Play Guitar Like A Pro in Philadelphia!
Singing and Playing Guitar at the same time
One of the most frustrating things you can do while learning to play guitar is learning how to sing while you play. If you want to be a well-rounded musician, these two things together are critical. This can be extremely frustrating if you are a beginner. Singing while playing may seem like a skill that you wouldn’t have to work on while learning the guitar, but it can actually do a lot to improve every aspect of your playing. While you are taking guitar classes in Northeast Philadelphia, work on your singing (or humming) as well.
Being able to play one rhythm on the guitar and sing another will help you understand how certain rhythms can work together to create certain movements. Singing while playing can also help you to understand note choice. It can also be a test to see how well you actually know the instrument while only paying attention to it half of the time!
Start with the basics
Start with simple rhythms and trying singing the same rhythm as the guitar. Each word should fall with each strum. Sing or hum a sentence to get started and then once comfortable, try changing up the rhythm.
Go slow
Like learning anything new, starting slowly is all the difference. Start incorporating chord changes with different melodies, playing them slowly and increasing your speed as you go. It’s better to sing and play rhythms correctly than make mistakes while trying to play fast.
Focus
If you find yourself slowing down or speeding up, missing chords or stumbling to find the next note, you aren’t focusing. Focus is super important. Keeping focus may be hard but it essential in being able to play and sing at the same time. Concentrate on what you are doing and don’t think of anything else but the task at hand. Eventually focus will become second nature.
Find a song
Once you’ve gone through the above basics, try choosing a song you might want to play. Listen to the song and identify the rhythm and melody. Learn the strum of the guitar and play it over and over until you feel comfortable. Learn the chord progression and learn how to sing the melody while concentrating on the rhythm of it. Now try playing the two together.
Singing and playing guitar may feel unnatural at first. This can be very frustrating but if it is something you want to accomplish, you can do it. Eventually singing and playing will feel natural and you will use it more than you ever thought possible. If you are looking for guitar classes in Northeast Philadelphia to help you get started, check out David Joel Guitar Studio. David is a former Berklee faculty member and offers amazing guitar lessons. Students who have taken classes with David find him patient and great at helping them reach their goals. So if singing and playing guitar are on your list of goals, David can help you get there.