Learning to play guitar is not like learning to ride a bike. It isn’t something you will probably be able to pick up with a few lessons in one weekend before you hit the big time. You may be able to learn a few basic chords and rudimentary strum patterns, or pick up a few guitar tricks to make it fun as you progress. Yet like everything worth doing, learning to play guitar takes focused discipline. The great rock guitarist Steve Vai practices ten hours per day. Country star Brad Paisley once said that unless you are a prodigy, you will have to practice for a while being bad before you get any good. Even if you are willing to spend hours and hours through trial-and-error teaching yourself, guitar lessons can help get the basics under your belt faster.
Guitar involves infinite complexity across the fret-board, and even masters of the instrument will tell you they are continually discovering new things. Steve Vai claims that the secret of his success was to set a goal to be achieved every day, however small. His simple goal was to play something new that he had not heard before. As Keith Richards once said, “You’re always learning about this thing every time you pick it up.” This is why it remains one of the most fascinating and challenging instruments to play.
Many online tutorials and practice material are available on and offline. A novice guitarist could probably learn everything they need to know to become proficient by gleaning various online resources and mimicking free online guitar lessons. But some people just perform better if they have some structure. Although ultimately guitar must be learned by understanding it in your own way, a good guitar tutor can guide you through the beginning stages.
Some of the best places to learn guitar online are paid sites. Sites like Guitar Tricks, Jam Play, and Artist Works are consistently rated among the top sites. Prices range between $20 and $35 per month. But a self-directed student may be able to learn a great deal from the many free online guitar lessons like Justin Guitar and Marty Schwartz’ channel. Chord Book offers students a basic understanding of chords patterns. For more cerebral students, StudyGate offers music homework help to understand all the guitar fundamentals, from note and chord identification to playing scales.
Everyone learns guitar at their own pace and in their own way. Luckily, the information age has brought a proliferation of online resources. The difficult part of learning guitar online may be sorting out what works for you because teachers vary as much as musical styles. Some students may have an easier time listening to their favorite songs and playing by ear. Others may find it easier to start by reading music. While learning to play like the best in the business may take time, guitar can bring years of joy and challenge.