The Best Ways To Learn The Electric Guitar For Beginners

What is the ideal way to learn the electric guitar for beginners?

You might realize that things worth doing well will require practice, patience, and time – the same goes with learning how to play the electric guitar for beginners. While at some point in your musical journey you might start to ask yourself, ‘what is the simplest method to learn the electric guitar?’, the fact is that, unfortunately, there are no shortcuts when it comes to maintaining consistent practicing.

That said, an essential factor for novice guitarists to remember is to be patient with oneself; after all, the finest guitarists were not born amazing. To achieve greatness, it is critical to set aside time weekly to practice scales, chords, and other necessary guitar skills. While it is understandable that it is more challenging to form positive habits than it is to break negative ones, you can always start by setting aside only a few minutes per day and move forward from there. Whether you are simply interested in the world of electric guitars or wholly dedicated to becoming an expert, here are 7 valuable ways to learn the electric guitar.

Acquire the essential equipment first

Unlike the traditional acoustic ones, playing an electric guitar efficiently and adequately requires specific equipment. Thus, it would be best to ensure you have all this equipment on hand and ready to go before you begin playing.

These equipment primarily are:

• Guitar amp

A guitar amp is an indispensable companion for the electric guitar since it helps unleash its full potential and sound. However, you do not need to go for an expensive guitar amp while still starting out. Something that outputs halfway decent sound is more than enough to help you learn the ropes.

• Instrument cable

An instrument cable is essential for connecting your electric guitar to the aforementioned amp to get it to function and produce great sound. Without it, a guitar amp can be rendered useless. Hence, try not to forget this vital equipment!

• Strap

A strap is what ultimately makes your playing experience as pleasant and comfortable as it can be. Guitar straps are available in all shapes, sizes, and materials, so choose one that offers the optimal functionality and comfort within your budget. The strap should ideally fit your shoulder well and be durable enough to hold the weight of your guitar at all times.

• Tuner

Tuners allow your electric guitar to sound its best by making it easier to tune its strings to your preferences. They come in several styles, such as a microphone, strobe, polyphonic, and chromatic, but some are more suited for different environments, such as live or group settings. Hence, it is highly recommended to consult your local music store to find the one that best suits your needs.

• Capo

A capo is essentially a clamp that allows for tightening the guitar’s strings when used, enabling you to change the key you play in. This tool is beneficial for beginners since it minimizes stretching and the number of complex shapes necessary to play a song. Furthermore, most online tutorials on playing the electric guitar presume that you have one of these on hand, so it would be good to be sure you have one early on.

• Picks

Picks are instrumental when learning to play the electric guitar. For beginners, picks with a thickness between 0.65 to 0.73 are ideal since they ensure effective strumming and picking maneuvers. Consider getting spares since it is relatively easy to lose them all the time, with their relatively small size.

Learn the basic chords and scales

It is fundamental to learn all your chords and practice scales no matter what kind of music you wish to play, and doing so also makes it simpler and more satisfying to know your favorite songs. Note that certain chords, such as F or B, may be more challenging to learn for beginners since they require building enough finger strength and dexterity.

You could first practice the simplified versions of these complex chords as an alternative. Over time, you will develop muscle memory, and your fingers will be capable enough to run through the chords and scales naturally and with ease. After learning the basics, cement what you have learned by playing easy tunes. Once you play with other musicians, you will be glad that you took the time and effort to learn the basics by heart, as you will possess the common knowledge that lets you play and improvise together.

Be familiar with using an amp

It would be wise to get to know your amp well, as you are certain to have an easier time playing your electric guitar. Generally, amps consist of different channels that you can adjust to change and amplify their sound. The ‘clean’ channel is something that all amps will have, and it outputs the pure tone of your guitar. Another channel that contrasts this is the one that gives a distorted and ‘dirty’ sound signature, also known as overdrive or distortion.

Others will come with several gain channels, allowing for various distinct sounds that can be switched to using a foot pedal. That said, a ‘clean’ tone is recommended as the default for beginners.

Take notes from your favorite electric guitarists

Developing your play style can be done in several ways, and listening to your favorite guitarists is one of the best strategies to try. Knowing the sound you prefer makes it easier to determine how you wish to play the electric guitar. Although you will most likely be unable to reproduce the sound they make at first, being inspired is always helpful as it is the first step to being closer to your goal.

Additionally, listening to them playing the instrument lets you see and hear how they manipulate their amps and pedals to great effect and play their role in a song, which is invaluable for training your ear as well as your overall learning experience. Moreover, you can be grounded in knowing that practice is key to reaching their level of mastery, which is what the next tip is all about.

Practice consistently

As the adage goes: practice makes perfect. Regardless of how much time you can put into practicing daily, it is vital to make sure you consistently do so since there is no other substitute for good practice. To begin, you can have an objective for each practice session and stick to a practice routine. Eventually, you will develop a good habit of constantly practicing, which is the first and most important requirement to mastering any skill.

Use a metronome

In order to become a great electric guitarist, it is crucial to get your timings right. Playing a piece of music slowly and gradually increasing its tempo is one of the best ways to achieve this. To make things easier, you can try practicing with a metronome. This simple yet helpful tool facilitates practicing your rhythmic control, which you should ideally work on as early as possible. Neglecting this aspect may result in your timing is off, and you will likely experience difficulty playing with other musicians.

Enroll in the electric guitar for beginners lesson

Last but not least, consider taking courses from experienced musicians to get a headstart on your learning journey. Enrolling in guitar lessons for beginners in Singapore is a vital step since there is only so much a student can do without expert guidance. A professional instructor can teach you more about notes, chords, and progressions, help you properly set up and care for your electric guitar, work your amps, and more. All in all, the learning gained from engaging an expert is crucial if you want to play well.

If you are a beginner at the electric guitar but interested to learn your favorite pop songs, fret not! At The Music Works, we offer interactive pop electric guitar lessons helmed by our experienced instructors. Our competent guitar instructors will ensure you build a solid foundation by teaching you all you need to know – from the standard guitar chords to the rhythm improvisation to various playing styles.

Conclusion

Rocking an electric guitar is definitely awe-inspiring and well worth learning, but the road to mastering can be daunting and steep. However, just remember that even the greatest electric guitarists you admire have been in your position before, so do not be disheartened when you experience difficulties. Instead, work on solidifying your knowledge of the fundamentals and staying curious on how to continually improve. Who knows, one day it might be you on that big stage playing your heart out to the latest tunes.