Okay, so you’ve got your guitar, your amp and a few basic accessories – the only problem now is figuring out how to play the damn thing! There’s almost a limitless number of ways to learn how to play guitar, but the path you choose will depend on a number of factors such as personal ambition, free time, budget, location and many other variables.
You may have all the ambition in the world and be willing to drop $120 an hour for lessons from a god-like tutor, but if you can only spare 30 minutes a week for practice time this method of learning would quickly become frustrating, as well as ridiculously expensive. Conversely, you may have all the free time in the world but no budget for lessons, in which case you might use some of the many free online resources to learn from. This would also become frustrating as you try to figure out which of the many millions of pages/videos to use. A balance must be found to suit your personal needs!
Let’s take a look at some of the most common ways that people learn to play…
A Personal Guitar Tutor
If you have a real burning ambition to become a top-flight guitarist in the shortest time possible then investing in a personal guitar teacher is likely going to be the best option for you. A good tutor will be able to devise a plan specifically designed to get you to where you want to be in the most efficient fashion. When you are spending your hard-earned cash on lessons you will probably feel more motivated to actually sit down and learn the material so that you don’t waste money covering the same lesson during the following session.
Don’t worry if you cannot find a good teacher in your area as many excellent tutors also offer online lessons via web-cam. In fact, if you are willing to shell out the big bucks many highly respected professional musicians offer this service – although you should probably wait until you are a little more advanced!
Choose This Option : If you can devote the time and money and want to advance quickly
DVD/Online Guitar Lessons
Perhaps you don’t have the money to spend on a private teacher, or maybe you’re busy and would much rather work on guitar at your own pace when you have the free time. If you are not in the situation of being able to use a tutor, then DVD/online lessons may be a great choice for you. A high quality video series will still provide you with a structured lesson plan, but the big advantage is that you can chip away at it at your own convenience.
If you are new to guitar and just starting out I would recommend trying to find a DVD ‘course’ which takes you from absolute beginner to an intermediate or even advanced level. You really don’t want to mix and match lessons from different sources in the hopes that you will end up at the right place. Once you’ve learned the basics you can start picking up DVDs which cover individual styles and topics.
Also note that websites such as TrueFire.com offer an online alternative to DVD lessons. Paid website lessons are a little cheaper than DVD lessons due to the lack of tangible materials and shipping costs. However you will need an internet connection to use such services as they usually operate on a subscription basis. I have used TrueFire myself in the past and can highly recommend their platform.
Choose This Option : If you have a limited budget or want to progress at your own pace.
LeftyFretz Learning Resources
You can also help support this website by checking out my very own e-book – Left Handed Guitar Chords. In this book you’ll learn over 300 chords, all displayed in a lefty friendly format.
Download it here. It really helps to keep the site running!
You can find my other online lessons here.
Guitar Instructional Books
I’ve listed a few books below which are all aimed specifically at left handed players.
- Left-Handed Guitar: The Complete Method by Troy Stetina
- Left Handed Guitar Fretboard and Chord Chart Instructional Poster
- Big Left Handed Guitar Chord Book by Richard Moran
Rocksmith
Personally, I’m not a big gamer, but this is a fun option for those of you with a PC or iOS/Android device. Rocksmith is an app that aims to teach you guitar (or bass) through interactive games and lessons. Definitely a great way to inject a little more fun into the learning process.
Rocksmith is currently available for PC, iOS, and Android. Simply sign up for a monthly subscription and away you go! Check out Rocksmith.
Guitar Magazines
Guitar magazines can be a great resource for learning guitar, just make sure you pick one that is aimed at newer players. Taking out a subscription will sometimes come with a free gift, and each magazine will sometimes come with a smaller free gift which is more often than not very useful, i.e picks, strings etc. In addition to the lessons you will also learn about the latest bands, equipment and news. Magazines also cover a wide variety of different genres of music, so they can be a great way of expanding your horizons. Also be sure to check out some of the excellent free online magazines such as Premier Guitar and iGuitar .
Free Online Resources
If you have no budget to spend on lessons, then utilising some of the many free online resources is probably going to be the option that you choose. The danger with going along this route is that there is so much information out there that it is very difficult to know exactly what you should be learning, and so it is easy to become lost and frustrated.
To help out, check out my guide to the best YouTube channels for free guitar lessons for beginners. Here, you will find 14 brilliant YouTube channels with a ton of structured and well-curated beginner-friendly lessons.
You may also enjoy this article – 150+ Beginner Friendly Guitar Songs. Here, I’ve listed a ton of easy songs that you can learn, with links to video lessons and chords.
Choose This Option : If you have a limited or non-existent budget.
Learn by Listening
We really take the internet for granted these days – with a few clicks of the mouse we can unearth an unending supply of lessons, tabs, videos, backing tracks etc. But how did old-school players like Hendrix learn to play? They certainly didn’t download tabs or study on YouTube! These guys learned through trial and error by listening to and copying other artists. And you can do the same – in fact I absolutely recommend it!
By listening to your favorite bands and trying to figure out their songs you will develop a great ear – a fantastic skill to have! If you spend years learning songs from tablature you will never develop the skills needed to transcribe songs by ear. You should try and start figuring out songs by ear as early as possible in order to become a well rounded musician.
Choose This Option : Not an option! Supplement this with your regular learning method of choice.
Social Learning
Surround yourself with other musicians by forming a band as soon as possible. Even if it’s only a once per week jam with a few friends who are also new to their instruments, you will be surprised at how much you can pick up from other people. Most importantly, playing with others is a ton of fun!
Join a guitar forum and participate in the conversations. Generally people on these forums are more than happy to help out new players, and as a result they can be a great place to learn. Seeing what other players are achieving is also a great motivational tool to help spur you on to the next level!
Choose This Option : Not an option! Supplement this with your regular learning method of choice.
That’s All Folks!
Hopefully if you have read through all 9 parts of the ‘Newbie Series’ you should be well on your way to taking your first steps.
If you are still confused, feel free to drop me an email! You’ll find a link to my contact form in the footer below.
Part One : Tips Before You Buy
Part Two : Beginner Electric Guitars
Part Three : Beginner Acoustic Guitars
Part Four : Beginner Bass Guitars
Part Five : Beginner Classical Guitars
Part Six : Amps
Part Seven : Effects
Part Eight : Accessories
Part Nine : Lessons
