May 29, 2020 by Ryan Duke 0 comments

3 Reasons You Want To Play Guitar With Other People

by Maurice Richard

It’s pretty intimidating right?

You have seen others play together in a group at a campfire or party before. You saw how much fun they were having and you want that too.

But your skills are not as good as theirs, you will probably mess up and make mistakes. The last thing you want to do is embarrass yourself.

Here are 3 reasons why you should really find a way to play guitar with other people so you can be ready when the campfire happens.

1. It’s Fun

Playing guitar with other people is a lot of fun.

You probably remember watching others play together wishing that could be you. They were laughing and enjoying every minute. You want in!

But you are not confident enough yet so you don’t join in. This is a big mistake.

Even if you are not able to keep up, or if you make mistakes, and assuming you have friendly people to play with, you still can have fun and learn a lot.

Most of my students do not want to learn to play guitar in a vacuum and I suspect you do not either. You want to play for or with others.

Guitar is a social instrument so it makes total sense to learn this skill.

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2. It Will Train Your Ear and Your Timing

Timing is one if not the most important skills a musician needs to develop as they learn to play and this is no differ with guitar.

Playing the right notes at the wrong time sounds much worse than playing the wrong notes at the right time. Timing is everything in music.

Being able to hear if you are in time or not and being able to hear if you are in key are incredibly important skills to have as a musician.

The strange thing is these skills are typically not very well developed in guitar players and I blame the fact that most guitar players learn how to play in isolation.

When you expand your horizons and play with other people, whether guitar players or other instruments, you finally learn these vital skills.

3. It Will Take All Your Playing Skills To A Higher Level

When I finally started to play guitar with other people it took my playing skills to the next level. It was absolutely stunning how fast things changed for me.

I had already been playing for 10 years and what I would consider to be an intermediate level player but I did not feel confident with my physical skills, my timing, and other things.

After only one session playing with a few other guitar players everything changed. I felt like I could actually do this! That I was able to play guitar well enough to do it with others.

I was finally able to put it all together for the first time in my life in a real playing environment. It was amazing.

My confidence soared, my motivation increased, my practice time was a lot more relevant and fun. It literally took everything to the next level.

The only thing I regret … is not doing it sooner. Do not make the same mistake

How Do You Find Other People To Play With?

This is the most difficult part. Finding other people to play with can be daunting.

If you are the only one in your friend group who is learning how to play guitar, or if your friends are really good, you may not be able to or be comfortable to play with them.

You could look for local jam sessions and attend those. They can be very beneficial however many times they will play songs that are above your level and cause more frustration than add benefits.

The best way to learn to play with others is to find a professional guitar teacher to help train you and that will be able to offer you the opportunity to play with others and train you in this area.

They are rare but well worth looking for and finding as your guitar playing will improve much faster this way.

About The Author:

Maurice Richard is a professional guitar teacher that operates out of the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He is dedicated to helping people really learn to play guitar together.