How to learn how to play the guitar...
Discussion
Right, I'm 51, and until last week when my 10 year old son taught me a teeny bit of Smoke on the Water and Fortunate Son on his guitar, I've never got a single musical note out of anything. I didn't even play the recorder when I his age at school...I was that bad I just hid at the back and pretended to!
So if I wanted to get to the point that I could play some basic stuff on the guitar, a few cover versions etc, how much time would I realistically need to set aside, and what's the best resource to be able to do it? Books? Online courses? YouTube? I'm too busy to book proper lessons, too much going on with work etc...I just need something I can dip in and out of as and when.
And presumably all I need is a 2nd hand acoustic guitar off Facebook Marketplace, some spare strings, a tuner and a few plectrums (plectra?), or am I massively over-simplifying it?
So if I wanted to get to the point that I could play some basic stuff on the guitar, a few cover versions etc, how much time would I realistically need to set aside, and what's the best resource to be able to do it? Books? Online courses? YouTube? I'm too busy to book proper lessons, too much going on with work etc...I just need something I can dip in and out of as and when.
And presumably all I need is a 2nd hand acoustic guitar off Facebook Marketplace, some spare strings, a tuner and a few plectrums (plectra?), or am I massively over-simplifying it?
I'm 53 and play occasionally, just for fun.
I've had in-person tuition, and done loads of online stuff for years, and got a plethora of books and DVDs.
The one thing that all of them bang on about (and most people find hard to stick to) is to practice every day.
It's a muscle memory thing. A book I was reading last night says "you will advance quicker playing 15 minutes every day rather than 8 hours one day a week".
Personally I would book a few lessons with an in-person teacher who can explain the very basics and correct mistakes better than any online tutor can.
I'm 15yrs into playing on and off and have just joined a band of other similar blokes, just to jam and have one gig booked at a local fundraising event. Playing on stage in a live band is a bucketlist thing for me, so I'm massively excited about it and as a result a practicing a lot more and getting much better by playing along with other guitarists.
On YouTube I would recommend Justin Sandercoe, Marty Schwartz and (my mate, former tutor and ex MX5 owner) Lee John Blackmore. Seek any of those out and you will soon be playing.
I've had in-person tuition, and done loads of online stuff for years, and got a plethora of books and DVDs.
The one thing that all of them bang on about (and most people find hard to stick to) is to practice every day.
It's a muscle memory thing. A book I was reading last night says "you will advance quicker playing 15 minutes every day rather than 8 hours one day a week".
Personally I would book a few lessons with an in-person teacher who can explain the very basics and correct mistakes better than any online tutor can.
I'm 15yrs into playing on and off and have just joined a band of other similar blokes, just to jam and have one gig booked at a local fundraising event. Playing on stage in a live band is a bucketlist thing for me, so I'm massively excited about it and as a result a practicing a lot more and getting much better by playing along with other guitarists.
On YouTube I would recommend Justin Sandercoe, Marty Schwartz and (my mate, former tutor and ex MX5 owner) Lee John Blackmore. Seek any of those out and you will soon be playing.
Shooter McGavin said:
I'm 53 and play occasionally, just for fun.
I've had in-person tuition, and done loads of online stuff for years, and got a plethora of books and DVDs.
The one thing that all of them bang on about (and most people find hard to stick to) is to practice every day.
It's a muscle memory thing. A book I was reading last night says "you will advance quicker playing 15 minutes every day rather than 8 hours one day a week".
Personally I would book a few lessons with an in-person teacher who can explain the very basics and correct mistakes better than any online tutor can.
I'm 15yrs into playing on and off and have just joined a band of other similar blokes, just to jam and have one gig booked at a local fundraising event. Playing on stage in a live band is a bucketlist thing for me, so I'm massively excited about it and as a result a practicing a lot more and getting much better by playing along with other guitarists.
On YouTube I would recommend Justin Sandercoe, Marty Schwartz and (my mate, former tutor and ex MX5 owner) Lee John Blackmore. Seek any of those out and you will soon be playing.
This - it is all about practice practice practice, the more frequently you play the better you will be be. If I play every day then I am not bad, when I don't the skills drop off really quickly.I've had in-person tuition, and done loads of online stuff for years, and got a plethora of books and DVDs.
The one thing that all of them bang on about (and most people find hard to stick to) is to practice every day.
It's a muscle memory thing. A book I was reading last night says "you will advance quicker playing 15 minutes every day rather than 8 hours one day a week".
Personally I would book a few lessons with an in-person teacher who can explain the very basics and correct mistakes better than any online tutor can.
I'm 15yrs into playing on and off and have just joined a band of other similar blokes, just to jam and have one gig booked at a local fundraising event. Playing on stage in a live band is a bucketlist thing for me, so I'm massively excited about it and as a result a practicing a lot more and getting much better by playing along with other guitarists.
On YouTube I would recommend Justin Sandercoe, Marty Schwartz and (my mate, former tutor and ex MX5 owner) Lee John Blackmore. Seek any of those out and you will soon be playing.
I started learning during the Covid lockdown and a few years older than you.
I bought a Fender CD 60. I bought new because a) it was lockdown and b) I had no idea what to look for in buying second hand. It was about £130 I think. Also a tuner, stand and plectrums (start with thinner ones 0.6 or 0.73 but you can get a mixed pack if you want to experiment).
I did the Marty Schwartz lessons and practiced every day which wasn't a problem as I wasn't very busy. I found after a while that I hit a bit of a wall with progress and that the tunes were 'like AC/DC' or whoever but weren't the real song. I assume that this is because of copyright and being US based.
Then I switched to electric and bought an almost new PRS SE Zack Myers (mainly because it is semi hollow and not too heavy). I then started face to face lessons, 1 hour every 2 weeks. The lessons have been great helping with basic things like getting the guitar in a comfortable position for me to play, hand positions, bending, hammering etc. And also learning to play the stuff I want to learn which is mainly 60s and 70s rock/blues. I've been really lucky in getting on well with my tutor which is really important to keep it fun.
Give it a go, try to pick the guitar up every day even if it is only 5 or 10 minutes.
I bought a Fender CD 60. I bought new because a) it was lockdown and b) I had no idea what to look for in buying second hand. It was about £130 I think. Also a tuner, stand and plectrums (start with thinner ones 0.6 or 0.73 but you can get a mixed pack if you want to experiment).
I did the Marty Schwartz lessons and practiced every day which wasn't a problem as I wasn't very busy. I found after a while that I hit a bit of a wall with progress and that the tunes were 'like AC/DC' or whoever but weren't the real song. I assume that this is because of copyright and being US based.
Then I switched to electric and bought an almost new PRS SE Zack Myers (mainly because it is semi hollow and not too heavy). I then started face to face lessons, 1 hour every 2 weeks. The lessons have been great helping with basic things like getting the guitar in a comfortable position for me to play, hand positions, bending, hammering etc. And also learning to play the stuff I want to learn which is mainly 60s and 70s rock/blues. I've been really lucky in getting on well with my tutor which is really important to keep it fun.
Give it a go, try to pick the guitar up every day even if it is only 5 or 10 minutes.
Hard-Drive said:
I'm too busy to book proper lessons, too much going on with work etc...I just need something I can dip in and out of as and when.
As someone with a demanding job and a young family, I just want to highlight this bit. Without wishing to p!ss on your chips, you have to actively make time for it or you will never progress.
I spent years turning up at my tutor's house saying "sorry Adrian, it hasn't come out of the bag since last week, been busy" ... the bloke who followed me in the hour afterwards, who subsequently and quite bizarrely became a colleague and then my boss, was exactly the same. Neither of us went anywhere with it.
Tutors are of course happy to take the money but most likely have to fight their inner monologue screaming at us to say "just bloody practice more!!!"
It's really frustrating at first. Your fingers hurt because you press too hard, you can't stretch for the more complicated chords, you struggle to remember a particular piece. All of this improves the more you play it. If you are only just dipping into it now and again then all of this begins to grate. Just my personal experience, and about 10 million other failed guitarists.
It's only now that I am picking it up every day by consciously making the time to play it that I have started to improve.
Dicky Knee said:
I then started face to face lessons, 1 hour every 2 weeks. The lessons have been great helping with basic things like getting the guitar in a comfortable position for me to play, hand positions, bending, hammering etc. And also learning to play the stuff I want to learn which is mainly 60s and 70s rock/blues. I've been really lucky in getting on well with my tutor which is really important to keep it fun
Can't emphasise all of this enough. Even if it is just a few lessons, my tutor was exactly the same. He would get me playing in time, on the beat, and make little suggestions for improving technique that you just don't get via online tutorials, great as they are. Most lessons tend to be 1-2-1 but I also did a short beginner's group course through my local guitar shop when I was first starting out. That was useful because everyone was in the same boat i.e. pretty terrible .... but willing to improve.
The best resource is you and your music collection. Get a guitar and a tuner, keep it in tune.
Listen to stuff and try to play along - there are a limited number of chords / keys and a formula that many songs follow.
Even just playing single notes along with a song and you'll figure out some of the structure. You have to work at it though, especially if you don't have a good melodic sense.
Listen to stuff and try to play along - there are a limited number of chords / keys and a formula that many songs follow.
Even just playing single notes along with a song and you'll figure out some of the structure. You have to work at it though, especially if you don't have a good melodic sense.
Practice every day, even if it is for just 20 minutes.
You don't need to spend much on a guitar; a decent second-hand acoustic will be perfect. It needs to be set up reasonably well. If the action is too high (that's the height of the strings above the fretboard), then your fingers and hands won't be able to cope.
Loads of great stuff on YouTube to get you going, but in-person lessons are the best way.
Being able to play the guitar and sing enabled me (via 25 years on stage) to visit 70 countries, buy my house, my cars and a tremendous amount of professional satisfaction and fun.
I also burned out, so don't overdo it!
You don't need to spend much on a guitar; a decent second-hand acoustic will be perfect. It needs to be set up reasonably well. If the action is too high (that's the height of the strings above the fretboard), then your fingers and hands won't be able to cope.
Loads of great stuff on YouTube to get you going, but in-person lessons are the best way.
Being able to play the guitar and sing enabled me (via 25 years on stage) to visit 70 countries, buy my house, my cars and a tremendous amount of professional satisfaction and fun.
I also burned out, so don't overdo it!
Having played now for 38 years, I would reiterate other suggestions that regular practice is important. I still set aside a minimum of 30 minutes every evening to play; whether its learning a new tune / brushing up on theory / brushing up on technique / playing stuff for s
ts & giggles. It just "keeps your hands in" as I call it.
As for equipment, the old trope was to begin on acoustic and build from there. The thing is, budget electric guitars these days are so good then I question why make it difficult for yourself trying to muscle your way trying to playi what can be a difficult instrument (I still find acoustic guitar hard work) when a good quality Squier or Yamaha Pacifica can make learning guitar easier and more comfortable.
For what to play, I believe your starting gate is to learn all of the basic chords in the "open" position i.e. at fret #1. So that'll be A / D / G / E / C (B and F will require you to practice barre chords, so just concentrate on the open chords first). Once you can comfortably change between those open chord shapes, have a google for tunes that use their combinations; there will be hundreds if not more.
One more thing - and this is important - never forget that a basic major or minor chord just contains three notes, nothing more. For example:-
A major = A C# E
A minor = A C E
So play A C# E in any combination anywhere on the fretboard and you'll play an A major chord. Same for A minor ( A C E). To find a given note, remember that the guitar is tuned (low to high) E A D G B E. So on the low E, the notes go open E > F > F# > G > G# > A > A# > B > C > C# > D > D# > back to E at the 12th fret. To find all the notes on the open A string, do the same exercise but starting on A.
Finally, as others have mentioned, have a look at justinguitar and martymusic on YT as they both offer great tips for beginners.
ts & giggles. It just "keeps your hands in" as I call it.As for equipment, the old trope was to begin on acoustic and build from there. The thing is, budget electric guitars these days are so good then I question why make it difficult for yourself trying to muscle your way trying to playi what can be a difficult instrument (I still find acoustic guitar hard work) when a good quality Squier or Yamaha Pacifica can make learning guitar easier and more comfortable.
For what to play, I believe your starting gate is to learn all of the basic chords in the "open" position i.e. at fret #1. So that'll be A / D / G / E / C (B and F will require you to practice barre chords, so just concentrate on the open chords first). Once you can comfortably change between those open chord shapes, have a google for tunes that use their combinations; there will be hundreds if not more.
One more thing - and this is important - never forget that a basic major or minor chord just contains three notes, nothing more. For example:-
A major = A C# E
A minor = A C E
So play A C# E in any combination anywhere on the fretboard and you'll play an A major chord. Same for A minor ( A C E). To find a given note, remember that the guitar is tuned (low to high) E A D G B E. So on the low E, the notes go open E > F > F# > G > G# > A > A# > B > C > C# > D > D# > back to E at the 12th fret. To find all the notes on the open A string, do the same exercise but starting on A.
Finally, as others have mentioned, have a look at justinguitar and martymusic on YT as they both offer great tips for beginners.
yep as cherryowen says, learn the basic chords first including the major and minor. with these you can play hundreds of songs. i did hv a handful of lessons but mostly did it myself. you are lucky to have the internet.. when i was a boy etc.,
ive been playing 50+ years. whether you like them or not i found The Shadows useful when i started. lots of basic chords so you can strum along and learn different strumming patterns and simpler lead parts which show you how they fit with the chords.
i play in a covers band doing pop / rock. great fun. i also have far too many guitars and amps
ive been playing 50+ years. whether you like them or not i found The Shadows useful when i started. lots of basic chords so you can strum along and learn different strumming patterns and simpler lead parts which show you how they fit with the chords.
i play in a covers band doing pop / rock. great fun. i also have far too many guitars and amps
Skii said:
Get an electric.
More fun, more versatile, easier to play and much easier to setup for a beginner.
Didn't want to say this but seeing as others have said it - yes get an electric. More "happy accidents" like discovering harmonics, and a billion effects to geek out on if that's your thing. More fun, more versatile, easier to play and much easier to setup for a beginner.
Holding the instrument correctly and getting your arms and hands in the right shape is pretty fundamental, and, in my limited experience, was something that music teachers needed to prompt me to do frequently. And it's a hell of a lot easier to move someone into the right position rather than getting them to look at a picture and then try to mimic it. They're not going to recognise their own mistakes. They won't know what the correct position feels like unless someone puts them in that position and tells them "that's now good. Try to do THAT."
Of course you can make a fair amount of progress in spite of picking up a load of bad habits, but isn't it better to avoid picking up the bad habits in the first place?
Of course you can make a fair amount of progress in spite of picking up a load of bad habits, but isn't it better to avoid picking up the bad habits in the first place?
I used to teach guitar, and a couple of top tips.
Nylon strung (Spanish/Classical) are much easier to play due to wider necks and 'softer' strings. Probably not the sound you're after, but it will help stop the usual sore finger syndrome all new guitarists get (until the pads on the ends of the finders toughen up).
Electric guitar also has strings that are kinder to the fingers, but you'll need an amp. (And probably annoy the neighbours!)
If you do buy a steel strung acoustic, try and get (or replace with) the lightest gauge strings you can. The sound won't be quite a rich/full, but it'll be easier on the fingers.
Many learners give up because the fingers get really sore for the first 50 - 100 hours of playing.
Oh, and the previous post is bang on... sit, hold the guitar on your right thigh (assuming you are right handed) with your left arm at right angle to the neck. Not like you see guitarists on stage!
Good luck.
Nylon strung (Spanish/Classical) are much easier to play due to wider necks and 'softer' strings. Probably not the sound you're after, but it will help stop the usual sore finger syndrome all new guitarists get (until the pads on the ends of the finders toughen up).
Electric guitar also has strings that are kinder to the fingers, but you'll need an amp. (And probably annoy the neighbours!)
If you do buy a steel strung acoustic, try and get (or replace with) the lightest gauge strings you can. The sound won't be quite a rich/full, but it'll be easier on the fingers.
Many learners give up because the fingers get really sore for the first 50 - 100 hours of playing.
Oh, and the previous post is bang on... sit, hold the guitar on your right thigh (assuming you are right handed) with your left arm at right angle to the neck. Not like you see guitarists on stage!
Good luck.
Edited by GetCarter on Wednesday 18th February 12:57
GetCarter said:
Electric guitar also has strings that are kinder to the fingers, but you'll need an amp. (And probably annoy the neighbours!)
You can of course plug headphones into an amp (which is how I avoid being murdered by my family). And then there's this:https://uk.positivegrid.com/products/spark-neo?var...
The game Rocksmith on the Xbox really helped me when I wanted to learn.
You plug a real electric guitar into the xbox and it listens to see if you are playing the notes correctly.
It will have loads of your favourite songs and you start off just playing a few single notes. It senses when you have improved and adds a few more in.
I have to say, this was a much better way to learn.
There will be loads of Youtube videos, but they will be experts.
You plug a real electric guitar into the xbox and it listens to see if you are playing the notes correctly.
It will have loads of your favourite songs and you start off just playing a few single notes. It senses when you have improved and adds a few more in.
I have to say, this was a much better way to learn.
There will be loads of Youtube videos, but they will be experts.
I'm not sure if there's a one-size-fits-all-approach. But I find the first step is to determine if you are adept at playing music by ear, or do it better by reading notes/chords off a sheet. I started learning guitar 32 years ago when I was 15 and I discovered pretty quickly that though I couldn't read a note of music, once I heard a note or chord in a song I was able to replicate it pretty quickly on guitar. I can hear something once now and play it if it's not overly complex.
That kinda determines how you then approach practicing regularly. So try listening to a few easy songs and see if you can replicate the melody on your guitar. It doesn't have to be the full chords, just try going up and down a few strings on single frets.
After that - just make time for it. Daily practice is a must. I have a busy enough life like everyone else, but I rarely go to bed (which means passing my man cave where I keep my guitars) without stepping in for at least a 10 minute strum, if not longer. Asides from helping you to play more naturally, regular practice will also help with the more physical factors of finger dexterity and helping your skin harden on the tips of your fingers so it doesn't hurt to play for extended periods.
That kinda determines how you then approach practicing regularly. So try listening to a few easy songs and see if you can replicate the melody on your guitar. It doesn't have to be the full chords, just try going up and down a few strings on single frets.
After that - just make time for it. Daily practice is a must. I have a busy enough life like everyone else, but I rarely go to bed (which means passing my man cave where I keep my guitars) without stepping in for at least a 10 minute strum, if not longer. Asides from helping you to play more naturally, regular practice will also help with the more physical factors of finger dexterity and helping your skin harden on the tips of your fingers so it doesn't hurt to play for extended periods.
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