Useful Tips On How To Play Electric Guitar As A Beginner

When you want to learn how to play electric guitar, you need to start from the ground up, as it is the case with any other instrument. The following useful tips will help you identify the best ways for learning this very specific instrument.

Great timing is everything

Although you may hear guitar solos in rock songs, the electric guitar is meant to be part of a musical ensemble, and it needs to sound harmoniously together with other instruments. There is also another thing you need to know. It is quite a rhythmic instrument, which means that it serves to learn how to play sequences of notes that are then repeated all throughout a song. In order to learn how to play this instrument efficiently, it is important to understand the importance of timing. Using a metronome can help you grasp the great rhythm of an electric guitar.

Playing chords

The essence of playing this amazing instrument is to be able to play chords that are grouped in rhythmic patterns. As a beginner, you will have to start with some basic chords and then try to switch between them fluently. Strumming is quite a commonly used method of playing electric guitar. Learning the chords, the patterns and strumming will help you become better at learning this instrument. Also, you should be able, in time, to play individual chords and notes, to give your interpretation more personality.

How to play electric guitar with muted strings

The electric guitar is a very powerful instrument. However, when the volume reaches its maximum power, the amplifier can make the strings on your guitar vibrate and sound off, when you least expect it. If you want your musical evolution to sound as it is supposed to, you need to learn muting the strings, to avoid this effect. Use your strumming hand to keep the strings in place, muting them, and preventing them from vibrating.

Start with simple scales

Any guitarist needs practice in order to become better, and the same rule applies to those playing electric guitar. As a beginner, you may want to start by learning simple scales. After you master the most common scales, you can broaden your horizons by learning more difficult ones. Combining them with licks and ad lib notes lends more personality to your interpretation, but these are usually tips for more advanced guitar players.

When learning how to play electric guitar, it is essential to dedicate a lot of time to learning the chords, how to mute and bend the strings, and other specific techniques that have been developed for this specific instrument.

In Conclusion

I remember way back in the 70's when I first picked up an acoustic guitar for the first time, I had no clue how to go about learning this wonderful instrument. The internet was not born yet so the only way I had to teach myself this craft was to buy a guitar chords manual and a rock scale course in a cassette format from an ad in the National Inquirer.

Learning how to play electric guitar in my days was quite a challenge. I could of hire a guitar teacher but since I didn't have the money I had to learn slowly on top electric guitar books and cassettes I had to use my record player by playing over and over the same song until I managed to pick up a few notes and chords. Now days with the internet era there are some fantastic guitar courses online to help you speed up the learning process