In the world of music, the guitar is undoubtedly the most popular (and also most accessible) instrument out there. In fact, you would know quite a few guitarists who have taken lessons, and several others who have not. John Mayer, for example, started learning the guitar on his own before studying music!

While there are plenty of prodigies and rock stars out there who shun guitar lessons, they are still the best way to learn how to play guitar for beginners step-by-step of the way. Guitar lessons can turn a competent guitarist into an excellent one – so here are some reasons why guitar lessons are still the best for learning how to play the guitar!

Reasons Why You Should Take Guitar Lessons

You’ll Get A Good, Solid Foundation

shutterstock_152283263-300x200Yes, you certainly can learn the basics by looking at books. But are you sure you are holding your guitar properly? Are you positive you are holding down the strings effectively? Is this book you’re using even the best kind for your learning style?

Nothing beats an in-person, tactile learning environment. An instructor can start you off on the right foot by demonstrating proper technique and help you get a good foundation without falling into bad habits, which can inhibit your playing and require extra work to “un-learn.” Better to have an instructor help you adjust your strap and help you with finger placement now rather than having to put in extra work later.

    Playing in Your Preferred Style

    It’s a sad, but true, fact that many instruction books and videos simply don’t have the types of songs you actually want to learn. “You Are My Sunshine” is all well and good, but what if you want to learn The Beatles or John Mayer instead? A good guitar teacher will be familiar with your preferred genre, and can actually help you find songs you want to play, at your current ability level. There’s even a good chance that he or she may have tabulature or sheet music that they themselves use when they perform. This personalization will keep you interested in playing and accelerate your progress.

    Get Instant Gratification and Feedback

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    A book or a video cannot tell you how you are doing. An instructor can give you valuable information, praise and suggestions for improvement on the spot. Once again, this will help you avoid blocks in your learning that you would need to get rid of later. Plus, it’s always great to have a captive audience.

    Keeping You Honest and Working

    When you hit a snag in your learning (musical or otherwise), it’s tempting to simply let that learning go if it’s not mandatory. You can set a book down and not play music again for a few days – or forever. When you are taking lessons you know you are responsible for advancing yourself in the eyes of your teacher. In addition, putting your hard-earned money down for lessons puts some “skin in the game.” You want a return on your investment, so you are more likely to continue during those times when the going gets rough. (By the way, almost every student goes through this occasionally, and there is always the other side of it when you have a major breakthrough. Never give up!)

    Rational and Continued Progression

    No matter how good an instruction book or video is, there’s always an end. In the one-on-one learning process, a good instructor can take you to a new level of learning and playing seamlessly. They can help you connect concepts (chord progressions, notes, etc.) more quickly and easily than a book or a video ever could.

    Learning How to Play Guitar Within Your Comfort Brings Many Benefits

    shutterstock_511367677-300x200Playing the guitar relives anxiety and stress. Even doctors recommend that you should find at least one hobby that you can have some fun and relieve stress with. Doing this leads to enhanced mental and physical health.

    It increases your thought-process, exercises your mind, and protects it from future deterioration. Learning new things makes new connections in your brain, and the challenge of learning to play the guitar is great for better cognitive development. Doing so has been proven to be helpful for your long-term mental health!

     

    Choose CRISTOFORI for Your Beginner Guitar Lessons

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    Guitar lessons at CRISTOFORI is the best way to learn how to play guitar for beginners step by step in Singapore, hands down. With over 40 years of teaching and 200,000 successful students, we have created an education philosophy that takes the Whole Person Theory approach that focuses on three aspects: academic skills, learning skills and the awareness of the training process itself.

    In other words, our students are trained not to be spoon-fed but to seek knowledge and help actively. They find out how to concentrate, learn and organise information into knowledge. As such, students will gain analytical skills, concentration, and abstract thinking skills.

    Over the years, we also held firmly to our belief of producing quality musical instruments and selling them at the most reasonable prices.

    Find out more about our guitar lessons in Singapore!