Learning to play guitar is an amazing experience. Honestly, learning the instrument can be life-changing for many. If you wish to learn something so significant, then it’s vital that you start off right.
There are several mistakes that beginners make which can hinder their progress in the long run. These mistakes aren’t really severe and can be avoided with little adjustment and mindfulness.
If you’ve just started out your musical journey, then here are 5 mistakes you may be making. Also, we’ll tell you how to avoid them. So without further ado, let’s jump right into it.
Posture
This is a mistake that many can be trapped in. Without having the right posture, you may end up hurting your back or your wrist. That can be a big demotivation right from the start.
Ensure that you are comfortable with your guitar. The curves on the guitar are properly adjusted with your knees and the chest. To begin with, try and play while sitting...
Have your guitar resting on your left leg, headstock in line with your eyes, and with your left foot up on a guitar foot rest. (As seen in the picture below).
This will keep your spine straight and reduce the potential for injury. Only go on to play standing when you feel comfortable.
With the right posture, you’ll see that there’s no strain.
Playing out of tune
Don’t let yourself be a victim of an out-of-tune guitar. The minute you pick up the guitar is the minute your ear registers the sounds of the strings. Be very cautious of your tuning.
There are portable tuners available that you can just clip onto the headstock and check your tuning each time you play. Several semi-acoustics come with a built-in tuner. If you don’t have either of these, then there are several apps available to download that can help you tune your guitar.
Also, newbies can break strings while tuning. Especially the high E and B string. To avoid this problem, check out tuning tutorials on YouTube for your first few tunings.
Avoiding difficult things
Many beginners start avoiding things as they level up. For instance, once they’re comfortable with open chords, they hesitate to move on to the barre chords.
Don’t avoid something just because it’s a little difficult. Embrace the instrument completely. Rather than avoiding it, tackle it with unmatched dedication.
You can’t master the guitar in a day, week or even a month. Rather than avoiding, think of guitar as a lifelong journey. Take it slow and enjoy the process.
Inconsistent Practice
Don’t practice according to your ‘mood’. Beginners tend to make this mistake a lot. One day they practice for hours because they’re pumped. And then they may not even pick up the guitar for a couple of days.
5-10 minutes every day is far better than practicing 10 hours on the weekend and then leaving the instrument for the whole week.
Always set a time and a goal for your practice and be determined to complete the task. That is one sure way to go further on your musical journey.
Rushing
This is one thing that can put off your musical practice as a beginner. Sure, as a beginner, you’d be pumped up to play your favourite songs to your friends right away. But remember, there’s a time to play, and there’s a time to practice.
As a newbie, your focus should be on practice rather than playing. Don’t rush into things.
If you practice consistently, there will come a time when you're able to play your favourite songs. But if you try and play ahead of time you can lose the game.
Closing Thoughts
There’s no harm in making mistakes. Every beginner makes them. As long as you are willing to look at the mistakes and address them, there’s really nothing to worry about.