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5 Best Tips to Getting your First Chord

5 Best Tips to Getting your First Chord | Beginners Guide

5 Best Tips to Getting your First Chord | Beginners Guide

Are you facing difficulties getting your first chord to sound nice and clear? In this article, Groove Music School's guitar instructor, Isaac Koh, shares his best 5 tips to getting your first chord!

3 Ways to Use Good Guitar Posture - wikiHow

Posture

One of the most important tips when trying to play your first chord!

Getting the right posture is the first thing that most beginners miss out on. So make sure your right arm is resting on the body of the guitar and the waist of the guitar is sitting firmly on your lap.

Relax 

As a beginner, it is completely normal to get all tensed up when playing the guitar. It can also get frustrating when you don't seem to achieve the sound that you like. As a tip to achieving a nice sound for your chord, have a relaxed body language. In fact, your goal as a beginner is to try to be as relaxed as you can with your fingers, shoulders and wrist. Don't panic and tense up, and twist your wrist just to make sure you press the guitar strings. Pressing chords shouldn't hurt as it is about using the right technique. You can get all the help you need from a guitar teacher.

 



Guitar

Did you know that a well set up guitar with a low action will go a long way in helping you get that chord nice and clear? Speak to us or to a guitar luthier to get it adjusted as a quick tip. We recommend that you don't do it yourself as it will potentially damage your guitar if it is done incorrectly.  


Take Lessons

You'll benefit so much more than these 5 useful tips

We are not hard selling on lessons but sometimes it takes a few lessons from a professional to get the wrong habits corrected. A teacher can provide tips from a different perspective and help you get closer to your guitar sweeping goals than if you were to do it on your own. 


Curl Those Fingers 

Never press your strings with straight stiff fingers as it will risk injury and greatly limit the dexterity of your fingers. What to do then? Try curling them nicely and remember the 2nd rule- Relax...

 

Conclusion

If you're still struggling despite following theses 5 tips of getting your first chord and perhaps you would prefer to progress at a quicker pace with the help of a teacher, we're happy to meet you in person to understand your needs and wants. Groove Music School provides guitar lessons for from as young as 4.5yo to adult, and are taught by experienced teachers (some who are also veteran musicians!)


Article written by: Isaac Koh, Groove Music School's Guitar Instructor

 

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how to get better at the guitar

How to improve my guitar playing? | Guitar Lessons Singapore

How to improve my guitar playing? 

  1. Start with the basics: Before you dive into more advanced playing, make sure you have a solid understanding of the basics, such as chords, strumming patterns, and scales.

  2. Practice regularly: Consistent practice is key to improving your skills. Aim to practice at least 15-30 minutes every day, but don't burn yourself out, it's better to have shorter, consistent sessions than long and infrequent ones.

  3. Set achievable goals: Identify what you want to achieve and set specific, achievable goals. This could be anything from learning a new song to mastering a particular technique.

  4. Get comfortable with chords: The more chords you know, the more options you have when it comes to playing songs. Start by learning a few basic chords, then gradually expand your repertoire as you progress.

  5. Study different genres: Playing different styles of music will help you develop a diverse range of skills and techniques, so make sure to study blues, classical, rock, folk, and other genres.

  6. Use different resources: Take advantage of all the resources available to you, such as online lessons, instructional books, and videos. Experiment with different learning styles to see what works best for you.

  7. Use a metronome: A metronome is a device that provides a constant beat, and it's a great tool for helping you develop your sense of timing.

  8. Play with other musicians: Jamming with other musicians is a fun and effective way to improve your skills. It allows you to learn from others and gain new perspectives on your playing.

  9. Experiment with different techniques: Don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques, such as alternate picking, fingerpicking, and sweep picking. This will help you to expand your musical vocabulary and develop your own unique style.

  10. Focus on sound quality: Pay attention to the sound quality of your playing. This includes tone, dynamics, and phrasing. These elements are just as important as technical proficiency when it comes to playing the guitar.

So how to improve on your guitar playing? It all starts with you and how much you want to get better! 

If you feel that having some guidance would speed up the process, we welcome you to arrange a trial with our experienced guitar teachers who'll share everything you need to know. Book here.