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Key Beginner Guitar Tips

Here are a few tips that we find make it much easier to learn to play guitar quickly and start having fun.

1. Learn to tune the guitar. Tuning is essential for good sound. It is hard to know if you are playing the right notes if you are out of tune. Our basics pages have easy instructions on guitar tuning. The easiest way to tune the guitar is with an electric tuner. Good electric tunes are available for less than $25. iPlayMusic has electric tuners available on our products page and they can also be found at your local music store.
   
2. Be comfortable. Proper posture and guitar positioning make it much easier to learn. Our basics pages provide all the information you need on proper posture and guitar positioning. The key issue is to simply find a comfortable place to play that will offer adequate support and space to play.
   
3. Practice a little every day. The key to learning to make chords and strumming is “muscle memory”. If you practice regularly your muscles remember repeated motions. You will make much more progress by playing a few minutes each day than an hour once a week. You will be amazed at what you can do if you practice for 30 minutes at least 4 times a week.
   
4. Use lighter strings on your guitar. Often it is hard for beginners to push down the strings of the guitar on the fret board. It is also common for fingers to hurt until calluses develop. The best way to help with these problems is to string your guitar with “extra light” strings. iPlayMusic has “extra light” strings available on our on our products page and they can also be found at your local music store. Lighter strings make a slightly less full sound than heavy strings, but will make learning much easier for the beginner.
   
5. Focus on songs. Most songs only contain 2-4 chords and have one major strumming pattern. By focusing on a few basic songs and practicing regularly, beginners can see results very quickly. iPlayMusic provides song-based lessons that use this approach. More information can be found on our products page.