The first thing you will need to do is get yourself an Electric guitar and amp.
You can either borrow from a friend or relative, or if you are really serious about
learning to play, you should purchase your own. If you decide to go this route,
make sure you go to a reputable music store. It may be overwhelming when you go
into the music store at first because there are so many different models of
electric guitar available, but don’t be afraid to ask an employee for help. That’s
what they are getting paid for. Pick out the guitar and amp that you are
comfortable with.

You want to make sure that you are familiar with all the switches and buttons on
your electric guitar. Knowing exactly what each one does will enable you to play
your guitar exactly the way you want to. Each button has a different function, but
basically they are all there to adjust the tone of the guitar. Being able to
control these correctly will help you to develop your sound.

Although the electric guitar is thought by many musicians as easier to play than
the acoustic, there are many more added features on the electric that you need to
be familiar with.

Another great thing about actually going to the music store is that you can
actually out the guitar and amp before you purchase them. You can literally try
every guitar in the store if you want until you find one that you love. As you are
just beginning, you don’t need a huge amp. Making sure it has the right features
for the style of music you want to play is important.

Once you have your Guitar, Amp and preferably a pick too (your fingers will get sore
without one, and the sound on an electric guitar is much cleaner if a pick is used)
you are ready for your lessons.

Finding courses and tutorials online is the quickest and probably the cheapest way
to easily learn to play electric guitar (unless you have a professional teaching
you for free). You may decide to take the option of finding a private tutor in
your area, but they can be very costly. You may also be able to find some
resources online that are free if you search around.

Once you have a basic idea of chords and notes, listening to songs with electric
guitar in them will be a big help also. As you are listening to the songs, try to
figure out the chords that are in the songs by playing along with them. This is a
great way to practice.

Now you have the basic idea of how you can easily learn to play electric guitar.
The most valuable lesson I can share with you is this; Don’t quit. When the going
gets tough and your not learning as quickly as you thought you would, keep going.
If you have the right attitude you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
Believe in yourself.

First, you must not be intimidated by the thought of playing the electric guitar. It is a good idea to take the time and learn all that you can about the guitar and its fret board. To aide you with this task you can buy a diagram of the notes and strings on a guitar. Having this on the wall while you are practicing will help you tremendously.

Learning the positioning of the notes on the fret board is key, and this is accomplished by practice, practice, practice. Don’t expect this to come over night. And don’t spend hours a day studying this. Instead spend approximately 10 minutes per day on this task. Success for most beginners is gained from the knowledge of the notes and fret board.

Another major factor in learning to play the electric guitar is using your ears. You must listen to the pitch and tone of the notes you are playing. This requires much concentration, and is a very important part of learning. First play the note on your electric guitar, then sing the note in the same key you just played. Repeat this several times with different notes. Once this is easy for you, do it in reverse. Sing a note, then play it on the guitar. Hearing if the note you sang, and the note you played are the same is where ear training comes in. Practicing this for about 10 minutes a day will help immensely.

And lastly, do some chromatic guitar exercises and scales. These will help you develop muscle memory and help your fingers move more cleanly across the strings, developing a cleaner sound. Start off with simple ones and as you feel more confident, move on to harder ones.

These are three major components that will assist you when you begin your lessons. If you practice these three tips before you begin with actual guitar lessons, your journey will be much simpler.

Patience is a major factor in learning the electric guitar. If you can devote 30 minutes a day to practicing these techniques, you will go very far, very quickly. An essential part of the learning process is to make sure you are having fun. If it’s not fun, then you won’t learn. It will feel too much like work and not play!

You will have to dedicate a lot of your time practicing these skills I have mentioned if you want to be able to play “like the pro’s”, but believe me it will be worth it in the end. Just think how you will feel when you “WOW” your family and friends the first time you play your favorite song for them on the guitar!