Hi everyone! ![]()
I have recently started learning guitar with JustinGuitar and I’m excited to join the community. I am a beginner currently working on basic chords and smoother chord changes.
Any beginner tips or practice advice would be greatly appreciated! Looking forward to learning and improving with you all.
Happy playing! ![]()
Hi Lloyd
Welcome here and I wish you alot of fun ![]()
Follow the course on the website lesson by lesson and try to put your guitar in sight … better 3 times for fifteen minutes than 45 minutes at a time if you have the choice (I am a bad example myself with an hour and a half 3 or 4 times a day after my first start, after about 4 months you-tube fooling arround I went crazy when I found Justin …
but I had to fill the whole day at home with music )
But never forget to keep the fun, don’t get stuck / bored, such as doing an exercise for too long or learning a song that doesn’t work for you… look at the next lesson and come back a little later to the lesson that didn’t go well or didn’t go at all, it’s amazing how sometimes something that seems so easy doesn’t work out and vice versa… and sometimes weeks or months later you come back to something and like a miracle it suddenly becomes super easy…
And keep in mind that if you stay calm and happy , you will eventually ( and some very very soon
)be able to play those songs that you now think it is not possible to play at a reasonably enjoyable level. ![]()
And there are still 100 good beginner tips and better ones to come up with, but they will come your way automatically ( down here and ) if you start at grade 1… but never fear to ask here ![]()
Greetings,Rogier
Hi Lloyd
Everything Roger said, plus video yourself playing with a mobile phone or computer, then review it to see what’s good and not so good and the focus on the bad bits. If you can get over it post on YouTube as unlisted and then post the link on JustinGuitar for others to see you will get helpful and constructive feedback which is very well worth doing it.
Cheers
Adrian
Hi Lloyd, welcome to this community.
You will find enough tips in Justin’s videos, in the forum and in the club-videos.
From me just … play songs you like and have fun! And stay in touch with us here ![]()
Cheers Withold
Beginner tips you ask? Sure, there’s millions of them… But! The ones that worked for me are these:
Remember, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not able to play like Hendrix or Clapton, after three months. This thing takes years… (Yes, even for the greatest on earth.)
Take it slow, but steady. Don’t sacrifice accuracy for speed. Speed will come with practice.
Start chord changes, for instance, slowly, but accurate, and you’ll notice that speed will come along with practice, time and muscle memory. (also something that takes time to develop.)
A wise man once said, “it does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop”.
And that’s the trick really. Never stopping. Taking breaks? Yeah sure, but a full stop?
Not going to work.
Start to love a metronome. If you don’t have one, get one. Either a physical one or an app or a site.
My favourite: https://www.metronomeonline.com/
It’s just a metronome. Nothing more to it. No adds, no distractions, nothing.
Something that’s helping me right now is this little book: The inner game of music.
I don’t know if it will do anything for you, but i can recommend it.
But the most important tip any beginner can get is this one: have fun playing!
It doesn’t matter if you miss a chord, a note, a string or two… If you’re having fun playing, the biggest hurdle has been taken, imho.
Now get that guitar and play!! ![]()
Welcome to the community Lloyd! You already have plenty of good advice above, so I will just stress one. Have FUN and enjoy the process. That way you will keep playing.
Welcome to the community Lloyd and really just have fun learning it is a great place to be cheers Hec
Welcome to the community. It’s a bit challenging at the start, just hang in there, make your practice happen every day. When I started my goal was 15 minutes a day. And keep it fun. Find the things that make you want to pick up that guitar again every day. For me it was all about songs, being able to play my first song all the way through gave me so much motivation to keep at it. It’s a great reward at the end and that’s not as far away as it seems right now.
Hi Lloyd, great to see you here!
If you don’t have specific problems, just follow Justin’s wonderful course.
You’ll maybe come across hurdles at some point and can post and ask here!
Ah… maybe this one… Justin has a practice assistant in your space and I found it really useful! There’s a lesson treating the subject.
Hi Lloyd, welcome to the Community, enjoy the ride. Can’t add much to what has already been said but do learn to play songs. Keep it simple to start with and have fun.
Welcome Lloyd! Have fun here!
Hello Lloyd.
Welcome to JustinGuitar and this fantastic community.
Please take your time to look around and get to know the wider space. View by Categories.
We are a supportive and encouraging group of students and guitarists from across the world. Essentially, we are all here for music and to improve as players. We truly are a ‘community’. Members help and support one another and a friendly, positive attitude underpins this. We hope that all - young or old, experienced or new players - adopt and foster the pay-it-forward ethos that Justin personifies and embedded all those years ago when he started the website and forum.
Also, please make sure to read the Community Etiquette announcement for some important information and guidance.
If you want to record yourself to show your progress and / or seek feedback there is our ever popular Community Recordings section.
Behind the scenes there is a small and dedicated team who work to make the JustinGuitar experience as good as it can be. Check out the Onboarding sessions provided by Fanny.
Justin also has a small group of Approved Teachers he recommends for people wanting 1-to-1 lessons to supplement his courses - of which I am privileged to be one.
We also host regular (virtual) JustinGuitar Community Open Mic events for community members.
That is plenty to be going on with. It is a vast community space so if you need help as you find your way around just ask.
Cheers. Richard
| Approved Teacher & Official Guide / Moderator |
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Hey Lloyd,
From one beginner to another: welcome!
I just got here myself and I have a feeling you might like it here as well!
Since I am new myself, I don’t have tips, tricks or magic to share with you but I do have a wish for you: never ever stop playing & practice.
Hi Lloyd, welcome to the community. Everyone has good advice. My advice is to focus on songs as much as possible. Start at the beginning and try to play through at least 1 song suggested for each module. Don’t forget to look at the song lesson videos on the JG website for grade 1 songs. You can learn a lot from following the song lessons and have a lot of fun.