How do you teach yourself to play the guitar?

Question

I got an accoustic one for x-mas. I dont know how to play even though I played the first line of Jingle Bells by accident. I CAN'T go to lessons, I've got loads of other stuff to do. How can I teach myself and is it hard?

Answer 1

I used a learn-at-home course and it was both very effective and very inexpensive compared to hiring a guitar teacher. Also, it enabled me to progress at my own pace, practice whenever I had free time.
Best advice i can give you is to go to ReviewsNest.com - the reviews site where i read about the course i bought: http://www.reviewsnest.com/GuitarLessons . They give free reviews for several guitar courses, tell U what to look for in a course, what are the best courses around, and what u get in each course they checked.
I bought the LMG course (their top pick) so i can only vouch for it - I don't know about the other courses. However - the course i bought is excellent, and their review of it was spot-on, and the other reviews on the site look good too. LMG - the course i bought - cost me $200, but the other courses are between $20 ad $40 - much less than learning with a teacher.

Good luck, whatever you choose. When u start playing - you'll love it.
Andy.

Answer 2

As a guitar player, I have been down this road before. Trust me, it will take you longer to try and learn it on your own than it would if you spent one hour a week with a professional teacher who knew EXACTLY what they were doing, and have lessons plans that are designed to teach you all the basics EASILY. Many self-taught books are confusing because they don't explain every little thing, and there are some things you need to know before reading it, but where will you learn it? I strongly urge you to find a teacher who can make this fast and easy for you. One hour a week really isn't much. Then from there on, you can just practice and play around and experiement from what you've learned. Teaching yourself is soo hard and you'll never truly understand all of the elements. I know this from stubborn experience. Chords, strumming, hand/finger positions, timing, pitch, harmony, rhythm, tuning is all so hard and overwhelming to read from a book. LESSONS LESSONS LESSONS =)

Answer 3

the best way to start is strumming chords. Get a book from the library or a music shop and that will show you the basics. Tablature is good as well but chords come first.You will be surprised how many tunes you can strum to with just 3 or 4 simple chords. It is not easy at first but with practice it will come.It is great fun learning.
You could also try guitarnoise.com for simple lessons on line.

Answer 4

ok 4teener...My brother in regulation discovered enjoying. He reads no tablature nor reads the pentagram.. yet nevertheless he performs %. de Lucia{ s and a few thrilling Mozart ideal in his 6 corder.... So i think of you're wayyyyyy off in case you doubt you won't be waiting to play being a piano guy. basically sort "learn Guitar" or "unfastened guitar instructions" on your Google or Yahoo, and there you detect many classes and tactics for enjoying guitar. regarding the device... is trouble-free to decide on. in case you want to play unplugged, as interior the woodland or on the coastline... then overlook regarding the electrical powered one. in case you like amplicication, and consequences,. you would be able to decide on an electric one, and in case you like the two posibilities, basically purchase an electroacustical device, menaing a typical guitar with a microphjone set on its physique... Yamaha has some beatifull ones.... basically bypass on your song shop and ask for a try. I forgot one difficulty: the preliminary tactics to be waiting to make the chords sound in an unmuted way, are extra helpful discovered with a guitar participant in front of you... you will shop hours of attempting while somebody shows you the thank you to place your palms.... is exciting!

Answer 5

Practice. I've never had a single piano lesson, and I am on my way through Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Opus 42, Variation XVIII".
Always practise when you can. Don't over-practise, but keep regularly playing, and you will pick it up.
There's a good reason for practising, and this is because to play the guitar, your brain needs to perform new functions that it will never have done before. It therefore will take longer for it to process and deal with the new information. Once you learn a piece of music (through practice), your brain will have made "shortcuts" and will get used to processing the functions that it needs to process when you play, and it will therefore be quicker and easier for you.

Answer 6

Hi there,
I am sure the best guitar course available online is this one http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=554.

I bught it myself (very affordable btw) and I'm really learning a lot. The site has thousands of videos presented with a step by step approach ideal for beginners (it's also good for intermediate/advanced players)
Best

Answer 7

Look up your favorite songs online, and also look up a guitar chord chart.

Here is a picture that shows how to read a chord:
http://www.guitarprinciples.com/Guitar_Technique/Chord_Songs/Pix/reading%20_chord_diagram.GIF

I think it is easy, but I've always got my dad to help me if I get stuck, so it might be harder if you don't have someone around you can ask.

Good, luck, you're already off to a good start with Jingle Bells!

Answer 8

Just get a book and/or a DVD and start from there. Certain parts of the site www.ultimate-guitar.com would probably be handy also. They have loads of tablature and stuff to download as well. I it was at all possible, one or two lessons with a professional teacher would go a LONG way, especially just getting you started. Other thatn that, practice, practice, practice.

Answer 9

I got a DVD from WH Smith, cost £7.99 and is excellent. There's plenty out there, and I have got up to quite a good level just on that DVD. However, it is good to have just one professional guitar lesson (look in the local paper, you may find people advertising) since if you don't learn to hold the guitar properly it can really make your wrists and knuckles ache. Just one professional lesson will really make the difference and give you good habits, and the DVD takes over from there.

Answer 10

Books and DVD's can help. Once you get the basic fingerings and chords the rest should be just playing it and imitating your favorite artists until you find your own style and make it in the showbizz. Oh it is so much fun to learn to play the guitar... unfortunately I've already learnt it.