Starting guitar from scratch? Here's what to know!

So you're starting from scratch? This could well be one of your first ventures into the world of learning guitar online, and just like everyone else who has walked this pathway, there is a lot to learn! Not only is there a lot to learn, but there is also a whole load of information out there on the internet, and that can certainly feel a little overwhelming.

Building a habit of learning

I would like to start by talking a little about why most people don't get too far on their guitar journey before stopping. The sad fact is that many give up in the first month or two of playing. There are so many reasons for this, and truly, if you just at some point decide it's not for you, great - You gave it a good go!

However, if you give up because of frustration or feeling like you should be progressing faster but you're not… (That's a big one btw) then this guidance will help.

Understand this, playing the guitar is a journey. Like any instrument you will get a little better, then plateau, then blast through it, then get better again, then plateau etc etc… Along this journey of ups and downs there will times you'll be motivated, times you won't be motivated and so on. This is simply the way.

So, one of the key things we need to develop as a beginner player is the simply habit of picking up the guitar and playing. Even if it just starts out at just 10 minutes each day, that's great. Come back to the guitar each day, for 10 minutes, no matter how you feel about it, and after 2-3 months of that, you won't be able to go a day without the guitar!

Ok so that might be an oversimplification of building a habit, but you get the idea. Set a time to play each day, and play. Not sure what to play? We'll get to that later on! The most important thing is that you play. If you play, you'll improve! It doesn't actually matter how fast or slowly that happens either, because if you learn to love the process of learning, then that's the joy! Picking up that beautiful instrument and twanging those strings as they gradually form into beautiful sounds! It's absolute magic.

So, if you want to hear me chat a bit more about about this topic, check out this video:

Now I'm in the right mindset, what's next?

Right, next up you need a guitar! You will not get far, without a guitar. Ha! So, incoming epic barrage of "guitars you should get" and "guitars you shouldn't get"… or even "you should spend this much money on your first guitar" or "you shouldn't spend much in your first guitar"… etc. There are a lot of opinions out there, but I'm going to try and make it simple for you by covering the key questions when buying your first guitar.

Q1: Do I need an electric or acoustic?

First, let's define your basic aim at the moment. Do you wish to strum along to your favourite tracks while singing your heart out in your bedroom? Do you plan to become the next David Gilmour? Depending on your basic aim, which might just simply be "I want to do it for fun!", you can make a choice. If your aim is to be the next Hendrix, get an electric. If your aim is to strum along and sing, grab an acoustic.

Perhaps you don't really have an aim? Perhaps right now it's just something you want to try for fun. Brilliant! In that case, what is the music that inspired you to pick up the guitar in the first place? Are all the members in the band playing electric guitars or acoustic? Let that be your guide instead!

Q2: I love (electric / acoustic) but what brand and style should I get?

Let's say you've decided to go for an electric guitar. Awesome! Type electric guitar into google and BOOM… a zillion types of electric guitar to purchase. Well, my personal opinion on this is to get down to a music shop and pick up some guitars. As you're browsing through the shelves, what guitars jump out at you. Which look prettiest or coolest? At the end of the day, you want a guitar that you will be excited to pick up everyday, so grab that one that gives you the feels.

One top tip is to take the advice of the music store owner or assistant. Yes of course they're trying to sell you something, that's their job, but my experience is that they will also play and will want to give you something that works for you.

Q3: How much money should I spend?

Now this is a great question. Remember, "should" is a word I would always be aware of. There is no need for it, as this is your choice, your experience, your guitar journey! When it comes to money, the best answer I can give is, how much have you got to spend?

This is why my point about going into a guitar shop is so important. You need to feel the instrument, chat about it with the people working there, and then make a choice.

My final point on this subject is it will be very worth making sure whatever you buy is "set up" well before leaving the shop. Usually they can do this in house, but sometimes they'll refer you to someone. This means that the guitar will have a good string action (height from string to fretboard) and will stay in tune well.

The most important thing is that you have a piece of gear that inspires you to pick it up, as the focus at the moment is to play regularly. We don't want to be getting too bogged down in gear yet (that's all to come!). If you would like to see a little more info on beginners gear, check this video out:

Now to start learning? What do i do first?

You have a good mindset for learning, you know you'll be building a habit, and you have some gear to get you started! Now it's time to get down and dirty with the actual learning process! So, with a bazillion guitar lessons out there, where do you start? Well, this is where we come in. Let me ask you a few questions first:

Q: Do you like learning self led online lessons, or would you prefer having a tutor in person or via webcam?

I'd say this is the most important initial question, and there are a few things to consider here. Firstly, some students just prefer having that face to face experience and a guide. Having a tutor that they can immediately ask questions to, get to know personally and act as their guide during their guitar journey. I would say, from my experience, this is and will always be the best way to learn guitar. However, there are two key things to note. The first is that it costs a lot more than online lessons. The second is that it relies on you finding a quality teacher.

So, let's deal with the latter first. You may get lucky and find a tutor in your area with a tonne of great reviews and someone you connect with straight away. A great guitar tutor should have experience, be easy to work with, and have a real plan of action to get you to your goals. Your Joe Bloggs tutor down the road that charges £10 a session, who asks you "what songs do you wanna learn" may not be the best bet!

This of course leads to the first point, which is that a quality teacher is going to cost more. With the experience comes charge, and let me tell you, just like in any industry, it's worth the money for the years of experience and knowledge the tutor has built up. So, are you happy to spend £35 - £50 per hour in Europe, or $60-$100 per hour in the US on a tutor? The real top tutors can charge more still (and deservedly so).

Luckily, on this point, we're here to help. At Your Guitar Academy we work with almost 100 pro tutors, who we have interviewed and vetted to make sure that they have the quality you need for your lessons. We can have a chat with you and recommend the ideal tutor for you, either based on your location, or specific goals and aims. No matter where you are in the world we can arrange a trial lesson with one of our incredible tutors and you can take things from there! Head over to https://yourguitaracademy.com/guitar-lessons-locations to see locations and online options!

If it's self-led online lessons, the key is structure.

So let's assume that you've decided to start with online lessons. The obvious benefits are that is a huge amount cheaper, and you can do it in your own time, anytime you like. The immediate con though, as you've probably discovered, is there are so many guitar lessons on YouTube, so many guitar lesson sites, that it's impossible to know where to start.

Well, the main thing you want to look out for is structure and focus. Having a clear path of learning at a beginner stage is absolutely essential. Building that daily habit working through lessons that gradually increase in difficulty, starting from day 1 of your learning, is going to make a huge difference. As I said at the start, many students give up all too quickly, and the main reason for that is getting frustrated because it's too hard. Well, this is likely just because you've started trying to play something that is too high for your current level.

We'll give you that structure you need, and after the 30 lessons you will have developed that habit we're talking about. You'll be able to strum, play chord changes, even play a bit of lead guitar… and all of that then leads onto our next level courses which will continue to build your level. Pretty cool, eh?

The best thing is that we can prove to you this course is amazing before you spend a single penny, as you can get the videos completely free on YouTube. Check out the 30 Day Guitar Beginner Playlist and get started straight away. If you then want to purchase the full course with the write ups, backing tracks, interactive tab, progress tracking etc… you can do so here.

In conclusion

Phew! That was a lot of information! The main thing to pull out of all of that is that I encourage you to pick a course, grab a guitar and just start. Don't overthink the process at this stage. Use our 30 Day Beginner course as your teacher, or find a tutor guide, as you can then let us / them worry about the pathway, the material and focus and structure, and you can just play, enjoy and learn to love the process of learning the guitar!