thoughts
How Should I Learn To Play Guitar?
It is January, which means there are a lot of people out there with brand new guitars. If it’s your very first guitar you may be wondering “What now?” Should I take lessons? Or have a guitar playing friend show me stuff? Or buy some lesson books or DVDs? Or watch song lessons on YouTube? Or just download TABs?
All these are common methods of learning to play the guitar. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. With so many options for learning guitar it’s easy to choose the wrong one. The first thing you want to do is decide what your goals really are.
If you just want to learn to play song by your favorite bands, TABs may be all you need. You can learn to read TAB in 5 minutes. The rest is just lots of repetition. Of course, with TAB you are learning by rote and not really learning how music works. You are also just mimicking another player which is not very creative. Still TAB is a quick and free (online) way to get started. Another disadvantage of free online TABs is the large amount of wrong TABs. You will probably be spending a lot of time learning songs incorrectly. Of course, if you are willing to spend some money you can buy printed TAB songbooks from reputable publishers and get more accurate versions.
YouTube has endless amounts of videos with people giving guitar and song lessons. However, like free TABs, you have to wade through a lot of bad stuff to find the few good ones. There are reputable publishers and websites offering DVD or downloadable videos if you are willing to spend money. These can be a great way to learn particular songs. Of course you will still need considerable playing skill before you can play many of the songs.
Lesson books are another option. They are fairly inexpensive and often come with audio. The problem with lesson books is you need to be very self-motivated to use them effectively, which most people are not.
The one thing all these methods lack is interaction. You can’t ask a video or a TAB a question. They won’t tell you if you if there are easier ways to finger a chord or series of notes. They can’t adjust their lessons to you.
If you have guitar playing friends they can help you get started and show you some basic stuff, which is great. If your goal is simply to be able to strum through some songs while you sing, a friend or a chord encyclopedia may be all you'll ever need. However, it is a rare friend who will have the patience to continually teach you week after week.
This brings us to my recommended method for learning guitar: guitar lessons from a qualified teacher. I realize there are bad teachers just like there are bad TABs, but if you ask around, hopefully, you should be able to find a good one in your area. And of course, the big disadvantage is the cost. Guitar lessons are expensive. Still, here are the reasons why I think taking lessons is worth the cost and still the best way to learn to play guitar.
Interaction. A good guitar teacher gets to know your strengths and weakness and can tailor lessons for you individually. They continually watch and listen and can point out what you are doing right or wrong and help you improve your playing skill. You can ask questions and get immediate answers.
Knowledge. A good teacher has a wealth of music knowledge and playing experience. You get to tap into this well. They can explain how music works, offer advice, and show you the best way to do things.
Motivation. Knowing that you have a lesson every week is a great motivator to practice. In addition, a teacher will encourage you and praise you when you do well.
Discovering New Music. Many people have very limited tastes in music. A good teacher will introduce you to music and players you may have never discovered on your own. And help you to become a more well-rounded player and musician.
Fun. Making music is fun, and the better you get, the more fun it is. A good teacher will try to mix some fun in with the work. Plus, most guitar teachers frequently play along with their students — so you get to play with a good guitar player every week.
That's my opinion. Of course, the choice is up to you. Whatever you decide, do something. Making music (playing guitar) is a life-long source of enjoyment and satisfaction. Don't let this chance slip away.