How hard is it to learn to play the guitar?

Scorpiousfrank · 09-25-2012, 09:36 PM

I'm self taught. My parents were against it (still are), but then when I showed then I could play a few chords, they quickly left me to my own devices. Learning on your own can be tough.

What you need is a lot of imagination. Without this, you won't be getting anywhere. Quick chord changes call for imagining the next chord you want you play in your mind while you're still playing the current one.

Self taught also means that you tend to rely on power chords more often than other chords. You may find the others too hard and you may not have any motivation. The best cure for this will be to figure out the chords to some song and then check them out with Ultimate Guitar Tabs. Don't go for Guitar Pro. A few of the tabbed ones will be very tough for a beginner.

Another thing to remember is to start easy. Start with C, G, A, D chords. Learn to switch between them quickly.

The other thing you need to keep in mind is that you need to practice. Without that, you'll be getting nowhere. Another thing is that when you're not close to a guitar, imagine playing one, picture the fingering of the chords in your mind and then strum an imaginary guitar.

Each free moment you get could be utilised to practice switching chords. Switching chords should become flesh memory. You shouldn't even think twice about looking down at the fret board to see your finger positions; you should just be able to get it right on the first try.

And last of all, good luck! You'll need it.

Sent from my GT-S5360 using Tapatalk 2

ThisIsMyLove · 09-26-2012, 07:50 AM

If you learn how to read tabs, which should take about 10 minutes then pick an easy song to start with you're on your way. I chose Zombie by The Cranberries and was playing to a decent standard within a couple of months. 2 years on and I was lead in a reasonably successful band. Not one lesson.

Public · 10-20-2012, 07:35 AM

Depending on how you see playing on guitar.

I learnt it by myself through hitting the strings in various ways while listening to it on headphones. Then I found out how to tune it and later tried to play something simple, like grunge music or creating my own stuff (ballades mostly).
It's all about getting a nice grip on your fingers and be organized when hitting the strings.

Then I started recording my ideas and through this I quickly made my first tracks with guitars, which sounded pretty decent.

Isbjørn · 10-20-2012, 12:29 PM

It's not that hard, but you'll have to take the time. Take a guitar course, watch internet tutorials, and take online lessons. I did all of these, and now I'm a decent guitarist. Not on professional level though.

Howard the Duck · 10-21-2012, 06:21 AM

not hard at all, just takes effort

blastingas10 · 10-21-2012, 11:06 AM

Not hard at all? I beg to differ. Sure, it's not rocket science or anything but it's not easy by any means. You're right when it say it takes effort, that's pretty much it. A lot of effort, time, desire and patience. Learning and playing are two different beasts. I can get on YouTube and learn how to play some more difficult songs, but once you want to start writing your own music, that's when you encounter that different beast. There's no much you can do.

Howard the Duck · 10-22-2012, 09:30 AM

try singing - much harder

i'm learning to sing at the moment

The Bullet · 10-23-2012, 07:59 PM

That really boils down to onw simple, basic question: how good do you really want to be?

Spoiler for Long rant that can be summerized in the two sentances below::

If you want to learn how to accompany your singing? Eh, should take two years max with occasional practice. I've seen it done in months. Still, you'll have to throw in that occasional practice.

If you want to really play guitar, it takes a lot longer and takes consistant, focused effort. Maybe it isn't hard as much as it just takes dedication, but if you really have no dedication, you'll throw away your guitar before you can even play like Taylor Swift. Just as a warning. I've seen people ask me to teach them and give up after they can't play a simple song in a week. A basic level does not take long to achieve AT ALL, but people seem to think it takes even less than it does. They think they'll get it one day as opposed to one year. Wrong.

Not to mention that there's some people who simply won't be able to do it just like some people can't whistle, even if they work at it hard and play other instruments well. I've seen that happen, too.

I've been playing for five years, I practice every day, and I usually warm-up my practice sessions by playing the first "Jump In The Fire" (Metallica) solo without making any mistakes (double speed on a very good day, but that's rare.) And, quite frankly, that's nowhere near as impressive as it sounds. I don't consider myself to be anywhere near as good as most people who take it as seriously as I do who I find myself jamming with. I constantly find myself realising I suck more than I thought I did the day before. I know, that relative to my lifetime, five years is a microscopic blip, but that's all I've played so far. I shoot for the skies because, although my life has plenty of time to change and my love for the guitar may change, I love playing and I would love to play for a living some day.

My point is, the better you want to be, the longer it takes. If you want to be at a professional level, that takes no less time than training to be a major league athlete, as I remember a group of three world-renounded jazz musicians, who I won't specify incase someone can track me down based off of their names, telling me and a crowd of about two-hundred other amateur musicians. they basically spent two hours saying "none of you guys play enough, and when you do, you play along to your iTunes instead of going out and forming bands." Unfortunately, that was pretty true of everyone, including me.

Take your pick. The more skill you want, the more time you'll have to put in.

GuitarHeroFan101 · 10-24-2012, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard the Duck

not hard at all, just takes effort

and patience. I actually learned pretty quickly. My friend showed me how to play guitar, and after a couple weeks, I was playing songs like "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Gimmie Three Steps". I can only play parts of songs, though.

Alie · 10-26-2012, 08:45 AM

It was not difficult for me, but I wasn't self taught, my boyfriend tought me... I think if you really want to you'll manage doing it!

09-26-2012, 07:50 AM	#12 (permalink)
ThisIsMyLove Groupie Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Middlesbrough Posts: 22	If you learn how to read tabs, which should take about 10 minutes then pick an easy song to start with you're on your way. I chose Zombie by The Cranberries and was playing to a decent standard within a couple of months. 2 years on and I was lead in a reasonably successful band. Not one lesson. __________________ Sleeping is giving in, no matter what the time is, Sleeping is giving in, so lift those heavy eyelids.

10-20-2012, 07:35 AM	#13 (permalink)
Public Groupie Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: London, England Posts: 7	Depending on how you see playing on guitar. I learnt it by myself through hitting the strings in various ways while listening to it on headphones. Then I found out how to tune it and later tried to play something simple, like grunge music or creating my own stuff (ballades mostly). It's all about getting a nice grip on your fingers and be organized when hitting the strings. Then I started recording my ideas and through this I quickly made my first tracks with guitars, which sounded pretty decent. __________________ [links removed by mod, no advertising please]

10-20-2012, 12:29 PM	#14 (permalink)
Isbjørn cooler commie than elph Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: In a hole, help Posts: 2,811	It's not that hard, but you'll have to take the time. Take a guitar course, watch internet tutorials, and take online lessons. I did all of these, and now I'm a decent guitarist. Not on professional level though. __________________ fast(ml) Hear me play the guitar Look, mom! I got a journal

10-23-2012, 07:59 PM	#18 (permalink)
The Bullet Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 454	That really boils down to onw simple, basic question: how good do you really want to be? Spoiler for Long rant that can be summerized in the two sentances below:: If you want to learn how to accompany your singing? Eh, should take two years max with occasional practice. I've seen it done in months. Still, you'll have to throw in that occasional practice. If you want to really play guitar, it takes a lot longer and takes consistant, focused effort. Maybe it isn't hard as much as it just takes dedication, but if you really have no dedication, you'll throw away your guitar before you can even play like Taylor Swift. Just as a warning. I've seen people ask me to teach them and give up after they can't play a simple song in a week. A basic level does not take long to achieve AT ALL, but people seem to think it takes even less than it does. They think they'll get it one day as opposed to one year. Wrong. Not to mention that there's some people who simply won't be able to do it just like some people can't whistle, even if they work at it hard and play other instruments well. I've seen that happen, too. I've been playing for five years, I practice every day, and I usually warm-up my practice sessions by playing the first "Jump In The Fire" (Metallica) solo without making any mistakes (double speed on a very good day, but that's rare.) And, quite frankly, that's nowhere near as impressive as it sounds. I don't consider myself to be anywhere near as good as most people who take it as seriously as I do who I find myself jamming with. I constantly find myself realising I suck more than I thought I did the day before. I know, that relative to my lifetime, five years is a microscopic blip, but that's all I've played so far. I shoot for the skies because, although my life has plenty of time to change and my love for the guitar may change, I love playing and I would love to play for a living some day. My point is, the better you want to be, the longer it takes. If you want to be at a professional level, that takes no less time than training to be a major league athlete, as I remember a group of three world-renounded jazz musicians, who I won't specify incase someone can track me down based off of their names, telling me and a crowd of about two-hundred other amateur musicians. they basically spent two hours saying "none of you guys play enough, and when you do, you play along to your iTunes instead of going out and forming bands." Unfortunately, that was pretty true of everyone, including me. Take your pick. The more skill you want, the more time you'll have to put in. __________________ http://soundcloud.com/zachary-steuer Last edited by The Bullet; 10-23-2012 at 08:41 PM.

09-25-2012, 09:36 PM	#11 (permalink)
Scorpiousfrank Groupie Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 3	I'm self taught. My parents were against it (still are), but then when I showed then I could play a few chords, they quickly left me to my own devices. Learning on your own can be tough. What you need is a lot of imagination. Without this, you won't be getting anywhere. Quick chord changes call for imagining the next chord you want you play in your mind while you're still playing the current one. Self taught also means that you tend to rely on power chords more often than other chords. You may find the others too hard and you may not have any motivation. The best cure for this will be to figure out the chords to some song and then check them out with Ultimate Guitar Tabs. Don't go for Guitar Pro. A few of the tabbed ones will be very tough for a beginner. Another thing to remember is to start easy. Start with C, G, A, D chords. Learn to switch between them quickly. The other thing you need to keep in mind is that you need to practice. Without that, you'll be getting nowhere. Another thing is that when you're not close to a guitar, imagine playing one, picture the fingering of the chords in your mind and then strum an imaginary guitar. Each free moment you get could be utilised to practice switching chords. Switching chords should become flesh memory. You shouldn't even think twice about looking down at the fret board to see your finger positions; you should just be able to get it right on the first try. And last of all, good luck! You'll need it. Sent from my GT-S5360 using Tapatalk 2

10-21-2012, 11:06 AM	#16 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	Not hard at all? I beg to differ. Sure, it's not rocket science or anything but it's not easy by any means. You're right when it say it takes effort, that's pretty much it. A lot of effort, time, desire and patience. Learning and playing are two different beasts. I can get on YouTube and learn how to play some more difficult songs, but once you want to start writing your own music, that's when you encounter that different beast. There's no much you can do.

10-26-2012, 08:45 AM	#20 (permalink)
Alie Groupie Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 2	It was not difficult for me, but I wasn't self taught, my boyfriend tought me... I think if you really want to you'll manage doing it!