Music is a powerful tool to help you relax and escape to your own little world for a little while when the going gets tough. If you ever feel like the world is getting on your nerve, just turn on one of the following guitar tracks, have a hot cup of tea and feel your body float into somewhere relaxing and nice.

Something by the Beatles

It is almost impossible to create a list of great guitar music without featuring the Beatles. But the band’s status as one of the best bands of all times isn’t just an accident!

Something is one of the more mellow Beatles songs – perfect for lazy moments in the sun. It’s great as an acoustic version and if you are into playing the guitar, this tune is definitely a great song for beginners!

Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd is a great band with some of the best guitar solos of all time. Although the band is well known for its rock songs and riffs, the albums are full of great relaxing songs as well.

Comfortably Numb is definitely worth adding to your playlist when you just want something laid back and fun. The song has even featured as number 314 on the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Times chart.

The Thrill Is Gone by B.B. King

The master of blues guitar recently passed away and we just had to pick one of B. B. King’s emotional songs on to this list. He wasn’t called the king of blues for no reason. Not only are the deep bending string sounds stunning, but also the low vibrato in his voice makes it impossible to feel stressed listening to this song.

If you are looking for a way to relax after a hard day at work, B. B. King is definitely a great voice to listen to. Although most of his songs will have amazing guitar sounds, the Thrill Is Gone is up there among the best.

I’m Yours by Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz has a great selection of stunning guitar songs that are perfect for lazy Sundays. His songs are wonderfully upbeat while still maintaining the slow, relaxing pace.

I’m Yours is a beautiful guitar song to add to your playlist. It’s also extremely easy to play on the guitar! If you are looking to jam a bit with some friends, this song will be a great pick.

Cavatina by Stanley Myers

Finally, when it comes to relaxing guitar music, the classical Spanish guitar tracks have it all. Among our favourites is a track called Cavatina. It was made popular by the film Deer Hunter and it’s stunningly beautiful and mellow song to listen to.

Stanley Myers composed it in the 1970 and you can find various artists performing the song. One of the most popular versions is the version by John Williams. If you are looking for something classical, then this is definitely worth adding to your playlist.

When you are starting out your guitar playing hobby, you will soon come across with something called ‘tabs’. The guitar tablature or guitar tabs is a special system of music notation that helps guitarists play specific songs without necessarily learning to read standard sheet music.

So how easy is it to read guitar tabs?

Mixed Opinions

When it comes to guitar tabs, the opinion is divided between those who believe they make reading music a lot easier and to those who think it’s not an easy method. As guitar tabs are an alternative to standard sheet music, some also believe it isn’t the most musical approach to learning to play.

Tabs are essentially a much simplistic way of showing how you can play specific notes and therefore, often considered theeasiest way to master playing the guitar.
Tabs always use the generic model and thus once you learn the format, understanding all the other tabswill be straightforward. Furthermore, tabs are great for beginners because they show the specific finger positions on the strings.

For example, here is the tab for playing ‘Happy Birthday’ on the guitar:

On the other hand, if you already know how to read music – perhaps you play another instrument – learning to play the guitar with tabs could just make it all too confusing. If you know the traditional method of reading sheet music, it might be worth sticking to this format.

Furthermore, just knowing where to place your fingers doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll make the song sound right. Guitar tabs won’t tell you anything about the little bends or riffs the song might have and therefore, it might be helpful to always listen to the songs as well!

Alternatives to Guitar Tabs

If you are just starting out and you are looking to play the guitar as a hobby, guitar tabs are a great way to master the instrument. They generally offer a very easy approach to playing a song. On top of this, the Internet offers a number of guitar tab resources – you can find a huge amount of tabs for all sorts of songs.

But if you are serious about your musical career, you do want to consider tackling the traditional way of reading music. Don’t be afraid of music theory; it isn’t as difficult as it might look!

It is technically possible to play the guitar just by your ear. This would mean listening to a specific note or a chord and then trying to find the right position by trial and error. Although it is certainly possible to play the guitar by the ear, it won’t be very easy and your progress won’t be as quick as if you learn to read tabs or traditional sheet music.

On the other hand, guitar video lessons can be a great addition to your music playing. With a video, you can see the position of the fingers and hear the sound you are supposed to make as well. Video lessons alone might not be enough, especially if you are aiming to learn to play fast, but together with other guitar resources, they can boost your understanding of the instrument a great deal.

When you start playing guitar chords, it might feel like you are hitting your head on the wall. The chords are the bread and butter of playing the guitar, but they aren’t the easiest part of learning to play. Until you master them, progress can be slow and painful.

So, what are the most common problems guitarists face when playing guitar chords and how could you improve your skills?

Your Fingers Are Too Far

If your chords don’t sound the right or you are having a hard time hitting the right notes, your finger position is likely wrong. You need to pay a lot of attention in nailing the right finger positions to ensure you make the right sound.

Most beginner guitarists tend to place fingers too far from the fret. The finger shouldn’t be right over the fret, but ideally about three-quarters of the way toward the first fret of the chord.

Pressing Down the String Too Hard/Not Hard Enough

Another common problem is the way you press down the strings. If the sound isn’t right or you have trouble moving from one chord to another, you might be pressing down the string too hard or perhaps not hard enough.

In order to create the right sound, you need to press each string of the chord with the same pressure. You shouldn’t feel forced to create the pressure but you also need to make sure the pressure you apply is firm enough.

Fingers Not Stretched Enough

It might sound silly but you need to stretch and warm-up your fingers as a guitarist. Unwanted tension or inflexibility might well be the reason you struggle playing the chords.

Do some types of the finger exercises and exercise the right finger positions even without the guitar. This helps the muscles to loosen up and learn the new patterns.

Progressing Too Slowly

The reason you aren’t nailing down those chords might well be down to you not progressing quickly enough. Sounds strange? Going with a cautious approach of learning to play one chord at a time might sound like a smart move, but it could be slowing you down.

It’s important to stop focusing on just one chord, as this can slow down your brain’s learning process. If you try to practice at least three chords at a time, you are much more able to make the distinctions and create the right pathways in your brain quicker!

How To Master the Chords

The above are some of the most common problems beginner guitarists are faced with when learning chords. On top of the tips above, a few essential things can make you master chords quicker.

Try to include different sensory activities to your chord learning. As well as the actual physical practices of playing the note, make sure you also listen to others playing the chords, watch videos highlighting the right finger positions and practice with and without the guitar.

Don’t be too ambitious. Some chord progressions, such as going from G7 into a D, are not easy and you shouldn’t be stuck with trying to learn the tough stuff at the start. Find chord progressions that come naturally to you and master these before you move onto the next ones.

Overall, stay patient. You won’t learn to play the guitar overnight, but if you try different approaches and mix your guitar lessons with videos and theory, you can get there!