When you begin to learn how to play the guitar, it can be a bit intimidating and there are a lot of things to learn. In doing this you are entering the world of being a musician and there’s a lot that goes hand in hand with this. There are a few things to study up on before you start strumming your new instrument.
I’m not talking about your femur or the xiphoid process but rather the different sections of the guitar. Beyond developing your skills, learning how to play the guitar also involves properly maintaining your guitar. Knowing the saddle, the nut, the bridge and their respective functions are vital.
There are three primary types of guitars. You have your acoustic, electric, and classical guitars with each holding their special features. The classical guitar is of course tailored towards creating a crisp, bright sound ideal for classical music, as well as flamenco and Spanish guitar. The acoustic guitar is tailored towards the needs of many guitarists, with its louder sound and narrow bridge made with more ideal and easier fingerings. The electric has the greatest volume potential with a lower string tension ideal for guitar riffs.
Often, when starting out, many guitarists experience lots of finger pain, especially with acoustic guitars. Calluses will develop with continued play. However, it’s important not to over practice as this can cause your fingers to bleed which isn’t fun for anyone and can obstruct your learning.
As you play, your guitar strings wear and can eventually snap. It’s important to know when to change strings to avoid them from snapping and damaging the guitar or, more importantly, yourself. It’s also important to know which strings are best for your instrument; generally, D’Addario makes great strings for all guitars at affordable prices. Once you get your strings, there are videos that give great instructions for restringing guitars.
The right accessories are also vital when learning how to play the guitar. With the variations of guitars that exist, it is important to know that there are also many variations of strings that exist. It’s important to know that classical guitars use nylon or gut strings, steel strings can actually damage and ruin your guitar. Acoustic guitars often use ball end steel strings or ball end nylon strings. Electric guitars use their specialty of ball end strings at a lower tension than acoustic guitars. Of course, there are exceptions to every guitar and that is why it’s key to know what your guitar should use by contacting a local guitar shop or luthier to make sure if you don’t know.
A large majority of those who pick up guitar end up giving it up within the year because they hit a wall. Many people learn the chords, they learn their favorite Katy Perry song, maybe learn “Party in the USA” , then they stop pushing themselves once they learn the 3-chord wonders. When learning how to play the guitar, the key is to continually find pieces that aren’t too easy and not too hard. Find the Goldilocks piece that encourages growth.
As you know there are a lot of variations of guitars and strings, as you can guess, picks are no different. Know the right pick for the job. With thicker picks come more volume but also more strain put upon the strings. Of course, the extra strain is perfectly fine on steel strings; however, with nylon strings, a soft pick is required with a thickness of ~.05-.7 nanometers.
For those looking to do classical guitar, fingerpicking is just as essential as having a bow for your violin. When fingerpicking you can use plectrums which will give extra volume to your playing; however, many opt to grow out their nails instead. When picking with your nails it is important to take care of them and maybe use a clear nail polish to reinforce them as it can ruin your playing when even one nail breaks.
Guitars are made of wood, duh, and thus it inherits a lot of problems with the wood. Guitars should maintain a relative humidity of 45-50% humidity or else you can risk cracking or warping your guitar. This can be controlled by getting in case humidifiers and keeping your instrument in the case when not in use. One should also wipe the guitar down with a cloth after playing it as sweat and other fluids do not always react well with the finish on a guitar. Additionally, you should always polish the fretboard with each restring.
For the final part of your essential know-how is a key piece of gear: a case. For some, they don’t need a lot of protection. A gig bag will work just fine as it trades protection for ease of carrying and storage capacity for extraneous accessories. For those who need a lot more protection, a molded case is the way to go. It’ll keep your guitar safe on plane trips, bumpy car rides, or around any other situation you’ll encounter.
While getting your new guitar is a great and exciting thing that opens up a whole new world, there are a few things to remember. If you’re like me you’ll treat every guitar like it’s your baby girl. Name it, clean, and brag about it. It’s a new frontier, now go and learn that first chord progression.
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