Best way to learn guitar for beginners

One thing I might add on learning guitar. I have been playing for close to 40 years. There is no secret way, or magic bullet. It takes thousands of hours to learn to play at any decent level. Some people think they can learn in six months or a year. This is not realistic. I have taught many people to play guitar. I start them on a five year plan. Once they reach five years, they say, "ok I made five years, whats next". I then tell them, "you are now on the life time plan". Most people quit once they realise it takes considerable time and dedication. You never stop learning. Even Eric Clapton still takes guitar lessons. As long as you get enjoyment out of it, you have reached your goal. I will never stop playing, and still play a lot. I have played professionally at different times in my life, but in my opinion, still have a lot to learn. You are never alone if you play guitar.

Thanks muskoka guy, and very well said. Regrettably, those of us - like me - who started late in life don't have "a lifetime" to practice 

msw3113 said:

Another memorable, and easy to learn/play song, was "Gloria" by Them.  Three chords, none barred. 
No matter how bad the band, kids always danced to it.

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Actually there are three barred chords in the solo. High E, D and A with the E played on the 12th fret, the D on the 10th fret and and A on the 9th fret. But the basic song has no barred chords.

I learned by picking up an old Bob Dylan songbook around 1964 plus an old Stella folk guitar. The fretboard was like an aircraft carrier and the stings were like razors.

But, I liked Dylan and knew the songs.

The chords weren't too bad to figure out from the tabs at the top of the musical staffs. Usually three chord progressions, so I'd practice and sing and kept myself amused.

I kept at it and my fingers would get sore, then they finally calloused and I could play longer. After a while, I had more finger strength and could do "the hard chords" which gave me more songs to play.

Graduated to Rolling Stones and Grand Funk Railroad - again, mostly three chord progressions.

Never did bother to learn to play lead guitar as I was pretty happy strumming rhythm guitar and singing.

You get out of it what you put in - being able to play a few tunes around a campfire (Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Blake Shelton, Adele, Moody Blues, Beatles, Elton John  - you get the idea) and having others join in a chorus or laugh when you forget the words is pretty great.

And, if you are stable for a couple of months, sign up for a beginners class - but make sure YOU define how deep you want to go - the last thing I could have put up with was months of theory and repetitious scales. Now that I can finger and play, it could be interesting to play some lead... but I'd have to grow my hair out and polish up my hippie beads and repaint and name my motorhome something special... hmmm...

Remember to have fun and that there is a world of difference between playing a guitar and mastering the instrument.

the last thing I could have put up with was months of theory and repetitious scales. Now that I can finger and play, it could be interesting to play some lead.

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If you want to play lead you better spend some months learning theory and playing scales. That is exactly what lead guitar playing is all about. You can learn lead without those two things but you would probably not be very good and it would take a lot longer.

Coincidentally, I had that same discussion yesterday with someone who thought they could buy a guitar for a relative, and they'd be "playing" in no time. I explained that, if I decided to play lead, I probably don't have enough years left to become any good at it 

Tom said:

Coincidentally, I had that same discussion yesterday with someone who thought they could buy a guitar for a relative, and they'd be "playing" in no time. I explained that, if I decided to play lead, I probably don't have enough years left to become any good at it 

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You could become quite good at playing lead in less than a year if you spent three or four hours a day at it. It is not that hard to play lead. You just have to be able to not become bored with endless scales. Here is a great starter video I was watching yesterday:

https://youtu.be/ZmlGvHmQZH0

Coincidentally I have a new guitar arriving today. And Epiphone Les Paul Jr Special II in blue. I love the looks of my current guitar but it is way too heavy. I went to the local Guitar Center and found one that was a lot lighter. I was not playing guitar very often because the thing hurt my back. I also found my old notebook with my 50 favorite guitar songs from my last band. My New Year's resolution is more guitar.

Thanks Tom. I've watched and subscribed to a number of starter/beginner guitar videos and classes. I came to the conclusion some years ago while learning to play keyboard that, for me, it's a combination of a learning issue and a dexterity issue.

Epiphone Les Paul Jr Special II in blue.

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I saw that online and saw it at a Guitar Center in Columbus yesterday; Nice looking instrument, although I didn't pick it up. I was in GC returning a piece-of-junk mandolin; The only time I've bought an instrument without playing it first. I love their returns policy - 45 days at any GC in the country.

A lot of guitarist claim that inexpensive guitars are just junk. I never pay over $200 for a guitar because I think that expensive guitars are a waste of money. I personally could not tell the difference between this cheap guitar and a very expensive Gibson Les Paul. It feels exactly the same to me. They also claim that expensive guitars sound better. Now that might be true for acoustic guitars but electric guitars do not make any sounds. They produce electro-mechanical vibrations that the amp turns into sounds you can hear. The amp is totally responsible for the sound of an electric guitar and the price of the guitar is meaningless to me.

SeilerBird said:

If you want to play lead you better spend some months learning theory and playing scales. That is exactly what lead guitar playing is all about. You can learn lead without those two things but you would probably not be very good and it would take a lot longer.

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I agree. That's why I said "could have" meaning back when I was first learning to strum some chords I didn't want months of scales and theory. However, now (56 years later), I have the time and patience.

As I said, playing a guitar is different than mastering it. A good lead player understands music rather than repeats a phrase they've heard on the radio.

Playing difficult guitar on cheap guitars is almost impossible. One of the main mistakes I made was not getting a good guitar for a long time at the beginning years. This was mostly due to the fact that I had a young family, and buying an expensive guitar was not a priority. I now have many guitars, including a custom Larrivee acoustic worth approx. 4000 dollars. The reason I bought the Larrivee was I was playing with a lot of other players who had high end Martins, Gibsons, and Taylors. The guitar I was using prior to that was a Takamine. While it was a decent guitar to play and hold tune, it just didn't have the volume to be heard among the other guitars. The ability to play difficult guitar parts is much easier on a high end guitar. Not everyone can afford, or need a high end guitar, but if you can afford it, get the best guitar you can afford. A pretty decent guitar can be had for six or seven hundred dollars, even less if you know what to look for, and buy used. One of the best old guitars that can be had at a reasonable price are the 70s Japanese guitars. They were made of good wood, but were sold at reasonable prices. These include Takamine, Yamaha, and the ever sought after Yamaki deluxe. They can be had for two or three hundred dollars, and play as well as an expensive guitar. If someone is serious about learning guitar, don't try to do it on a hundred dollar guitar. You will get discouraged, and quit because they are hard to play. If you decide to stop playing in the future, you can always resell a good guitar. They seldom ever go down in value.

Playing difficult guitar on cheap guitars is almost impossible.

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That was certainly true many years ago but it is a whole new ball game now with electric guitars. All I have ever owned is cheap guitars except for a Parker Fly, which I sold in six months. I have never had problems learning difficult guitar parts on cheap guitars. There is no reason now why it would be harder on a cheaper guitar.

If the cheap guitar has a truss rod a halfway decent neck it can be made better.  Adjusting the truss rod is extremely easy and won?t harm the guitar. 

I recently adjusted two Taylor?s that were just OK To play and with a little bit of patience made them both so much better I?ve been kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

There are dozens of tutorials on how to do this properly on YouTube.

I cannot even remember the last time I had to adjust a truss rod. Mud is correct, it is very easy and most guitars come with the Allen wrench needed to do the job.

I've used a luthier to adjust the truss rod on my plectrum banjo. He clearly knew what he was doing.

Well the UPS lady finally showed up. I love the guitar. For only $179 it is a killer deal. It is set up just fine and I don't need to adjust the truss rod. It feels good to be rockin and rollin again. I haven't played guitar in a long time and it shows. I suck at pinch harmonics and I really suck at tremolo picking. I am fine with chords though. When I first started playing the guitar the first time I slid my hands down the fretboard the frets felt like high hurdles. After I played it for a while I realized the frets were fine, I was just used to ukulele frets.

I decided to start with a music theory course.
Found a couple of online sites for free lessons.
This one seems pretty useful. https://www.musictheory.net/

Looks pretty good Lars. Great idea.

I have also discovered I cannot tap anymore. I was never very good at tapping to begin with so it will be challenging. Here is a photo collection of every guitar and bass I have ever owned starting with the Sears Silvertone with a built in amplifier that I got for Christmas in 1965.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZUfSQsZENUvjDrVV8

SeilerBird said:

That was certainly true many years ago but it is a whole new ball game now with electric guitars. All I have ever owned is cheap guitars except for a Parker Fly, which I sold in six months. I have never had problems learning difficult guitar parts on cheap guitars. There is no reason now why it would be harder on a cheaper guitar.

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While electrics are more forgiving than acoustics, the space between the strings and the neck are generally less with higher end guitars. The shorter distance to push the strings makes them easier to play. The farther up the neck you go, the harder it is to play on a lesser guitar. If someone is just a chord player, and never plays above the third fret, they may not notice the difference.Not everyone needs an expensive guitar, but if someone sticks with it for a few years, they deserve to at least move up to something more than a cheap one. I did this many years ago, and it hindered my ability to learn. Higher end guitars are easier to play, sound better, hold tune better, and the intonation stays true when you play up the neck. They aren't expensive for no reason, acoustics especially. A $2000 tele is going to play and feel much better than a Mexican $200 tele. To each their own, but I say buy the best guitar you can afford, because there is a difference.