Learning the guitar is an art. No two individuals learn it in the same way or at the same pace, but everyone can learn it. Every teacher or guitar guru has their own theories regarding which method is the best way to learn guitar.
Some methods are tried and tested, some a bit more unconventional. I am a self-taught guitarist, and I have been playing for over 10 years at this point. I wouldn’t call myself the best guitarist by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel like I do have some good insights to provide.
In this article, I will tell you guys the “best way to learn guitar” based on my own experiences, plus some expert advice that I have received over the years and the inputs of my students.
BEST WAY TO LEARN GUITAR BEGINNERS GUIDE
1. Learn it yourself (sort of):
Despite my bread and butter being teaching, I have no issues admitting you can absolutely learn to play guitar by yourself. After all, I did it. For the first 2 years of me playing the guitar, I mostly just doodled and noodled around it.
Playing tunes that sound good, no sense of scales, progression, nothing. All that mattered was that it should sound good. I apply that theory still to the songs I make.
Now, that “sort of” part comes in because it is extremely difficult to actually “learn it yourself.” If you can, you are a unicorn, my friend. By learning it yourself, I mean not going to take lessons.
You can obviously look up articles helping you out, and you kind of have to. How will you know what the E-major scale is till someone tells you? You won’t.
YouTube and other platforms
YouTube is a blessing! It is so easy to access numerous guitar lessons for free online now more than ever. Whenever I felt I was stuck in a rut or couldn’t figure something out (like a song or which chord to play next for an original composition), I always resort to looking it up on YouTube.
Remember, there is always some better than you out there, and there’s no shame in that. Be inspired, not intimidated.
2. Get lessons:
Despite me being very happy with my current skill level, I do often wonder how skilled I could have been provided I had chosen to get actual guitar lessons. What you can learn from an experienced teacher, from their skill and wisdom, cannot be described.
The thing is, I have never been a good student. I never liked my teachers. I was restricted to physical classes, and my choices were quite numbered. I had two guitar teachers in my area, that is it.
But the case might be different for you. With the internet, you can find literally 1000s of teachers out there willing to teach you guitar the way you want it, and at a price, you are comfortable with from the comfort of your own home.
Physical classes are becoming a thing of the past. Now, if you decide to get lessons, that is great. If you go to the “learn it yourself route,” here are some steps that you can follow:
Get a guitar
Do not over/under-invest in a guitar. You do not need the costly guitar, but neither should you go for an extremely cheap one unless there is a financial barrier, so make sure to choose a best beginners guitar.
Tuning
Always tune your guitar before playing. A guitar will not sound good if it isn’t in tune, and the sooner you develop the habit of tuning your guitar before playing, the better.
Check out: Guide to know how to tune your guitar.
Finger-Training
Finger training exercises (the left hand for right-handed people and vice versa for lefties) are essential. There are many different types of fretting hand exercises out there that you should practice every day. Yeah, I know, they do get really boring after a while, but they are important.
Once you can comfortably play an exercise, shift to something a bit tougher or modify it yourself to make things a bit more challenging. Keeping pushing yourself.
Theory
Now, full discretion, I never learned theory. I would, however, recommend you do. Learning from my mistakes, there were many situations where knowing theory would have helped me a ton. It is tough, no doubt, but if you start learning it from the very beginning, it won’t seem all that complicated.
There are many books, videos, articles teaching you music theory, and I highly recommend you checking those out if you intend on being a professional or even a semi-professional guitarist.
Practice
The one thing that every teacher, no matter where or how old, will give you is that you must practice every day. You can also use guitar chord practice tool if you are beginner. You need to develop muscle memory, and the only way to develop that is to practice every day. Even if only for half an hour.
Now, it is completely fine if you can’t devote a ton of time or miss a day or 2. Sometimes, I do not play for weeks; it is alright. Just try your best to be consistent during the initial beginner learning phase.
CONCLUSION
The above article was regarding the “best way to learn guitar,” and as I stated, there is no “one” best way to learn guitar. So, I provided you with 2 methods that you can use to start your new hobby. I hope this helped, and thanks for reading!
List of Steps
Gibson is a blogger and reviewer, whose passion is helping people with all the aspects of music through the blog he provides. Also, he is an artist and loves to create his own tunes by purchasing good quality musical tools. With his own experience, he has provided a great list of tools for you in this blog. Seeking the best quality musical tools? Read this blog and end your music thirst!