5 Common Mistakes to Avoid when Learning to Play the Guitar

Music is the spice of life, without which our lives would be quite dull. If you love music and have been thinking of transforming your love into a skill by learning to play the guitar, this article is for you. As you start to learn the guitar, it would really help to be aware of the common mistakes made by beginners, to ensure you get off on the right foot. These early mistakes, if not corrected in time, can really disrupt your learning curve and even limit your potential in the long run. Read on as we discuss five common mistakes to avoid when learning to play the guitar.

1. Holding the guitar or sitting improperly

Holding a guitar may not look like a difficult job, but this is arguably the most common area where beginner guitarists falter. On the bright side, however, it is one of the easiest mistakes to avoid and correct. The right posture to play a guitar is to sit with your back straight and bend the right knee at a 90-degree angle. Then place the guitar’s waist at the top of your right thigh and rest the upper right arm on the top of the guitar, keeping your forearm free to strum. Another posture mistake a majority of novice guitarists make is that they tilt the guitar to look at the fretboard while playing. Tilting the guitar limits the reach of your taming fingers and makes the instrument more prone to sliding.

2. Flattening the fingers when pressing strings

Putting the taming fingers flatly on the guitar neck when picking notes or making chords is another common mistake seen in beginner guitarists. If fingers fall flat on the guitar neck, the force is not directed optimally and you may also mute the adjacent strings. The ideal way to place your finger(s) is to use the tip of the finger(s), which would require you to bend the distal phalanges (frontmost section of the fingers). To check your finger placement, play all strings individually and check whether any of the strings is muted.

3. Playing too far from the fret mark

A fret is a metal strip, inserted laterally at specific positions over the fretboard of a guitar. A lot of beginners tend to place their fingers too far from the fret when playing a note or a chord, which makes them press too hard on the strings to produce a clean sound. The rule is simple; the closer you are to frets, the lesser force you’ll have to apply to get a clean sound. The same rule applies whether you are playing lead or rhythm. You get a nice and clean sound when you press the strings as close to the frets as possible.

4. Exerting muscles

Most guitar beginners confuse producing good sound with pressing too hard on strings with a tight grip. Doing so not only causes fatigue but can also injure your fingers. When playing the guitar, shoulders, arms, and hands should be completely relaxed, and one should make a conscious effort to apply the minimum possible force required to play the notes clearly. One of the eventual objectives for a guitarist is to develop an efficient technique that allows you to play as effortlessly as possible, which is the reason why professional guitarists are able to play for hours without getting exhausted.

5. Being inconsistent with practice

One of the biggest mistakes made by beginner guitarists is not practicing regularly. Keep in mind that it will take at least a couple of months for your playing to start sounding anywhere close to being called music, which basically puts your will to test. Daily practice, patience and the ability to trust the process will help you make it through the testing period. If you follow a practice routine religiously, you’ll soon get better at playing the instrument. After a few months of consistent practice, you will find your finger dexterity greatly improved, which will in turn motivate you to further improve your skills.

The Last Word

In addition to the above, another common mistake people make is learning the guitar through YouTube videos. While such videos are good as additional learning resources, they cannot offer the kind of personalized attention and guidance you can expect from a mentor. In fact, when you take professional online guitar lessons, you not only get a personalized plan as per your skill level and abilities, but you also develop a better overall sense of music. If you are looking for a professional online guitar course for beginners, your search ends at Bridge Music Academy. To learn more about our offline and online guitar courses in Delhi, simply call +91-74283 09990. You can also fill out our contact form, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.