Depending on the kind of music you like to play would determine as to what kind of guitar you would choose to purchase from the many different varieties that are available on the market today. It is essential, however, that the guitar that you select feels comfortable to you. If you are a person of a small build, then you will require a guitar that fits your build, whilst if you are a person with very long arms, then a small guitar simply would not be suitable. The weight of the guitar that you select is another important factor. This is because, if you will be playing the guitar a great deal, then you will not wish to feel weighed down by an instrument which is far too heavy for your strength.

Other factors which need to be taken into consideration when selecting a guitar is the sheer look of it, as well as the sound that it gives off. Guitars are available in a wide range of different shapes, colors and finishes. Every single guitar will have a slightly different sound and the quality of sound very often depends upon the quality of the guitar.

If classic music is what you enjoy playing, then you will require a guitar with nylon strings. The back and sides of the guitar will usually be made of rosewood, with spruce or cedar for the top. The guitar that is used for playing flamenco is similar, only with the wood being thinner and the body of the guitar shallower and made of cypress with a cedar top.

The classic guitar which has a hollow body and nylon strings, and the electric steel guitar with its solid wood body, bottled neck and steel strings, such as the very popular Fender Stratocaster are the two most popular types of guitar. Of course, there are many variations within each type. The semi-acoustic and the semi-solid are just two of them. Then of course there are the bass guitars. However, when purchasing a guitar for the first time, the main selection will be between electric and acoustic.

It is worth considering purchasing an acoustic guitar if you have never played before. This guitar is much simpler to play and nothing else is required to accompany it, apart from a case, strap, some picks, and sheet music, all of which are available at an inexpensive price. If you choose to purchase an electric guitar, then you will also need to purchase an amplifier and at least one effects box. This can of course increase the overall cost dramatically and make the selection more difficult.

Even though it is not necessary to spend huge amounts of money on your first guitar, it is never recommended to buy the cheapest available simply because you are not sure if you will continue to play. For this reason, it is worth taking every opportunity to have a play with friends’ guitars or with those in shops before you make a purchase decision. It is not necessary to purchase one of the top brand names; there are plenty of guitars available with no brand name attached to them.

Always ensure that the guitar you select is well made. This can be done by running your fingers around the seams. If you can feel as though any part is coming apart or if it feels rough, then do not buy it. Ensure that the frets are even and the top is not made of plywood. It is never wise to rush out and buy the first guitar that you see. Select a guitar carefully from the many different ones that are available on the market today.

Although there are several kinds of guitars the two main ones are the electric and the acoustic and even within these two categories there are many variations.

The acoustic guitar is made of wood and the sound it produces depends upon the shape of the guitar and the strings. The body is usually hollow and nylon strings are used. It does not need to be connected to a power supply unless, of course, it is an acoustic electric guitar. There are no effects boxes of any kind required as with the electric guitar. These are some of the guitars which fall within the acoustic group:-

- Classical – this is what most beginners choose and it is played sitting down
- Flamenco – like the classical but slimmer and produces a crisper sound
- Steel-top – this one has a larger body than the classical guitar, is toughened for sturdiness and produces a warmer tone
- Twelve strings – the six normal strings have another set an octave higher. This guitar produces a very tuneful sound
- Resonator – quite like the steel-top but the center of the soundboard is made of steel which acts as a resonator. Different guitars within the resonator group can be played on the lap similar to a keyboard instrument. The resonator is the guitar regularly used to play the blues
- Arch-top – this one is frequently the chosen guitar of jazz players. It has f-hole design and is usually an expensive guitar to buy.
- Acoustic bass – normally four-stringed but does come with five or six strings too. This guitar is played without electric pick-ups.

Moving on to electric guitars, these need playing through an amplifier and if they are not connected to one, the sound is barely audible. When used with many types of sound boxes, different effects are produced. The tone and the volume are varied by the use of control knobs as is the shift from treble to bass intensive. To create a “crying sound” whammy bars are regularly used, but this is not recommended for cheaper guitars as it can result in the guitar ending up out of tune.

The strings of an electric guitar are thin and made of steel. They need less effort to push them down as they are closer to the neck of the guitar. The body of the electric guitar is made of solid wood, smaller than the acoustic, and therefore heavier. The electric guitar comes in both six and twelve strings, and in a variety of shapes; some models have even been carved to give the appearance of a hand.

As mentioned earlier, some acoustic guitars can also be electric, whereas this cannot be said of electric guitars – they can never be acoustic.

When you are learning how to play the guitar, changing chords will be something you need to do all of the time. When you first start it is quite bewildering and most beginners think they will never be able to change chords because they cannot even manage the simple ones. Well, don’t despair! At the end of the day the simple chords are not given this name because they are easy to play. You are quite right to feel that many of them require complex movements of the fingers to get it just right.

Of course, practice is required to enable you to change chords smoothly but there are a few other things you can do to help yourself along. First of all, make sure you relax. If you fail to do this and your shoulders and arms are tense you will be gripping the guitar so tightly, changing chords will be practically impossible to do smoothly and with speed.

This added tension makes the fingers press against each other and the space which is needed between the fingers in non existent. When this happens, each finger cannot be moved individually and placed on the required string to create the necessary sound of the chord. Even worse than this, the tense and tightly curled hand becomes sweaty and this does not help your guitar playing at all.

In particular, take care to relax your left hand as much as you possibly can when placing it on the neck of the guitar. The fingers, although curled, should be relaxed and loose, separated from each other with space between the fingers and the guitar, especially when changing from G to C chords, which you will find is one of the more difficult moves to make.

Try not to lead with your strong index finger. When playing the C chord, put your second finger on the 4th string first of all, and whilst keeping your hand outwards, place your third finger next and then last of all put your index finger on the 2nd string, first fret. If you allow enough space between your index finger and the guitar to fit a pencil through, you will not go far wrong.

Start slowly when you begin practicing chords. The world as you know it is not going to finish if you have not reached perfection within a couple of days. So sit down with your guitar and practice your chord changing in a relaxed manner and it will not be long before it all becomes clear and your have this skill off to perfection.

There is a big difference between playing at practicing and actually practicing. Which one of the two do you find yourself doing more often than not? You may think that you spend a certain amount of time each week practicing but what are you really doing? It’s all so easy to pick up your guitar and do your best Jimmy Hendrix impression whilst staring out of the window in your own little world and when you get to the stage where you are taking your final bow to a standing ovation you come back to reality and stop for a cup of coffee. This, my friend does not count as practice!

Come on, wake up and get some serious practicing done! Get the metronome out and settle down to perfecting the newest pieces of your repertoire. A good test is to set the metronome to a slow speed and play your tune through - its really quite difficult but it’s a good way to start, then you can speed it up a little until it is just right. If you find one particular part of the music is proving to be difficult, then do not practice the whole thing over and over again, but concentrate on the bit which is being troublesome. With perseverance, you will eventually get it right.

The average human attention span lasts for between two and five minutes. That is not a long time so make sure you set your timer to bleep in around fifteen minutes and play your guitar until the timer goes off. When it sounds, take five to relax your brain and your fingers and then start all over again.

Don’t forget to breathe evenly when learning to play a difficult tune. Many people make the mistake of holding their breath whilst focusing and this only increases your tension which will result in you feeling tired more quickly and not being able to position your fingers properly. To put an end to practicing becoming all work and no play, you can always play a tune you really like by way of reward when you have perfected the difficult piece and finished your scales and arpeggios practice for the day.

It’s good to take a break during your practice to read up on the theory of guitar playing and music in general. This interlude will stimulate your brain whilst resting your fingers. When you are playing your guitar try to visualize exactly what you are doing. This is a much practiced and useful tool to learn music. Warm up with scales when you first start your practice before attempting to play a new piece of music. If you perform for two and a half hours in fifteen minute intervals, leave your new piece for the second to last session. This will keep your interest and give you something to look forward to towards the end of your practice.

If you don’t learn how to hold your guitar properly, you will not only feel awkward and uncomfortable but you are also likely to injure your hands and wrists in the long term. So if you want to become a budding guitarist, take note of the few handy tips detailed below.

When you practice, do so in the sitting position. You will be more relaxed and will not get tired as quickly as when standing. Make sure you get the most out of using the seated position by keeping your body upright and holding your guitar so that the back of it touches your chest. The neck of your guitar should be parallel with the floor. If, however, you prefer to stand, you will need a wide strap to spread the weight of the guitar and make it more comfy when you are playing. As an alternative to wearing a strap over your shoulder you could put one foot up on a chair or stool, thus creating a place for the guitar to rest.

Rest your right arm loosely over the guitar and your hand should naturally fall in front of the sound hole. This is where the sound comes from when you strum the strings of the guitar over the hole. If you are playing your guitar whilst seated, rest the instrument on whichever thigh feels the most comfortable. This is usually the right thigh for right-handed players and the left for lefthanders.

Your thumb on your fretting hand needs to rest at the rear of the neck of the guitar and when playing chords you will be aware that your thumb is pressed hard against the backside of the neck. You can easily discover which location suits you best by testing the various thumb positions when you are playing different kinds of chords.

Your left hand should be moulded to the curved edge of the neck of the guitar. Fingers on both hands will be curved at the knuckle points and the left hand fingers will be balanced at the fret board on top of the strings. When you are strumming it is best to move the wrist rather than the fingers. Once you have mastered the correct position, you will find that your playing methods will be much easier to learn.

For those of you who are left handed, there are guitars on the market specifically for left handed players or you can re-string a right handed instrument the opposite way around. As long as you remember that the thickest string needs to be the one closest to your face, it will work just as well as a left handed guitar.

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