Introduction to Guitar -- Before you learn to play it

by Kiran Roy, Guitar Hall the Guitar Boutique Before you begin to learn to play the guitar, you might be curious to learn a little bit about the instrument and where it actually originated from. The Guitar has a noble and ancient history. A plucked string instrument with the in-curving sides of the guitar is to be found on the tomb sculpture of the King of Thebes of the thirty-seventh century B.C. and a relief sculpture from the Cappadocia of 1000 B.C. even shows an Egyptian guitar-like instrument with signs of frets. There also exist several evidences of plucked instruments of extreme antiquity in Persia and Arabia. In Spain the guitar had been used since the earliest times as a strummed accompaniment for dancing and it had a long and respected history as an accompaniment for the voice. In the nineteenth century, the style known as flamenco evolved as accompaniment for the songs and dances of Andalusia. Inspired by the gypies and deriving from their songs and dances as they blended with the traditional folk music, the style developed into a complex and vigorous art form. The Guitar is the principal instrument of accompaniment and the continuing search for variety combined with a spirit of competition among the players resulted in an elevation of guitar techniques to its highest levels. The acoustic guitars came to America in the 1850s, thanks mainly to immigrants from eastern Europe. In the Nineteenth century, Music-making was a favorite amateur activity. Young women in America were especially encouraged to learn music as an important social skill. Soon began the search for much louder guitars to perform in front of large audiences. Several attempts were made by various guitar companies but it was the experiments of player Les Paul that led to the biggest innovation of them The ELECTRIC GUITAR! Instrument maker Leo Fender was quick to pick up on the Les Paul’s lead and introduced three solid body electric guitar models viz. the Broadcaster, the Telecaster and the Stratocaster. The latter two instruments are even manufactured today and remain favorite among rock players everywhere.

Six Guitar Hall Tips For Practice

• Fix a suitable time for practice. Do your practice at that time of the day or night which is individually just the right time for you. For some, mornings are better whereas for others late nights are preferred for practice. Whats important is to find a healthy balance of discipline and the desire to play.
• Try to break up what you are learning into small pieces. It is easier to connect many little pieces rather than swallow that big piece all at once.
• Always remember “Music is Fun”… Even if you’ve got great ambitions as a guitarist or see the guitar as your life’s focal point, have fun with it and try to experience the music as something beautiful without weighing it down with unnecessary seriousness.
• Proceed to the newer lessons only after mastering the previous lessons. A strong foundation is a must for becoming a great guitarist.
• Guitar is the easiest instrument to learn but the most difficult to master! I.E. it is easy to play a couple of chords and tunes but very difficult to become a real good player! Set your priorities right!
• Every long journey begins with the first step. Always set realistic goals, no matter how modest they may be, formulating them in words perhaps even writing them down and try to attain them instead of just practicing aimlessly.

For more details on Guiar Hall, visit www.Guitarhall.in (call 09833518423 for enquiries) or visit ThinkVidya for Guitar classes in India,  Guitar classes in Delhi, Guitar classes in Mumbai or Guitar classes in Bangalore.