Every time you pick up your guitar to play, play as if it's the last time.
Eric Clapton
There is so much more to playing guitar than just strumming away on the guitar strings. Playing the guitar signifies a strong emotional connection, a sense of musical culture, and an expression of artistic creativity. More and more aspiring artists in South Africa are ready to go down the guitarist's pathway with their guitars in hand. Opting for the guitarist's pathway entails more than just mastering the guitar playing technique, it requires an exploration of music in depth, and a focus on every single note. A good time to start beginner guitar lessons is right now, so consider this article to be somewhat of a guide to grasping proper guitar playing techniques and to start learning to play an instrument that you love.
top performing musicians
You can join the list of top performing musicians in South Africa if you choose to go down the guitarists' pathway in your home country.

Looking at Some Famous Guitar Players in South Africa
I'm only myself when I have a guitar in my hand.
George Harrison
There are some guitarists who are only themselves when they have a guitar in their hands. When going down the guitarist's pathway, the likes of some of the most famous guitar players in South Africa should come to mind. Many legendary guitar players focus on different genres of music, including blues, jazz, and rock music.
Iconic Worldwide Music Players That Serve as Inspiration
The likes of Carlos Santana come to mind when thinking of iconic music players who make playing the guitar seem like as much of a soothing experience as it is a creative expression of musicality. Learning to play guitar as well as guitar players, like Carlos Santana, means learning to play a few good notes and adding your heart and soul into playing the instrument. Like Carlos Santana, there are a few great South African musical legends who can play the guitar effortlessly.
A Few South African Legends Whose Footsteps to Follow In
In South Africa, Dan Patlansky is one of the guitarists who has given the world of blues a whole new meaning and has gained international recognition for his skill, more so with amalgamating African music with modern music styles. Dan Patlansky is one musician who has his own website where he shares his biography, discography, and even offers you the chance to learn from him. You have the option of taking Dan Patlansky's Blues masterclass or you can even join Dan's online guitar family.
According to Dan Patlansky:
My goal is to make music that I would want to listen to. If I can't buy into it, I can't expect anyone else to.
Dan Patlansky
Rod Jones and Trevor Rabin are other South African guitarists who can provide inspiration for your musical lessons as well. If you are considering guitar grades, these are the type of guitarists that you should draw inspiration from in your country.

Understanding Grades in Guitar in South Africa
For guitar players who are keen on becoming proficient, following the grades in guitar system is always ideal and provides the right type of structure for enthusiastic guitar players.
Guitar grades system is somewhat of a structured syllabus that ranges from Grade 1 (a beginner level) to Grade 8 (a more advanced level).
To understand the grades in guitar system, you need to consider guitar grades more in detail. In South Africa, UNISA, Trinity College London South Africa, and ABRSM all offer guitar grades ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 8 level. When going down the guitarist's pathway, you need to consider aspects such as:
For those aspiring musicians going down the guitarist's path, guitar grades matter as it provides them with a way to set goals and an avenue to realise those goals. While learning to play a virtual guitar can always be helpful for beginners, playing the actual guitar while advancing from one guitar grade to the next really matters. When it comes to practicing for guitar grades, you will also learn how to use a guitar prick. Guitar pricks can be ever so helpful as they surely do impact your playing style, tone, and overall guitar playing experience. Picking the right guitar pick can be quite a tough decision and that is where a qualified and skilled guitar tutor can be helpful. A skilled guitar instructor will assist you to choose the right type and shape of guitar prick for your respective guitar playing style.
A guitar pick is a flat piece of material that guitarists use to help them strike the guitar strings.

The Benefits of Guitar Grades in South Africa
There are several benefits of opting for guitar grades in South Africa. When advancing in terms of guitar grades, you will learn to:
If you are keen about taking guitar lessons in South Africa, you need to know more or less how much a guitar costs in South Africa, so that you can start saving up for a guitar and for these guitar lessons.
The Importance of Knowing Your Guitar Chords
I play guitar because it lets me dream out loud.
Michael Hedges

Once you learn how to play the guitar, your musical dreams can and really do come alive. Whether you are choosing to take your guitar grades at Trinity College London in South Africa or at UNISA, you will need to know your guitar chords well. To create the perfect sound with your guitar, you need to be comfortable with striking a vast range of guitar chords.
Guitar chords are the core building blocks of a guitar.
When learning to play the guitar with the help of a guitar instructor, you can learn to master major chords, minor chords, seventh chords, and power chords. There are some chords that are great to master such as E major, A minor, and even D major which will enable you to play a good many songs. When opting for foundational guitar lessons, learning such guitar chords is of utmost importance. From one single note to the next, you will soon be able to play a wide range of songs using your guitar. You will soon be able to master everything from rock metal to jazz in no time. With your guitar in hand and your knowledge of a vast variety of music styles, you are setting yourself up to play the guitar by hitting all of the right notes. You can even learn 3 chords in 3 minutes if you put your mind to it.
Advice for Beginner Guitar Players
When you are considering taking beginner guitar lessons, you need to remember to practice regularly and consider utilising a variety of virtual guitar tools to assist. A better tip for aspiring guitar players is to rope in a guitar tutor who will teach you all the right chords and get you to move from one right chord to the next effortlessly while assisting you with your hand coordination when playing the strings.
Benefits of Taking Guitar Classes Near Me
I wanted to connect my guitar to human emotions.
B.B King
When you take guitar lessons, you can connect your guitar strings to your emotions and play what you have learnt from your heart. If you want to take guitar lessons near you, you can find a wide range of options of where to do so. In fact, in South Africa, you can choose to take face-to-face guitar lessons with a private tutor of your choosing. You can even consider virtual online guitar lessons. Should you wish to meet likeminded guitar enthusiasts, you can also consider opting for group guitar workshops.
Since there is an increase in online guitar platforms, you can choose to go down the flexible route where you can access guitar lessons from the comfort of your home by relying on online chord practice as well as video string lessons to keep you on your feet and practicing. An online guitar tutor will allow you to learn how to play the strings at your own pace. Within no time, you can find the best private guitar tutors near you.

Why Consider Taking Guitar Lessons with a Private Tutor?
If you are not yet keen about playing the strings still, there are several reasons why you should consider taking guitar lessons with a private tutor of your choosing. A private tutor will surely assist you with:
- Improving your coordination, especially your hand coordination.
- Enhancing your understanding of music as well as rhythm.
- Allowing you to express yourself creatively.
- Learning a wide range of guitar styles and music genres.
Learning how to play the strings can be an exciting experience, but with the right amount of dedication and practice, you can become a wonderful guitar player in no time. Once you get used to the South African music scene and you seek inspiration from some phenomenal South African guitarists, you can hit the right chords in no time. Perserverance is the name of the game when it comes to learning how to play the guitar and when you are taking guitar grades in South Africa. In South Africa, you can choose to learn how to play the guitar with the help of a Superprof tutor. There are many Superprof guitar tutors who are more than ready to start learning how to play the instrument well.
Moving from Guitar Chords to Grade Exams
I believe every guitar player inherently has something unique about their playing. They just have to identify what makes them different and develop it.
Jimmy Page

It is not a smooth ride playing guitar; however, it is a rather fulfilling experience to learn how to play the strings, especially with the right kind of inspiration in South Africa. From advancing from learning how to play basic chords to taking grade exams in South Africa, the right tutor near you can make learning how to play guitar so much more meaningful. The right tutor can assist you to become passionate about playing the guitar and your passion for the guitar can lead you to claim your title as an inspirational guitarist in South Africa.
The guitarist's pathway is worth taking in South Africa for those enthusiastic guitar players who are up for the challenge. Since every guitarist will have something unique about their playing style, they will surely but slowly learn to develop all that is unique about their guitar playing style. The right kind of help will make a world of a difference in terms of helping guitar players become more proficient at playing the guitar. The pathway to becoming a guitarist is one in which each guitar player learns to develop their unique guitar playing skills.









