5 Tips You Can Use Today When Learning Your First Chords

Learning your first guitar chords can be very challenging. In fact most beginners quit because playing chords is so difficult at first. So what can you do to stop yourself from quitting? I've listed a few helpful tips that will help to not only keep you on track but also prevent you from giving up on your dream of learning to play guitar.

Tip #1
Practice for no longer than fifteen minutes a day.
Many people when first starting out want to practice for an hour a day. This is a bad idea. Your fingertips need time to build up calluses and might start bleeding if you push yourself too hard. Ideally you should practice until your fingers start to really hurt, usually within first fifteen minutes, and no more!

Tip #2
Never skip a day of practice.
This is very important. In fact if you can't find fifteen minutes a day every day in your busy lifestyle, you might as well save yourself the trouble and don't even attempt to learn guitar. And I mean every day. Why? You need to build muscle memory in your fingers and that takes time and repetition. If you skip even a day of practice it can and usually does send you way back in your progress. So all this hard work you've been putting into it is worthless. Unless you practice every day!

Tip #3
Keep a daily log of your progress.
This is more for motivational purposes. Seeing how much you have improved overtime is a huge ego booster and helps to put the fire back into the whole learning guitar process. It's a good idea to go even farther and video record all of your practices. You will get such a kick out of it when you go back and see just how bad you were in the beginning. That's what I did and it helped me to keep going.

Tip #4
Join forums.
Join guitar forums for support. Guitar forums have hundreds of people going through the same pain as you are. You can get a lot of helpful tips if you run into trouble when learning something and the emotional support you get from your piers doesn't hurt either.

Tip #5
Make sure your guitar is always properly tuned.
This is a no brainer. But for some reason so many beginners, me included, forget about something so crucial to your success in learning guitar. In fact many people think their playing skills suck when in reality their guitar is out of tune. Simple, right?

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Learning to Play The Piano Can Be Achieved in Different Ways

Traditionally learning to play piano has been taught by learning the names of notes on the music and the keys to produce the same note on the piano keyboard. This system is used by the majority of music teachers around the world and teaches a solid foundation of both music and piano playing.

There are disadvantages of the system, its slow speed being the main one. Many students fall by the wayside as they become disillusioned with the time it is taking to be able to play interesting music. Another is that you will effectively be learning two things at the same time; reading music, and learning the piano with its associated issues.

There is a different route that can be taken requiring very little teaching of music theory initially. The system does teach music to a similar level as the traditional teaching method would over time. The method places more emphasis on playing piano rather than learning music at the beginning. The result is the student plays the piano quicker, the music element being learned in small bite size pieces at the beginning and larger pieces later in the course.

The system is interval learning or playing in patterns. The distance between notes in music is called an interval. The interval can be used as a means of following the music. The distance between notes is looked at as a pattern rather than the name of a note having to be recognized.The number of keys are counted on the keyboard from the last note in the pattern. By using this method patterns are followed rather than having to recognize the actual note value.

The use of this system quickens the process of being able to play the piano by following music although the values of the notes may not be recognized. As your learning progress continues you will start to recognize the note values and be able to recognize the notes both on the paper and the piano keys.

The disadvantage of the system is that your knowledge of the note values takes longer than in the traditional method. The advantages are that you will be following music quicker than would be the case with traditional methods and be able to play a wider range of music that interests you sooner.

Overall the difference in time to understand the basics and be able to play at a reasonable standard between the two methods will probably be negligible. The interval system would suggest that you are less likely to fall into the category of people who failed in their attempts to learn to play piano, due to being bored with the slow progress being made with the traditional system of music tuition.

The system you choose to learn by is personal choice although the interval method is not as widely taught as traditional methods of piano tuition. It is possible to find teachers who do teach this method of piano tuition.

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Jackie Clark has been teaching piano, keyboard and guitar for over 25 years in several countries. She has a 100% success rate with pupils taking exams in traditional teaching methods and also has on line courses of instruction using a variety of methods.

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How to Motivate Yourself When Learning to Play Guitar

If you are learning to play guitar, or if you already began to learn guitar chords, chances are that you have felt bored and frustrated; perhaps you have felt that playing the guitar is not for you, you find it more complicated than you thought it would be... anyway, you are not alone. You are not the first one or the last one getting that feeling, it happened to most guitar players when they began.

The reason I know that happens is because I have felt like that too, and I still feel like that every now and then when I'm trying to learn a new song; the only difference now is that I know that it can be done and that in the end is a small victory for me, now I know that if others were able to do it, I'm more than capable to do it as well.

The hardest step is to begin, learning the basics and the fundamentals of the guitar, this is usually the part when most people quit, and the truth is that it can get tricky at first; it is only after you learn the chords that you can start playing songs and having fun with your guitar.

Let me give you a few tips that have helped me in the past and still help me whenever I want to try something different in the guitar:

1. Visualize yourself playing your favorite songs. If you are learning a new song or if you are learning the basics of the guitar and you feel that you are going nowhere, visualize yourself playing that song that inspired you to start playing guitar in the first place, this will be like putting gas on your tank and you'll probably get the feeling you once felt; this is a great way to motivate yourself

2. Remember why you wanted to learn guitar. This one is a lot like visualizing yourself playing your favorite songs; when you get that feeling that you don't want to continue, start thinking why you wanted to start playing guitar, maybe to impress someone, to be famous, perhaps you want to start a career as a musician or just because you want to play the songs of your favorite band, either way think about it and this will make you feel good about what you are fighting for.

3. Do not overwhelm yourself. Too much practice can lead into frustration as well. I think that playing an hour a day is a great way to improve really fast, but if you are feeling bored after half an hour, what you can do is make a shorter practice session, try to practice for fifteen minutes a day and eventually you will feel the need to practice more and you'll see that time flies when you are having fun with your guitar.

4. Give yourself a pad on the back after practice. After you've done your homework, give yourself a little reward, if you like chocolates, have a chocolate or anything you like, but only after you've finished your practice, this is great to keep yourself motivated.

Learning guitar is a great experience, try to practice every day to see results and the best advice I can give you is to find a guitar course, stick to it and you'll be amazed with the results you'll see. Good luck and have a great day.

George Balibrera is an experienced guitarist with over 12 years playing guitar. Starting to Play Guitar Can be fun and exciting when you have the proper method to learn. Buy Jamorama at the best price and start learning guitar right away or improve your skills as a musician. Remember, practice is the key. To your success.

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5 Ways to Make Learning Drum Rudiments Easy

Drumming rudiments are the basics of learning to play the modern drum set. Although most drummers are agreed on the importance of mastering the rudiments, there is one problem that persists, it takes lots of repetitive practice and can become boring. Here are 5 ideas to make your practice more interesting.

Use a metronome - There is nothing like seeing improvements to keep you motivated to keep practicing. Keep notes of how fast you can play each rudiment and try to improve. In addition to playing at speed, try playing very accurately at slow tempos. This can be surprisingly difficult.

Set yourself goals - Set an achievable target goal for your drumming. For instance you could say that you want to "play the double paradiddle at 160bpm by the last day of the month". You could even give yourself a small reward if you reach your goal. Setting and achieving goals is an excellent way to stay motivated.

Practice during TV - Watching the television is a great time to practice your rudiments. It is so easy to waste an evening watching TV, but if you have your drumsticks around, you don't have to feel guilty. Your can tap out some rhythms on a practice pad or even quietly on a cushion. Multitasking at its finest!

Practice to tunes - Rather than simply practicing to a metronome, vary your routines by playing rudiments along to music. This is a great way to start thinking of how rudiments can actually fit into pieces of music.

Combine rudiments - Instead of practicing each of the individual routines separately, play several complimentary rudiments one after another and concentrate on making smooth transitions between them. For example, you could play singles, followed by doubles then paradiddles.

By using these ideas you will find that practising is much more fun and that you get a lot more out of your drumming. The aim is to get to a point where you are no longer thinking about the different patterns, your brain and hands just execute them automatically.

Although you can get behind a drum kit and start playing without learning the basics, you will be missing out a great deal. Many intermediate players find that they need to come back to learning the rudiments because they did not master them at an early stage and it is hindering their further progression.

So what are you waiting for? Practice time is now going to be a lot more fun.

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Guitar Learning Tips For Beginners

The guitar is easily the most popular musical instrument in the world. Thousands of people start learning guitar with the best of intentions, only to give up when they discover it's harder than it looks. If you want to learn guitar and be one of the success stories, then follow these simple beginner tips:

1: Buy a cheap, good quality guitar. It may seem obvious, but you will need to own your own guitar if you truly want to learn to play. Only by having exclusive access to your own instrument will you be able to improve quickly. You don't need to spend a lot however. A reasonably priced beginner's guitar shouldn't cost more than USD$100. Try looking online for basic guitars then compare that price to your local music store. This will give you more bargaining power when it comes time to make a purchase.

2: Start with nylon strings. Guitars either have metal strings or nylon strings. The former sound better eventually, though cause more pain when you're starting out. It's much better to toughen your finger tips up gradually with a nylon string guitar and change over when you feel ready. In the beginning your chords won't sound so great as to be able to tell the difference anyways!

3: Learn your basic chords from online video. The internet is the best source of good quality, yet free "how-to" information. Video sites such as YouTube are a great place to find free guitar lessons. Simply search for terms like "beginner guitar chords" and you'll be on your way. Remember also to look for sites besides YouTube, since many of these are dedicated "how-to" sites and have a wide array of quality video not necessarily found elsewhere.

4: Practice strumming to a metronome or jam track. When you start out playing guitar you will focus all your attention on forming the correct chords and making them sound clear. As you progress, you'll move your focus to your strumming hand. It's a good idea to learn to strum in time from the outset. A metronome is a good basic tool, though there are also many simple "jam tracks" you can find online to play along to. These are more interesting and give you the feeling of playing in a band.

5: Invest in a quality beginner's learning package. Quality e-learning courses are readily available online and improving all the time. Beginner's packages shouldn't cost more than USD$50. A good one should contain video, e-books, jam tracks, easy to follow step-by-step instructions and typically some extra bonuses too.

Don't be afraid to purchase a product and take them up on their money back guarantee if it's not to your liking. Reputable online businesses stick by their claims and will return your money if you're dissatisfied. If you understand this, then you won't be so hesitant to make the investment.

6: Find someone to play with. The final thing you should do to ensure your guitar learning success is to find a friend to play with. Preferably someone better than you who is willing to show you a few things. Playing by yourself is fun, though it's only when you team up with a real live person that you get the extra boost of motivation to continue.

If you follow these six beginner guitar learning tips and you will be well on the way to success.

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Learning To Play The Piano For The Entire Family!

Not everyone who takes piano lessons end up being successful in playing the instrument. Although it may seem like fun, learning to play the piano can be extremely challenging and difficult as well. But fortunately, there are now several courses that can help simplify these lessons for you, such as the Rocket Piano Program.

The Rocket Piano program is a series of piano lessons made for both beginners who never had piano lessons before and for advanced piano players who simply want to learn more techniques and playing styles. The program features over 12 months' worth of simple and easy to follow lessons that have been tested and proven to produce results. It includes a custom made learn to read Sheet Music, step-by-step lessons on famous piano songs and a wide selection of songs that you can play for practice - from blues, jazz, pop, country to classical.

The Rocket Piano program is created by Rock Star Recipes, one of the top leading teams of musicians, instructors and music teachers in the business. With over 30 years of combined musical experience, their team members have been instructing thousands of students with the use of simple yet effective music teaching techniques.

One of the best things about the program is that it can take you through various levels of skills, depending on the techniques that you have acquired from the previous lessons. As mentioned before, the program offers beginners, intermediate and advanced levels of techniques. At the end of the program, you'll be learning to play the piano like a professional.

Aside from that, the program also offers you a wonderful selection of songs to practice on. This was made especially to suit the different tastes of piano lovers - from classic songs all the way to original compositions made especially for the program.

Learning to play the piano is more than just memorizing the piece. Rocket Piano will not only teach you the song but will also introduce you to underlying theories and lessons on how the instrument ought to be played. After learning the theories, students are instructed to apply these lessons to actual musical pieces. In the end, you'll not only master your practiced pieces but you'll be knowledgeable enough to play any song you want- something that you can barely do in other piano courses offered out in the market today. To make learning even easier, each piece featured in the course comes with an audio file that you can play over and over again for practice.

The course introduces a very effective practice system that allows you to master the piece in just a matter of weeks. It teaches you how to read music like a professional, learn melody, scales, arpeggios and play chord progressions in any key. And best of all, the course can also teach you how to improvise and play new piano pieces and songs like you have practiced it many times before.

Learning to play the piano has never been this fun and effective. So if you are planning to enrol for piano lessons anytime soon, turn to the Rocket Piano program today and you'll be playing the instrument like a pro in no time at all.

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Solutions To The 4 Things People Find Hardest When Learning Guitar

Learning the guitar can sometimes feel like a major uphill struggle. Different people struggle with different things, after all everybody is different. Just what do people struggle with when learning to play guitar? What are the three things that people find the most difficult when starting out?

Learning The Chords. There is no way around it, chords are a major part of playing the guitar. They are important for virtually every song and once they are mastered you can play literally anything. So why do people struggle to learn the basic chords? It is the simple case that they are not intuitive. Chords require you to learn the positions of all your fingers at the same time and in some very unintuitive positions. It simply isn't something that comes naturally for most people.

Injured finger tips. OK, strictly speaking this isn't a skill that needs to be learned but it is something that all new comers will suffer from. If you have never picked up a guitar before it is difficult to appreciate the stress that is put on your finger tips. It hurts! You may get blisters, you may get cuts but eventually, over time your finger tips will become immune to such injuries. You will find that the tips of your fingers will become hardened and you will lose a lot of the feeling in them.

Timing. Just as in comedy, in music timing is everything. A sense of rhythm is essential and some people claim to have one naturally. Some people do but anybody can learn to keep a rhythm going it just takes practice. A good drummer in a band will keep the rhythm of the track together but if you are practicing on your own then tapping your foot can help. If all else fails and you really can't keep a rhythm going then you may need to get a metronome as a temporary measure to help you.

Switching between chords. If learning the chords was difficult then switching between them can be near on impossible! Most tracks will contain more than one chord and will involve quick switches between them. This is what makes the difference between a good guitar player and a great guitar player. You need to be able to smoothly link the two chords whilst keeping the correct rhythm. It is difficult at first and the only thing that can improve the situation is practice and lots of it! Once you know all the chords off the top of your head you should have no problem quickly shifting between them.

Other than hours of practice, the only real thing that can make your guitar sound better is your equipment.

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Learning Guitar Online - 3 Useful Tips

Traditionally, learning guitar was only possible via face to face lessons, or through the use of often times dull music books. You may have experienced those outdated chord and song books that were both tiresome and frustrating. Fortunately with the advent of the internet, guitar learning has never been revolutionized forever. Never before has it been so affordable and fun to learn to play guitar.

The aim here is to give you three useful tips for learning guitar online.

Tip #1 - Free Online Video Lessons

It's often been said that we better through seeing then doing. This is especially true when learning guitar. User based content video websites such as YouTube.com have led the way in free video training. It's now possible to find free lessons on every conceivable aspect of guitar learning and practice.

The problem can be sorting through the huge volume of content to find what's of good quality and right for your level. Try to narrow your search by being as specific as possible. "Guitar Lessons" is too broad. Better to try "Beginner Guitar Lessons", "basic guitar chords", or if you're trying to learn a particular song, "How to play... on guitar", or "... acoustic lesson" (where... is the song title).

Tip #2 - Open Source Free Chord Directories

Once you've found a video lesson for a song you want to learn to play, the next step is to locate the lyrics and chords. There are numerous online chord and tab directories that are contributed to by users. Typically, popular songs will have several versions, some being more advanced than others. An easy way to search for these is to enter "song title + chords" into your proffered search engine. You will typically find several good options from a range of sites. Take the time to look through the top results to find the websites you like best, and then be sure to bookmark them.

Tip #3 - Free Trial Lessons

So far we've looked at online video streaming websites and chord directories to find free online guitar learning material. There's another source of free content that's often of a higher quality than the first two choices. This is free product trial lessons.

Many quality guitar learning sites have free introductory lessons available by signing up for email notifications or via their website. These sites value their customers and go to great lengths to convince new visitors of the quality of their material. It's the nature of the internet for users to want to "try before they buy". Take some time to search for free introductory lessons that cost no more than your name and email.

We've just learnt about three free methods for learning guitar online. User generated training videos are a great source of free lessons and instructional material, though vary in quality and level. The second, chord directories, give you other guitarists' interpretation of popular songs. These are a great reference, though can also vary in quality. The final suggestion was to take advantage of free trial lessons or newsletter sign-ups. If you incorporate one or all of these into your online guitar learning strategy, you will see some real progress.

Visit http://www.stresslessguitar.com// for all the best guitar learning, tricks and insider info.

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