Stop Struggling With Guitar: Do This Instead

Five essential tips to make learning guitar easier, covering why electric guitar is the best starting point, how to use hammer-ons and pull-offs for speed, rhythm techniques, the shapes-based nature of guitar learning, and the power of single-note solos.

Start on Electric Guitar

Starting on electric guitar is easier than acoustic because of the thinner strings and amplification doing much of the work for you. Acoustic guitars are physically tougher instruments with thicker strings that are harder on your fingertips and strumming hand. Electric guitar opens up techniques like open power chords in drop D tuning or open G tuning that look difficult but are actually quite simple once you get the knack.

Master Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are fundamental techniques that let you play fast without picking every note. Songs like "Man Who Sold the World" and Wolfmother's "Woman" use pick-hammer-hammer patterns that beginners can learn quickly. Your fretting hand develops strength and speed first - that comes before picking hand dexterity for most players.

Tap Out the Rhythm First

Strumming difficulties usually aren't about the down-up mechanics but about complex rhythms. The solution is to tap out the rhythm first without the guitar. Practice variations and work on songs like "That's Entertainment" which mix eighth note strumming with faster sixteenth note patterns to build your rhythmic vocabulary.

Think in Shapes

Guitar is a shapes-based instrument where the same note appears multiple times across the neck - an E note occurs five different times. Understanding that you can move shapes like minor pentatonic up two frets or down a string to play in different keys is crucial for rapid progress. Learning to find octaves across the fretboard unlocks this understanding.

One Note Can Be Enough

Some of the greatest guitar solos in history use just one note - it's how you play that note and the song underneath that matters. "Don't Look Back in Anger" and the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" both feature single-note solos that are iconic despite their simplicity. Guitar is 50% art and 50% craft, so don't neglect the emotional and creative side while focusing on technique.