Nicholas Torgerson | Three Tips For the Beginning Guitarist

Today we are going to go over 3 tips for the beginning guitarist. I’m going to give you some tips on getting the most out of your practice. Learning the guitar can be difficult in the beginning so, practicing correctly is very important. We will now go over a few tips on how to do this.

Tip #1

First you want to make sure that you are sitting in a comfortable position. You can hold the guitar on either leg. The leg on the same side as your fretting hand is the proper leg to use but I recommend using whichever leg is more comfortable for you.

Tip #2

Keep a practice schedule. This tip has helped so many of my students get the practice they need. Life can get busy. Especially if you’re a student or have a job or both. Keeping a practice schedule and writing it down can really help you to get enough practice in your busy week. I have seen people go from not practicing barely at all to getting where they want to be in their playing in a short amount of time. All thanks to just keeping a practice schedule. By writing it down, you will be more likely to actually do it. You will feel a little guilty when the paper shows you’ve been slacking!

Tip #3

Repetition. This is what will make you good. Repetition is the key to developing muscle memory. Muscle Memory is what moves your fingers effortlessly to where they need to go. The more times you repeat something correctly, the easier it will get. This brings me to one more point about practicing the guitar.

You MUST practice slowly and correctly! Let me repeat that. You must practice SLOWLY and CORRECTLY. Practicing something over and over wrong or sloppy will just result in bad playing. You don’t want to practice being BAD at the guitar, do you? I didn’t think so. Good practice equals a good guitarist. Bad practice equals a bad guitarist. Remember that.

Well good luck with your learning and check out some of my other lessons, I’m just getting started!

I have been a private guitar instructor for over 10 years in the Philadelphia area and Erie, PA and have played the guitar for over 20. I have successfully taught hundreds of people ranging from 5 years old to 80 years old. I have taught many styles of music and I have helped a lot of people develop a love of the guitar.

Private guitar instruction is the best way to go but it can be expensive and the quality of the instructors varies greatly. For those who live in small towns there may not be any. If you can’t take lessons from me or another good guitar instructor, I suggest that you try one of these guitar systems. Here are my top recommendations for beginners and intermediate level players.