Advice from Experienced Guitarists to Beginners

by Frederik Nielsen, Nov 11, 2019 . 3 min read

You have bought your first guitar and are ready to begin your musical journey. But you don’t know where to start.

Experienced guitarists all have that one thing they wish they knew when they started. And here we are going to share a list of things you should know as a beginner.

1. Be Patient

Be patient, you are not going to be Van Halen overnight.

Learn at your own pace, don’t worry about that guy you know who learned Stairway to Heaven on his first day of playing. We are all unique and learn at our own pace.

One of the biggest hurdles for beginners to overcome is getting frustrated or burnt out. So be patient and don’t get ahead of yourself.

2. Stay in Your Lane

This may seem to go without saying but you should start by learning beginner level songs.

Lots of beginners want to rush to the end and play their favorite songs. But doing this can limit your growth and lead to you becoming frustrated and disillusioned.

When selecting your first song, try something like Wonderwall. And leave Voodoo Child for the experts.

3. Practice Makes Perfect

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is practicing without purpose.

You should try to be disciplined with your practice. Set aside a specific amount of time to practice and when. Create goals for your practice sessions and prepare ahead of time.

The most important part of the practice is to be consistent. Thirty minutes daily is better than several hours every other week. Create a schedule and stick to it.

Further Reading – The Ultimate Guide To Guitar Practice

4. Beating the Same Drum

You’ve learned your favorite riff and you can’t stop playing.

It’s great that you nailed that riff but you have to be careful not to get stuck in a loop. It can be very easy to get stuck in this trap of playing what you know and never growing.

Once you have mastered something, move on. Always move onto new material and goals.

It’s okay to play what you know and to continue to practice and refine what you’ve learned. But be mindful that you haven’t stopped learning new stuff.

5. Timing is Key

Learning how to play in time is the most important aspect of being a great guitarist. And often overlooked by beginners and experienced guitarists alike.

Start practicing with a metronome. Knowing when to play, on the beat, before the beat, fast or slow is an integral part of playing. And practicing with a metronome will help you with perfecting this skill.

Don’t be that guy, learn to play tight right from the start.

6. Don’t Be Shy

Get over the fear of playing in front of others.

Beginners like to hide away and only play their guitar alone. This is a bad idea as it stumps your growth.

Playing in front of others can help with your confidence. As well as helping you identify areas you need to improve upon.

Most importantly find opportunities to play with other musicians. Nothing will help you improve more than playing with others.

Further Reading – The Right Way to Jam with Other Musicians

What’s Your Advice?

Have anything you’d like to share with your fellow guitarists? Let them know the lessons you’ve learned in the comments below!