Are you starting to play guitar?

You’ll know when you’ve achieved these breakthroughs that you’re making progress. 

Having scales memorized  

If you’re learning guitar from scratch – with no prior musical education – learning and memorizing scales can feel like learning a foreign language. When you can start playing scales from memory with no help, you’re well on your way to mastering the guitar. 

Course: Learn Every Scale In 60 Minutes with RelationShapes!

Having chords memorized 

Chords are the building blocks of songs. Memorizing the shapes and names (and variations!) of chords takes time and practice – but when you’ve got them down, you’ll be able to play most songs. 

Course: 50+ Chord Progressions and Styles: Strumming Simplified

Learning your first song 

One of the most satisfying moments of learning guitar is when you can play a real song, start to finish. Here are some of the easiest songs you can learn on guitar. Most people start with “Smoke on the Water”. 

Lesson: Smoke on the Water

Mastering your first riff 

Once you’ve played through your first song, it’s time to start working on mastering riffs and licks – your first foray into playing leads. 

Course: 10 Must Know Rock Guitar Licks

Showing off your skills! 

Once you’re confident in your playing abilities, it’s time to show them off! Playing at a local open mic night in your city is a great way to get comfortable playing in front of other people, as well as to meet other musicians to play with! 

If you’ve already mastered (or at least gotten pretty good at) one instrument, it might be worth considering picking up a new one. Not only will it be a new challenge for you, it will reinvigorate your interest in playing music by giving you a whole new device to explore. 

Here are some reasons to learn a second instrument: 

Learning a second instrument won’t be as difficult as learning the first one 

If you already know scales, chords, rhythm and key signatures, you’re halfway there. Learning a new instrument will involve putting the principles you already understand to work – much easier than trying to learn the instrument and music theory at the same time. 

It’s a challenge for your brain and your body 

Learning another instrument is similar to switching up your routine in the gym. Learning something new will challenge both your mind and your body to help keep you in the best shape possible! 

It makes you more versatile as an artist and a performer 

If you play multiple instruments, your musical possibilities are wider! Not only will you be able to play multiple instruments on any tracks that you record, but you’ll be a more attractive candidate to any band looking for a new member. Suddenly, you’re not just a guitarist – you’re a guitarist AND a bassist/keyboardist, etc. You may even find that you prefer the new instrument over the one you already know. 

Learning a new instrument can freshen your perspective on music 

Think back to how exciting it was when you were learning your first instrument – every milestone you hit felt like a huge breakthrough! You can recapture that feeling again by learning a new instrument. 

It’s fun! 

With Fret Zealot, learning the guitar, ukulele, or bass guitar is fun and easy. With step-by-step lessons and an optional LED system that shows you exactly where to put your fingers, you’ll be playing a second instrument in a couple of months. 

Writing a new song but feeling stuck when it comes to chord progressions?

Chords are the building blocks of any song, and they can influence the mood of your song – and the mood of the listener. 

Like all art, music is subjective, but here are some general associations between chord type and song mood. 

Major chords: Brighten the mood of a song 

Minor chords: Darken the mood of a song by creating “dissonance”, usually from the minor third or 5th note. 

Using both major and minor chords in a song will enrich the texture and depth of a song. You can use either minor chords or major chords strategically to enhance the gravity or hopefulness of a certain lyric. 

You can also substitute a minor chord for a major chord in a progression to darken the mood of a piece of music. 

For example, in John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, the chorus chord progression is: 

                     G                            D          Em             C

“Country Roads, take me home, to the place I belong”

       G                   D                              C                    G

West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home, country roads.”

The E minor chord in the first line of the song helps lend a note of melancholy to the overall upbeat nature of the chorus, lending the chorus an air of wistful homesickness that makes it a more dynamic song. 

There’s a lot more to chords than simply major or minor. Chord variations such as 7ths, 9th, and suspended can also impact the mood of a chord. 

A 2010 German study charted several different chord types and their associated emotions.

Here are some general associations with other types of chords: 

7th: Cool, jazzy 

Dominant 7th: Mysterious

Minor 7th: Emotional, hopeful 

Diminished: Dark 

There’s no correct or wrong way to write a chord progression – but play around with different combinations of chords until you find the perfect one for your song! You can find every chord in the Fret Zealot app. 

Whether you’ve been playing for a little while or a really long time, avoiding back pain is eventually going to be a factor for most guitar players. Especially if you spend a lot of time playing, paying attention to your posture will really affect your long-term comfort while playing guitar. 

@fret_zealot

Here are some ways to avoid back pain while playing guitar #guitar #guitartok #guitarplayer #guitarist #playingguitar #back #backpain #cramp

♬ original sound – Fret Zealot

The #1 tip for avoiding back pain is your posture. 

Keep your spine straight and afloat while playing. Try to avoid curling your spine over the guitar to look at your frets. Think about your vertebrae – you don’t want them crunched into each other. Instead, find a natural, comfortable posture where your neck and spine are straight. 

It’s important to have the right tools. 

If you like to sit while playing, use a stool rather than sitting in a chair with arms. This will allow your guitar to sit naturally, without you having to shift over and accommodate it. 

The most natural way to play guitar is to stand while you play. It’s recommended to stand for performances if you can to ensure that your back stays straight. 

It’s also important to have a guitar strap that fits correctly. If you find you have sore shoulders after a long playing session, look into getting a strap that has some padding, or is wider to better distribute the weight of your guitar. 

If you’re having back pain while playing guitar, check out how much your guitar weighs, and consider swapping it for a lighter model. Anything over 8 lbs. is considered a heavy guitar. 

For more advice in keeping good posture (and preventing back pain) in everyday life, check out the Alexander technique.