7 Tips for Learning Your First Full Song on Guitar

Are you ready to play your first song on guitar? Most beginners envision themselves strumming out their favorite tune before they’ve even had the chance to learn their first chord. It’s understandable – being able to play songs is the goal for most guitar learners. Of course, it’s easier said than done, which is why taking on board some tips is pretty essential. So, whether you want to play an AC/DC, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, or Bob Dylan song, use these seven tips to make the learning process a little easier. 

1. Pick the Right Song

The first part is relatively easy, but it may take more thought than you would initially think. You need to choose the right song to get you started, and there are a few things to take into account here, including how much you love the tune and how easy it is for first-time guitar learners. You need to genuinely enjoy the song, otherwise, you won’t have enough motivation to complete it (and you won’t feel as accomplished once you can play it). However, you can’t just pluck your favorite song and assume you can play it, as there’s a chance it’s too challenging for beginners. Some of the best songs for beginners to learn on guitar include: 

• Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
• Hotel California by Eagles
• American Idiot by Green Day
• Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus
• Three Little Birds by Bob Marley
• Wonderwall by Oasis
• Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan

2. Use Guitar Tabs

You might feel overwhelmed with how many notes and chords you want to learn. A helpful way to make the learning stage easier is by using a guitar tab. This is a specific form of written music that shows you exactly where you need to put your fingers to get each of the guitar notes right. It’s a level of visualization that can be helpful in the early days, allowing you to nail a new song much sooner than you would have otherwise. You can find plenty of guitar tabs for a variety of songs; you are sure to find a tune you genuinely love. 

3. Listen to the Song

This part is simple and fun – all you need to do is listen to the song! Play the song as you usually would, except listen out for the guitar in particular. Knowing how the song sounds can make a world of difference to how you play, as you’ll be able to get the rhythm right. 

4. Watch a Tutorial Video

If you don’t have a guitar teacher, the next best thing is a good tutorial online! There are plenty of great online tutorials on video sites like YouTube, so take advantage of them. If you want to learn a popular song, chances are you’ll quickly find a video showing you exactly how to play it. Specifically typing in ‘beginner’ will help, too, as you’ll receive tutorials aimed at newbies rather than pros. 

5. Break the Song Down

A quick way to overwhelm yourself is by trying to play the whole song at once. The key here is to break it down into smaller sections, making sure you get each small section right before moving on to the next. It’s a simple but effective method that will lead to more confidence and aptness. 

6. Focus on the One Song

It’s exciting to learn the guitar, but hold your horses! You don’t need to learn multiple songs at once. In fact, you shouldn’t, as this will only confuse and overwhelm you. Stick to the one song for now, as accomplishing the entirety of the tune will give you momentum and motivation to learn the next one. 

7. Record Your Playing

If you are eager to sound as best as you can (and you should be!), record yourself playing. You likely won’t pick up on the tiny mistakes you’ll make when first learning a song, and recording yourself means you can play it back and see where you need to improve. You could even go a step further and record a full video, as the visualization of your playing can be helpful for improvement. By doing this, you’ll be able to play the entire song to a much higher standard at the end. 

That’s it! Hopefully, these tips will help you play your first song on guitar in its entirety. Before long, you’ll be adding flairs and personal touches to each song to make them your own.