Frequently Asked Questions

Learning The Guitar

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR ME TO LEARN GUITAR? +

I have been asked this question countless times, and the answer is always the same “A few months or the rest of your life” Guess what?

Both answers would be true. Former and present students of mine have asked “How long did it take you to play the guitar?”

To answer that question is simple: I never woke one morning and looked in the mirror and said to himself “I’ve made it!

I’ve arrived, this is the day I’ve truly mastered the guitar.

The fact of the matter is that learning the guitar is a skill, and like any skill there is a learning curve with quick bursts of improvement and then periods of frustration and stagnation.

But If you stick with it, the rewards are hours of enjoyment, satisfaction and years of fulfillment.

Our mindset is this: You should never stop learning the guitar, and you never stop wanting to get better and improve your skills.

If your idea of playing the guitar is to strum a few chords in front of your family or closest friends, then you’ll be able to achieve that in a very short couple of months(with a little practice).

But if you want to master the instrument, you will have to work hard at it for a good couple of years.

WHAT SIZE OF GUITAR SHOULD I PLAY? +

This is the most important step, choosing a guitar that’s right for your height, body shape and fingers.

Buying a guitar that is either too small or too big for there body shape is a reason for many beginner guitarists giving up, which ultimately hindered there guitar lessons.

Where as If they had gone and done a bit of research that was ideal for there body there guitar lessons would have ran a lot smoother.

For example: you should be able to see the guitar strings clearly while sitting up straight, as well as pressing down on the guitar strings.

My advise would be if your just starting…would be to go to your local music shop and try out different guitars with different type of strings i.e Nylon, steel etc..

That way you will know what type of guitar is right for you. Obviously ask a guitar specialist if your unsure.

WHAT SIZE OF PICK SHOULD I PLAY? +

This can be a tricky one, but my advise would be to experiment with different styles of guitar picks and find one that feels right for you.

Again it really depends on the style of music your looking to learn. Finding the right gauge( How thin or thick a pick is) and the right material of a guitar pick is also very important for sound production on the guitar.

Although plastic guitar picks are the cheapest and usually come free with some guitar packages, I advise you to stay away from this material, as they tend to be too noisy when playing the guitar.

Nylon guitar picks seem to be the most popular and highly recommended material for most guitarists in the amateur and professional world because they don’t break and they have a texture that is easy to grip.

I recommend for beginner guitarists:Jim Dunlop Nylon guitar picks 60mm or 73mm are great for all styles of music.

Finger Soreness And Practicing The Guitar

WILL MY FINGERS GET SORE? +

This is one of the main reasons why wannabe guitarists give up after a short space of time.

To answer the initial question, yes you will go through a period where your fingers will feel a little sore at the starting phase of learning the guitar.

The most important question you should ask yourself before even picking up the guitar should be “Why do I want to learn the guitar? If you figure out a big enough why? then a little soreness on your fingers should be sacrificed.

The truth is no matter what level of experience you are at, your fingers will get sore, it’s just a part of the process us guitarists have to go through to order to learn something new and challenging.

WHY DO BEGINNERS HAVE SORE FINGERS? +

It is down to 2 dominating factors:

1.Muscle Tension

Its all new to your fingers tips, they haven’t been used like this before and the chances are you are so eager to perfect your first chord that your pressing down on the strings harder than a more experienced guitarist would.It takes time for your fingers to relax into there new position.

2.Lack Of Practice

This is a big one, of course your fingers are going to get sore your not practicing enough. At the early stages getting into a practice routine as quick as possible is extremely important.

By doing so you will build momentum and after a few weeks with a good practice schedule your finger tips will toughen up, and the finger soreness will fade away.

HOW SHOULD I PRACTICE GUITAR? +

Developing a good practice habit is essential for success on the guitar, the main objective here is consistency.

Practicing the guitar a little each day is for more productive than skipping a few days and then practicing several hours to catch up for lost time. Practicing is a discipline that you will need to work at.

We now live in a society built around distractions that constantly compete for our time, T.V, the internet and smart mobile phones are a constant remember that time is the most precious asset we have and if used negatively years could go by without actually achieving anything.

Believe it or not practicing the guitar requires enormous self-discipline and focus just like any other important area in our life.

All it takes for you is to practice guitar for 21 days in a row for 30 minutes. What will have happened?

You will have practiced guitar just under 10 hours without stopping, learnt all the basics in 3 weeks and would a developed a skill set that you could have for possibly the rest of your life! Not bad eh?….

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