Learn to Play Guitar Fast - With the Right Materials

By John Brenndarfer

If you want to learn to play guitar fast, then you can't afford to be haphazard about it. Sure you could noodle around on it for years, but how much better would you actually get? Getting better at the guitar quickly takes effort, dedication, and information. While no one but you can do anything about the first two, you'll be glad to know that there are plenty of people willing to help you with the third.

In Your Heroes' Footsteps

Often, when people start playing the guitar, it's because they've seen someone who has inspired them through their own playing. Whether it's the hordes of guitarists inspired by Jimi Hendrix, the guitar attacks of bands like Children of Bodom, or the fingerstyle of players like Adrian Legg, great guitar players can make you want to practice hard.

They can also tell you what to practise, thanks to many of them having instructional books and DVDs. Alexi Laiho has his Metal Guitar series from Rock House, for example, while Adrian Legg appears in the Hot Licks DVD Fingerpicking and Open Tunings. Some, such as Asia, GPS and Dizzee Rascal guitarist Guthrie Govan, have written impressive instructional books. His Creative Guitar series is particularly good, focusing on the guitarist's role as a musician while still giving you some challenging exercises to practise.

General Methods- Books

Of course, if you want to learn to play guitar fast, then a more general guide might also be very useful. Hal Leonard's Guitar Method series is a classic, and covers everything the budding guitarist might need. Alfred's Beginning Guitar series achieves many of the same things, while their beginning, intermediate and advanced guides to Rock, Blues, Acoustic and Jazz guitar give you a clear progression in a single style to accelerate your learning. Those really trying to get into their guitar playing quickly might want to consider Hal Leonard's Play Guitar Today book.

DVDs

There are dozens of good DVDs that can help speed up your learning. The House of Blues Guitar Course, for example, will give you a good grounding in most aspects of electric guitar playing, while the MJS Guitar DVD series breaks guitar up into levels and subjects that allow you to find exactly the right information for your level of playing. One effective option is the fretboard logic system, by Bill Edwards Publishing, that breaks guitar playing down into its constituent components, teaching you the musical knowledge of scales, chords and arpeggios you need to improve.

Styles

There are almost as many styles of guitar playing as there are musical styles, and plenty of ways to learn them. From Rusty Cooley's Fretboard Autopsy series on rock and metal, to Frank Gambale's jazzy Acoustic Improvisation, focusing on one style can really help. Combine it with some of the other suggestions above and you'll not just learn to play guitar fast, you'll learn to play everything you want.

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