Easy Ways To Learn How To Play Your Favorite Songs

There is no doubt that millions of people have had more time on their hands in the last year and a half or so, than anytime before. For most adults, the last time they had an extended period of free time would have been either the school holidays when they were younger, or during a gap year.

However, the pandemic has given many people time to pause for thought, take stock, and try something new. If you were, or are, looking for an awesome new hobby, then listening to music is a good choice. It might seem a bit of a lazy option for a hobby, but taking music seriously allows you to explore new genres, and find out about artists you may never have heard about.

Then again, you could instead choose to play your own music by learning an instrument. Picking up a ukulele can be a cheap option when it comes to the first instrument, or you could go with the current trend and try the guitar.

No matter what you select to learn, you are likely going to want to learn some of your favorite tracks. And, you will want to know what the best way of going about that is.

Should you be practicing other people’s music?

Before you delve into the easiest ways to learn other people’s songs, maybe you should question whether it is a good idea.

The idea of writing your own songs and performing them to thousands in an arena might be the reason why you got a guitar in the first place. Realistically though, you need to set your targets somewhere lower.

While Mozart was composing at the age of five, and writing his first symphony at eight, most other musicians start a little differently. The Beatles didn’t just practice over people’s music as they were learning their art, they actively recorded it too.

And there are plenty of options for you to explore…

According to The Richest, the top five rock albums of all time include some serious songs that are begging to be learned on the guitar. Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven is an oft-played record by budding guitarists and is the butt of one favorite joke in Wayne’s World.

Bat Out of Hell and Rumors by Fleetwood Mac also make the list. As do Pink Floyd and AC/DC who take the two top spots.

Learning the guitar

So, you’ve decided that there is nothing wrong with learning some staples as you try to nail down the guitar. How do you begin though? You may know that you can get some basic guitar effects pedals for beginners. These will help you replicate certain sounds that you hear on tracks such as fuzz and reverb.

However, you need to nail the basics before you get into special effects, pedals, and looping.

The thing you will need to learn and understand more than anything when playing the guitar, the piano, the drums, the ukulele, or any number of instruments, is you need to practice.

With the guitar, it is important to practice regular sessions. These don’t need to be too long, they need to be often and regular though. No point in blitzing an all-day session once every two weeks. Far better, and more productive to do half-hour every day.

Some of the methods for learning to play your favorite songs are also the same you can use for getting to grips with the instrument. Choosing a song you love to start with will give you extra motivation to learn it properly.

Find yourself a guitar teacher

If you roll up to a guitar teacher saying that you want them to teach you Smoke on the Water, they may not be as interested as you hope for. But, if you say to them you want to learn the guitar seriously and tell them some of your influences, you’ll make more progress.

Using a guitar teacher is one of the traditional ways to learn the instrument, and many famous musicians have gone down this road. Many more have left after a few lessons.

Once you have a few lessons and you are getting somewhere, you could explain about a particular song you want to learn. A good teacher should be happy to let you use this as practice and they will test you on your progress. Smoke on the Water is a good beginner’s song too as it is fairly easy to get to grips with.

Use some computer or mobile apps

When you are learning any new instrument, there is nothing wrong with getting some help along the way. If you are using a teacher, or if you are learning alone, try searching online for some of the better music apps.

Garageband is a very popular free piece of software from Apple that lets you record and mix music at home. It has been used by millions of amateurs, and many professionals too.

Perfect Piano is a very different type of app as in it doesn’t work alongside an instrument, it is the instrument. This app is a piano simulator that teaches you the instrument and uses a large library of sheet music to do so.

Yousician attempts to replace a real teacher by providing lessons for a group of instruments including the ukulele, piano, bass, and guitar.

When it comes to learning chords, there is one app called Chordify that can strip out chords from any song that you care to upload. Learning guitar chords is key to you being able to play your favorite songs.

Look for YouTube tutorials

Here is where you will find a way to learn Smoke on the Water without going near a teacher or ever paying for a lesson.

You will find lessons on how to read music and how to draft lyrics. You can follow real tutors by video, and learn how to play chords properly. There are videos just giving out advice to young, budding musicians, and some can be invaluable.

YouTube is also an excellent spot to find all the classic songs you want to learn. You can download some of them to practice when you are offline. If you are lucky enough to understand playing by ear, then you could sit around noodling while learning new songs.

If you want to learn and play the chords to Bohemian Rhapsody, then YouTube can help along with one of the apps mentioned above. Then you will be able to strip out the chords, display them on screen, and start to learn.

Summary

Another way to learn is to find a friend who has been playing for longer to help. This avoids the more formal method of sitting in a room with a teacher, and although you can pick up some bad habits this way, you might find you have a lot of fun. Enthusiasm goes a long way in learning.

Sales of guitars have shot through the roof during the pandemic according to Guitar World, so if you find yourself at home with a guitar in middle-age, don’t be too surprised. It is never too late to learn how to play Stairway or try a bit of Jimi Hendrix out in front of the children.

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