- Six Strings - 10 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me As A Beginner
(Long Way Down - Robert DeLong, Live In The Lab)
Geeking out on a hobby isn't unique to guitars. Anyone with a passion typically loves to talk about it, and I'm no exception. Several people have asked me to talk about my experience with guitars as a new player, and one of the questions I get asked a lot is, "What do you wish you'd been told as a new player?"
I figured if they asked, someone else might enjoy the answers too.
In no particular order, here are ten things I wish I'd been told prior to picking a guitar up:
This one seems somewhat counterintuitive, but it's so very, very important. There's this thing where people will tell new guitarists to practice just 15 minutes a day. There's a certain amount of wisdom to that for three reasons:
- If you practice, you'll get better. Duh.
- Most people won't stop at 15 minutes, especially once they start getting better. 15 minutes will turn into 30 minutes very fast. Soon, it'll turn into more, and then you're taking mornings off of work just so you can noodle around with the new chord you learned and... yeah.
- Assuming you are playing four or five times a week, the first three weeks or so are going to be sort of miserable on your fingers, hands, and forearms. This is a well-known rite of passage that all guitarists go through so they can built the callouses and muscles necessary to play their instrument for sustained periods of time.
Sooner or later, you'll get to the part of your education where you've learned your cowboy chords* and you're ready to start moving on to more complex techniques like lead playing, picking techniques, and barring chords. If you've got the bug -real- bad like I did, your playing will really take off at this stage because you know enough about your craft to go exploring with intent instead of just stumbling around. Then, you'll start running into walls where nothing new happens. There's no inspiration, no flow. Then your fingers start arguing with your brain, and you start wondering why you're not getting any better, and if you even -can- get better.
There are a number of ways to get out of this rut, and each person responds differently to each of those methods. There are a host of rut-busting activities you can engage in, from chording and picking exercises to playing challenges or the exploration of new genres. There's also one other things you can do that no one really ever talks about, and that's simply walking away from your instrument for a few days.
Let me be clear here: This is not giving up. This is giving yourself a chance to rest, giving your mind and your body time to let the dust settle. Creativity and learning stir up all kinds of things in the mind and the body. From time to time, even if you enjoy it, you need to take a breather and just let things...rest. When you come back to your playing, you'll be amazed how much better you feel. I've taken as much as a week off of playing before. I've missed my guitar like crazy by the end of that week, and I come back to it full of ideas and vigor.
*Oh, and cowboy chords? Those are your 'open chords', the ones that you play on the first four frets of the guitar. Those chords are usually defined as A, Am, C, D, Dm, E, Em, and G. Some people also consider A7, C7, D7, and G7 to be part of those chords, as well as some of the Suss chords as well.
This is a deep one, and the source of debates all over the world. On the subject of when, exactly, it's time to buy a new guitar, a few undisputed facts have come out of the debates:
- As a beginner player, most people suggest getting three to six months of playing under your belt before you start looking at a new instrument so that you have a better understanding of what to look for in a well-built guitar, but there isn't really a set time that a new instrument is called for.
- There really isn't a hard and fast rule for this. If you have the money and want to buy a new instrument, go and buy a new instrument.
- If the guitar you're playing is no longer bringing you joy or helping you improve your craft somehow, it may be time to consider it.
- You may never need to buy a new guitar.
- PLAY IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT.
On the subject of what to look for when you're buying a new guitar, the list of things you -could- look for is absolutely huge. There are a few basics to consider though, in no particular order:
- First and foremost, beyond anything else, if you don't enjoy playing it, nothing else matters. Yes, there are some people who buy guitars as art pieces, but I buy them because of the music I can get out of them. If you enjoy playing it, nothing else matters. Period. Beyond that, there are a few things that will very possibly increase your enjoyment...
- Check the frets all the way up and down the neck for Sprout. The neck should be smooth along the edges. You shouldn't feel frets rubbing against your hand anywhere. Generally, cheaper guitars will have less attention paid to fret placement and Sprout. Especially if you're looking to play your neck fast, fret Sprout is a no-no. Be sure to check -all- the way up and down the neck.
- Make sure your frets are polished smooth. I totally ignored this when I bought my first 'big boy' guitar because I hadn't really gotten into bending yet and hadn't developed as much finesse in my playing. Unpolished frets can make bending more difficult and could contribute to string buzz. Yes, frets will eventually polish themselves if you bend enough, but you shouldn't have to put up with that. Plus, unpolished frets may indicate an instrument where other corners have been cut.
- Check the cut and fit of the nut. Especially if you're playing cowboy chords, you don't want to scratch your hand up on that nut every time you move your hand down to the first fret. Like your frets, it should be smooth. It should also be well-cut so that strings slide smoothly and easily through it as you tune the instrument. A well-cut nut will not bind your strings up. And speaking of tuning...
- Play the instrument for a bit to check tuning stability. Bad tuning machines are a small part that can cause a huge problem. Most big-label guitar makers will have decent tuning machines on even their low-end guitars, but there are always exceptions and problems at their factories. You should be able to play that instrument for 15-20 minutes vigorously without the guitar going out of tune.
- Is the neck straight? This is especially critical with acoustic guitars because adjusting the neck can be expensive and time-consuming. On electrics, you can typically use the neck's truss rod to straighten the neck out, so if a lightly off-true neck is the only problem with the instrument, that can be easily and cheaply gotten around.
- Check the electronics! Make sure you get even fade from the volume and tone pots. If the instrument supports coil tapping, check each coil as you tap it. Check your pick-up selector, and the sound of each pick-up. Check your input jack.
- PUT NEW STRINGS ON IT. It's a rare thing to find decent strings on less expensive guitars. Unless you know your instrument came with something other than El Cheapo strings, get them changed out. And while you're at it...
- Set your new instrument up! Do it yourself if you can. Pay a good tech to do it if you can't. A good setup on a guitar will check the instrument's functionality, truss state, intonation, electronics functionality, and a variety of other things. It may also involve getting your guitar a much needed bath since you don't know who has had their hands on it before you.
- Don't be scared of used guitars. Be educated.
- You do not have to spend $1000 on a new guitar. The law of diminishing returns applies to guitars like it applies to just about everything else. Your butter zone for guitars is the $600-$800 zone. Can you get a $600 instrument that's twice as good as a $300 instrument? Yup. Can you get a $1,200 instrument that's twice as good as that $600 guitar? No. No, you cannot. This doesn't mean that the $1,200 guitar isn't better, it just isn't twice as good. When you get over $800, it's very likely that you're starting to pay for badge, for factory location, or bragging rights just as much as any real improvement. I'm looking at you, Gibson and Fender.
I could write a lot more about this, but... yeah. You get it.
It is a near universally accepted truth that a good amp can make a crap guitar sound amazing. It is also a near universally accepted truth that a crap amp can make a good guitar sound awful. Why is a good amp important? First and foremost, you get volume. If you're playing electric, part of the experience is plugging into an amp and hammering your first big chord. There's nothing like it, and it heightens the playing experience for almost everyone. Modern amps can also provide you with a whole host of options when it comes to effects. Effects aren't necessary to learn to play guitar, but they also serve to heighten the experience. They can seriously kindle your desire to explore new facets of your playing. Even better, modern technology brings us a whole bevy of amps that can expand your playing horizons without breaking the bank. When in doubt, check out Boss' Katana range of amps. You won't regret it.
When you -should- use an amp is an important question, but it's better answered by covering when you -shouldn't- use one. Amps are awesome, but they can easily cover mistakes up with gain, distortion, and volume. When you're doing your training drills and practice, I encourage everyone to practice without the amp at least part of the time. You don't need an amp to practice and learn and you can't hide from poor technique when you're not dialed up to eleven. The amp should be your reward for practice well done. The amp is for exploration. It's for enjoyment. Earn it through solid technique.
OH MY LORD. There are a ton of people out there that insist on baking music theory into the learning of an instrument. It is COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY. You do not need to know about the staff, clefs, keys, tones, semi-tones, sharps, flats, time signatures, or reading music in general. You don't need any of that to learn guitar or enjoy playing it. You don't need it to learn cover songs, to compose original materials, or to play with others.
Now...is everything I just mentioned above useful? Abso-freaking-lutely. Is there a very good chance that your playing will improve if you incorporate musical theory into it? Yep. Might your appreciation for the craft deepen? Absolutely. Will it make playing with others easier, and allow you to advance your talents into the professional realm? Very much so.
Is theory knowledge mandatory to learning and enjoying the guitar? No. There is only one rule you need to know when it comes to learning and enjoying guitar, and it is this:
Next effing song.
I really, really wish I'd started recording myself playing earlier. I didn't start until I was about eight months on, and I regret that immensely. Recording yourself can serve several purposes. In my opinion, the biggest things it does is allows you to look back and see yourself improving. It can also be a huge self-esteem boost for you. It can help you learn by seeing yourself play from the outside. I use my recording to keep track of sounds and techniques that I'm experimenting with. There are dozens of reasons why recording your journey is a good idea. I wish someone had convinced me to start earlier. I cannot emphasize enough how important I feel this is.
We imitate by nature. It's what we do. Most people who start playing guitar have a style hero that they want to follow and possibly emulate. For me, it's David Gilmour and Mark Knopfler. Part of the reason why I worship their playing and their tone is because they're arguably two of the most talented guitarists to have ever played. Part of the reason is because I was raised on their music. Because of that, the first songs I tried to write were heavily influenced by their sound. There's nothing wrong with that, but the guitar is a hugely versatile instrument. The more you expand your horizons into the sounds it can make, the more your own playing will grow in scope and complexity. Some examples:
- I hate country music, but you know who's a stone-cold monster on electric guitar? Brad Paisley.
- I don't care for U2, but you know who can create insane sonic landscapes? The Edge.
- I don't care for the kind of gooey pop songs that teenage girls melt over, but you know who is arguably the most talented guitarist in the world right now under the age of 50? John Mayer.
- I didn't ever think about the multicultural nature of the guitar until I heard my first rendition of the Malaguena Rhumba. Holy moly!
Seriously, get out of your comfort zone. Your playing will thank you for it, and you may just find something new to listen to. New music is its own gift.
Go back and read that again. I'll wait.
...Did you do it? You didn't do it. Fine, I'll do it for you.
Somewhere along the line -- I have to assign at least some of the blame to Yngwie Malmsteen, and not just because he's a well-documented douche to people -- people got the idea that in order to be considered good, or to be enjoyable to listen to, you had to be fast. Somewhere along the line, skilled started to become synonymous with fast. Don't get me wrong, there are some insanely technical players out there who can bring the speed, and the afore-mentioned Malmsteen is their patron saint for a reason. For as many times as speed makes things more exhilarating, it also has the potential to ruin music. Slower tempo music exists for a reason, and learning to leverage slower speeds in your playing can add insane levels of potency to your craft.
Then there's the simple fact that if you master a technique slowly, you stand a much better chance of being able to successfully speed it up over time. Chord changes, picking, sweeps, scales, you name it. Get those suckers on lock when you're moving slowly and -then- speed them up. Learning something slowly means you can learn it with precision and develop the kind of muscle strength and memory necessary to do it with both speed -and- precision later.
This is so, so necessary. It's a very rare person that can keep perfect time as a beginner. You hear music differently in your head than it exists outside of it. Things are faster. Slower. They speed up. They slow down. Playing in time is a learned talent. That's why even though time signatures and tempo markers exist in sheet music, you still need someone to set the tempo out in the real world. That person might be your conductor, they might be your dummer, they might be your bassist. Learn to play in time.
"But Steve," you cry, "You said that music theory wasn't necessary to learn!" Yep. This isn't music theory. This is the ability to keep a beat. This is rhythm. Get a metronome. They're cheap. Get a metronome app. They're free.
Playing with a 'nome is one of the most draining, boring, soul-sucking pieces of technical craft that you will ever hone. It's also one of the most necessary. Do not ignore this.
And that's ten things I really wish someone had told me when I started playing guitar! Hopefully this helps someone. Drop me a comment if you have questions!
Geeking out on a hobby isn't unique to guitars. Anyone with a passion typically loves to talk about it, and I'm no exception. Several people have asked me to talk about my experience with guitars as a new player, and one of the questions I get asked a lot is, "What do you wish you'd been told as a new player?"
I figured if they asked, someone else might enjoy the answers too.
In no particular order, here are ten things I wish I'd been told prior to picking a guitar up:
1. Put the guitar down.
This one seems somewhat counterintuitive, but it's so very, very important. There's this thing where people will tell new guitarists to practice just 15 minutes a day. There's a certain amount of wisdom to that for three reasons:
- If you practice, you'll get better. Duh.
- Most people won't stop at 15 minutes, especially once they start getting better. 15 minutes will turn into 30 minutes very fast. Soon, it'll turn into more, and then you're taking mornings off of work just so you can noodle around with the new chord you learned and... yeah.
- Assuming you are playing four or five times a week, the first three weeks or so are going to be sort of miserable on your fingers, hands, and forearms. This is a well-known rite of passage that all guitarists go through so they can built the callouses and muscles necessary to play their instrument for sustained periods of time.
Sooner or later, you'll get to the part of your education where you've learned your cowboy chords* and you're ready to start moving on to more complex techniques like lead playing, picking techniques, and barring chords. If you've got the bug -real- bad like I did, your playing will really take off at this stage because you know enough about your craft to go exploring with intent instead of just stumbling around. Then, you'll start running into walls where nothing new happens. There's no inspiration, no flow. Then your fingers start arguing with your brain, and you start wondering why you're not getting any better, and if you even -can- get better.
There are a number of ways to get out of this rut, and each person responds differently to each of those methods. There are a host of rut-busting activities you can engage in, from chording and picking exercises to playing challenges or the exploration of new genres. There's also one other things you can do that no one really ever talks about, and that's simply walking away from your instrument for a few days.
Let me be clear here: This is not giving up. This is giving yourself a chance to rest, giving your mind and your body time to let the dust settle. Creativity and learning stir up all kinds of things in the mind and the body. From time to time, even if you enjoy it, you need to take a breather and just let things...rest. When you come back to your playing, you'll be amazed how much better you feel. I've taken as much as a week off of playing before. I've missed my guitar like crazy by the end of that week, and I come back to it full of ideas and vigor.
*Oh, and cowboy chords? Those are your 'open chords', the ones that you play on the first four frets of the guitar. Those chords are usually defined as A, Am, C, D, Dm, E, Em, and G. Some people also consider A7, C7, D7, and G7 to be part of those chords, as well as some of the Suss chords as well.
2. You don't have to 'get good'.
So, there's this sentiment that once you pick an instrument up, you need to continue getting good at it, and that after many years, you will be a virtuoso. This is utter nonsense. There is only one rule when it comes to how you play and how you learn:
Enjoy yourself.
Are you happy just picking a D chord out for a few minutes every day? Fine. Will you only be content once you can play 'Master Of Puppets' using only Hetfieldian downpicking? Also fine. My wife bought an expensive guitar that she almost never plays. She knows three chords. When she does play it, the noise she makes remind her of pleasant things from her childhood. For her, that's enough.
I cannot stress this point enough. If your pursuit of a hobby, no matter how or to what extent, makes you happy, that's all that matters. I have a huge problem with this. I have a gimped left hand that won't let me do certain things. It has limited my playing in certain areas. It leaves me frustrated that I will not be able to engage with this instrument in a proficient fashion. Then other people tell me that they feel like I've been doing just that for a long time now, and it...sort of resets my expectations a little.
3. When it's time to buy a new guitar and what to look for when you do.
- As a beginner player, most people suggest getting three to six months of playing under your belt before you start looking at a new instrument so that you have a better understanding of what to look for in a well-built guitar, but there isn't really a set time that a new instrument is called for.
- There really isn't a hard and fast rule for this. If you have the money and want to buy a new instrument, go and buy a new instrument.
- If the guitar you're playing is no longer bringing you joy or helping you improve your craft somehow, it may be time to consider it.
- You may never need to buy a new guitar.
- PLAY IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT.
On the subject of what to look for when you're buying a new guitar, the list of things you -could- look for is absolutely huge. There are a few basics to consider though, in no particular order:
- First and foremost, beyond anything else, if you don't enjoy playing it, nothing else matters. Yes, there are some people who buy guitars as art pieces, but I buy them because of the music I can get out of them. If you enjoy playing it, nothing else matters. Period. Beyond that, there are a few things that will very possibly increase your enjoyment...
- Check the frets all the way up and down the neck for Sprout. The neck should be smooth along the edges. You shouldn't feel frets rubbing against your hand anywhere. Generally, cheaper guitars will have less attention paid to fret placement and Sprout. Especially if you're looking to play your neck fast, fret Sprout is a no-no. Be sure to check -all- the way up and down the neck.
- Make sure your frets are polished smooth. I totally ignored this when I bought my first 'big boy' guitar because I hadn't really gotten into bending yet and hadn't developed as much finesse in my playing. Unpolished frets can make bending more difficult and could contribute to string buzz. Yes, frets will eventually polish themselves if you bend enough, but you shouldn't have to put up with that. Plus, unpolished frets may indicate an instrument where other corners have been cut.
- Check the cut and fit of the nut. Especially if you're playing cowboy chords, you don't want to scratch your hand up on that nut every time you move your hand down to the first fret. Like your frets, it should be smooth. It should also be well-cut so that strings slide smoothly and easily through it as you tune the instrument. A well-cut nut will not bind your strings up. And speaking of tuning...
- Play the instrument for a bit to check tuning stability. Bad tuning machines are a small part that can cause a huge problem. Most big-label guitar makers will have decent tuning machines on even their low-end guitars, but there are always exceptions and problems at their factories. You should be able to play that instrument for 15-20 minutes vigorously without the guitar going out of tune.
- Is the neck straight? This is especially critical with acoustic guitars because adjusting the neck can be expensive and time-consuming. On electrics, you can typically use the neck's truss rod to straighten the neck out, so if a lightly off-true neck is the only problem with the instrument, that can be easily and cheaply gotten around.
- Check the electronics! Make sure you get even fade from the volume and tone pots. If the instrument supports coil tapping, check each coil as you tap it. Check your pick-up selector, and the sound of each pick-up. Check your input jack.
- PUT NEW STRINGS ON IT. It's a rare thing to find decent strings on less expensive guitars. Unless you know your instrument came with something other than El Cheapo strings, get them changed out. And while you're at it...
- Set your new instrument up! Do it yourself if you can. Pay a good tech to do it if you can't. A good setup on a guitar will check the instrument's functionality, truss state, intonation, electronics functionality, and a variety of other things. It may also involve getting your guitar a much needed bath since you don't know who has had their hands on it before you.
- Don't be scared of used guitars. Be educated.
- You do not have to spend $1000 on a new guitar. The law of diminishing returns applies to guitars like it applies to just about everything else. Your butter zone for guitars is the $600-$800 zone. Can you get a $600 instrument that's twice as good as a $300 instrument? Yup. Can you get a $1,200 instrument that's twice as good as that $600 guitar? No. No, you cannot. This doesn't mean that the $1,200 guitar isn't better, it just isn't twice as good. When you get over $800, it's very likely that you're starting to pay for badge, for factory location, or bragging rights just as much as any real improvement. I'm looking at you, Gibson and Fender.
I could write a lot more about this, but... yeah. You get it.
4. The importance of a good amp, when to use it, and when not to.
When you -should- use an amp is an important question, but it's better answered by covering when you -shouldn't- use one. Amps are awesome, but they can easily cover mistakes up with gain, distortion, and volume. When you're doing your training drills and practice, I encourage everyone to practice without the amp at least part of the time. You don't need an amp to practice and learn and you can't hide from poor technique when you're not dialed up to eleven. The amp should be your reward for practice well done. The amp is for exploration. It's for enjoyment. Earn it through solid technique.
5. Theory is useful, but not mandatory.
Now...is everything I just mentioned above useful? Abso-freaking-lutely. Is there a very good chance that your playing will improve if you incorporate musical theory into it? Yep. Might your appreciation for the craft deepen? Absolutely. Will it make playing with others easier, and allow you to advance your talents into the professional realm? Very much so.
Is theory knowledge mandatory to learning and enjoying the guitar? No. There is only one rule you need to know when it comes to learning and enjoying guitar, and it is this:
6. If it sounds cool, it's cool. Period.
7. RECORD YOURSELF.
I really, really wish I'd started recording myself playing earlier. I didn't start until I was about eight months on, and I regret that immensely. Recording yourself can serve several purposes. In my opinion, the biggest things it does is allows you to look back and see yourself improving. It can also be a huge self-esteem boost for you. It can help you learn by seeing yourself play from the outside. I use my recording to keep track of sounds and techniques that I'm experimenting with. There are dozens of reasons why recording your journey is a good idea. I wish someone had convinced me to start earlier. I cannot emphasize enough how important I feel this is.
8. Expand your musical horizons.
- I hate country music, but you know who's a stone-cold monster on electric guitar? Brad Paisley.
- I don't care for U2, but you know who can create insane sonic landscapes? The Edge.
- I don't care for the kind of gooey pop songs that teenage girls melt over, but you know who is arguably the most talented guitarist in the world right now under the age of 50? John Mayer.
- I didn't ever think about the multicultural nature of the guitar until I heard my first rendition of the Malaguena Rhumba. Holy moly!
Seriously, get out of your comfort zone. Your playing will thank you for it, and you may just find something new to listen to. New music is its own gift.
9. SLOW DOWN.
...Did you do it? You didn't do it. Fine, I'll do it for you.
SLOW. DOWN.
Then there's the simple fact that if you master a technique slowly, you stand a much better chance of being able to successfully speed it up over time. Chord changes, picking, sweeps, scales, you name it. Get those suckers on lock when you're moving slowly and -then- speed them up. Learning something slowly means you can learn it with precision and develop the kind of muscle strength and memory necessary to do it with both speed -and- precision later.
10. Get a metronome and USE IT.
"But Steve," you cry, "You said that music theory wasn't necessary to learn!" Yep. This isn't music theory. This is the ability to keep a beat. This is rhythm. Get a metronome. They're cheap. Get a metronome app. They're free.
Playing with a 'nome is one of the most draining, boring, soul-sucking pieces of technical craft that you will ever hone. It's also one of the most necessary. Do not ignore this.
And that's ten things I really wish someone had told me when I started playing guitar! Hopefully this helps someone. Drop me a comment if you have questions!
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