Essential Tips To Help You Navigate The Beginner Guitar Learning Phase
Introduction
As a beginner guitarist, you may have heard conventional advice such as “practice every day” or “start with simple chords.”
While these tips are valuable, there are also less conventional but equally important lessons to keep in mind as you begin your musical journey.
From recognizing that learning the guitar takes time to find a great teacher and setting achievable goals, these lessons will help set you on the path to success as a guitarist.
Don’t be afraid to challenge the norm and explore these unconventional yet crucial beginner guitar lessons.
Beginner Guitar Lesson 1: Learning Guitar Is Going To Take A Few Years
One of the most important things to understand about learning the guitar is that it takes time. It’s not something you can master overnight.
You should have a long-term approach to your practice and be patient with yourself. It’s important to understand that everyone develops at their own pace.
You may need to work on certain skills for a few months or even a year to get them right, but with persistence and dedication, you’ll get there.
Your Mindset Towards Learning Guitar Is What Matters
What most people do is severely underestimate how long it takes to get comfortable with most of the basics like changing chords and developing smooth fingers.
This is made worse when you listen to professionals on record and wonder why you can’t keep up when the reality is you are comparing where you are after 3 months to where they were after 10 years.
It’s an unfair comparison, so don’t make it!
You will do much better to approach guitar with the mindset that it’s going to take you at least 3-5 years to get really comfortable on the instrument, so don’t give up prematurely.
Beginner Guitar Lesson 2: A Great Guitar Teacher Will Make Everything Easier
A great guitar teacher can make all the difference in your learning process.
A good teacher will give you feedback, help you identify areas you need to work on and create a personalized practice plan that suits your individual needs and goals.
They can also help you stay motivated and make the learning process more enjoyable.
You can find a great teacher by asking for referrals from friends who play guitar, reading online reviews, or looking for a teacher in your local area.
The best way to find a great teacher is to search for “guitar teacher near me” on your favourite browser and then screen the top 5 results to find the teacher who best matches your needs.
Beginner Guitar Lesson 3: Set Goals And Work Towards Them
As a beginner, it’s important to set achievable goals.
This could be learning a new chord progression, playing a new song, or even just getting comfortable with the instrument.
Setting goals helps to keep you motivated and focused. When you reach your goals, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and be motivated to set new goals for yourself.
A great way to set goals is using the SMART Goals system. This is where you set goals that are:
- Specific – where you have a clearly defined outcome in mind.
- Measurable – where you can measure your progress or achievement.
- Achievable – It has to be grounded in reality and something that you can achieve
- Relevant – It needs to be relevant to your long-term goals.
- Time-Based – Putting a deadline on your goals will give you a reason to take action.
Setting goals will allow you to organize your guitar practice and make consistent progress towards your desired outcome.
Bonus Guitar Lesson – How To Find The Best Guitar Teacher In Your Area
The best way to find a great guitar teacher is to ask for referrals from friends who play guitar, reading online reviews, or googling the phrase “guitar teacher near me”.
You can also ask music stores for recommendations, or look for online resources such as guitar forums and online communities.
Make a list of the top 5 candidates and reach out to them via phone or email so that you can get a better idea of how they can help you learn guitar.
When screening a prospective teacher here are some important questions you should ask them:
- Do you offer a free trial lesson?
- What is your approach to guitar teaching?
- How will you help me work towards my long-term guitar-playing goals?
- Why should I study with you over any other guitar teacher in my local area?
Remember, there is so much more to finding a guitar teacher than simply price and location. A good teacher will cost a little more and might require you to travel a little further, but will save you lots of time, money and frustration in the long run.
In Summary
Learning guitar for the first time as a beginner can be challenging, but with the right approach and guidance, you can become a great musician.
Take your time, find a good teacher who can give great beginner guitar lessons, and set achievable goals.
With these three important lessons in mind, you’ll be on your way to a successful and enjoyable guitar-playing journey.
The Most Important Guitar Lesson For Beginners Ever!
One final point – If everybody who wanted to learn guitar decided that they were going to take 5 years of consistent lessons before making the decision to give up, the whole world would be full of great guitar players!
As long as you stick with learning guitar long enough, it’s inevitable that you’ll eventually get good at it.
Never give up, and your dreams of becoming a great guitar player will eventually become reality.
About The Author
Michael Gumley is a professional guitarist, music teacher, and blogger with a passion for helping others learn the guitar.
With over a decade of experience in the music industry, Michael has honed his skills as a guitarist and teacher, and has a wealth of knowledge to share with others. He has a talent for breaking down complex concepts and making them accessible to beginners, and his passion for music and teaching shines through in everything he does.
Whether through his blog posts, guitar lessons, or online tutorials, Michael is dedicated to helping others achieve their musical goals.
If you found this lesson helpful, check out another great beginner guitar lesson on how to play along to your favourite songs here!
You can also view my Youtube Channel for a ton of free guitar lesson videos many of which have great tips for beginner guitar players