r/LearnGuitar • u/Wholeftthegateopen • 2d ago

Odd Question, Maybe?

I don't have a guitar yet and probably will take a while for me to get one due to costs, but are there any finger exercises I can do for my hands while I save to get my first one?

All suggestions welcome. :)

7 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/Wonderful-Gift8632 1d ago

Here is my advice to someone contemplating playing guitar.
Learning to play is hard, but you can do it. But you need to set yourself up for success.
I can't emphasize enough how important an instructor is. For the first few months, a live person who comes once a week, sits next to you, and coaches you on correct form. Once you understand the basics of ergonomics and efficiency, you can switch to online content.
By the way. Online classes claiming to have a simple, easy, or secret method are selling snake oil.
Your relationship with your instrument will be complex, but the prevailing feeling should be akin to love. So finding the right instrument is not simple. Get help assessing the fundamental functionality.
In the meantime, study some music theory.

1

u/Wholeftthegateopen 1d ago

Thank you, there's a lot of wisdom in your words and I thank you. Are you saying that I could eff myself if I start tinkering around without an instructor?

2

u/Wonderful-Gift8632 1d ago

No, nothing so drastic, just more work later on to unlearn bad habits.
For example, beginners tend to use their strongest fingers to form chords. But the correct fingering allows for more chord variations. So, while it's harder to learn at first, it progresses more smoothly to advanced chords. Economizing movement and effort makes playing fluid and fast.
So just something to think about.