The easiest way to learn guitar is to practice and play as much as possible. That’s not negotiable. There, I said it. It’s shocking that after thousands of years, mankind hasn’t come up with a shortcut or a magic pill to pave the way. But just perhaps, that’s a good thing! Do you really want everything in your life to be a piece of cake, a snap of the fingers and a “nothing to it?”
“Yes folks, buy my latest book: “The Easiest Way in the Whole Wide World to Learn Guitar. You don’t even need to use your fingers! Just look at it, and your guitar will play ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ ”
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All that being said, there are things you can do and ways you can be that will transform your experience of playing and practicing. Here are my four best ways to make it happen.
- Play Songs and Pieces You Really Dig!
You can’t always be working on one of your favorite songs, but as soon as you’ve got some basic chords and patterns down, find a way to use them playing songs you really love. If you have a teacher, tell her what you want and have her help you. If you’re on your own, use the internet. Sites like Ultimate Guitar have tons of free songs with lyrics and chords and Tabs. Perhaps you can find a tutorial on YouTube that’ll be of help. The easiest and most enjoyable way to learn the guitar is to do it using songs you love the most. That makes you want to learn!
- The Game of Repetition
Let your hands and fingers have their way as they learn how to play. Take a little movement like switching from a D chord to an A7 chord and just keep repeating it. Keep watching your fingers as they get the idea, until they can do it on their own without your help. There! It’s all possible. It’s all an opening if you play the game of repetition. It can be amazing and gratifying to see your hands take over!
- Accepting That It Takes Time
“I want it now!” I know. So do I. But damn it, it just doesn’t work like that. To learn guitar the easiest way, please try to accept that it takes time for your body to learn new tricks. You want proof? Just pay attention as you practice a new chord or finger-picking pattern. You know what to do, but your fingers aren’t ready to cooperate. In time, and with practice of course, they’ll come around. They always do in the end. And isn’t that terrific?
When you really get that things take time, and that there’s a natural flow to it all, you can relax into it and become more able to appreciate the process. It was Woody Guthrie who said, “Take it easy, but take it.” That about says it all.
- Practical Matters
SET-UP YOUR GUITAR
Set up your guitar so it plays easily and comfortably. Thayt means taking it to a guitar tech, and having her make some adjustments. The neck should be straight and true, and the strings should be close to the fingerboard for ease of playing. While she’s at it, ask her to put on a fresh set of strings to brighten up your sound.
TUNE YOUR GUITAR
Get hold of an electronic tuner (The clip-on kind are the way to go.) and use it everyday before you play. Being even a little out of tune can erode the joy and the flow without you even knowing it.
YOUR SPACE
Set up your space with a comfortable straight-back chair, a guitar stand, and a good quality music stand. I use a Manhassat orchestra model. It’s solid, and can hold an open songbook and accommodate up to three sheets of music side-by-side.
You want to play in private. This practicing business is between you and you. That’s one of the beautiful things about learning the guitar: It’s an adventure you do for and with yourself. Nobody else wanted or needed. So you find a room where you can close the door on outer distractions: friends and family, TV and other screens, cell phones… You get the idea.
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Please forgive me the sleight of hand in my title, “The Easiest Way to Learn Guitar.” I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to set you up to hear the straight goods. But listen: Accepting the “straight goods” about learning the guitar isn’t the same thing as having to eat your vegetables before you can eat the ice cream. There’s good news here! You give yourself a wonderful gift when you see yourself “getting” a song you’ve been working on. That “Yes! I got this!” You begin to accept and love the practicing process, because you can see what it does: It gives you the magic of music that you can play and enjoy!
So there it is. The easiest way to learn guitar isn’t in a shortcut or a gimmick. It’s in loving what you do. Trust me. There’s only one way to find out.
