5 Tips To Learn Guitar Chords For Beginners

Are you having trouble with memorizing and changing guitar chords smoothly? What is the best way to go about learning them?

Some beginners gave up as it seems like an impossible task for them. As much as we dread it, it is a process that we cannot fast forward.

Recalling chords instantly and playing any song that you like is the ultimate goal for all beginners. However, you need to complete the initial stage of playing your first song perfectly. This article provides helpful tips for beginners who want to learn guitar chords successfully.

5 Tips to learn guitar chords for beginners:

1. Getting a guitar chord book
   
   Every aspiring guitarist needs a good chord book for easy reference and learning. The book teaches you all the common types of chords and progressions that you need to know. You do not have to waste time finding out what is the order of chords to learn. The chords are presented with common diagrams accompanied with real-life photos so that you can see clearly where to place your fingers on the fretboard.
   
   The better books will display each chord with different variations and different progressions for you to explore alternative ways of playing. The different chord formations will come in handy when you are looking for the simpler way to change chords.
   
   
2. Getting into the right finger positions
   
   Are you having a hard time getting your fingers in the right position while changing chords? Many beginners feel the strain of playing difficult chords especially with the ring and last finger. It is important to play in a comfortable position, relax your wrist and fingers. Place your index finger correctly so that the rest of the fingers will rest on the fretboard.
   
   If you feel uncomfortable or painful while forming the chord, readjust the position of your fingers. Stretching exercises are essential for beginners as they will build the strength and agility of the fingers in order to switch between chords.
   
   
3. Changing chords
   
   Changing chords can be really hard for guitar beginners. Chord progressions are usually chords played in a repeating sequence within a music composition or song. Hence, the best way of learning is by playing songs.
   
   For easy reference, you can put together the chords of a song into a chart. Some websites enable you to customize the chart by selecting diagrams of specific chords and print it out. Start by playing the entire song slowly then build up speed to the original tempo when you are able to change the chords smoothly. Trying to rush a change makes it harder to get your fingers into position for the next chord.
   
   As there are different variations for forming each chord, apply the most appropriate shape to the progression, that is to take the shortest route to move from one to another. For example, if you are changing from E to B major, it is easier to play both from the seventh fret rather than rushing from the seventh fret to the second.
   
   
4. Remembering chords
   
   The inability to remember chords is the reason why you are unable to change them smoothly. The best way to memorize chords is to practice with your eyes closed. Alternatively, you can keep playing the same progression while watching your favorite television programme. This will take your eyes off the fretboard.
   
   As you repeat the same finger pattern over time, a long-term memory is created for it. You will eventually form it naturally without conscious effort.
   
   
5. How To Practice Effectively
   
   The keys to effective practice is consistency and repetition. Daily practice of ten minutes is better than weekly session of eight hours. Short sessions make it easier for beginners to focus on perfecting chord formations and help to get over the soreness on your fingers.
   
   Concentrate on a chord or progression for each session instead of learning different patterns back to back as it may cause forgetting of the initial one. Then repeat the finger pattern till you master it. Repetition enables you to remember the movement that will become automatic and improve with practice.
   

Learning guitar chords for beginners can be a daunting experience. However, it is achievable if you have a good reference book, can form chords correctly and know the best way to change, memorize and practice chords.

Teach Yourself How To Play Guitar With Jamorama

You have probably heard a lot about Jamorama while searching for online guitar courses. However, you wonder if it is an ideal guide to teach yourself how to play guitar. Most importantly, you want to know if it works for you.

In this review, you will find out if Jamorama can help you answer some of the most commonly asked questions with regards to self teaching:

1. How to get started?
   
   Jamorama is a beginner to advanced course that consists of 250 pages of lessons and 148 video lessons. These lessons are designed for easy learning with integrated audio and video. It starts off with the basics such as parts of the guitar, correct playing positions, holding the pick and learning the frets. Next, it covers tablature and musical notation, common and advanced chords, scales, major techniques (like strumming, alternate picking, bending, finger picking, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slide, vibrato, legato, palm muting) and major styles of music (like rock, metal, blues, jazz, country).
   
   With Jamorama, you get the right order of things to be learned. Each lesson is built on the previous one so that you will understand the concepts better. You do not have to worry about what you need to know or do next. You can easily teach yourself how to play guitar just by following the lesson plan.
   
   
2. What are some good beginner guitar songs?
   
   When you first started off, it is hard and time consuming to find songs that have the chords you just learned. Jamorama comes with 26 exclusive Jam Tracks which you can play along with, starting from the second lesson. Many courses make you go through several lessons of theory before you can play any song. Playing songs is the best way to practice what you had learned so far. It is also fun and motivates you to complete the course.
   
   
3. How do I improve my guitar skills?
   
   Besides the learning modules, Jamorama offers 5 value-added bonuses: Jayde Musica Pro, GuitEarit, Guitar Tune Pro, Metronome and Chord Kit. They complement the course especially Guitar Tune Pro which is a must-have tool to resolve the tuning problems that beginners face. These bonuses will speed up your learning process and help you play better from training your ear, reading music, playing speed and forming chord progressions.
   
   
4. What is the best way to teach yourself to play guitar?
   
   Most beginners could not decide between teaching themselves guitar from books or videos. Jamorama consists of books, videos and audio recordings. Guitar techniques are explained thoroughly in text and demonstrated clearly in audio and video clips. This multimedia approach provides an effective learning experience for beginners to follow through each lesson with perfect understanding.
   

Jamorama is the perfect guide for you if you want to build a strong foundation that enables you to learn any of your favorite songs easily. It includes everything you need to get started to teach yourself how to play guitar.

Guitar Instruction DVDs

Guitar instruction DVDs is the next popular choice besides software for absolute beginners who

want to teach themselves guitar. The beauty of learning from video lessons is the unlimited times you can watch a particular segment till you master a difficult technique. This is what you cannot get from taking lessons from a teacher.

DVDs provide great guitar instruction as they demonstrate the correct techniques clearly. The multiple angles give you a good visual of the hand positions. You will gain a better understanding from the video rather than just reading a written explanation with static diagrams.

There is a wealth of guitar instruction DVDs available in music shops, bookstores or online. It is definitely not easy to choose the best one to teach yourself guitar, the following 5 tips will help you:

1. Who Developed The DVDs
   
   The course should be put together by a musician or a team who has experience in teaching. Anyone can produce a video and post it online. However, not everyone can provide good and correct instruction that is clear and easy to follow for complete beginners. Most importantly, you would not want to learn from someone who is not a professional.
   
   
2. Content
   
   The guitar instruction DVDs should provide a complete course that teaches you the fundamental skills from how to hold the instrument to forming chords, strumming, reading tablature and even playing songs. The good ones will comprise of full beginner to advanced lessons accompanied with books for easy reference.
   
   
3. Quality
   
   The DVDs should have an excellent combination of visual and audio to help you get a good grasp of the course. They should be of a high quality resolution. You would not want to watch blurry videos with poor sound quality which can be frustrating to make out what is being taught.
   
   
4. Usability
   
   Besides being professionally recorded, good guitar instruction DVDs should have an easy to use system for everyone. Some designed an interactive menu that enables you to flick between each video lesson using the remote. The interface also plays an important part for easy learning. The lessons should be clearly laid out in a way that they are grouped in relevant modules.
   
   
5. Support
   
   Look for DVDs that provide a support system for users whether they have questions regarding the product or guitar techniques. They usually offer members support that allows you to contact the tutors for any advice or the support staff for any issue with your product. Some even created an online community where you can chat with other guitar learners.

These 5 tips will help you to choose the best guitar instruction DVDs that will enable you to learn the skills correctly and speed up your progress. They are as good as having a tutor to demonstrate the techniques to you personally.

Steps to Changing Guitar Strings

Guitar strings do not last forever. After a while, you will observe that your acoustic guitar sounds dull and the strings appear dirty and tarnished.

Guitar strings tend to lose their elasticity and tone quality as they are exposed to air, and moist and grease from your fingers.

Changing guitar strings regularly will improve the guitar's tone and prevent them from breaking at the wrong moment. The process may be a pain but the improved tone and feel are worth it. With time, you will be able to change them very quickly.

Tools that will come in handy when changing strings on an acoustic guitar:

• String winder
• Slightly damp cloth
• Wire cutter
• A sheet of paper

Steps to changing guitar strings:

1. Loosen the sixth string (low E) of your acoustic guitar with a string winder. Snap it off with a wire cutter near the tuning peg. Detach the other end of the string from the bridge by removing the sixth string bridge pin. You may want to place a sheet of paper underneath the bridge while pulling the string out so that you will not scratch the paintwork of your guitar. Throw away the old string. This is a good time to clean the newly exposed areas of the neck and bridge of your guitar with a slightly damp cloth.
   
   
2. Attach the new string to your guitar by placing its ball-end into the bridge hole. Replace the bridge pin back into the hole, aligning the carved slot of the pin with the string. Gently pull on it until you feel the ball slip into place.
   
   
3. Bring the string up towards the head of your guitar. Turn the hole of the tuning peg to the direction of the groove on the nut. Feed the loose end of the string through the hole in the tuning peg.
   
   
4. Leave some slack on the string and hold it while turning the tuning peg in a counter-clockwise direction with the winder.
   
   
5. On the first wrap-around, make sure that the wrapped string passes over the end portion of the string protruding from the end of the tuning peg. After the wrapped string has passed over the end, guide the string so that it will wrap under the string on the next pass. Subsequent wrap-arounds will also wrap under the string end, each wrap going below the last.
   
   
6. Once the string is in place, use a wire cutter to snip off the end of if that is protruding from the tuning peg.
   
   
7. Repeat the above steps to change the remaining five strings of your guitar.

If you had managed to change the sixth string, the other five strings will get easier. The only part of the process that differs on the remaining strings is the direction you will feed them through the tuning pegs. Turn the tuning peg clockwise for the treble strings (String 3, 2 and 1) and counter-clockwise for the bass strings (String 6, 5 and 4). After all the new strings are attached, stretch and re-tune them a few times until they are in tune.

You have learned the steps to changing strings on an acoustic guitar. Although it may seem difficult initially, you will master the procedure after a few full string changes.

Steps to Changing Electric Guitar Strings

Changing electric guitar strings is easier with some tools at hand:

• A pair of wire-cutters to cut the strings.
• A pair of pliers to help you get the ends of the old strings out of the tuning pegs so that you will not cut your fingers.
• A string winder to speed up the loosening and tightening of the strings.

How to remove old guitar strings:

1. Loosen the sixth string (low E) with a string winder.
   
   
2. When the string is totally slack, cut it in near the bridge and near the tuning peg so that you do not have to pull the whole string through them. It also reduces the chance of scratching the paintwork of your guitar when removing the string.
   
   
3. When cutting the string, make sure that the string has no tension. Otherwise, it can be dangerous. If necessary, use the pliers to carefully work the end of the string out of the tuning peg.
   

How to put on guitar strings:

1. Open your new set of electric guitar strings. Find the sixth string and remove it from its package. You will notice that it has a ball end and a plain end. Feed the plain end of the new string through the hole in the bridge. Draw it through until the ball end comes to rest in the bridge.
   
   
2. Pull the string up towards the head of your guitar and slide it through the hole in the tuning peg. Leave some slack in the string as that is going to turn into windings around the post. Hold it in place with your index finger at the tuning peg.
   
   
3. Turn the turner in a counter-clockwise direction to wind the new string using the string winder. The string will start to wrap round the post. Take the free end and bend it upwards so that it is out of your way.
   
   
4. Keep turning the tuning peg and keep the string tight with your other hand. As it tightens, check that the string is in line with the groove on the nut and at the bridge end. Make sure that there are two to three full coils of string wrapped around the tuning peg so that it will be stable. Try to make the coils as neat as
   possible.
   
   
5. Bring the string into approximate tune so continue to tighten the string with the tuning peg while checking the pitch. You also need to stretch the new string as it may have trouble staying in tune. Pull it about one inch away from the surface of the guitar. The string will probably have gone flat. Re-tune the string then
   repeat the process, until it no longer falls out of tune.
   
   
6. Once the string is in place and in tune, trim the excess string protruding from the tuning peg with a pair of wire-cutters.
   

Once you had changed the sixth string, repeat the above steps for each remaining strings on your electric guitar. Although changing electric guitar strings may seem difficult and time-consuming at the start, it will be part of the necessary maintenance after you have done it a few times.

Fundamentals Of Online Beginner Guitar Lessons

Are you wondering where you can find good online beginner guitar lessons? As a complete beginner, you do not know how to read music or chords and notes, and are clueless of what any of it really means. You hope to find the best self-teach book or program that has been used and proven by many people.

You would have noticed that there are plenty of online guitar lessons for beginners. So many that you do not know which one to pick as you have no idea what you should be learning to build a good foundation.

Going through all the search results can be tedious and I guess everyone of us would not want to end up buying an incomplete guide. Besides teaching you parts of the guitar, you have to make sure that the online beginner guitar lessons comprise of the following fundamentals:

1. How To Hold The Guitar
   
   You may think that you do not have to learn how to hold the guitar as it is pretty straighforward.Some beginners overlooked the importance of the right playing positions. Wrong sitting or standing posture will affect your guitar playing and cause muscle strain.
   
   
2. Hand Positions
   
   For right-handed individuals, your left hand will form the chords while your right hand will strike the strings. Good online beginner guitar lessons will show you the proper left hand and right hand positions clearly on books and videos.
   
   
3. Chords
   
   You will be taught common chord types and chord progressions that help you to play songs. They are presented with clear diagrams and pictures of the neck of the guitar so that you can visualize and grasp each new chord easily.
   
   
4. How To Strum
   
   Strumming may seems easy but it is one of the difficult areas for some beginners. They are unable to get the strum sounding right and smooth. The lessons will address this common problem and teach you techniques to great strumming so that you would not give up in frustration.
   
   
5. How To Read Tablature
   
   Tablature (tabulature or TAB) is the simplest method of writing music for a guitar. This musical notation enables us to recognize notes quickly and easily. Reading tablature is an essential skill that would be covered in most beginner guitar lessons as it enables you to learn thousands of songs online.
   
   
6. Easy Guitar Songs
   
   It is hard and consuming to search for easy guitar songs. Good online beginner guitar lessons would be accompanied with tracks that you can play along at the end of each lesson. It is the best way to practice the chords you had just learned.
   
   

Good online beginner guitar lessons are designed by experienced musicians to teach you the fundamental skills and lay the basis no matter which music style you eventually pursue. Each lesson is broken down into steps that are manageable for absolute beginners so that you will master each technique easily.

Are you tired of searching for the best guide? Click here to find out what are the current top three online beginner guitar lessons.

Teach Yourself To Play Guitar - Myths Vs Facts

Are you impressed with guitarists who are completely self taught? However, you doubt that you can succeed like them after hearing so many assumptions of teaching yourself to play guitar.

Some of the common myths:

• It is impossible to learn guitar without a teacher.
• It is difficult to do so.
• It is not the proper way.
• It does not work.
• It will take a long time to teach yourself guitar.
• You will pick up bad habits.
• You cannot progressed further.
• Self teach guitar is only for those who are inherently more talented.

Are the myths keeping you from teaching yourself to play guitar? Before you give up the idea, let's look at the facts of it:

1. Learn At Your Own Pace
   
   The best thing about self teaching guitar is that you can take lessons whenever you are free. You do not have to adjust your schedule to suit the tutor. You can learn as quickly or slowly as you want to with no pressure. You can proceed to the next lesson whenever you can, not having to wait for your teacher. Alternatively, you can take the time you need to master a difficult technique before moving on to the next one. How long it takes to learn guitar depends on you as you determine the pace. If you have the drive and discipline, you will teach yourself to play guitar faster than taking traditional lessons.
   
   
2. It Is Economical
   
   Most of the self teach guitar resources whether books, DVDs or software are much cheaper and affordable if you have a budget to keep to. The good courses provide full beginner to advanced lessons and cost less than a couple of lessons with a tutor. They only require a one-time fee and you do not have to add in the travelling expenses.
   
   The cost of paying a tutor is ongoing and depends greatly on the your learning pace. If you do not grasp a particular technique during a lesson, you will have to spend subsequent session(s) on it till you have reached the desired level. You will be wasting money on the lessons where you are going over the same technique. This will add up and exceeds your budget. If you are learning as a group, you have to pay for any class you are unable to attend due to other commitment.
   
   
3. It Is Enjoyable And Relaxing
   
   Some tutors are rigid in their teaching style. They only teach you what they are interested or think are important and not consider your guitar learning goals or interests. Learning the guitar will not be enjoyable and fun if you cannot play your favorite songs.
   
   For some people, taking traditional lessons can be a stressful experience. They are pressurized or uncomfortable when a tutor watches them play. They fear of messing up or feel put down when they are unable to meet the expectations of their teacher. Classroom settings also make some nervous as they do not want to drag the class down if he or she is a slow learner. They simply cannot play well under these situations.
   
   Self teaching gives you the flexibility to decide the way you want to learn and play the guitar. You can easily pace yourself and avoid the pressure from a teacher or class. Playing the guitar should be enjoyable and relaxing that take you away from stress, instead of adding to it.
   
   
4. It Saves Time
   
   Teach yourself to play guitar allows you to take lessons in the comfort of your home. You do not need to spend the time to drive or take public transport to and fro the music school or the teacher's place. In fact, this travelling time can be devoted to extra practice or progressing to the next lesson.
   

No one is born with the ability to play the guitar or any musical instrument. It is about getting the right guide whether from a tutor, book, DVD or software. Now, there are many complete guitar courses that offer a structured plan of lessons to teach yourself to play guitar. In fact, these courses are developed by professional guitarists to guide you around just as a tutor.