Beginner Guitar Lessons - Expert Tips That Will Help You Bend Strings Like a Professional

One of the things that a lot of guitarists, especially the ones just starting out struggle with is bending strings. In this beginner guitar lesson I will go over some things that will help you if you're struggling. The idea behind the bending string technique is to push the string up so that the current notes bend to a higher note.

It can definitely get a little tricky knowing the how far you have to push the string. Your sense of pitch has to be pretty good to implement this technique correctly because you have to actually hear the pitch to know if you're bending the string correctly. The two most commonly used string bends are the half note bend and the whole note bend

You need to bend the string to equal 2 frets on the guitar. Meanwhile, you must bend the half note bend to equal just 1 fret on the guitar. When I started bending strings I would always just use my finger on the fret that I wanted to bend.

However, the trick to bend the string is to utilize 3 of your fingers. So what you need to do is position your 3rd finger on the fret you are attempting to bend. Put your 1st and 2nd fingers on the frets behind it and use all 3 fingers to apply pressure.

Be sure you put enough pressure with all 3 fingers and not just 1 or 2 fingers. When I started practicing bending strings I would have problems because I would apply pressure with only my 3rd finger.

Bending the note up a couple frets is one bending exercise I like. To do this exercise try to play the 10th fret and then the 12th fret to hear the pitch you are attempting to bend the note to. What you should try to do is pick the note and try to bend it up to the twelfth fret, and bring it back to it's original pitch. The tricky part is to do it while you're fretting the note on the tenth fret of the 2nd string with your 3rd finger.

Remember you must apply pressure with all 3 fingers to successfully finish the bend. If you see the note is dying before you get done with the bend you probably stop putting pressure against the fretboard.

If you want to learn how to bend strings then this quick guitar tutorial will certainly help you. Just keep practicing the exercise I showed you earlier and you should get the hang of it quicker than you thought.

With the right Beginner Guitar Lessons you can learn how to bend strings and anything else you need to learn to be best guitar player you want to be. Check out these Guitar Lessons for Beginners and get more expert tutorials.

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5 Things That Your Piano or Keyboard Teacher Won't Let You Know As a Beginner

Do you love to play your keyboard or piano so much that every opportunity you get you are tinkling on the ivories.

Have you discovered you have a talent and ear for playing?

Most pianists or keyboard players have other things that come and go in their lives but one thing that will stick is playing their music.

Playing piano and keyboard starts off as a hobby for most in which people but once you get the bug for playing music you will be fixated and it will become a huge part of your life.

Most musicians you speak to will always talk passionately about how much they treasure their time at the keyboard or piano.

If you are just starting out playing piano or keyboard and are taking lessons then here are 5 things to consider that your teacher might not let you in on as a beginner:

Many piano and keyboard teachers will tell you that learning by ear is the wrong way for a beginner to start. This is not always the case as it's vital if you have a talent of playing by ear to utilise this skill and use it to your advantage. Musicians that can play by ear are very often far more talented players than people who are taught by sheet music alone. They can sometimes have a lot more expression and colour in their performances.
Most teachers will insist on Hanon Exercises weeks in week out, and sometimes this is before even having the opportunity to play a song. If this is how you have been taught then you won't know any different, but it is important to learn something that you really want to play as a beginner to keep your enthusiasm up.This is why so many people give up piano & keyboard lessons after a short period.
Traditional teachers may push from your first lesson to take exams. This isn't always necessary and can put people off. It may end up with pupils not enjoying their lessons and their music. If it's something you really want to do then your teacher should support you but not push you to do something you're not happy about.
Teachers sometimes feel it is necessary to teach you in-depth knowledge surrounding the theory of music. You do need to know the basics but don't need to have in-depth knowledge of theory to be a great keyboard or piano player. Look at Elton John who was completely self taught.
Playing a song and then converting it to an accompaniment style is something that every teacher should give you the opportunity to explore but many won't do this because they prefer to teach using traditional methods. By playing music in a variety of different ways you will get the chance to accompany singers or support a band if this is something you wanted to do in the future and not just be stuck playing on your own.

If you are just starting out learning piano or keyboard then here are 5 essential posts you must read: Easy Keyboard Lessons

Play piano or keyboard like Elton John; 12 great songs for piano & keyboard: Easy Piano Keyboard Songs

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Which Guitar Is Best For a Guitar Beginner?

If you are a complete guitar beginner, you probably ask yourself as to which guitar is best for a guitar beginner. Should you choose an acoustic, bass or electric guitar? Quite frankly, the only person that can answer this question is still you based on how much you know about guitars and which guitar suits you best in terms of familiarity and skill.

Other than that, you should also know your taste for music based on your personality. Is your character sentimental, moody, cheerful or light-hearted? That could have plenty to do the kind of music you listen and appreciate.

It is normal for all beginners to have dilemma in choosing the best guitar. It is the same as choosing the type of girl you want or the best strategy to win any tournament. Here are some tips to help you with this:

1. Reflecting On Your Music

Reflecting on your music matters a lot.

More often than not, we allow the music to dictate us to play relevant instruments if the music is pleasing to our ears and heart.

For instance when listening to the guitar strumming, will you be looking on the brighter or gloomer side of things? Whichever, chances are you will pick up the guitar and try to emulate whoever is playing that song.

That forms the basis of your decision.

2. Keep To Your Budget

Before spending, you need to check and keep to your budget if you must.

Other than that, you should also ask how much a standard guitar costs? Is it worth your money? As much as you want a cheap guitar, you do not to compromise quality with quantity.

If you have no idea, ask the guitar shop owner or friends who are already playing guitar for advice. They should know what to do.

3. Decide On What Features Your Guitar Should Have

If you have more money to spend, you may decide on what features your guitar should have. To help you with this, you may do online research by typing the type of guitar you want and let major search engines like Google find for you.

This is what most guitar beginners do these days.

Alternatively, you can ask your family and friends if anyone of them happens to play guitar as a pastime.

4. Select Either Acoustic Or Electric Guitar

Whether you select acoustic or electric guitar, there are always pros and cons in between them.

Compared to electric guitar, acoustic guitar is harder to play with but is much simpler with fewer strings and buttons to press. Also you do not need to buy extra accessories as compared to electric guitar.

Discover how you can make the most use of guitar lessons here.

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Three Things to Avoid When Choosing a Beginner Electric Guitar

So you want a beginner electric guitar? These guitars are designed to offer a new user ease of use at a decent price. This way, the purchaser can make sure that they are truly into the guitar hobby before sinking thousands of dollars into an instrument that will end up collecting dust. Unfortunately, not all guitars are created equally, which can make purchasing one extremely difficult and frustrating, especially for the layperson or someone newly interested in the art.

The following three tips will show you what to avoid when looking for a beginner electric guitar. The following mistakes are commonly made, and can end up being costly in the long run.

3 Must Avoid Tips for Purchasing a Beginner Electric Guitar

1. Cheap stores. There are numerous mainstream stores that you can purchase this kind of guitar. Unfortunately, you should do your best to avoid them. Stores such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy or other nationwide chain stores may advertise an electric guitar at a bargain, but you will be getting what you pay for. Most of these in store purchases from non-specialty stores are nothing more than high-end toys designed for children. Plus, these chain stores will not be able to give you much advice when it comes to the instrument you are purchasing, or the accessories you will need to go with it. Yes, you will find your best prices in these types of stores, but they are essentially selling poorly made merchandise that will not last you very long. And, when you decide to upgrade, you will find it hard to sell your old one.

2. Do not buy from chains that do not offer lessons. It's a no brainer that you should be able to try out your instrument first. If you can find a local music shop that can give you lessons on the instrument that you purchase, or better yet - let you try it out for free during a lesson, you will be able to make a much better buying decision. Plus, this way you will have the opportunity to actually feel the comfort of the instrument and make a decision between several different types of beginner electric guitars before signing on the dotted line.

3. Never purchase a beginner electric guitar without plugging it into an amp. If you have been playing acoustic guitar, then you might not recognize in the beginning of your electric guitar hobby how important an amp is. And yes, you will need to purchase one. Before you buy, however make sure you are able to plug your guitar into the amp of your choosing. Then, it is important to plug it into a few other amps so you can actually identify the differences in sound. Many people may be unhappy with their guitar, when the reality is they purchase a substandard amp which distorts the clarity, tinniness, depth, and color of their guitar sounds.

These three tips will help you avoid the most common buying mistakes. You should also note that it isn't a good idea to purchase the first one you set your hands on. When it comes to instruments, slow and steady wins the race.

Julia P. Ray is a electric guitar and sound system equipment expert that specializes in the best musical instrument equipment that money can buy. His articles are designed to offer you expert information and tips on Beginner Electric Guitar and Electric Guitar Kits so you can make informed buying decisions.

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The Best Way to Learn Guitar - 3 Common Beginner Mistakes That Will Sabotage Your Progress

So you've been at this guitar playing thing for a few months or maybe even years now, but you don't seem to be making any progress. It's not uncommon for beginners to hit a plateau pretty early in their playing. So I've put together a few common mistakes that people make in their playing so you know what to avoid:

1) You did not warm up: Warming up is fundamental. Every jogger knows that if they don't warm up before they train they increase their chance of injury. It's the same with the guitar. Carpel Tunnel is common amongst long time guitar players. Don't be a statistic. Take two to five minutes before every practice session to stretch out the fingers and run through those basic four finger exercises we all hate to do. In the long run, your hands will thank you for it and you will make much faster progress

2) You do not have a practice routine: Every professional in every field has a basic routine they go through, everyday that revolves around the most fundamental aspects of their craft. For the guitar this is pretty straight forward. Run through a few basic scale patterns, play some sequences off of them if you know them. Then move on to some chords and basic progressions. Every song ever written has a basic format to it. They all follow the same basic rules of how chords fit together. Do you know these rules? Learn them and run through these most common progressions in at least the most common keys every day. Also add a few outside less played keys as well since this will stretch your ability.

Another common mistake in this area is people spend too much time working on these basics and not enough on learning actual music. Don't get bogged down trying to perfect each scale pattern or chord progress in one day. Just spend a few minutes running through the basics and get on to the real practice of learning music. You will have tomorrow to work out any kinks in the basics and you will find yourself improving over time with them.

3) You never learned to play by ear: This is so fundamental I don't think I should have to say too much on it. Music is a hearing art. If you cannot hear and repeat a piece of music you have a very serious flaw in your playing. Start simple, take something like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and sing the melody to yourself. Then try and pick it out on your guitar. If you spend about 10 minutes or so on this every day, I can promise you, you will be shocked at the amount of improvement you're playing with experience in a few months time. It really will be night and day.

So there you have it. The three most common mistakes I see in most all my students. The best way to get around these mistakes and to build strong foundation for musical success is to follow a proven guitar learning course. There are a number of these available. My favorite for in home learning has to be Jamorama. They will take you through each of these steps and show you the best way to learn guitar

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