what it is doing when first beginning. Again take it slow, take it steady, and please be patient. We need to get all four fingers working with each other. Now it is easy to skip out on the pinkie training because they are the hardest, do Not do this. If something feels uncomfortable when playing guitar it just means you need to practice more.

So here is my favorite exercise to help you play like grease. On your top string, the thick string, your E string, press your index finger on fret 1. While still pressing use your middle finger on fret two. While holding both down press your ring finger on fret three. Last but not least press your pinkie on fret four. As you are doing this you should be picking, always alternating, down and up, down and up. Now you reverse lifting the little finger, then ring, then middle, etc. Fret one, two, three, four and then back down 4, 3, 2, 1 all while you are alternating your picking down, up, down, up.

This exercise should be practiced until you can’t stand it anymore, slow and accurate. Then as it gets simpler build up your speed. Practice this on all strings, all over the fretboard. This will unlock your fingers and really get them going. Start slow and build up. Guitar is my obsession and hopefully this can help you on your way. It honestly is an amazing instrument. Videos and photos will really help burn these concepts in your brain. Check out these easy guitar lessons.

Get more easy guitar lessons with video, tabs, and photos