5 Tips for Beginner Guitarists

November 10, 2011

Starting things is easy, its sticking with them and making them part of what you do thats hard. Many people see guitarists and think “yeah I could do that,” only to pick it up and find that after a few hours of plunking around, their fingers hurt and they haven’t yet reached rock star status. While there’s no magic potion to become a phenom overnight, here are a number of things that a beginner can do to get over the hump:

1. Leave the guitar out

Cases are wonderful things in a rainstorm or in an overcrowded backstage loading area, but at home they have a habit of standing between you and your guitar. I know, I know, if you really want to play bad enough you will make the extra effort to unzip the case, but you may do so less often. Leaving the guitar out of its case makes it a whole lot easier to grab it and strum a few chords when you get the chance, and turns playing and practicing into the stuff of everyday life rather than a once a week chore.

2. Tune the guitar

While this may seem obvious, it so happens that I’ve asked a number of my students how they tune at home after a few months of lessons, only to hear that they don’t. While tuning, especially without a tuner, may at first take as long as the practice session itself, don’t let it fall out of your routine. The most important reason to tune every time you play, is that it makes what you do sound good! How are you supposed to stay interested without enjoying the sounds you are creating?

3. Practice frequently

The usual saying may be quality over quantity, but for the new guitarist, its the other way around. Learning the guitar is the process of building muscle memory. Pretend you want to get in shape, do you go to the gym for 7 hours just once a week? Of course not. Muscle memory works much the same way, shorter more frequent sessions will help you develop skills much faster and easier than trying to do it all in one night.

4. Set clearly defined goals

This tends to be where some people start to fall off, they’ve learned their basic open chords, done a bit of chord switching and strumming, and made it through a song or two but are lost as far as where to go next. By having a goal such as “I want to be able to play the funky strat riff at the end of Billie Jean by my girlfriends birthday party” you know what your working towards, and exactly when you’ve arrived. Sometimes this can take a bit more soul searching than some beginners signed up for, just remember when you accomplish a goal, you set another. You don’t have to have all of the answers right away, just pick something that interests you and when you get there, keep going.

5. Don’t sweat it

Music can be the greatest and most fun thing in the world. It can also be very frustrating. The key for those starting out is to take it slow, learn easy songs within your grasp, and enjoy them. For those that enjoy a challenge theres a big one up ahead, but laying the groundwork is just as much about making guitar playing a fun habit than it is about getting that F chord to not buzz. Once your hooked, your hooked, and tackling twister-esque chord shapes and learning lightning fast runs feels much more like play than work, just take your time and enjoy the ride!

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5 Reasons to Start Playing in a Band

July 30, 2025

As summer break comes to a close, we’re gearing up for the next term of the Sunburst Band Program and would love to see some new faces this fall. Playing in a band is one of the best ways to progress as a musician, so we put together a list of five reasons why we encourage our students to seek out opportunities to play in groups—whether it's starting a band or jamming with a couple of friends. Progress Your rhythm, timing, and listening skills improve quickly when you start playing in a band or group setting. While private lessons and solo practice are essential pieces of the puzzle, playing with others introduces new variables—like tempo changes, dynamics, and coordination—that challenge you to stay in sync with your bandmates and adapt to each other. We’ve seen so many students level up after just a couple months in the Sunburst Band Program–the progress happens fast! Friends and Connections We love watching our students and their families become friends and our band program has been a natural starting point for many of those relationships. Some of our current bands have stayed together for years, and it's awesome to see them hang out outside of lessons and support each other at shows. Plus, one of the best ways to get gigs is through connections with other musicians! Motivation Playing in a band is super motivating because you're part of a group working toward an exciting shared goal. Whether you're learning a new song, building a set list, or getting ready for a show, the process becomes more exciting and rewarding when you're making music you love with people you enjoy being around. That shared energy turns practice into something much more fun and meaningful. Performing Performing can be nerve-wracking, but it gets easier the more you do it, and being on stage with your friends makes it less scary. We love seeing how our students' stage presence and confidence grow with each performance—it’s one of our favorite parts of being teachers! As we mentioned, shows are a great place to make connections with musicians who you’d like to collaborate with in the future. Simply put, playing more shows leads to playing more shows. Creative Outlet Music is a powerful tool for expression, and it’s important to have outlets for that at any age! Life is very fast paced for many of us, and it can be tough to pause and do the things you enjoy. Band practice can be a consistent anchor in your week—something you can rely on for connection, processing, and creating with your bandmates. As corny as it sounds, playing music is good for your spirit! If you’d like to know more about the Sunburst Band Program, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information. We also recommend talking with your private lessons instructor so that they’re aware and can help you prepare.