Once you have learned how to strum some of the basic chords on guitar then the next stage is to learn to play some songs. What will surprise you is just how easy many really well known songs are to play, which is good news for beginners. Ideally you need to build up a repertoire of songs so that you can call on a song when someone asks you what you can play. It's a good feeling to be confident that you can play a few songs and here is a tip for you. LEARN TO PLAY SONGS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO KNOW! Don't be too self indulgent. This is what I call the Karaoke Factor and here's why.
Playing some common songs for people will instantly raise your profile because your audience will immediately know what you are playing. But more than that, you may even find that they actually join in with the song and this is exactly what you want to happen as a performer. It makes you feel good and it makes your listener feel good too and it just takes the pressure of you.
Why I call this the Karaoke Factor is because I'm sure we've all been in a bar whilst there has been Karaoke going on. A decent singer gets up to sing but because they may be singing a song that isn't common then they die a death. THe next person gets up and although they haven't been blessed with a good singing voice, they steal the show by singing something that the audience knows, like Elvis, Frank Sinatra or YMCA!
The best way to learn how to sing and play at the same time is to firstly familiarize yourself completely with the song. You may think you know it, but do you really? Learn the words and once you have done this then start learning the chords and maybe play along with the song. Then break the song down into sections and work through each one until you can play the whole thing.
You will definitely find that that all songs become easier to sing and play and you will start to just take it for granted. I can now literally sing and play any song and can also sing whilst playing a picking riff like 'Pretty Woman' by Roy Orbison or even whilst playing a guitar solo, but it has taken quite a it of practice to do this so stick at it and it will click in then it's just like riding a bike.
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