For some people learning the guitar can only be accomplished one way: by playing songs you know and love. Playing by ear is certainly not a traditional method of learning the guitar, but it can be an effective one. Check out these easy songs to learn on electric guitar for beginners.

“Back In Black” – AC/DC

One of AC/DC’s biggest hits from their 1980 album is also one of the easiest songs one can learn on the electric guitar. Nothing sounds sweeter to the rock n roll fan than some epic power chords. Some of the most recognizable power chords in rock history are featured in this intro. A major, D major and E major make up this simple but fun opening sequence. Another reason this song is perfect for beginners is its pace. Hum the song to yourself to find the beat. This slow, rock classic is perfect for the player that craves monster power chords.

Learn to play “Back in Black” right here.

“Iron Man” – Black Sabbath

Much like “Back in Black,” this rock n roll staple is slow-moving and easy to keep up with. One of the founding songs in rock n roll history, this Black Sabbath opening riff belongs in a discussion for guitar riff Mount Rushmore. You’ll learn the very basics with the electric guitar when playing this song. Learn to slide your fingers up and down the neck nice and slowly. Once you have this riff mastered, you’ll never forget it!

Learn to play “Iron Man” right here. 

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana

There’s no better riff to learn than the one that altered the course of rock music forever, right? Who can forget Kurt Cobain’s scratchy power chords that start this song softly, then explode for the next four minutes? This very basic chord structure will be repeated six times in the intro of the song, so once you get a hang of it there’s nothing stopping you. The verse is simply two strokes of the e string, until the pace picks up heading into the chorus. Master the intro first, and afterwards you might have quite a lot of fun learning this memorable guitar solo, as well.

Learn how to play “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by clicking right here.

“Last Nite” – The Strokes

The Strokes may not be a band you know very much about, but you’ll undoubtedly recognize this tune. Released in 2001, “Last Nite” instantly shot up the rock charts. A big part of the reason why it’s so popular is its memorable yet simple guitar chords. This song will get you familiar with chord structure, while improving your timing and anticipation along the way.

Learn to play “Last Nite” right here.

“Smoke On The Water” – Deep Purple

This is seemingly the first riff everyone learns when picking up a guitar. It sounds good on the acoustic guitar, but nothing compares to hitting this riff on the electric guitar. The opening riff is simple and stays at a relatively routine pace and rhythm. You’ll learn how to climb the guitar neck up and down during the verses. Once you figure out the intro and verses, get ready for a fun and challenging solo, courtesy of guitar legend, Ritchie Blackmore.

Learn to play “Smoke On The Water” by clicking right here.

Guitar Lessons In Phoenix, AZ

Originally based in Prescott, Amazing Mobile Music Instruction is your number one choice for guitar lessons in the valley of the sun! Amazing Mobile teaches the basics and fundamentals of music; equating playing an instrument to math. Once the structure is understood, the possibilities are endless! Amazing Mobile offers flexible schedules and at-home music lessons, perfect for the busy adults and/or children in your life. For the easiest and most affordable guitar lessons in Phoenix, head on over to Ben’s Method to schedule a time that works best for you. In addition to guitar lessons, they also offer piano, drum, bass guitar, ukulele and mandolin instruction. Online music lessons are available as well!

Amazing Mobile Music offers Music Lessons Throughout the Phoenix metro area.

We also offer lessons for guitar, drums, bass guitar, piano, and ukulele.

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For decades the guitar has been synonymous with rock ‘n’ roll. The blaring guitar riff is probably the first thing you notice about most rock songs. It has inspired numerous musicians to plug in, but how difficult is it to play this instrument? Here are a few of the best ways to learn the guitar.

Guitar Purchase

The first step towards learning the instrument is quite obvious. Buying the guitar that fits your needs best is essential. If you are not fully committed to pouring time and effort into this venture, buying a used guitar would likely be wise. Try both electric and acoustic guitars to see which one you like best. Many beginners find electric to be more enjoyable due to the energy and ease the guitar provides.

Learn Simple Chords

Once your guitar of choice is in your possession, it’s time to learn a few simple chords. Learning these open position chords or “beginner chords” is all about figuring out where to put your fingers on the appropriate strings. While doing this you are building muscle memory and beginning to get a knack for speed and timing. All of these are crucial elements in learning to play guitar.

Learn Real Songs

Maybe the most rewarding part about learning to play this instrument is the ability to play some of your favorite tunes. Whether it’s a simple but memorable riff like “Smoke on the Water” or “Seven Nation Army,” being able to mimic rock classics is as fun as it gets! Starting out by learning to read guitar notes is the suggested route, but for many jumping right into some known tunes can be the way to go.

Practice Makes Perfect

It’s true, practice can make perfect, but when learning guitar it’s time to throw out the idea of setting aside practice time. For today’s busy adults or children, it’s difficult to set the needed time aside each day. Instead, turn the instrument into part of your life or regular routine. Don’t plan to practice for a half hour at a set time. Instead, pick up the guitar and give yourself time to practice whenever you have a spare moment. If you practice this way you will likely be very surprised at how much time you can spend honing your skills.

Refrain From Relearning

For most beginners, the tendency is to start songs or sheet music from the top. We play until we slip up or not like how something sounded. It may be hard to re-train your brain, but try to power through and keep playing until the end of the song or music. When you continue to stop and start the song over and over, it usually means you are only practicing that part of the tune.

Amazing Mobile Music offers Music Lessons Throughout the Phoenix metro area.

We also offer lessons for guitar, drums, bass guitar, piano, and ukulele.

PIANO LESSONS REVIEWS & TESTIMONIALS

Welcome to Amazing Mobile Music Instruction. You’ve finally decided to take guitar lessons. The real question is how long is it going to take to learn? Music instructors always have a hard time giving a good answer. It’s isn’t a terrible question, it’s just a little difficult to answer. To answer the question, we need to know what “learning guitar” really means to you.

Learning to Play Guitar

Some people may want to learn how to simply play a favorite song, or learn certain chord progressions, or play mind-blowing solos. To be good at anything, if it’s playing guitar, learning the yo-yo or something else, takes a lot of practice.

No matter what your guitar playing goals are, it is going to take no less than a few months or perhaps over a year of steady practicing prior to you positively say you “know how to play guitar.”

For people that want to learn how to play just a few chords and transition between them easily, it’s going to take a minimum of three or four months of steady practice, possibly more depending on how persistent you are.

 Three Things you Need to Know. Practice, Practice, Practice!

“How long should I practice?” This is a reasonably typical question. Everyone has things to do and also has a life beyond playing guitar, so it can be hard to make time to practice. Try not to practice more tchan an hour in a day. An hour is a bit of time already, and when you are practicing for more than that, your hand might be a little tired, particularly if you are new to guitar. Stay to a steady 30 to 45 minutes of concentrated practice each day. And you don’t feel bad if you have to miss a practice day. Stuff does happen and going into the next time that you practice, be sure you’re dead set and focused on the task at hand.

Many new guitar players are excessively determined and devote too much time practicing. This eventually leads to them getting burned-out, plateauing or injuring their hand. You do not want this to happen to you.

 Set Small, Attainable Goals

Learning a new skill is all about breakthroughs. Realistically set your goals correctly with what you can actually accomplish in the amount of time you have. Imagine something you want to achieve on guitar and place a deadline for yourself for when you have conquered that technique or hit that goal.

For instance, perhaps you want to nail a whole song in a week. Well, if the song turns out to be a little too complex, maybe only learn the intro to the song in a week? If it’s too hard to accomplish, maybe scale it down some and only practice playing its chord progressions? Or if you’re not familiar with a chord in the song, maybe focus on playing the new chord that week alternatively?

It may be over your head if you head right into a complete song lesson and you notice yourself getting confused by the chords or scale being used. You’ll want to basically lay things out, so they are just a little easier for you. In doing this, the goals are easier to achieve, and it usually feels a lot better knowing that you are progressing quickly with small goals instead of waiting a long time to finish something entirely, that can be discouraging and kill your motivation.

A Word on Gear

Many guitar players that are new, are obsessed with gear. It isn’t the guitar that plays the guitar, it’s the player that plays the guitar!

Everyone likes bright, nitro-finished guitars with their custom guitar shop pickups, and Indian rosewood fretboards, ultimately, none of that matters if you can’t even play! That brings us to the point of this post: practice.

There is only one way to become a guitar player; practice. Hinging on what you wish to accomplish, it’s going to take at the minimum a couple of months, possibly more, prior to you having enough confidence in yourself to declare that you are indeed, a guitar player.

How Long Does it Take to Learn Bass Guitar?

Honestly, there’s no conclusive answer to this question, it actually depends a lot on the individual. A new player, for example, might begin to get the gist of it within just 6 months; nevertheless, learning the ins and outs of bass guitar along with proficiency and skill of all the advanced methods might take many years, possibly a lifetime. Bass guitar is a lot more than a guitar with only 2 strings

Consequently, they have very different scale lengths, tones, and feel in addition to its role musically. Also, take into account that in many cases it also requires a rather different conceptual and technical methods. It’s possible that a guitarist will have an easier time moving to the bass since they have knowledge and are familiar with how the fretboard works. Having said that, if you’re thinking about moving to bass following guitar, it’s usually the one of the only things these instruments have in common, in addition to maybe using a pick.

Occasionally, just one lesson with a talented bass instructor might point you in the right direction and help you with your learning method. Do your homework and ask around or look up bass guitar instructors. Always remember that when push comes to shove, your ambition and willingness to learn bass guitar (and maybe your inherent musical ability) would be the major factors that affects your overall progression when you’re learning to play bass guitar.

Tips to Learn and Play Bass Guitar

Here are some common tips that you can use when learning to play the bass guitar. Apply these principles to the guitar, and you’ll hear and notice your playing improve significantly. Additionally, they will help you learn the bass faster.

Single-finger Method

Note that a lot of people in fact want to have a bass player that utilizes a pick as their playing method. Having said that, if you’re a fingerstyle bass player and are looking to accomplish a much more consistent playing method, try using only one finger, such as the index (instead of alternating between your index and middle finger) as much as possible.

Use Fifths and Octaves

The fifth and the octave are possibly the most harmoniously pleasant notes you could play. A lot of popular and classic bass guitar lines have been produced using primarily octaves, roots, and fifths as the main foundation.

One of the benefits about using this technique is that it will enable you to create a bass line that is both appealing and melodic. It also locks in nicely with the drums and not harmonically conflict with the basic chords.

Play for the Song

In a lot of cases, refined bass guitar playing requires you to show finesse and exercise control instead of showcasing your cunning skills and moves. Nine times out of ten, it’s a good idea to work primarily with the root notes of the chords while combining properly with the drummer’s bas drum in addition to the snare drums.

Instructional Books

Books are a great resource to learn bass guitar fundamentals, but to be honest, they’re unappreciated at this point. Online tutorials and YouTube have sort of eclipsed this useful way of learning bass.

It’s important to note that there’s a good chance some of your number one bass players learned by reading books.

Online Bass Tutorials

There are a lot of online bass guitar tutorials on various platforms. They may also be arranged very differently. However, they offer a suitable and affordable way to learn bass guitar. It is worth noting that YouTube is an awesome source, and typically the first place for most new players to go as it’s free!

You’ll be happy to know that there are many incredible channels dedicated to bass guitar tutorials and helpful reviews that explain methods and techniques very clearly.

There are popular lesson websites like Jamplay.com that offer structure while following a reasonable order, typically in a convenient course configuration. What this means is you shouldn’t end up in a bass lesson that’s too technical for you. Instead, get started with some beginner bass video tutorials and then progress from there.

In Conclusion

Join us next time. As always if you ever have a question or would like to know more please contact us at bensmethod@gmail.com. Also, don’t forget to like/follow us on Facebook and Instagram @amazingmobilemusic.

Amazing Mobile Music offers Music Lessons Throughout the Phoenix metro area.

Amazing Mobile Music Instruction offers music lessons for guitar, piano, bass guitar, drums,  mandolin, and ukulele. Learn how to play your favorite instrument with Amazing Mobile Music Instruction. Looking for kids piano lessons or beginner piano lessons? We can help with that too.

MUSIC LESSONS REVIEWS & TESTIMONIALS