Top 7 Mistakes Of Beginning Guitarists

In almost every square in the summer evenings, you can hear the melodic sounds that evoke nostalgia about camping trips, sitting around the campfire, and all the things we loved our youth for.

Yes, that’s familiar to all the guitar sounds, which can safely be called a “folk” musical instrument.

Have you got one too? And indeed, you already imagine how you amaze friends with your musical skills? Certainly, it is only necessary to learn a couple of chords and – you are almost a modern incarnation of the immortal Jimmie Hendrix. After all, all you have to do is watch a couple of instructional videos on YouTube.

But when aspiring musicians get down to business, it’s not as straightforward as it seemed. Many abandon this activity, arguing that the instrument is too complicated. Someone still shows persistence and signs up with a professional teacher, and he is horrified to realize how much of what he was doing before was wrong.

Professional teachers are also shocked because they have to re-learn these same self-taught. Below we have listed TOP mistakes of beginners, and after learning them, you will be able to learn from the “bitter” experience of others.

1. Why learn if you can do it yourself?

A common mistake of beginners is that they naively believe that they do not need to learn, and all the knowledge will appear out of “nowhere.” Some cite the example that the aforementioned Jimmy Hendrix did not know notes at all, but few people remain indifferent to his playing.

But for some reason, no one asks themselves, “Why do I think I have the same talent?” There are very few self-taught geniuses. Thus, it is not an argument. What’s more, all these self-taught artists were obsessed with music, never let the guitar out of their hands, gave it most of their time, and that’s why they achieved incredible heights in music. But can you devote as much time to guitar lessons? I don’t think so.

Accordingly, the first thing you need – is to find a professional teacher. And your age doesn’t matter at all, because now there are programs designed for different levels of training.

2. Incorrect hand placement

The right-hand placement is the basis for successful guitar playing. If this is not the case, there is a tension that is transmitted to the music.

Specifically, we’re talking about improper seating when the guitar’s fingerboard is too low. Speaking about the classical guitar, the head of the neck should be at shoulder level, i.e., the slope of the fingerboard line to the floor should be at an angle of 40-45 degrees. Teachers show the correct position in just a couple of minutes because this is the basis of the basics.

3. Ignoring the teacher’s advice

The teacher is always right – that’s the rule that should stay in your head. But many beginning musicians don’t quite get it, asking a lot of naive questions like, “Do I have to clamp only this way?” or “Can I play the way I don’t feel comfortable…”. Yes, necessarily, and no, you can’t.

Understand that everything about rules in music and sound production, in particular, was invented for a reason. Every rule was formed long before you came along, it’s been tested over generations, and eventually, a specific sequence of “how to do it right” has been formed. The instructor may not explain the practicality of each such move, but he does it to save you time. And if you’re still interested in the specifics, don’t be afraid to ask, but just don’t question the guitar teaching programs that have been developed over the years.

4. Incorrect lesson plan

Most beginners don’t even have a rough lesson plan. They jump from topic to topic, so the training leads to nothing. That’s why it’s imperative to attend classes with a professional teacher.

A sample lesson plan can be presented as follows:

• Warm-up;
• exercises on technique;
• learning the songs;
• improvisation;
• music theory.

5. Unclear learning goals

Often, during their studies, students regret entering a particular field of study. There are many reasons for the choice – a spontaneous decision, idols, or persistent advice from parents. As a consequence, such education does not bring results. It consists of asking to write my essay cheap or copy off classmates’ assignments. It’s the same in guitar play learning. You need to be clear about the goals.

Beginners frequently strive to learn as quickly as possible. As a result, nothing succeeds, and they want to stop practicing right now.

6. Buying the wrong musical instrument

It’s a cliche, but buying your guitar is also a primary learning point. But the problem is that many beginners focus, to put it mildly, on the wrong points when choosing. It often happens like this: a person with his friends goes to the store, where the choice is based solely on appearance.

Not everyone consults the salesman and asks about the characteristics of the guitar. Ideally, go to the store with an experienced musician who can give some sound advice. A knowledgeable person can be a sales consultant, so do not hesitate to ask him for help.

7. The desire to play complex compositions

If you’ve just started learning basic chords, there’s no point in starting to play complex musical compositions. Your learning should be incremental, i.e., from simple to complex.

On the other hand, you don’t need to stay in one place long. It is essential to set yourself new challenges constantly – only then can you talk about any progress in your learning.

Final thoughts

The list of mistakes of beginner guitarists could go on endlessly, but we have considered the main aspects that occur to almost all beginners. There’s no need to get upset if you recognize yourself in these theses because you’re just getting started. You’re just starting in music, so it makes sense that you’d make mistakes. It’s much more important how you react to them – whether you try to fix them or continue to do it the way you feel comfortable.