Want to Learn How to Play the Guitar? Are You Ready

The guitar is perhaps the most versatile musical instrument made in the history of musical instruments. Guitars are used in all sorts of musical genres, running the gamut from hard rock to country music. Many bands - no matter their genre - play guitar.

Because of its popularity, many people want to learn how to play the guitar. It takes plenty of dedication and commitment, not to mention patience. If you want to learn, you'll also have to get used to the physical effects that guitar playing causes.

For an example, callused fingers are a common occurrence. Guitar playing also can lead to cramping hands when you stretch to reach the chords. Additionally, your shoulders will see some wear and tear.

Keep in mind that it doesn't matter who you look up to - all guitar heroes had to begin some place. They had the callused fingers, sore shoulders and crampy hands, too. When you set out on this venture, just keep in mind, "No pain, no gain!"

When you learn how to play the guitar, you'll need to know the art of tuning your instrument. If you want to sound good, a properly tuned guitar isn't negotiable. First you'll have to get the lower E string in tune - that's the bottom string. Up one from that is the A string, then continuing up is the D, G, and B string. The final one is the high E string, and to make this easier you may want to pick up an electronic tuner from the instrument shop.

If you don't want to tune it yourself, you can always pay a fee to have it done at the store. Just remember this skill goes with the territory, you'll need it to play. Just ask the people at the instrument store, they'll help. It might cost you a little, but who knows - you might get lucky. Learning to tune your instrument is a vital skill, that way you'll be ready to play at a moment's notice.

After you have the guitar tuned, you want to unravel the task of reading the tabs on the guitar. You can find plenty of tutorials online. Once you know how to do that, you have to learn finger placement on the strings. This will alleviate some stress and pain in your hands. Once you've done that, try a bit of strumming. Finally, just practice some simple songs that give you an understanding of playing the chords. The easy chords are A, G and C.

That's all there really is to it - that's how to play the guitar! Keep in mind that you need to keep on trucking with practice. Keep practicing and you'll be able to become a master player.