If you’re ready and serious about learning how to play a guitar, there are some important things you need to know before you begin. Just follow these five tips for getting started and it will make learning how to play a guitar so much easier.

Tip #1
One of the most important factors in your success, as you begin to learn how to play a guitar is buying a reasonably priced high quality guitar! The reason why this is so important is because saving a few bucks on a cheap guitar will make learning sooooo much more difficult. Buying a cheap guitar when starting out is one of two “main reasons” that people give up! If you don’t get a “good” guitar when you start out, then you run the risk of buying another one fairly quickly, or you might even give up before you really get going!

Tip #2
Another major consideration when you are first learning how to play is that you must get quality instruction. It’s critical that you don’t sign up for just any old online guitar course. Anyone can put a Web Site and hype it to the max even if their product is worthless. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really great courses of instruction on the Web. It used to be that if you wanted to learn how to play a guitar, your only choice was to get personal “one on one” instruction and that was expensive. Today you can get instruction from some of the greatest guitar teachers in the world for a small amount of money – if you know who they are and how to find them. So, if you make sure that you get quality instruction, then your efforts will be rewarded much more quickly and you won’t need to unlearn bad habits later.

Tip #3
You don’t have to have to be able to read music in order to learn how to play a guitar – but it sure helps. One advantage of being able to read music helps you to communicate with other musicians – for instance, in a band. Fortunately for you the guitar has its own “shorthand version” of tabular notation. All you need to do is learn tab and you will be miles ahead in the game. All quality guitar instruction teaches you how to read music.

Tip #4
Two of the first things you must master are 1) tuning your guitar, and 2) strumming and applying rhythm. Getting an inexpensive “electronic guitar tuner” and metronome will speed your learning of these required techniques. Having these devices are not mandatory, but they will make your life and guitar study much more practical and satisfying. Instead of complicating your life while learning how to play a guitar, I recommend that you get these useful devices.

Tip #5
The most important ingredient in your recipe for success in playing the guitar is YOU! If you are strong willed enough to practice at least 30 minutes per day (no matter how much your fingers hurt) come rain or shine, if you are able to focus on correct form and technique then you can overcome any other obstacles.

Are you ready? Following these five tips will ensure your success as a guitar player. It goes without saying that the effort you put in to this endeavor will determine how far you go and how fast. The tips above are relevant for the casual guitar player as well as the aspiring Guitar Hero of the Future.

So, get prepared to play the guitar by checking out the links to articles, training and equipment on the left of this page!