Tips for Beginners

[MetalPlayer]

So I'm sure this type of thing has come across earlier on here, but I thought I'd share my two cents.

I've been playing guitar for the better part of the last 7 years. Self-taught, always just played by myself at home, never really had the guts to play in front of other people. Just joined a band at the start of this year and I'm happy to say that I'm now at a place where I'm much more confident with my playing.
I think it would have been very valuable to know what to watch out for in taking on this journey of learning how to play.

So here's my advice for anyone starting out, this is mostly aimed towards playing in front of others/with others and becoming more confident with your playing:

1. Stop learning just 30 secs of a song.
I always just learned a cool riff I came across, or tried my hand at a solo that was way too hard, learning a few licks off it, but eventually stopping. I always jumped from song to song, never pushing through and taking it on fully. Even though I felt like I could play, every time someone asked me 'oh cool can you play me something?' I just stumbled because I never could fully play anything. Learn complete songs, even the boring parts. It teaches you structure and stamina.

2. Keep track of what you learned.
Start keeping track of what you've actually learned. My biggest regret is spending weeks grinding to learn a part, moving on to the next shiny thing, and totally forgetting what I'd learned a month ago. Keep a simple list of songs you really got down and spend time on them every now and then. This way you can really build up a repertoire of songs you like to play.

3. Play with others.
This probably took me the longest to realise, but playing with others massively helps you become a better player as a whole. When you practice by yourself you naturally tend to slow down during hard parts or just stop and restart if you mess up. Playing along with others forces you to maintain the flow of a song, and teaches you how to handle inevitable mistakes you make while you're playing. Of course you need someone to play with! But you can always try playing along with a metronome or backing track.

What about you guys? What is your biggest "I wish I knew this earlier" tip?

[MetalPlayer]

You're going to be a lot more desirable as a guitarist if you can sing. Even just backup vocals here and there. Start singing as you play.

[BluesGuy]

Bend with your wrist, not your fingers. I spent years wondering why I couldn't get a clean whole step bend without shaky vibrato. Learning to bend the right way was a game changer, and got me closer to the sound I had in my head.

[GearNerd]

Theory is your friend. It doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t have to earn a PhD. Every ounce of theory that you learn will come in handy.