I need some guitar playing tips, please.?
I just picked the guitar up in january and started lessons in Feb. So it's been a solid 2 months and i can say, i really enjoy learning the guitar. however, i need some tips.
- i need some help learning to strum. I feel like an idiot, because my head knows the songs (like "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Im Yours") but my hand just doesn't want to strum. maybe years of guitar hero has screwed me up.
-whats a good exercise to do to help me speed up my transitions between chords?
-is there a right/wrong way to hold a pick? In lessons, i dont use a pick, just my fingernails…which is also strange to strum up with…sometimes i end up using my finger tips to strum up, and other times i use my thumb…strange i know. . .
just over all tips would be appreciated, thanks everyone
Just keep practicing, you'll eventually get better.
Try holding your fingers in the position of the chord you are trying to play, and press it down on the fret board. Pretty simple, but it builds strength and finger memory to make transitions faster. And when I was starting, I just tried to do transitions really fast, even though I knew I wasn't going to play it right. Eventually you'll get it! :]
As for the strumming part.. I guess try to imagine strumming the guitar without a real guitar in your hands. Once you get the rhythm, try it on the guitar. Then, for holding the pick, I hold it in a different way than most people, so i guess there's no wrong way as long as the pointier end is facing the strings…and I used to strum "up down up down" for hours to get the strumming up part.
Hope I helped 
March 28th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
1. strumming is just moving your arm up or down mostly.
2. transitioning chords. . . uh for me i just tried to like race myself and see how quick i could go.
3. hold the pick however you want.
References :
March 28th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Just keep practicing, you'll eventually get better.
Try holding your fingers in the position of the chord you are trying to play, and press it down on the fret board. Pretty simple, but it builds strength and finger memory to make transitions faster. And when I was starting, I just tried to do transitions really fast, even though I knew I wasn't going to play it right. Eventually you'll get it! :]
As for the strumming part.. I guess try to imagine strumming the guitar without a real guitar in your hands. Once you get the rhythm, try it on the guitar. Then, for holding the pick, I hold it in a different way than most people, so i guess there's no wrong way as long as the pointier end is facing the strings…and I used to strum "up down up down" for hours to get the strumming up part.
Hope I helped
References :
March 28th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
- Strumming is all in the upper forearm by the elbow. Dont use the wrist. Also for strumming….
- If you know the song but can't strum it, do it slowly at first then try and get up to tempo, and if it's because theres alot of string switching, watch your pick hand rather than the fret hand (get the chords by heart). Itll take some practice and time but well worth it.
For transitions…..
- Try and do it slowly (once again), then come back up to tempo. or try keeping a steady wrist and fingers like it's cramped up or frozen for power chords, and try and picture the next chord for normal chords before you play it.
Pick….
- Thumb.. and index and/or middle
References :