There are so many reasons why you might have given up playing the guitar. To be honest, we don’t blame you.
Life and work get in the way. Some of you might have got bogged down in the technique or theory side rather than playing the tunes you like. You might live somewhere that doesn’t accommodate for a big, loud amp. And in reality, collecting every single type of guitar, pedal and pick can turn it into a costly hobby. The list goes on.
We want to ease you back into the playing experience. There are just as many reasons why you should pick up the guitar again as to why you put it down in the first place. Playing any kind of instrument is a great stress reliever and provides some much needed escapism. It gives you the chance to focus solely on what all of us here love to do – make music. In short, it’s really fun. Even if it doesn’t lead to pop stardom.
It’s a valuable life skill. Not everyone can play the guitar, so when motivation strikes and you pick up the guitar, take that chance to be one of the few people who can do it. It improves coordination, memory, hand dexterity and your musical ear. You’ll hear new elements in music you never could previously.
Learning a new skill and completing goals gives you a sense of achievement and a confidence boost. It’s always important to continually develop as a player, regardless of your current ability. It might be mastering a chord, playing a song or learning a new technique. Whatever the task at hand, it’s a great feeling when you tick it off the list.
We know lots of people hit a variety of demotivating roadblocks when playing the guitar. Below we’ve explained all the main aspects of how to keep yourself driven and wanting more. That means addressing the vital resources and gear you’ll need to make your playing experience flow as smooth as possible.
A good first step on your road to tonal recovery is to dust off your guitar, give it a good clean up and equip it with a fresh set of strings. There’s nothing worse than stiff, dirty old guitar strings as they make it downright difficult to handle.
Don’t panic if you binned off your old guitar. Now is a better time than ever to buy a cheap instrument thanks to a vastly improved wealth of quality options. There’s more variety today than there was even 10 years ago, with the likes of Eastcoast, Epiphone, Ibanez and Squier making affordable electric and acoustic guitars designed to last.
Playing the guitar doesn’t have to cost the earth if you follow some trusted advice. Check out our guide to electric guitar basics or acoustic basics if you’d like a refresh on what all the gizmos actually do. Find out what features you need before you dive straight in.
Those of you with an electric guitar will need an amp – virtual or physical – as playing one on its own won’t keep you entertained for long. Everyone with an electric guitar wants to hear it through a great sounding amp. Andertons offer a selection of practice amps and electric guitar bundles to get you started. You could always opt for plug-ins, which only require a PC and speakers/headphones.
Popular practice amps we’d happily recommend are the all-encompassing Boss Katana and Yamaha THR. Not much else comes close to the outstandingly versatile tones, built-in effects, connectivity for recording or live play and app tone customisation. You’ll love either, whatever style of music you like enjoy.
Absolutely essential guitar accessories you should always have to hand are a tuner, picks, cleaning products, a strap, a gig bag and a backup set of strings.
It’s not ideal when something breaks, or you lose your a trem arm or your only pick and you have no way quick way to fix the situation. Prevent it from happening in the first place where possible and stock up on extra bits and bobs. That way you’re less likely to give up as soon as you’ve started.
Guitar pedals are not an absolute playing necessity. But they do expand the sounds and effects you can make with a guitar. Guitarists who are tired of hearing the same old tones should get themselves a pedal.
These wondrous stompboxes expand on what your amp can already do with unique sounds. There are literally thousands to explore, with effects ranging from subtle studio compression to atmospheric reverb, wacky pitch shifting and everything in between.
A great way to stick to playing the guitar this time round is to make the most of guides and videos available (especially the ones we provide across the Andertons blog and Youtube channels). It’s no coincidence that the more progress you make, the more motivation you have to pick up the guitar.
Setting goals is the key to continual improvement. Write down short, mid and long term targets in order to achieve something after each time you play. Learning music theory is great knowledge to have, but you can get by perfectly fine without.
Captain Lee Anderton took some insightful lessons from Youtube guitar teacher JustinGuitar – give the video series a watch and we guarantee you’ll find yourself inspired. If you’re keen to explore the guitar gear or industry side of things, there’s no better place to learn than here on the blog.
Being a guitarist means being part of a community. There’s always something new to discover with exciting guitar, amp and pedal manufacturers releasing products all the time.
Andertons keep you up to date with the latest news on guitar gear, music and topic. Follow us on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to join in. Or if you just like stunning pictures of guitars, we’re good for that too. When you’re in the loop, you’re less likely to leave it.
Check out our Learn articles for more tips and tricks!
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