This valuable information is available to you free of charge to help you on your guitar learning journey. It is part of the information covered when you take lessons from me.
The items shown below are recommended by me and are used by me on a daily basis.
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Music Stand
In order to really learn any musical instrument, you need some basic items. The one item that gets used all the time is a music stand. Whether you are sitting down or standing up, this is what you can put your music on. You can also put your iPhone, iPad or Kindle with Songbook on it. I use it with these items all the time to practice. If I go to a gig, the music stand goes with me as well. There are flimsy stands and there are solid stands. I learned a long time ago not to buy the cheapest thing out there because you’ll be replacing it sooner than you think. I use the following music stand daily.
On-Stage SM7211B Professional Grade Folding Orchestral Sheet Music Stand, Black
Guitar Stand
If you value your guitar, leaning it up against a wall, against a sofa, against a chair or even laying it on top of a sofa is a disaster waiting to happen. All it takes is a little brush against it and your valued guitar will fall over and probably be damaged. If it’s sitting on a couch, what do you think will happen if someone accidentally sits on it?
I can tell you with all honesty that a guitar stand will be used by you daily. You can store your guitar on it and if you have to take a break from practicing or playing at a gig, put your guitar on it to keep it safe.
I’m going to list two different stands. One is a cheaper stand that is an Amazon link and the other is for a professional stand from Sweetwater (I own one and use it every day) that will last for a long, long time.
amazon stand
CAHAYA Guitar Stand Floor Universal for Acoustic Electric Guitars
sweetwater hercules guitar stand (this is the best one)
Hercules Stands GS414B PLUS Single Guitar Stand with Auto Grip System
Guitar Picks (Light)
Guitar picks come in all shapes and sizes. Examples are Light, Medium and Heavy. When starting out, I prefer Light picks to get used to strumming. Here are several links to a pack of Light picks from Amazon and then a link to some unique picks from Zager guitar. With the Zager picks, you can use all three corners so the picks will last longer. Also, they can snap onto your tuning pegs for a quick grab and play when you drop your pick while playing at a gig. The Zager picks are what I would consider Medium but once you get used to them, you will really like them. I use both of these picks.
Zager Carbon Flex Tip Guitar Pick w/ Thumb Hole Pivot Point
Guitar Strap
I recommend you purchase a guitar strap right away. I use a guitar strap even when sitting to catch the guitar if it starts to fall. Of course, when you are playing standing up, you will need one for sure. Guitar straps come in all colors, lengths and sizes. The one linked to below is one that I use. It’s very comfortable and soft. I also have many other straps but this will get you started.
Guitar Strap Holder
If you use a guitar strap, you don’t want it slipping off and the result would be your guitar smashing to the floor. This could really damage your wood instrument. I tested lots of strap holders and I use this one on my acoustic electric. It holds the strap by plugging into the jack where you plug into an amp. If your guitar does not have a jack, you use the rubber washers to hold the strap on.
Strap Jack Guitar Strap Lock System For Acoustic – Electric Guitars (2 Pack)
Rosewood Capo with Guitar Tuner Clip-On Tuner for acoustic guitar and More
You will need a CAPO, a Guitar Tuner and Picks. You can get all three with this deal from Amazon.
Guitar Foot Stand
When you sit and play guitar, it gets awkward holding the guitar at the right angle to play bar chords. If you place your foot on this adjustable foot stand, the guitar will sit on your leg at just the right height. This is ideal for classical or studio electric players. The FS7850B features five fixed-position height adjustments. Rubber end caps and non-slip rubber pad ensure stability while its lightweight. It has a fold-flat design that facilitates portability. Take a look at the pictures to see how it works.
On-Stage FS7850B Guitar Foot Rest, Black
Applications that are useful
Songbook App
I used to use a notebook and print out all the songs I learned how to play.
Now I use the Songbook app and it is available for iPad, Kindle, iPhone and more.
Songbook App (Available for iOS and Android devices). Be sure to pick the right one.
Guitar Tuna App
This is a free app that includes a Tuner and Metronome.
Audacity
Sometimes you have a song that is slightly flat or sharp from the way your guitar is tuned. Use Audacity to change the pitch of the song so you don’t have to tune down or up.
Real Downloader
This can be used to convert an mp4 video to an mp3 audio file so you can play it on your computer or add it to itunes.
