Learning how to play guitar for beginners is a very fun and fulfilling task. Here are 5 things to consider before you start your journey.

Should I take lessons?

This is probably the most asked question when it comes to learning how to play guitar for beginners. While it’s possible to learn the guitar without instruction, it is generally a VERY slow process. Often times, progress is so slow that you may decide to give up learning altogether. Because of this, I recommend at least a basic home study course to cover all of the beginner level skills. These foundational skills are used for all types of music and are not really specific to acoustic or electric guitars. You will find that a decent home study course will get you playing REAL songs much more quickly than trying to figure things out for yourself. The good news is there are several of these types of courses to choose from and they are usually around the price of a single in-person lesson. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Guitar Tutor Pro – This is a software based solution for both Windows and Mac. Everything you need all in one package.
• Next Level Guitar – Awesome online video course and THE best song DVDs available
• Beginner’s Crash Course – This course is online so you can access it 24/7. Tons of videos in hi-def.

* Please note that this website will receive a commission should you choose to purchase any services from the vendors listed above. Those commissions help to keep this site running. Thanks for your support!

What type of guitar should I get?

If you are new to guitars, you may be wondering what type of guitar you should start with. You will find that opinions vary widely on the subject, but here are my thoughts. Acoustic guitars generally have what is referred to as higher “action” than electric guitars. This is the distance between the strings and the fret board. Initially, this makes it much more difficult to play an acoustic guitar because your finger strength is not where it needs to be. I see this as a plus! Just like other muscles in your body, those of your fingers need a workout to get stronger. So while it will be difficult at first, an acoustic is going to get those fingers nice and strong very quickly. Like most guitar players, you will go through many guitars both acoustic and electric as your skills progress.

What type of music do you want to learn how to play?

This isn’t exactly a necessity, but it helps to identify the genre of music that you would like to learn how to play. Most players, including myself, have a particular band or musician in mind that inspired them to want to learn how to play guitar in the first place. Initially, this isn’t that important since the basics are the same for all types of music. Eventually, however, you will want to start focusing your practice sessions and techniques on those that are used in the styles of music that you enjoy.

What if I don’t know how to read music?

Unlike many other instruments, you don’t actually need to learn how to read music to learn how to play guitar. An alternative form of notation is available for the guitar and other stringed instruments. This notation is called tablature or tab for short. Tablature is a visual representation of the guitar strings and uses numbers to show you exactly where your fingers go. Generally speaking, you will find nearly all guitar music notated with tablature along with standard musical staff notation.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Just like any other activity, practicing often is the key to becoming successful on the guitar. Most would be surprised to find out that it doesn’t take as much time as you would think. Frequent focused sessions of practice generally provide more progress than less frequent longer duration sessions. For example, 30 minutes of practice a day for 5 days will usually yield more success than a 2 and a half hour session once a week. The shorter sessions tend to keep you on track and they aren’t tiring like longer sessions. That being said, the actual player should work to find the practice schedule that works best for them.

When it boils down to it, learning how to play guitar for beginners is all about determination and effort. As the saying goes, you get out what you put in. So put in the time and effort now and you will be playing guitar like a pro before you know it.