[1] Beginner guitar players tend to make the same mistakes that most newbies in any learning scenario make. Here are the top 10 mistakes to avoid when starting guitar:
[2] 1. Trying to learn too many chords too quickly
[3] 2. Playing songs you don’t like at first
[4] 3. Not understanding how chords are formed
[5] 4. Relying on tablature instead of learning how to read music
[6] 5. Not understanding the fundamentals of rhythm and strumming
[7] 6. Giving up on guitar because of poor teaching methods and lack of progress
[8] 7. Learning bad guitar habits from friends who don’t know how to play well
[9] 8. Ignoring your musical interests and goals when choosing what to play and learn on guitar
[10] 9. Making practice a chore instead of a challenge you look forward to
[11] 10. Not having fun playing guitar!
The amateur guitarist has a steep learning curve. The internet is saturated with great advice and lessons, but it’s also filled with bad information that can have you strumming the wrong way from the get-go.
Here are some mistakes to avoid when starting guitar:
Playing a guitar that is not set up.
Not practicing correctly.
Not maintaining your guitar.
Being too hard on yourself.
Playing songs that are too difficult for you.
Not keeping a schedule or goals for yourself.
Becoming impatient for results.
Not varying your practice and song selection.
Not recording yourself often enough (or at all).
Neglecting to enjoy the process of learning!
Playing guitar is a great way to express yourself and impress others. However, many newbies make the same mistakes when they start playing guitar. These mistakes are often frustrating and can slow your progress as a player.
In this article, we’ll go over 10 common mistakes that you should avoid making when you first start playing guitar.
1. Buying The Wrong Guitar
Learning to play guitar is a lot of fun, and with the right lessons anyone can become a great guitar player. However, to be successful it’s important to pick the right learning method and stay focused. We designed our Core Learning System to be a step-by-step system that keeps beginners on-track and having fun. Give it a try today by becoming a Full Access member.
Here are 10 common mistakes beginners make when learning to play guitar:
1. Not setting goals. Without goals, you lack direction and motivation, so you never start taking action! Setting goals gives you something to work towards and provides the necessary motivation that will give you the power to push through obstacles and keep practicing even when your brain wants to stop!
2. Not dedicating enough time to practice. Like anything worth doing well, learning guitar is going to require some time investment on your part. The key is finding the right balance of time spent playing versus time spent practicing. As a beginner guitarist, 20 – 30 minutes per day should be enough time spent practicing that you can begin seeing progress in your playing after a month or so; this is also about how long it takes for practicing guitar daily to become habit forming. 3. Relying too much on online resources
1. Being afraid to start.
2. Not having a solid plan to follow.
3. Stopping too soon.
4. Trying to learn too much at once.
5. Relying on tabs and not learning music theory.
6. Not practicing correctly or enough.
7. Practicing bad habits and mistakes.
8. Being impatient, wanting quick results overnight.
9. Not playing with others or performing for others often enough, if at all!
10. Not maintaining your equipment properly, or using low quality gear and strings!
1. Starting out with the wrong instrument
When you’re first starting out, it’s important that your guitar is comfortable and playable. If you have a guitar that has a high action (the distance between the strings and the fretboard), it will be extremely difficult to play. It’s also important that you start out with a guitar that stays in tune.
This doesn’t mean that you should run out and get the most expensive guitar. However, if you can afford it, I recommend getting a decent guitar from the start. We’ll talk about what “decent” means later on, but for now I’ll say this: most guitars under $500 are not going to produce great sound. You’ll want an instrument that will encourage you to continue learning by making good sounds from the very beginning.
2. Buying an acoustic when you want to play electric
Acoustic guitars are beautiful instruments and can produce some amazing sounds when played correctly. However, they are not for everyone. If you have your heart set on playing heavy metal or rock music, buying an acoustic may be one of the worst things you can do as a beginner guitarist.
The reason is simple: acoustics are much more difficult to play than electrics because of their heavier gauge strings
1. Jumping into songs before understanding the basics
2. Practicing too much
3. Not having fun while playing!
4. Playing guitar in front of family and friends to impress them
5. Not knowing your musical goals
6. Trying to learn more than one thing at a time
7. Not finding a teacher or a guitar buddy
8. Buying a cheap guitar
9. Expecting too much from yourself
10. Ignoring the importance of music theory