The Basics Of Playing Guitar
Have you been thinking about learning how to play the guitar? One of the best things about the guitar is that it is such a versatile instrument. You can study to become a lead guitar player in a rock and roll band, or just learn how to play a few of the major chords so you can play around the campfire. No matter why you may be thinking about learning, It is a great hobby.
It’s a funny thing, but music is unlike most other activities. Take football for example, there is no escaping the fact that if you want to play pro-football you had better be good and there are no short cuts. Technique and fitness is an absolute must.
When playing music on the guitar you will find that it shares many of the same characteristics as speaking. A couple of words can mean a lot more than a speech. The same goes for playing the guitar. Playing a few chords is sometimes better than playing hundreds of notes.
Bob Dylan was one of the most successful songwriters of all time. However while he was a talented guitar player he was no better than many other players out there today. But he also had a great talent of writing songs that moved people. So by combining his skill as a lyricist and guitar player, he became one of the biggest names in the music business.
The one thing you need to realize is that the technical ability to play the guitar doesn’t really have much to do with musical talent. If you are into country music or blues you could end up being an exceptional player of this type of music. On the other hand if you prefer country, playing jazz may be too hard.
The simple player who plays with feel and taste is a musician, the same as a highly accomplished classical or jazz guitarist. It is amazing how formally trained musicians, i.e. classical, or other technical jazz players, are usually the most ineffective exponents of rock, country, pop or blues music.
One thing you should never do is to follow what other guitar players are doing. That is a sure path to failure. Get the right attitude, and combine that with your heart and do your own thing. One style of guitar playing that is perfect for one person can be completely wrong for another person.
If you have ever heard B B King play the guitar, you can tell that he love’s what he plays. The music he plays can be played by almost any seasoned guitar player. But what made his music so much better is that you can feel how much of his own soul he puts into his music.
Playing guitar has an infinite number of possibilities. It is the most adaptable, usable instrument, and it’s the journey to your goal that’s the fun part. You will never stop learning guitar. Each time you pick it up you will discover something new and it needn’t be hard to play to be relevant!
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.