Finally! You got a guitar. Now you just need to learn how to play it.
If you are totally new to learning guitar, it is a good idea to get basic
guitar instruction until you are able to start figuring things out for
yourself.
Your options include:
Teaching yourself from a book.
This can be a good way to learn. Your first obstacle is to find the right book. These days there are so many books to choose from that it can become very overwhelming. One way to know which book will be right for you is to see the reviews from other people who have bought that book. Most Online stores have this option on their site for you.
You must be self motivated when using beginner guitar learning method books. A few other things to consider is that they usually take a long time to go through. Mostly because they have an overkill of instruction that is not always necessary. The book may start you out with confusing music theory that may be more than you want to get into at first and they usually teach songs like "Mary had a little lamb". On the other hand, you can also find books that will get you playing cool songs first and then you can learn more about what you are doing later.
Taking lessons at your local music store or by private tutor.
Another popular way and probably the best in my opinion is to take beginner guitar lessons from a private teacher or your local music store. However, it can be really hard to find a good instructor that has a spot available. Taking private lessons at a store or with an instructor has it's obvious advantages. Your in real time. You see them and they see you. If your the type of person who likes to socialize and be around people then this can be a good option for you.
Some people are a little intimidated taking in person lessons. Some instructors can be very intimidating. The instructor may play very impressive guitar riffs and solos in front of a student and this sometimes intimidates a student to the point where they get so nervous that they are afraid to play in front of the instructor.
On the other hand it may inspire a student to want to learn. Beware also of the instructors that eat up the whole lesson with impressing you and very little on teaching you. A half hour goes by real fast.
Here are a few drawbacks of private instruction.
Most private instructors prices can range from fifteen dollars to thirty dollars per half hour. Also, If you go to your local music store you may not be able to find very qualified teachers. More than likely your local store only has one guy who really knows his stuff and he's usually on a waiting list.
The other guys at the store are probably good guitarists but they are rarely quality teachers. Most are there to make a few bucks while they get through college or whatever. They may or may not put much effort into their teaching. They could probably show you some good techniques and stuff but for the price your paying you could enroll in a real music school. The same goes for private instructors that work independently as well. Moreover, a half hour goes by real quick and then you cant get any more out of him or her until next week.
Something else to think about is that most teachers have their own preferred style of music that they like to play. That puts limitations on their teaching.
For example, my preferred style is rock and metal.
I like Jazz as well but I could not teach jazz very well because that’s really not my thing. Country music is another style that a teacher needs to know well in order to teach it well.
If your someone who just wants to play as a hobby or for recreation or just play some songs etc.. then having a top notch teacher may not be that important to you. But if you can afford private lessons and enjoy socializing and don't mind carving out some time to get to the lesson then you may like taking private lessons.
Taking Lessons Online
Thanks to the Internet you can get instruction on any specific playing styles that you like and you can choose from many different instructors with a click of a mouse. You can access the lessons at any time that is convenient for you.
But even the Internet has its drawbacks. Sometimes there is just way too much. You can get information overload.
You can waste a lot of time looking for free videos on you tube. Playing video after video trying to find a good nugget of information, but mostly finding guitarists that are just showing off.
Having it all chunked down into one place that you can have a structured platform, as well as having access to what you want when you want it, is the difference between paying for your education or trying to get everything for free. Also, with free lessons the video quality is not always that good. My videos are a good example of that, I hate to say. But I can't afford good equipment when I don't charge for lessons.
If your a total beginner it's probably better to pay for instruction so you won't get too confused. But just because your paying doesn't always mean you get good teachers either. Not all pay sites have quality teaching. Just because someone can play guitar does not mean they can teach it.
However, most online courses will give you your money back if your not satisfied and you'll only pay a fraction of what private lessons would cost you anyway.
There are just so many site choices and DVD home study courses online these days that it really makes it hard to choose one.
If your a more advanced guitarists and know how to teach yourself then your probably a good candidate for learning from all the free stuff on the Internet.
If your someone who likes a structure and money is not an issue than a pay site may be right for you.
Any one of these options will work. It all depends on the type of person
you are and your budget.
How long should you take lessons?
There is no set time rule for taking lessons. However, there is a point
where you will gain enough skills to be able to teach yourself by
watching and listening to other guitarist. Whenever you reach this plateau
is when you will no longer need structured lessons.
This does not mean that you stop learning of course. It just means that you
don't need to go to that Wednesday afternoon lesson anymore if you don't
want to. Now you can learn by watching other guitarists and you should
be developing your ear skills. This can be accomplished by jamming with
other guitarists or searching online for songs or techniques that interest you
and purchasing study guides for techniques or styles that you want to
improve on.
You may also decide to further your education at an
accredited university. You may venture to become a top qualified
instructor or a top notch guitarist in your preferred genre.
Final thoughts
Don't worry so much about using the proper technique or starting out
with “ bad habits”. Many teachers, especially online, will use “learn the
right way” as a sales pitch to get you to take lessons with them.
There is no one “right way” to play guitar. If there were, every guitarist
would sound exactly the same.
Learn the basics and the rules first, and then you can break them, as the saying goes. Then concentrate on creating your own style.
And don't forget to have fun!
Here are a few popular learn guitar sites.
For learning online:
Guitar Tricks has several teachers and styles to choose from so you can get a variety of different teaching perspectives.
Visit their forum and see what real people who signed up are saying about their experiences there.
Another great online lesson site:
If your mainly interested in acoustic guitar type music, than you will love Neil Hogan and his Totally Guitars site. It is filled with tons of great acoustic guitar method songs to learn.
Great classics from the past from bands like, America, The Beatles, Al Stewart, Paul Simon and songs of today as well.
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For at home DVD learning:
"Legacy learning systems," have several learning courses besides guitar, but their "Gibson's Learn and Master Guitar" course, is one of the most popular DVD type courses and has won the Gold for Acoustic Guitar Player's Choice award!.
See what real people who bought the DVD's are saying.
