I know there are a lot of people who just love walking into a guitar store and everything about the experience. For me however, there’s always been an element of anxiety to pulling a guitar off the wall (or even worse, having to ask an employee to do so for me!) and thinking of what to noodle on it. Even though I know no one is watching me or cares at all about what I’m playing, I feel self conscious and my mind tends to forget that I’ve ever played a guitar in my life (like I’m sure I’ve learned something beyond a C chord…but what?!). Depending on the shop, the employees can also affect how comfortable I feel. For example, I recently went to a guitar store where the man was talking advanced jazz theory with another customer and the whole vibe felt like there was a barrier to entry. So when I sat down to play I immediately felt like I needed to prove I wasn’t a total noob! Good thing I learned “Smoke On The Water” early in my career so I really had nothing to worry about! (Jk!) But really, it did get me thinking that I’m sure a lot of people have had a similar experience, which is unfortunate because trying new guitars should be fun!
I wanted to write this blog for you so that next time you go into a guitar store, you can feel confident and focus on having fun and finding a guitar you like, rather than feeling like everyone is watching you (which they aren’t!).
Tip 1: Have a pick and a tuner
It’s rare to find a guitar that’s been hanging on the wall for a while that is still perfectly in tune. To really be able to see how it plays, being able to tune it up quickly is essential! I love having a tuner app on my phone (I like the guitartuna app) or being able to tune by ear. After tuning up, notice A) does the guitar stay in tune after you’ve played it for a few minutes and B) does it sound in tune still as you play higher up the neck (aka, how is the intonation). I also like having my own pick because I like my certain Ernie Ball Everlast picks and it helps have the most accurate impression for how I will feel playing the guitar (in my old age I’ve gotten more particular about these things! :D).
These Ernie Ball Everlast picks have been the first picks I am truly attached to- I always have a few floating around incase I find myself at a guitar store!
Tip 2: Start with big open chords
The next thing I will do is strum some big open chords (or cowboy chords). While I do this, I will get a feel for the different pickup switches and look at all the control knobs. I’ll also note how full the guitar sounds and check again if it’s staying in tune.
Make sure you check out my video on sample ideas of what you can play to sample a guitar at a guitar store!
Tip 3: Play up the neck
After that I will do something like 10ths going up the neck (basically two notes that I will play that go up the neck along with open strings). This really gives me a feel for the intonation because it compares the open strings to higher notes on the neck.
Tip 4: Play something faster
Since the neck is the biggest thing I look for, the next thing I will do is play some faster licks both higher up and lower on the neck. Remember, just because a guitar has a good reputation or is expensive doesn’t mean that it’s going to be a good one for you! Some guitars I just find myself playing worse and I feel awkward soloing on them. While you can always change the pickups, string gauge, and overall set up, you can’t change how the neck feels! So choosing a guitar that feels like a good width and feel for your hands is important. Also, pay attention to the action (how far the strings are from the neck). I had a guitar where lowering the action was a huge pain and even after getting it set up, it still isn’t perfect. In other words, the action sometimes can be fixed but not always. Having a nice low action is going to make it so you can play faster and it won’t take as much effort to press down a note.
If you get nervous playing faster licks, just get one or two under your fingers so you don’t have to think about it! And if you find yourself struggling to play a lick you normally have down, it might actually be the guitar’s fault!
I hope those tips help you, and the biggest thing to remember is to have fun and not worry about it! There will always be someone better and someone worse around you and at the end of the day, playing guitar is about having fun and expressing yourself so if you sound terrible trying out your dream guitar, who really cares!
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So what sort of things do you do when you are first trying a guitar? Do you ever get intimidated walking into a music store? Share below and thanks a ton as always for reading!
