Having an ideal version of ourselves playing the guitar is a healthy aspiration.
It serves as inspiration and encouragement for continuous improvement. However, let’s face the reality that very few people are naturally born with such skills. Achieving any level of proficiency requires immense dedication, perseverance, and practice. We must accept the fact that reaching the legendary status of Jimi Hendrix may be an unattainable goal. On the other hand, you won’t know until you try. Let’s figure out together how to get better at playing the guitar.
Expert Tips to master Acoustic Guitar
#1 Use a metronome
Guitarists often make the mistake of attempting to learn new scales or chord progressions too quickly. It is important to establish a strong foundation by starting slow, and gradually increasing the pace. Incorporating a metronome into your practice routine will enhance your sense of rhythm and fingering accuracy, allowing you to progress toward faster tempos. You can use Roadie 3’s metronome feature for this.
#2 Take an online lesson
How to master the acoustic guitar? Start practicing on your own, but at the right time ask for corrections from more experienced musicians. Fortunately, now there are services such as online lessons. There are many of them, even too many. So much so that some of them are scams. You can use VPN features to protect yourself from many Internet vulnerabilities. With double VPN you guarantee that your data will not be stolen and used against you. You can also protect yourself from direct hacker attacks, account hacking, and phishing.
#3 Play with dynamics
Take advantage of the beautifully dynamic nature of the acoustic guitar! Instead of consistently intense or quiet strumming throughout the entire song, try experimenting with playing louder during the chorus and softer for the verse or bridge, depending on the song. By emphasizing dynamics, you will captivate your audience’s attention and provide a better framing for the song and vocals.
#4 Start with open chords
Open chords form the foundation of guitar playing. They incorporate open strings and are easy to learn, such as D, G, A, E, and C, along with D minor, E minor, and A minor. The URBAN Guitar by Yamaha includes a lesson app that demonstrates these chords. The illustrations feature small Os for open strings and small Xs for strings you don’t strum.
Mastering a few other open chords may be more challenging. Some require skipping strings while strumming (like B minor), and others involve fretting multiple strings with one finger (like F). However, with just ten chords, you’ll be able to play many songs. Choose your favorite songs that use these chords and start strumming.
#5 Try alternate tunings
Jimmy Page, Joni Mitchell, and Keith Richards, among others, were renowned guitar icons in the rock genre who were famous for their exploration of alternate tunings. Incorporating alternate tunings can invigorate your approach to playing the acoustic guitar and unveil distinctive chord voicings. You can try to find interesting guitar tunings and simple melodies on foreign websites. All you need to unblock them is download the VPN and connect to the remote server. This will allow you to open almost any website in the world.
#6 Find yourself a comfortable position
To find the “right” body position, consider what feels most comfortable for you. If you are already at ease with how you hold the guitar, that is a great starting point. It is recommended that, at least in the beginning, you practice while sitting instead of standing. This is because it is easier to focus on your hand movements when you are seated.
Once you are comfortably seated, hold the guitar in such a way that the narrowest point of the inside curve on the lower half is balanced around the middle of your thigh, as shown in the photo below. Be careful not to place the guitar too close to your knee, as it may slip off while you are playing.
#7 Learn songs
Don’t waste your time learning songs you don’t enjoy! Instead, focus on playing songs that ignite your soul and fuel your passion. The acoustic guitar is all about having fun and finding joy in music. So, choose songs that reflect that spirit. This is where guitar practice becomes truly exciting because you can connect your love for music with your desire to improve!
#8 Jam with friends
Getting together with friends to jam on the guitar is something to love. It’s the very reason many of us started playing the acoustic guitar in the first place!
Jamming with friends offers several advantages, including:
- Enhancing your musical understanding through learning and exchanging ideas with one another.
- Exposing yourself to different musical perspectives.
- Putting yourself in an encouraging environment that helps you stay motivated.
- Sharpening your ability to play with others.
- Improving your improvisation skills in a relaxed setting.
Conclusion
Although this is just the basics, the tips listed are already enough to start mastering the acoustic guitar. You can continue to improve your gaming skills even until the very last day. It all depends on whether you just want to impress a girl or become a real virtuoso. But all legendary guitar players started somewhere, so don’t be shy about starting down that path.
