Hi Moms,
I have wanted to learn to play an instrument for as long as I can remember. We got a guitar as a gift a little while ago, and now that I have the time (but not the money) I was hoping to learn to play guitar. Do you guys know of any good books or DVDs which I can use to learn to play guitar without having to take classes or hire an instructor?
Thanks a lot for the advice.
My son learned to play the ukulele from YouTube videos. He's been playing for two years and is pretty decent now. He was also interested in learning to play the guitar and said it's a bit harder.
Good luck!
The Internet is a good resource for you. Look up "guitar instruction" and see what you come up with.
I kept my guitar for decades without being able to get the hang of it (you'll probably have no trouble). Finally I discovered a beginner group class at the community center, and, for a very good price, got a good beginning. I love it now.
First you need a way to tune your guitar. If you don't have a good ear, get a tuner. My daughter simply uses a free tuner app for apple. I'm sure an android has one too.
As far as instructions,if you want free, start with youtube. If you have basic music know how, you should be able to follow the notes. As far as chords, take the time to learn how to read them. It should be simple enough to read and will probably need a lot of practice to learn.
If you have the patience for theory, start there. Most adults skip to chords. Learn the anatomy of your guitar. It makes it easier when you know what a fret is and where the 1st fret starts. A chord chart can show you where your fingers are supposed to lay and what strings to strum.
If you need a book, try Alfred's Basic Guitar Method, complete. You can get it at Amazon.
Have you tried searching the interwebs? There's a lot of information out there, and I'd guess you can find some videos or sites helping you.
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here ya go!
There are apps on the iPad that can help and UTube videos. Look for free Apps like Learn Guitar.
Talent and aptitude play a big part in learning. I could look at these apps all day long and never get anywhere. But my oldest taught himself to play when he was about 14.
Good luck!
Yeah you need to learn a way to tune guitar and there are a number of online guitar sites that offer lessons.
try you tube? try the library for DVd's or books and then if you find one you like you could always buy it somewhere.
if you don't get specific advice here.
One night several years ago, my husband and I were watching American Idol and I mentioned that before I die, I want to learn to play the guitar. Well, to my surprise for Mother's Day that year he bought me a guitar and he had each of our kids write me a song. So sweet! So I decided to try guitar lessons through our city. It was pretty inexpensive so I thought, why not? I had visions in my head of our family sitting around the fire pit singing songs, while I strummed the guitar. Now, previous to this I had never learned to play any instrument, nor did I know how to read music. I have to say, it was one of the most difficult things I've ever tried to do! I was lost in class, couldn't keep up, and I was confused the majority of the time. Needless to say, it became just another stressor in my life when it was supposed to be fun. I finished the class, but I couldn't play even at a beginner level. I can't believe how well kids pick up music when they are younger and I wished I would have learned as a kid too. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you have that natural ability or a background in music, you should do fine. If you go to a music/instrument store, they usually sell books that come with a DVD to learn to play. Good luck!
I taught myself how to play the guitar, but I have a music degree so I was already familiar with chord structure. Definitely check out youtube and google for beginner's instructions and fingering, etc. I found a lot of it to be really helpful with getting started.
I taught myself to play flute. I play clarinet so reading music was already something I could do. The fingerings on the flute were not totally different but the way to place them to produce the notes was often different.
I took time each day I had time and practiced the fingerings and playing the notes. It just takes patience and time to get your body to remember them. The more you do them the more you'll be able to pull them out of your short term memory and the more they'll get into your long term memory.
One day after practicing you'll suddenly find that you can play a song without looking at your fingers or looking at the fingering chart.
Just plan on it taking time and patience.
