How To Play Electric Guitar | Step-By-Step Beginners Guide

how to play electric guitar

Okay, so, before I start answering the question in this article, I will address the elephant in the wrong; can you learn how to play electric guitar just by reading an article? No, no you cannot.

That being said, an article can provide you with the knowledge you are going to require to get started on your journey of mastering the instrument or just playing well enough to impress your crush. Whatever your end goal is, it’s all cool.

I have been playing the guitar for about ten years at this point and here, I will share all the knowledge that I have accumulated thus far.

Note: This is by no means a comprehensive article, as you can probably guess. I would categorize this article as more of an introduction and FAQ than a guide on ripping through a Megadeth solo.

THINGS YOU NEED TO START PLAYING AN ELECTRIC GUITAR

1

AN ELECTRIC GUITAR

Choose your electric guitar wisely. Do some research and see which electric guitar suits you the best. You do not have to spend a ton of money on your first electric guitar. See some videos on the guitar and if you like how it looks and feels, go for it.

2

AMPLIFIER

Get your hands on a practice amplifier for now. You do not have to spend big bucks while choosing amplifier, now you only need an amplifier for the beginning stages; however, you are going to eventually want one.

AMPLIFIER
3

TUNER

No point in playing if you are going to play out of tune. First you have to know how to tune a guitar or You can get tuners online or at any music store. Also, I use this personally, just download a tuner app for they work just as well.

4

GUITAR LEAD

Guitar cables are 6.35 mm to 6.35 mm. One end goes into the guitar jack while the other into the amplifier. Get yourself a good lead; you do not want to cheap out here.

5

PICKS

Buy picks of different densities for different styles of playing. And yeah, you are gonna lose a lot!

6

EXTRAS

Guitar Strap, Capo and Pedals are additional things for now. You are eventually going to need them but for now, you can do without them.

EXTRAS

Once you have all the essential items, it is time to play. Set your up your equipment because it is showtime.

THINGS TO LEARN TO PLAY ELECTRIC GUITAR FOR THE FIRST TIME

It is not easy starting out; there is no denying that. When I first got my guitar, I played it for a week and then gave up. Till eventually, I got the motivation to start playing again and I have not stopped ever since. However, I realize now, looking back, with the knowledge hindsight provides, I could have had a much smoother road when it came to playing.

There is no hard and fast rule or set standard that you have to follow. You can absolutely just start playing and master it yourself. They said, the wise thing to do would be allowing others to help you and seeking the advice of those that have been in the game for a long time.

Here are some things you ought to do:

PRACTICE DAILY

This is perhaps the most worn out and annoying piece of advice out there, but it is true. Consistency is the key. When you are starting, you should practice daily. There is no need to play for 2 hours every day; playing every day is what’s important.

FINGER EXERCISE

Your fingers are going to hurt, deal with it. When you start running, your legs hurt. If you quit on the second day because of the pain, maybe running is not for you. It is the same here. There are many exercises out there designed exactly for the purpose of training your fingers. Practice them daily, if only for 15 minutes a day. Do that and the pain will eventually go away and your fingers will grid through the fretboard.

electric guitar lessons for beginners

LEARN THE BASIC CHORDS AND SCALES

No matter what your end goal is, whether it is playing Dream Theatre or becoming like Justin Bieber, you are going to require the knowledge of basic chords and scales. Underneath the complications and personal artistic variations, every song is based on a simple scale. I never bothered learning scales or chords and directly jumped into learning songs.

I feel now that was a mistake and I should have first learned these electric guitar lessons for beginners and eventually gotten around to learning those songs. Some chords, like F and B, can seem a bit tough and that is perfectly normal. Try to play them but if you are unsuccessful, learn their simplified version for now.

GET A TEACHER

Another thing I never did till late in my guitar playing life was getting a teacher. I always thought I was too cool and too smart for a teacher and I cringe when I think about my mindset. Online or in real life, a guitar teacher can boost your progress tenfold. They will smooth many hurdles that you might have faced otherwise. Any problem you face, they will help you with it.

Not only that, but teachers will also notice mistakes that you are making that you, as a newbie, would never. If, for whatever reason, you cannot get a teacher. That’s fine.


There are plenty of Youtube channels dedicated to teaching you how to play electric guitar and I recommend you this best way to learn electric guitar. I still sometimes go to these channels for help even after ten years of playing. You are never too good and that is perfectly fine.

CONCLUSION

That is the end of this how to play electric guitar article. I hope you learned some best way to learn electric guitar, and I hope my experience provided you with some useful information that will help you in your journey of becoming the greatest and best guitarist in the world. That’s a Tenacious D reference between.

Leave a Reply