Learning guitar – How long does it take?

How long does it take a complete beginner to learn to play a guitar properly? My pat-ready answer is 'not very long'. For a more detailed one, it depends on what you mean by 'properly'.

There are a few stages of guitar learning that everyone goes through and each one of these relate to different levels of skill. Certain things you will learn quickly and others will take longer. For example, if your final destination is the ability to strum sing-a-long songs on the beach or around the fire you'll reach your goal faster than the guy who wants to play speedy metal solo's.

Here's a breakdown of the stages of guitar learning and the approximate time it might take you to get there.

Playing Basic Chords - This is usually the first benchmark most new players reach: The ability to strum and switch between the basic guitar chords. At this point you don't necessarily have the chords memorized and aren't able to play many songs, but you're managing to fret and strum them. This level can be reached within one week.

Playing easy songs - You've mastered more guitar chords and have been practicing them enough that you've got most of them memorized and are able to strum and switch between them without too much hassle, and without looking at the fretboard when you do. This means you can play songs! This level can be reached in two to three weeks of daily practice, though for many it might be longer.

Playing Barre and Power Chords - We're moving right along and you're advancing to a level where most self-taught guitarists never go. Barre Chords are much more difficult than open chords and learning these takes extra practice and a whole new set of strength in your fretting hand. It's possible to play most barre chords in two months, quicker for some who practice a lot.

Fingerpicking - The ability to pluck individual strings and play simple riffs (short solo pieces on individual strings) is a new skill your strumming hand needs to learn. This can usually be achieved in two to three months if you start to learn and play easy guitar tabs.

Lead Guitar - A Lead guitarist is the person who's got the audience at his beckoning. Playing solo's and using techniques like slurring, sliding and vibratois a whole new set of rules and I'd give it three to four months. This might be way off depending on what kind of music we're talking about - playing acoustic solo's might take less time, but metal solo's will take significantly longer.

The improviser - A guitarist that can improvise riffs and solos in the middle of a live song, has moved from the realm of amateurship to being a semi-pro. Depending on how much talent you have and what your musical background is, this might take anything from six months to a year.

Please note that these time lengths are given as a very broad estimate and aimed at people with little musical experience. If it takes you longer than a week to learn the basic chords, don't get upset. These times are not set in stone and you have to learn and develop at a pace that's natural and comfortable for you!

Leon Potgieter is a musician with many years of live performing experience. His website http://www.pluckandplayguitar.com is the ultimate online portal for absolute beginners wanting a no-fuss, hands-on approach to learning the world's favourite stringed instrument.

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Learn How to Play Songs on the Guitar: Teach Yourself

The guitar can seem like a very intimidating instrument. It’s true that at first it’s difficult, especially since you’ll need finger strength and calluses to be able to play well, and those take time to develop. But with a little time, patience, and dedication, you can easily learn how to play songs on guitar just by using online resources – and never need a real instructor at all.

The first step is to learn each part of the guitar, what its function is, and how exactly sound is produced. You need to know the ins and outs of the instrument itself in order to understand it fully and get the most out of your technique. Having a thorough understanding of the instrument is vital to your progress, and shouldn’t be overlooked even if you’re teaching yourself.

Secondly, you need good instructional materials. There are ebooks, ecourses, private online tutors, videos, and tons of other sources online for teaching yourself guitar. Finding the right teaching resource is very important, since you want to learn proper form and technique – not to mention how to play your favorite songs. Also, consider what kind of guitar you want to learn specifically; are you a classical music fan? If so, you may want to focus on classical guitar techniques.

Practice is also very important. To learn how to play songs on the guitar, you need to spend at least 30 minutes to an hour – ideally every day – practicing basic scales and technical exercises. Once you have the hard part over, you can focus just on playing the songs themselves. You can even start writing your own songs.

Remember, just as with any instrument, learning guitar takes time, patience, and commitment. If you have these things, you will succeed and be able to play your favorite songs on the guitar – probably even sooner than you think.

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With the right instruction, you can easily teach yourself guitar and be playing your favorite songs in just a few minutes. To read a review of one of the best downloadable guitar courses available, visit http://teachyourselftoplayanything.blogspot.com/2009/09/jamorama-downloadable-guitar-lessons.html

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How to Play Acoustic Guitar : How to Learn Guitar Songs by Ear

Using your ear and your knowledge of the guitar and the sounds its strings makes will allow you to play songs from the radio without any music books.Learn more in this free video series. Expert: Tom Smith Bio: Tom Smith has been a singer & musician for 25 years. He has also worked as a part-time music teacher. Filmmaker: joseph wilkins

Play Songs

How do you play songs by ear?

I'm a fan of Keudae on YouTube and she plays all of her songs by ear. I'm in grade two piano (RCM) but I would really like to learn to play songs by ear. If anyone knows how and couold give me some tips, that would be great! Thanks so much.

Generally it comes naturally. It can be learned, but it is pretty difficult and takes a lot of practice. You can get books (maybe the same brand you use for your regular lessons) or look it up on google. You can also ask your piano teacher or the music teacher at your school.

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