The guitar is one of the easiest instruments to play badly, but with practice anyone can learn to play well. Below are some of the most common questions I get asked about learning the guitar.

How quickly will I be able to play songs?
You should be able to play a basic song or two with about three to five hours of practice (over a week or more - not in one go). It probably won't sound perfect, but at least recognizable. How much time it takes you to learn the basics will depend almost totally on how much you practice. This is only a very rough guide but a question that I am often asked. Note that if I give a recommended practice time, say 5 minutes, it means 5 minutes of intense practice, not half watching tv or answering phone calls or whatever. Try to stay focused when you practice, free up when you play "for real".

How often do I need to practice?
If you play fifteen minutes a week, expect it to take at least a year to get the very basics under your fingers. Practice fifteen minutes a day and you will notice that things are getting easier after only a week. There is such a thing as "natural aptitude" so some people learn things faster than others, but perseverance will always prevail. Lots of people who learn slowly at first, learn better and faster in the long run (usually these people are figuring out why they are doing what).

My fingers hurt and have deep grooves in them, should I stop practicing?
Yes, if it is painful at all, then you should take a break. A bit sore is fine, and normal. The grooves in your fingers are quite normal and are just from the strings sitting in the same place under your fingers (which is good). They will toughen up after a short time and you won't notice it at all. If you get any pain in your hand or forearm you should stop straight away and see a doctor if pain persists. Playing should always be fun and enjoyable, not painful.

I only like playing Rock Guitar (or Country Guitar or Jazz or whatever) why do I have to play pop songs and rhythm guitar?
What you should learn when you first start, no matter what style you want to aspire to, is the same basic chords, and developing a sense of rhythm. Any serious guitarist in any style should know all of the things in this first course. Often learning things in one style will help your playing in many other styles.

What is the best way to practice?
The best way (but not always possible) is to try and find a little time to practice every day. It is much better to do 10 minutes a day 6 days a week than an hour practice every Saturday. Aim for daily practice but if it is not possible, try to get in a little time often and then have one main practice time each week. Many of my students have found that playing at the same time (such as straight after dinner, when you first get home after work/school or just before you go to bed) is the best way to develop a consistent routine.

OK then onto the next thing to read for beginners - the acoustic / electric debate...

 

Donate

Please remember to make a donation if you like these lessons, I keep them free because there are many people that can't afford lessons, but it means that I rely on YOU honourable people that can afford it to donate. The beginners courses I run "in the flesh" cost over £200 (US$400) so you get great value if you only donate 20 bucks :) Don't leave it for others. Donations mean I can spend more time making this site even better!! PLEASE DONATE NOW!

 

HELP!!!!

If you need to ask a question about this lesson - there is a topic set up specifically to help you with this lesson. To help you find it easily you can click the following link and it will take you right the topic. You'll be able to see questions that other people had and ask your own questions! Hopefully one of the very helpful members of our community will be there to help you soon, I do go there and answer stuff too - but there are just too many questions for me to answer alone! So click this link to get help with this lesson!