REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD START PLAYING GUITAR

“Music connects people”

It’s often said that music can soothe the soul. Simply listening to music has many benefits, but learning to play an instrument can be even more beneficial. Playing a musical instrument is a brilliant way to express yourself and really focus on something you love. It requires patience, perseverance and dedication.

Regardless of whether we become talented musicians or not, learning to play an instrument can help you in many wonderful and surprising ways. In this post we explore some of the main benefits of learning to play an instrument.

5 BENEFITS OF PLAYING GUITAR

BUILDS CONFIDENCE

Learning to play an instrument can gradually improve your confidence. As you become more skilled and playing becomes more natural, your confidence grows. Learning a new skill and noticing your success makes you feel more confident, and this can filter through to all aspects of your life.

TEACHES YOU VALUABLE SKILL

Being able to play an instrument is a useful skill, and it makes you a more well-rounded person. Even if you don’t end up performing, you can continue playing purely just for passion. It’s an interesting skill to talk about and you never know when it might prove useful.

SHARPENS YOUR CONCENTRATION

Learning to play an instrument can do wonders for your concentration skills. Researchers at the University of St Andrews said their findings show that musicians were quicker to pick up mistakes and correct them. Playing an instrument requires deep focus and concentration, as it’s quite easy to make a mistake. You have to focus on quite a few things at once. By having regular lessons and playing on your own, you will improve your concentration skills. For example, children who learn to play an instrument often find it easier to concentrate in school.

INCREASES MEMORY CAPACITY

Did you know that learning to play an instrument increases your memory capacity? There’s plenty of research proving that this is the case. The Times reported that ‘new research suggests that regularly learning to play an instrument changes the shape and power of the brain.’

IT IS FUN!

Simply plugging in your guitar, playing it, and listening to the music you’re creating can make you feel good—orgasmically so. According to a neuroscientific study from McGill University, hearing music triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, the same chemical that’s released during sex.

Now that you have an insight on the benefits of playing guitar, maybe, you want to learn new skills, maybe, you love to challenge yourself and get better at playing guitar. Here are some tips that we can share as a fellow guitarist!

HOW TO GET BETTER AT PLAYING GUITAR

FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO ACHIEVE
Grab a pen and paper and write down what you want to accomplish as a guitar player. Why do you want to learn to play guitar?What song or songs do you want to be able to play? What kind of music makes you feel good? Do you want to play like John Mayer, Eddie van Halen or Tommy Emmanuel? Do you want master a repertoire of songs off the top of your head or do you want to write your own songs? Do you want to play in a band or become a solo artist? No limits here.

Write down all your favorite songs, guitar players, songwriters, guitar techniques and skills, riffs, solos and dream goals that get you excited. Once you’ve got everything down on paper, narrow it down to the five most awesome goals you want to achieve. Then get really specific and choose one or two goals that you’re going to focus on.

SCHEDULE YOUR PRACTICE TIME
Set a fixed time and place for each day to practice. Put practice reminders in your mobile phone, computer or write it on your wall calendar.

Regular practice keeps you motivated and creates solid progress. If you don’t schedule the time to practice, you won’t keep at it, you’ll skip a few days and before you know it your guitar playing is going down hill.

NOTE: DON’T PRACTICE MINDLESSLY! Practicing mindlessly is as good as just wasting your time. You need to get clear on what you want to fix in your playing and not just repeating finger exercises

Look on your calendar and schedule your practice time now!

PRACTICE MORE
Besides your fixed practice time, there are always more minutes in a day, the minutes you waste time. Practice when possible or when you think it’s impossible. Play guitar before school or work, play after school or work, before lunch, after lunch, before dinner, after dinner, play when you’re watching TV or better turn off the TV. Practice your music theory in the dentist or doctor’s waiting room or when you’re dozing off to sleep. Play when your family has gone off to bed. Wake up earlier to practice some more. Practice when you feel tired or when you can’t sleep. Play every minute you can possibly spare. Play more guitar on weekends.

Guitar playing is a lifestyle. Stop making excuses and practice!

RECORD-LISTEN-LEARN-IMPROVE
Put your iPhone, iPad, computer or any recording device in front of you and start recording yourself. There’s a big difference in listening while you’re playing and listening to what you’ve recorded. Listening back to your recording can be confronting, but it also points out exactly what you need to work on. You can also make a video of yourself which reveals the positioning of your fingers, hands, arm, shoulders and back.

Try both options separately, because watching can distract the ears. Watch, listen, study, learn and fix your weak spots. Then record again and again until you’re satisfied. This will really improve your playing big time!

Once you’ve done this a couple of times, you will listen with new ears, and you’ll be more aware of your playing. You now see how small changes in your playing can make a huge difference.

PLAY ALONG AND JAM
Learning to keep time is one of the most important skills you need to acquire as a musician. You can practice and improve this by playing along with jam tracks and songs on Youtube. Learn to play along and lock in with the beat. Play along as much as you can.

When learning scales, use a metronome to practice with. Start slow, I mean real slow, and once you feel comfortable playing clean and clear in a certain tempo, gradually build up speed.

Find other musicians to play with, hang out and jam together. There is so much to learn from playing with others, it’s indescribable. Ask to meet up for regular jam sessions and play your favorite songs.

PERFORM
Now you have other musicians to play with, find a gig. Start small. Learn to play in front of a live audience is a skill you have to cultivate. You will make mistakes, it’s part of the deal. Face the fear, play your heart out, build and improve your performing skills, and learn to become a better musician. If you don’t have musicians to play with, play solo. Learn to play in front of people as much as you can, no matter how small the audience. Gaining experience is the best teacher.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF
Repetition is good, but don’t just stick with what you already know. Get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Learn songs from different styles of music. What guitar magazines haven’t you read yet? Check out a different guitar book or online guitar course that will expand your skills and horizon.

Learn new scales, chords, fingerpicking patterns and rhythm playing, that don’t fit your particular style of playing. You might be surprised how it will improve your chops. In the end all styles of music are interwoven with each other. Also try different guitars, picks, strings, amps, effect pedals, teachers and musicians to play with. It will all enrich your playing. Challenge yourself constantly!

EVALUATE YOUR PROGRESS
Every day write down what you are practicing. What songs, scales, chords, riffs and solos are you working on? During practice observe your playing carefully. What is improving and what needs improvement? What are your flaws, struggles and challenges? Find a way to solve your issues. If you’re using a metronome, write down your beats per minute every time. Make notes of your progress.

Evaluating and reading back your progress keeps you focused and aware of what and why you are practicing. Seeing progress is what keeps you going and gives you the confidence to achieve your guitar goals.

MAKE IT FUN
Whatever path you choose to become the best guitar player you can be, make sure you’re having a lot of fun along the way. Fun is what keeps you going, making you long for more and giving you the fastest progress. If you don’t like practicing scales, chords, triads and arpeggios, find a way to make it fun. There’s always a way!

Reading how your guitar heros have built their skills and achieved their goals can also be a trigger and motivation for you to practice whatever is necessary. Think creative and out of the box and make practicing exciting and exhilarating.

Guitar playing is all about enjoying the path you are on right now, because the musical path is infinite.

Find out what makes you tick!

BELIEVE
Now and then, there are setbacks in guitar playing. It’s two steps forward and one step back, and things in life don’t always go the way you planned. Don’t worry about it. Just keep listening to your heart. What is it that makes you feel good about guitar playing?

There is a path for you and you’ve just got to stick to what you believe in. Believe in your playing, in your progress and in your goals. Believe in yourself as a person and a musician. And believe in what you feel is good and right for you. Opportunities will find you and life will lead the way to your musical goals. Just keep at it!

 

Made by: Gilbert Cardozo Jr, Miyj Pragedes, Joshua Bumanglag

1. 

   Nice blog! Music is life💕

2. 

   This is a nice blog, it is really good for those people who want to play a guitar.

3. 

   I think this does not only apply to guitars but music overall

4. 

   Awesome! Keep it up!!

5. 

   Amazing and encouraging!