| Every newbie guitar player faces the following | | | | following list of questions should help you make a solid |
| question: "What's the absolute best way for me to | | | | decision: |
| learn guitar?" Should you should learn it yourself or hire | | | | 1. How much can I afford to spend on lessons, books, |
| a professional? Which guitar courses are | | | | etc, and how much am I willing to invest to get |
| recommended most often? What about those Internet | | | | started? |
| based guitar training sites? | | | | 2. How do I learn best? For example, can you pick up |
| These are all valid questions because how you learn | | | | concepts easily just by reading about them, or do you |
| to play the guitar is just as important as what you | | | | prefer to have audio and video demonstrations you |
| learn to play. Teaching yourself how to play might | | | | can follow along with? |
| work just fine if you've got a good ear and some | | | | 3. Am I looking to learn a specific style of guitar such |
| previous exposure to music theory or proficiency on | | | | as Classical, Blues or Jazz? You'll still need to learn |
| another instrument. | | | | basic music theory for any style of music, but you |
| If you are a "newbie" to playing any instrument,it would | | | | might want to look for instruction that focuses on |
| be a good idea to get a teacher -- or -- join an online | | | | teaching the theory in one of these contexts. |
| program where you can interact with several teachers | | | | 4. How much time can I allocate to practice? This is |
| as well as fellow students. In fact, I would recommend | | | | very important if you're considering on hiring a guitar |
| finding at least one 'mentor' or a 'study buddy' to learn | | | | teacher. Most teachers will require you to master a |
| with even if you lean towards teaching yourself. | | | | lesson before moving on to the next one. |
| Why? | | | | You'll still be paying for those lessons even when you |
| In short, you learn more and make more progress | | | | aren't making much progress. So, if you're strapped for |
| faster than you would in isolation because you'll be | | | | time, I recommend investing in a home-study or online |
| exposed to alternative ways of thinking about your | | | | couse. This will give you a 24/7 access to the |
| approach to the guitar. Other players can share tips | | | | information you need away from your regular guitar |
| and techniques you have never seen before, as well | | | | lessons. |
| as help you overcome a problem area that they've | | | | 5. How 'good' of a player do I want to be? If guitar is |
| already mastered. | | | | just a hobby for you, then you'll likely do well with just |
| Ultimately, though, the question of how to learn guitar is | | | | about any method of instruction. If you want to go pro |
| up to you and your choice should be guided by | | | | or start a band, though, you should learn from as many |
| consideration of your own unique situation. The | | | | different sources as possible. |
