Beginner Guitar Lessons
So, You Want to Learn How to Play Guitar?
In talking with a lot of my non-musical friends about music, it’s not uncommon for me to hear them saying something like, “Oh, I wish I knew how to play guitar. It’s such a cool instrument.”
At my university, all students, regardless of your major, are required to take two applied arts courses. Some will take voice, others piano, and the really weird ones will take theatre (kidding of course!). However, most people take at least one guitar class.
What I’m noticing is that there is just something that draws people to want to play the guitar. I’m not sure if it is because everyone and their mother seems to know how to play and they feel left out, or if it’s because it seems cool. And to be real, playing guitar is a cool thing.
I’m not sure what it is, but if you find yourself drawn to learn how to play guitar, there are a few things to keep in mind before you get yourself into it.
Learning how to play guitar takes work. The truth is that some people are more gifted than others. I know some who picked up guitar and were “pros” in a short period of time. However, this isn’t the most common experience. To be real, learning how to play guitar, or at least learning how to play guitar well, takes devotion, time, and a lot of hard work.
Learning how to play guitar takes persistence and perseverance. As soon as you start learning how to play, your fingers are going to hurt really, really bad. The sound you produce is most likely going to make your own mother weep, and the chick or guy you always wanted to impress is probably going to be embarrassed for you and wonder why you would ever play in public. Someone who really loves playing guitar will press through these roadblocks and not give up!
Learning how to play guitar is fun! It is true that learning how to play guitar takes hard work and perseverance, but it really is fun and rewarding. There is nothing like the feeling of learning how to play one of your favorite songs on guitar. You think, “Wow! All that hard work and discipline really did pay off!”
All to say, if you are still up for learning how to play guitar even after reading all of these things, a great place to start is to get some instruction from an expert.
Unfortunately, local private lessons can be pricey, especially in hard economic times like these. But a great alternative is to look at online guitar lessons. Online guitar lessons are not only a small fraction of the cost, but you get all the material and instruction you need in the convenience and comfort of your own home.
Check out these other helpful articles on the blog if you are wanting to learn how to play guitar:
- Best Guitar Lessons: Review of Online Guitar Lessons
- Buying Your First Acoustic Guitar
- Learning Guitar Strumming Patterns: Guitar Video Lessons
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Tags: guitar lessons, guitar practice, learn guitar, learn how to play guitar, online guitar lessons Discussion
4 comments for “So, You Want to Learn How to Play Guitar?”
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Great posting. As a beginner I like the following: “Learning how to play guitar takes persistence and perseverance” and something that I need to be reminded of.
Great site too.
Good points! Especially your honesty in pointing out that learning to play guitar takes work and persistence. But, this is true of anything worth accomplishing in life. If the beginner keeps at it, the dividends and satisfaction are enormous.
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