by Natalie M. Wolverson

Created on: January 07, 2011   Last Updated: January 08, 2011

The only way to learn or perfect a new skill is with practice, and this is especially vital when learning musical instruments or languages. When first learning the guitar it is repetition which builds your muscle memory and allows you to remember chords or finger positions.

Practicing the guitar allows you to remember new chords, finger positions, picking patterns and full songs because your brain remembers where each of your fingers should be for each chord. The repetition of changing from chord to chord will make it feel more natural after time as your muscles get used to the transition and your brain can interpret the movement faster, in turn allowing you to play or change chords quicker.

When someone first learns the guitar it is vital that they learn technique before trying to play a song at full speed, because technique is much harder to correct when it is ‘drilled’ into their brains incorrectly. Hence many guitar tutors teach songs with a slow tempo, or slow the tempo of a relatively easy song when teaching a beginner to play. As the guitar player practices this song they will get used to the transitions and once they understand the strumming part they will then be able to play the song at a normal speed correctly.

Many new guitarists find that they can’t learn or memorise a full song in one practice session and find themselves breaking the song into multiple sessions; this is because their muscle memory isn’t as strong as someone who has been playing for years and who practices regularly. A guitarist who practices a lot will find that they remember the chord changes, finger positions and strumming patterns much easier than when they first starting learning the guitar because their brain is used to remembering these things.

It can be difficult to stay motivated whilst learning the guitar as many guitarists just want to be able to play their favourites songs straight away and become disappointed when they can’t; this is the main reason that many people quit playing the guitar. It is important to understand that technique should come first and it is vital that you learn chords the correct way, rather than taking shortcuts which allow you to play your favourite songs immediately. Practice is the key to learning any new skill and if you want to become a great guitar player then it is important that you put the time in to practicing your guitar playing.

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