Beginning to play a musical instrument and especially guitar is one of the most rewarding things one can do. Music is one of the few mediums that can totally cross language and cultural barriers. I love the power ripping through the amp when you strum out a bar chord on an electric. Or singing out songs over your acoustic for family and friends. Actually being able to play songs and even compose your own is an indescribable feeling. So here are some easy guitar lessons to get you going.

So a quick message to all the beginners out there. This does take time and patience, do not give up. I will never forget grabbing my first guitar for the first time knowing I would be jamming to my favorite CDs immediately. Boy was I mistaken. My fingers couldn’t even get one note right and a chord, not even a chance. I didn’t quit, I adjusted my goals and stuck to it.

Your fingers are in all probability confused and throbbing and it maybe just plain uncomfortable when you first pick up the guitar. So you need to build some strength and elasticity through aerobics. No secrets here to playing guitar, just exercises and repetition. Practice makes perfect and all that stuff. When I was just starting I liked to sit in front of the Tube and just go over drills kind of unconsciously just to get my fingers strong.

Getting both hands to play nicely as one is also going to take some time so don’t get dispirited. At first your fingers tips will hurt, practice through that pain for as long as you can, don’t just take a breather right away . Before you know it the calluses on your finger will develop and you will be practicing for hours. The worst part of starting with the guitar is this just starting out phase. Please just stick with it and battle through it, the rewards will be immeasurable.

So let’s begin with your strumming hand. This is the rhythm hand and the time keeper. The hand you will hold your pick or finger pick. Slow and steady is key here. Practice with your pick, alternating between down strokes and up strokes. I like to tap my foot to keep tempo, it helps me practice in time. Alternate steady and slowly, down and up and down and up. No need to rush you will build speed as you improve. You can practice this on one string to start and then work into 2 or 3 strings as if your were strumming chords. You don’t even need to make use of your other hand at this point or use it just to mute the strings so you can watch TV.

Moving on to the fretting hand. Your fretting hand picks the notes that you want your strumming hand to play. This is the hand that also may start to hurt and the hand that doesn’t seem to know what it is doing when first starting out. No getting around this, just take it slow and steady with patience. It is key here to get all four fingers comfortable and in sync with each other. Don’t leave your pinkie out because it is harder to get going. When practicing guitar if you find something difficult then you need to practice it more.

So here is the nitty gritty drill to get you smoking on that fret board. On fret 1 of your low E string press down firmly with your pointer finger. Continue pressing and add your middle finger to fret 2 on the same string. With your other fingers firmly on the fret board add your ring finger to fret 3. And of course the pinkie on fret four . The picking should be a down, up, down, up alternating for each finger. You then simply back up this process by lifting your pinkie first, then ring, etc So playing fret 1, 2, 3, 4. And back down again four, three, two, one while you alternate your picking.

This exercise should be practiced until you can’t stand it anymore, slow and accurate. Then as it gets simpler build up your speed. Practice this on all strings, all over the fretboard. This will unlock your fingers and really get them going. Start slow and build up. Guitar is my obsession and hopefully this can help you on your way. It honestly is an amazing instrument. Videos and photos will really help burn these concepts in your brain. Check out these easy guitar lessons.

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