Many aspiring musicians, young and old, are always looking for tips to help them out as they embark on their journey into guitar playing. Today, as millions of kids spend hours in front of their televisions becoming instant virtual rock stars simply by pressing red and green buttons in games such as; Guitar Hero or Rock Band, many of them, gain a desire to become a actual guitar player, drummer or singer.



Before you are able to really play "Freebird", you need to have these fundamentals securely in place.

A few key elements that can't be stressed enough are 1) how to properly hold the guitar in a sitting or standing position and 2) how much time do is needed to spend practicing? Our advice would be as follows.

Holding Your Guitar: The easiest way to hold your guitar when first learning is to sit down. Most people sit when they practice and stand when they are performing. The exception is when playing classical guitar, where it is common to sit while performing.

Sitting Position: Hold your guitar so that it rests on your right thigh (if you are left handed please switch to the opposite). Use the inside of your forearm to keep the guitar in place. You should have your guitar and body positioned so that the neck of your guitar does not tip towards the ground. Your guitar should be balanced comfortably without the use of your left hand for support. Make sure your body is comfortable and relaxed without hunching over.

Standing Position: You will need to use a guitar strap when standing. Adjust the length of the strap to your desired comfort and preference, usually where the bridge is about waist high. Make sure both ends of the straps are securely fastened to prevent the guitar from slipping out of the strap and falling. Make sure that it is easy and comfortable to play your guitar. After several weeks of practice, you can always lower your strap like legendary rock stars do.

Practice Tips: It is far more productive to practice for fifteen to twenty minutes every day, rather than a few hours, a couple of times a week. As you complete several lessons, it is a good idea to review the previous lessons for half of your practice time and work on new lessons the other half. Also, slow down your playing to your weakest point. In other words, practice each lesson as slow as you need to, so each chord and note is played clearly. Speed will come naturally.

Resources: Great resources include your local music store, fellow musician's as well as the many online reference sites.These resources will help you get a great start and keep you moving forward. With enough practice and dedication, you will be able to follow along with sheet music books of your favorite artists, as well as play in a band. You will also have a firm understanding of the guitar.

Experiment with new ideas of your own using the material you are working on and build from there. Express yourself and let your personality be heard through your guitar. Most of all, have fun!