Learning The Guitar – Notes Or Chords?

When most people think of playing the guitar, they imagine rock stars on stage strumming out tunes that literally strike a chord with the thousands of people in the audience.

However, it goes without saying that it takes many years and lessons to get that proficient at guitar playing, and much of your time might be spent plucking notes, instead of jamming out those famous chords.

Which you start learning first will depend on your music teacher, and in part, your interest, as the more you are keen to practice, the longer you will stick with an instrument.

Sound Adventurer recognises that it is easier to play whole songs once you have learnt chords.

It noted: “During tough drills or learning a new solo, sometimes it’s critical, and I mean critical to be able to retreat into something familiar and play something fun once in a while.”

This will prevent burnout and encourage the player to carry on learning for longer.

However, players were advised to carry on learning scales, as chords are “only one small part of the guitar’s capabilities”.

Being able to play notes means you can learn classical and blues guitar, as well as rock and pop music.

Guitar And Bass agrees, advising new players to learn both at the same time, as they are important skills to develop.

It referenced Beethoven when the composer said the guitar was like a whole band, stating: “When playing chords, the guitar is the rhythm section of the band … while the scales provide the melody as would the singer of a band.”

If you’re learning to play, take a look at our classical guitars for sale in the UK here.