If you are learning to play guitar or taking guitar lessons you will at some point get stuck on one point that you cannot seem to get past. This is a natural occurrence and happens to virtually everyone including me and I expect it will happen again as I progress.

Typically, the realization that you are stuck at a certain skill level will happen more as a dawning realization than say a sudden revelation. If you are like most folks you will be practicing one day and realize that you have been trying to perfect this one skill for several weeks without success.

Many beginners drop out of the program to learn to play guitar when this happens to them and that is a pity since the fix can be as simple as making a small change in the way in which they practice guitar.

Keeping the timing on a strum is a common problem that beginner guitar players have. If you are struggling with strum timing then this article may be of some assistance.

When I was in grade school I was forced – against my will – to take piano lessons. My piano teacher had an old mechanical metronome that she used as a tool to teach timing. For those that have never seen a metronome I have attached a photo. The pendulum swings back and forth making a loud rhythmic click that assists the player by keeing the prescribed time. This old school tool can be a huge help if your particular challenge relates to nailing the strum timing on a song.

Unlike when I was taking piano, today there is no need to go out and buy a metronome – unless you really want to since you can use an on-line one. All you need to do it enter “online metronome” into Google which will give you several to choose from.

The cool thing about the on-line ones is that some of them allow you to configure the sound to a drum set rather than the old fashion “Tick-Tock” which makes it more fun to use and practice with.

If you are stuck at the same skill level in your quest to play guitar click here for some inexpensive but effective guitar lessons Also published at Getting Past A Timing Problem In Your Guitar Lessons.

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