If you’ve ever dreamed of playing the guitar like a rockstar, you may wonder how to learn guitar fast. While mastering the guitar takes time and dedication, some tips and tricks can help you accelerate your learning process.
In this blog post, I’ll share some effective strategies for learning guitar quickly and efficiently, from finding the right resources to practicing smartly. I’ll cover everything you need to know to become a proficient guitarist in no time. So grab your guitar, tune it up, and let’s get started on your journey to shredding those strings.
How To Learn Guitar Fast?
Learning guitar can be a fun and fulfilling journey; with the right approach, you can speed up your progress. Here are a few tips to help you learn guitar fast.
Step 1: Avoid Left-Hand Death Grip
When you first start playing, you’ll immediately notice that pressing the strings against the fretboard is hard work that hurts your fingers and makes your wrist hurt.
The natural way to deal with this is to hook your thumb over the top of the fretboard to get more leverage. This makes you press the strings more with the flat pad of your finger (where your fingerprint is) than with the actual fingertip.
Some people call this the “death grip” because you have a strong hold on your neck, and your fingers can’t move as far. The right way is to put your thumb on the back of the neck of the guitar. This makes your hand use its fingers, which is a much better and more accurate way to play just the notes you want without accidentally muting other strings.
The problem is that it feels strange and hard initially, and your wrist won’t be strong enough to do it. Long-term benefits will come if you stick with it. Remember these tips for learning to play the guitar, mainly that your thumb should only be on the back of the neck.
Step 2: Start with the Foundations
First, learn how the instrument is made and used. Six guitar strings get thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom. Depending on your guitar, strings vary.
Metal strings on acoustic and electric guitars are harder to press yet sound stronger. Nylon strings are softer, more elastic, and gentler, making classic guitars sound softer.
After that, play one note. The selected wire is pressed on the guitar fret to play notes. Frets are lines on every guitar neck. You can play guitar with a pick or your fingertips.
The pick allows you to play solos more precisely, although it’s a personal preference. You should also learn to play with your fingers—Mark Knopfler from the Dire Straits never used a pick and became a world-famous rock star!
You must also build calluses on your left hand (or right, depending on which guitar neck you hold).
As you’ll see, rubbing tiny wires with your fingertips for lengthy periods makes them uncomfortable. As your fingertips thicken, calluses prevent pain while playing. This process takes weeks, so you’ll have to wait! Starting with this, spacing out your practice across the week is another good reason.
Step 3: No Need to Rush
Take your time trying to figure out how to play quickly. This is one of the most important things you can learn from anyone about how to play the guitar. Good technique means using your fingers correctly and consistently hitting the right notes, especially when playing scales and tricky bar chords.
Focus on getting the fingering right. The truth is that if you learn how to play well, speed will come by itself. Poor form is the biggest thing that slows down a player. If you know good technique, being able to play quickly will be a nice bonus. Take your time and play slowly at all times.
Step 4: Always Use Correct Fingering
The best way to play chords and scales on the guitar has been known by pros for a long time. This means they know which fingers should play which notes on the fretboard.
Sometimes, you might find a way to play them that is easier. If you do, you are a musical genius and didn’t even know it. Don’t fall for it. Playing a chord or scale correctly is the only part of correct fingering.
Adding variations like sevenths and ninths is also considered, and the way you pick a chord might show that those variations can’t be played (yes, I learned this the hard way). Pay close attention to how you pick a chord and where your hand is on the fretboard for scales.
Step 5: Pick Some Great Online Guitar Lessons
There are a lot of free, helpful videos on YouTube that you can watch. But it’s usually a better use of our time to choose a site with more structure than to watch YouTube videos.
Many online places offer online lessons video lessons, which have classes for all skill levels. Depending on how well you play the guitar, you can choose from different tutors (guitar teachers/instructors) and music styles to get the needed classes. If you want to learn more, you can look into the best online guitar lessons and classes.
Step 6: Practice Regularly
Nothing is better than regularly picking up the guitar and practicing what you’ve learned. Even if it’s just ten minutes a day when you’re too busy, when it comes to tricky fingerings, good technique comes from your mind and fingers, remembering how it’s all meant to work. Try to find time to play every day and get into good habits. It will also help you get calluses on your fingers.
Step 7: Learn Some Basic Chords
You can play thousands of popular songs if you know a few basic guitar chords. This will keep you interested in playing and help you improve your skills. Guitar chord books are a great way to learn.
Step 8: Learn to Play Song Songs You Love
Everyone started playing with their favorite song. You should try to learn and play those songs well. But once you’ve done it, don’t stop there. Learning new songs keeps your mind open and helps you better play the guitar.
There’s nothing wrong with practicing by playing songs you already know. You won’t forget them, and you’ll have fun. But avoid getting stuck playing the same songs over and over again. Instead, try to learn something new.
Step 9: Stay Consistent and Be Patient
The first few months of learning to play the guitar are a lot of fun. Every time you play the instrument, you learn something new and improve. As soon as you start getting better, your skills will begin to get better.
In this case, you might notice your progress less and think you’re already good enough to go back to old songs and skills that you already know how to do well.
Now is the most essential time to keep working on your growth. You should either try to take more advanced classes or talk to a local teacher who can start to evaluate your skills and help you make a plan.
You could also play with other artists, try out different styles of music, or do anything else that helps you stay focused and excited about improving as a guitar player.
Now is a time when your 20 minutes of practice are even more important. After a while, it’s okay to take a break from practicing but get back to it when you’re ready.
How Long Does It Take To Learn Guitar?
It depends on how hard you work and how much you practice. You can play beginner guitar songs in one to two months if you practice three to five days a week for 30 minutes. After three to six months of effort, you can sing intermediate and slightly more advanced songs. Here’s an overview of how long it usually takes to learn guitar.
1-2 Months (Beginner Level):
You’ll learn some basic chords used in most songs and get a feel for simple strum patterns. If you feel up to it, you can start by trying some easy plucking. You’ll start with some easy songs on the guitar.
3-6 Months (Intermediate Level):
You’ll start to learn more about skills and basic music theory. You might learn more complex strum patterns, hammer-ons, and harder plucking. This is also an excellent time to learn how to read guitar tabs and get used to reading music.
12 - 18 Months (Intermediate-Advanced Level):
At this point, you should know your basic chords, like the back of your hand. It’s time to move on to more difficult barre chords and advanced fingering combos.
You’ll feel comfortable with some beginner to intermediate methods and start learning more advanced ones. You’ll be able to play almost every song from beginning to intermediate to advanced.
18 - 36 Months (Advanced Level):
You know a lot about music and guitar theory, your skill is primarily good, and you can play almost any song you want with little (if any) trouble. You’ll learn songs quickly and be able to make up your parts whenever you want.
How Long Should You Spend Practicing The Guitar?
A new guitarist should try to practice every weekday for at least 30 minutes. If you want to become a studio guitarist or a professional guitar player, try to practice for at least 90 minutes daily. Most expert guitar players practice every day for 180 to 240 minutes. Your practice should be focused and well-organized.
|
Goal As A Guitar Player
|
Suggested Practice Time In Minutes
|
Number Of Practice Days In A Week
|
|---|---|---|
|
Learn A Song Or Two
|
10
|
1-2 Days
|
|
Learn The Basics
|
30
|
5 days
|
|
Play In A Band
|
180
|
6 days
|
|
Become A Professional Musician
|
240
|
6 days
|
Final Words On How To Learn Guitar Fast
Learning to play guitar is a fun journey, and if you do it the right way, you can make a lot of progress quickly. Creating clear goals, practicing regularly, and getting help from experienced players or teachers can speed up your learning and get you playing like a rockstar sooner.
Remember to be patient and enjoy the process as you go. So get your guitar, put in the time to practice, and watch as you get better each day. You’ll be strumming your favorite songs with ease before you know it. Have a good time!
FAQs
Is Guitar Hard At First?
Learning guitar is only challenging initially. With practice and persistence, it becomes simpler. Commit to going past the challenging beginning to learn how to play the guitar.
Can You Learn Guitar Without Talent?
You don’t need to be good at music or have musical training to learn how to play the guitar. Using our simple chords, even if you have never played before, you can start seeing results in as little as 15 minutes a day. You must make time for it, be kind, and learn the first five chord forms.
Can You Learn Guitar Only With YouTube?
Beginners can learn guitar on YouTube without taking private lessons. But this way might be more complex because you don’t get direct help from an experienced teacher when you get stuck. If you’re starting on the guitar, choosing a well-structured program is best. This will help you get better.
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Well informative article I am a beginners
As guitar learning I need lots of tips to become smart player.
Stay with us & become a pro!
Great read! The first song I learned to play on the guitar was Oh My Darling Clementine. This brought back memories for me. Thanx for that!
Welcome!