The first thing all new guitarists want to do when they initially pick up a guitar is play a cool song. Amen! This is the first and last reason we play. Music isn't music until we put it into context, and that context is songs! We do need to make sure that you get started the right way, so here are some guidelines to follow.



The first thing you'll need to have under your belt is a good starting knowledge of chords. I suggest knowing your open major, open minor, and open 7th chords. It may sound like a lot of chords, but not really. Just concentrate on the chords that are part of the songs you want to learn.

The next thing you'll want to have worked on is strumming. Set up a smooth, steady and relaxed up and down rhythm with your strumming arm. Leave the wrist relaxed while strumming and just get the feel of strumming. You get different strumming rhythms by selectively “missing” on certain up and down strokes while strumming. Think of mimicking your favorite acoustic tune.

You'll want to go out and get some songbooks of tunes you like, or even easier, you can go online and get tabs and chord charts. One thing before you start picking your songs: many new guitarists (myself included) pick tunes they think are very cool, only to pick tunes that are to technically sophisticated for beginners. I wanted early Van Halen songs, which are WAY too difficult. Better to start off with Green Day, the Eagles, or whatever else you may like that's also simple.

Start working on putting the chords together. Try getting the rhythm together slowly and changing the chords so that you don't notice a pause when you're changing the chords. If you do it slowly enough, you'll train yourself to switch chords in a relaxed manner. Before you know it, you'll be playing at full speed like it's nothing.

Now, don't forget to learn the WHOLE song. Many of us learn that one part that we like, but then fail to learn the rest of the song. Remember, no one wants to hear you play part of a song and then stop – that's not cool. People want to hear the full song. You'll be able to play along with the recording and have fun. You'll be able to play the tune with others in a band and actually perform, maybe even sit in with a band at a gig!

Grab some more songs and try to get as many songs under your belt as possible. Set a goal of being able to play an hour-long set of songs. Try to play the whole set without stopping, as if you're actually performing at a show. This will sharpen your skills and teach you to concentrate and play with fluidity.

One thing you can do to supplement your chord practice and learning songs is to practice some simple scales. I suggest starting out with the pentatonic scale – I'll tell you why in the next installment (#7) of my Playing Guitar series. Scales will help you develop finger independence, which will help you more easily shift from chord to chord in a relaxed, stress-free manner.

Good luck to you and your future guitar adventures!