Learn Electric Guitar

Hello Fellow Guitar Player!

In this section I will try try my best to answer various guitar related questions I have received over the years.

This is often times questions related to learning how to play guitar. However, there will also be the odd question about guitars in general, such as guitar maintenance and repair.

Do you have a question? Do feel free to contact me, or post it in the comment box below!

OK, let’s dive into some guitar related Q and A, shall we?

An Easy Way to Learn to Play Electric Guitar

Q: I’m a teenager and have very little experience with guitar playing. I just want to know how to play a couple of notes.. Can you help?

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A: If your on a budget, the easiest way is probably to have a guitar playing friend showing you some simple tricks and tips. I will guess you even know a guitar playing teacher at your school or perhaps a relative which can help you out for free.

There are also quite a good number of beginner guitar videos to be found on YouTube…

I will have to advice you that you will be far better off if you can afford some qualified instruction. It is quite common to pick up bad habits, and these habits is always harder to correct later on. Do it proper, right from the start and you will be on your way in no time!

Maybe you have someone who can help you find (or borrow) a beginner guitar book or DVD, or better still buy one of the many good online guitar courses?

Without a doubt , the best (and subsequently most expensive) is to be have a private guitar tutor.

My best advice is perhaps to never give up and do your best with what you have. Remember, some truly great guitar slingers are self taught :-)

Sore finger tips and callouses

Q: Any tips about ways to build callouses?

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A: Perhaps the best tip in my opinion, is to make a commitment to yourself  – telling yourself that you’re going to stick with it until you’ve learned how to play the guitar. Like anything else, this takes time.

Then, you should consider how to set a schedule for regular practice. I always recommend that – when ever possible, you practice at the same time every time. It is very important to get into the habit of practicing!

It is never wise to practice playing guitar in long passes without rest. 30 to 40 minutes and then a short break tends to produce better results.

Remember to have some reachable goals for your playing. When you have found exactly what you want to learn — which licks, styles, songs etc.) it is just a matter of practicing those until you have them nailed.

Above anything else, do make sure you’re having fun and that you’re playing the type of stuff you really dig yourself.

As for your question about sore fingertips and callouses – these things will be fixed over time with regular playing. You will remember to take regular brakes, right?

You might consider using a guitar capo on say the second fret. This will make your guitar easier to play when you’re starting out.

Another useful tip is to have your instrument looked at by a qualified person to figure out if it might benefit from some minor adjustments. A better playing comfort will be helpful both in the shorter and longer perspective!

Help with guitar teacher

Q: Help, my guitar teacher has my doing scales and stuff, and I only want to learn how to write songs!

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A: Have you taken the time to explain to your guitar teacher what it is that you really want to learn?

Often times we assume that people really ought to know what we want. However, no one are mind readers – at least not as far as I know. So you definitely want to sit down and map out a plan of what it is that YOU want and need.

If there is no such communication between teacher and student, then the teacher will begin showing you stuff he/she knows will be beneficial to you in the long run, chords, scales … that kind of stuff.

Again – you must be absolutely clear about your goals! If you want to learn how to write songs, say so! Others want simply to learn a particular style of playing, some folks want to join a band. There are many reasons why people want to learn electric or acoustic guitar and your teacher should definitely be made aware of them.

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Buying A Beginner Guitar

When someone is starting out to learn electric guitar, this is a very common question: “Where can I get a cheap electric guitar? I’m about to take this guitar course I’ve been recommended, and now I need a beginners guitar … nothing expensive”.

If you had asked me that question some years ago, I would probably have told you to save up some cash until you could afford something else. Today however, things are way different. It is in fact quite easy to fine great playing – and really nice looking – cheaper electric guitars.

Thanks to modern day production methods, you can pick up a really good beginner electric guitar  from China and other places – perfect for your beginner guitar lessons – for as low as a $200. I kid you not, when we started out (many moons ago), we would have gone to great lengths to get hold of guitars of such decent quality! Man … the beat-up things we would play…

Here are just a few of the newer guitars we can recommend

First of all – do take a look at the almost ridiculous value for money found in the Agile brand! These instruments easily compare to stuff which costs many times as much. I often times prefer to play an Agile over my way more expensive Gibsons guitars. Really, really good stuff!

The Fender Squire Affinity or Standard series. They have both Tele and Strat model guitars – oh and even a Hello Kitty version (in pink, of course).

The Epiphone range of beginner guitars. You have for example a cool Les Paul Special II, which I have seen online for as low as $200. A bargain!

Yamaha has a number of fantastic instruments, played by top notch guitar players. Some of these are more expensive. However, they do have some good, cheaper ones as well, such as the Pacifica series.

Ibanez is another company that caters both to high-end instruments (Joe Satriani is one artist who uses Ibanez guitars) as well as the less expensive models, such as the GRX and GRG models.

A third company that caters for the higher end artist models as well as the cost effective beginner guitars is Dean. Models in the Vendetta series is well worth checking out if you’re on a budget.

Why are some guitars so much more expensive?

Well, there are a number of factors that are determining the cost of a guitar – like where it is build for starters. It goes without saying that it is much more expensive to build an instrument in the US or Europe, as compared to say China.

That said, there are in general better hardware components on the higher end guitars: pickups, tuners, bridge, electronics etc. Also the woods are generally better, and sometimes the finish is much more sophisticated. Furthermore, you will notice that the workmanship – such as the fretwork, finish, bindings, inlay, neck fit etc. is way better on the more expensive guitars.

But here’s the thing…

As a beginner, you really don’t need these somewhat “fancy pants” things – you just need a beginner guitar that stays in tune, sounds OK, looks decent and is not hard to play (the set up is OK). And that is commonly what you get with these beginner guitars!

I will encourage you to make sure that the guitars are properly adjusted (set up) though. A guitar that is hard to play can be a painful experience and may kill your ambitions dead in the tracks.

Personally, I have found some killer deals on eBay. Amongst other things, I recently bought a Les Paul copy that was just amazing to play.

What I tend to look closely at is the seller’s feedback score. I also want to be assured that the guitars are being properly set up before shipping. Some sellers do this really pro – again look at the feedback!

How about used guitars?

Naturally, you may also opt for finding a used guitar as your first (or indeed second) instrument. As long as you know what to look for … or get help from someone who can sort out the fluff, then you’ll be good to go.

Again, you may also have a look for used and second hand guitars at eBay. As with new guitars, I personally only buy from reputable sources with good feedback score across the board. If in any doubt at all, just don’t buy!

If you buy used directly from a person (or from sites such as eBay), do make sure that everything is guaranteed to be working properly – including the neck truss rod! Needing to change the neck or the truss rod is expensive…

Also do make sure that the frets are even and properly installed (no lose frets). Again, if you need to re-fret, or fix the fret work, you’re looking at quite a hefty sum of money.

Hope you’ll find the guitar that is just perfect for you!

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Your First Guitar Lessons

When you’re starting out with electric guitar, it is always beneficial to consider early on what type of beginner guitar lessons you could see yourself having on a regular basis. As with everything else in life, it is fare more likely things will go according to plan, if you have a plan to begin with :-)

Your options are more or less these:
- Doing it all by yourself, “happy-go-lucky style”
- Using on-line tools, such as the much applauded Jamorama or Guitar Superstars
- Picking up stuff from friends
- Playing along to free on-line video on YouTube and similar places.
- Taking guitar classes at a school or institute
- Learning from guitar books or DVD’s
- Hiring a private guitar tutor
- Any combination of the above

Learning on your own

Honestly, the only advantage I can see here is that you’d probably be more inclined to develop a unique style – for better or worse.

Seriously though, this is not something I would even consider. It is so easy to pick up bad playing habits. And if you want to learn electric guitar properly, bad habits and sloppy technique is the last thing you want to have!

Learning from a friend or with free video

This is an OK option I guess … if you have absolutely no money at all to spend on tuition. Still, you would need to consider this: How much real life skill and teaching qualifications does this other person have?

When you’re starting out it is a real challenge to be able to spot these things. And – the difference can mean a world of difference to your future ability as a guitar slinger. Sure enough, when you have gained quite a bit of experience, it is absolutely crucial to learn from others – left and right. At a more advanced stage, you’ll be able to pick up things and adapt the major or minor stuff you see fit.

Another thing to think about is the structure – or rather: lack thereof. Proper on-line or off-line guitar learning tools take into consideration a proper sequence and schedule. Without these guiding principles, you will likely, sooner or later, become stuck and frustrated. What you really need is a tested system, not videos or friends showing you some random cool licks…

Learning from guitar books and DVD’s

There are heaps of guitar books and DVD’s out there – some great, some not so great. If you find a book and/or DVD that is specifically geared at beginner guitar lessons, you can’t go much wrong. I would personally take a DVD over a book any time. It is much easier to see a playing sequence on video than than it is in a static book format.

However, the same DVD tends to be kind of boring and stale after a while, and it can be expensive to buy new ones all the time. Also, you don’t have the option to get feedback on your playing with these learning tools.

On-line guitar learning

This is where special tools such as the earlier mentioned Jamorama course (perfect for beginners) and Guitar Superstars come into play. Here you have on-line video, Jam tracks (play-along possibilities) proper learning structure laid out, feedback systems in place, fresh content being added, varied learning styles and more.

If you can’t afford a private teacher, this is the route I would advise you to take. I have tested both the above places, and they are both totally cool!

Guitar school or private teacher

Some schools (public or private) have classes or courses designed for teaching guitar. I would absolutely check this out if I were you!

Then you have of course the advanced, specialized institutions like LIPA (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts) in Liverpool, UK; Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California – as well as a host of other, similar places. Here you will definitely need some skills before you apply though!

If you really want to be as good as you can be in the shortest amount of time, then nothing can beat a professional guitar teacher. Whether you want to learn classical, blues, rock or anything else – this is the way to go.

However… Having your own teacher will cost you – not an arm and a leg – but still, it’s an investment. Think of it more in terms of the time you will save!

If you choose this route, then do make sure you spend enough time to check out qualifications and if that persons style and personality is something you can be happy with.

Sounding off

Hope you’ve found some of this information helpful? I will come with more information on the issue of having a plan, as well as other stuff. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you! Happy hunting for proper lessons in beginner guitar skills!

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