Introduction to the guitar

Author: Justin Sandercoe

Some basic questions answered

The guitar is one of the easiest instruments to play badly, but with practice anyone can learn to play well. Below are some of the most common questions I get asked about learning the guitar.

Q. How quickly will I be able to play songs?

A. You should be able to play a song or two within about two hours of practicing. It probably won't sound perfect, but at least recognizable. How much time it takes you to learn the basics will depend almost totally on how much you practice.

Q. How often do I need to practice?

A. If you play fifteen minutes a week, expect it to take at least a year to get the very basics under your fingers. Practice fifteen minutes a day and you will notice that things are getting easier after a week. There is such a thing as "natural aptitude" so some people learn things faster than others, but perseverance will always prevail. Lots of people who learn slowly at first, learn better and faster in the long run (usually these people are figuring out why they are doing what).

Q. My fingers hurt and have deep grooves in them, should I stop practicing?

A. Yes, if it hurts at all, then you should take a break. The grooves in your fingers are quite normal and are just from the strings sitting in the same place under your fingers (which is good). They will toughen up after a short time and you won't notice it at all. If you get any pain in your hand or forearm you should stop straight away and see a doctor if pain persists. Playing should always be fun and enjoyable, not painful.

Q. I only like playing Rock Guitar (or Country Guitar or Jazz or whatever) why do I have to play silly pop songs?

A. What you should learn when you first start, no matter what style you want to aspire to, is the same basic chords, and developing a sense of rhythm. Any serious guitarist in any style should know all of the things in this first course. Often learning things in one style will help your playing in many other styles.

Q. What is the best way to practice?

A. The best way (but not always possible) is to try and find a little time to practice every day. It is much better to do 10 minutes a day 6 days a week than an hour practice every Saturday. Aim for daily practice but if it is not possible, try to get in a little time often and then have one main practice time each week. Many of my students have found that playing at the same time (such as straight after dinner, when you first get home after work/school or just before you go to bed) is the best way to develop a consistent routine.

The Method

I have developed a 10 week course that pretty much all of my own students use if they come to me as a complete beginner. If you feel that you are not ready to move on to the next lesson then don't. There is no hurry. If my 10 week course takes you 30 weeks, who cares? All that matters is that you enjoy playing and you try your best. I will give you little pointers on practicing effectively as we go, so read through each lesson carefully and try to absorb all the material to memory. Below is a rough outline showing what topics are covered by the course. You might like to have a quick look at the lessons to come, like you would flick through the pages of a book you have just bought. Just use the links below. Week 1 is located on theguitarcircle.com and subsequent weeks are located on www.justinguitar.co.uk.

Week 1 - Learn A, D and E chords.

Week 2 - Learn C, G, Amin, Emin, Dmin and F.

Week 3 - Learn Basic Strumming Patterns and work on the chords.

Week 4 - Work more on changing between chords, and learn the string names.

Week 5 - Learn Power Chords and their uses.

Week 6 - Learn some basic finger picking.

Week 7 - Learn some harder strumming patterns with ties.

Week 8 - Learn some suspended chords and how to use them.

Week 9 - Consolidate all that you have done and check your technique.

Week 10 - A short test (if you feel like it) and advice on where to go to next.

You might like to download the practice schedule pages included in each lesson. Some people prefer just to do it, some like to keep track of what they are doing. This will be helpful for the latter. Simply tick off the boxes as you have done the work. Drop me an e-mail and let me know how you are getting on, and so I know that I am making myself clear.

I hope you enjoy it.