Beginning Guitar Lessons: An Essential Guide

If you’re considering beginning guitar lessons, you’re about to embark on the most wonderful journey. Learning guitar is one of THE best things you will ever do in your life.

In this free essential guide you will learn:

  • 4 essential tips to help you begin guitar lessons as quickly as possible.
  • 3 quick and ways to help you find the ultimate guitar teacher.
  • The no1 secret to getting the most out of guitar lessons.

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If you’re thinking about beginning guitar lessons, the first decision you need to make is what format you would like to have lessons in.

The four main formats of guitar lessons are:

  • Real world guitar lessons.
  • YouTube tutorials.
  • Online guitar courses.
  • Self tuition.

Every type of guitar lesson is good and bad in different ways.

The golden rule when beginning guitar lessons is that you pick the lesson format which is going to be most beneficial for you.

We’re going to take you through the pros and cons of each these guitar lessons.

Real World Guitar Lessons – Pros

  • Lessons enhance your guitar progress because you have feedback.
  • Jamming with your guitar tutor is fun.

Real World Guitar Lessons – Cons

  • Lessons aren’t cheap.
  • You may have to travel (far) to find a good teacher.

YouTube Tutorials – Pros

  • YouTube lessons are fun and easy to watch.
  • It’s completely free.

YouTube Tutorials – Cons

  • There are lots of REALLY bad guitar teachers on YouTube. (So, be careful!)
  • YouTube can distract you from practicing the guitar.

beginning guitar lessons

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Online Guitar Courses – Pros

  • Easily accessible, content available for ALL skill levels.
  • Can be played on a variety of media devices, from laptops, phones and tablets

Online Guitar Courses – Cons

  • The teaching content varies in quality. Some is good, some is terrible.
  • If you don’t have good internet connection, it’s not accessible.

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Self Tuition – Pros

  • No pressure, you can learn at your own pace.
  • You can learn anything you want!

Self Tuition – Cons

  • You may teach yourself incorrectly.
  • Motivating yourself can be difficult.

beginning guitar lessons

As you can see, there are LOADS of ways you can learn the guitar. However, the most common way to have guitar lessons is to have a one to one guitar lesson.

To have one to one guitar lessons, you must have a guitar teacher. Here are 3 tips and tricks that will help you find a great guitar teacher.

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Tip #1 Get A Recommendation From A Friend

If you’re beginning guitar lessons, try and ask a friend or colleague if they know of any guitar teachers.

Chances are they may know someone who is the perfect guitar teacher for you.

If you can ask someone who is already having lessons, even better!

Tip #2 Ask Lots of Questions

When you’re looking for a guitar teacher, it’s important to ask your guitar teacher questions.

Try and ask them questions about their teaching methods. Here are a few questions you should ask:

  • What are your teaching methods and approaches to new students?
  • Do you teach a certain style of music?
  • Are you qualified? Do you have a degree in music or other experience?

If they can answer these types of questions confidently, there’s a good chance that they can teach coherently.

If they can’t answer these types of questions confidently, you should avoid that guitar teacher like the plague. Don’t waste your time with bad guitar teachers!

Tip#3 Don’t Settle For The First Guitar Teacher That You Hire

Once you think you’ve found a guitar teacher, don’t be afraid to try a number of different guitar tutors.

The first teacher won’t always be the right teacher for you. It’s important to find a teacher that you can connect with on a musical and personal level.

beginning guitar lessons

How Much Are One To One Guitar Lessons?

Prices of guitar lessons are between $18-$75 per hour. (In the UK this is around £15 – £60 an hour.)

Prices can vary depending on where you are in your country, for example if you live in a large city, lessons are likely to be more expensive than if you lived in the country.

Prices can change depending on how long lessons are. The shorter the lessons, the cheaper it is. The longer the lesson, the more expensive it will be.

However, the vast majority of lessons are between $25/£20 an hour.

To learn more about the cost of guitar lessons go here: How much are guitar lessons?

4 Essential Tips If You’re Beginning Guitar Lessons..

Here are a few must-know tips if you want to begin guitar lessons. These tips will help you and your guitar teacher get the most out of the lessons.

Tip #1 Be Clear On What Style of Music You Want To Learn

When beginning guitar lessons, be clear on what style of music you want to learn.

There are SO many genres of music out there such as:

  • Rock.
  • Blues.
  • Country.
  • Metal.

Make sure when you’re thinking about what genre you want to learn, that it’s something that you will enjoy.

For genre specific lessons, go here:

Tip #2 Be Clear On The Type of Guitarist You Want To Become

There are hundreds of different types of guitarists out there from songwriters, to shred gods and blues virtuosos!

When beginning guitar lessons, try and think of what type of guitarist would you like to become.

beginning guitar lessons

Tip #3 Be Clear On Your Goals

When you’re beginning guitar lessons, it’s important to be clear on your goals.

Your goals could be anything from:

  • Playing at a local open mic.
  • Learning 10 of your favourite songs.
  • To learn how to play lead guitar.

It’s important to have goals, as this affects what you learn on the guitar.

If you’re an intermediate guitarist, try think about what areas of your guitar playing need improving.

The four main areas of guitar playing can be broken up into four quarters. They are:

  • Chords
  • Scales and lead guitar playing.
  • Strumming and rhythmic techniques.
  • Music theory.

To learn about each of these essential topics, go here: Guitar Tutorial – The Ultimate Guide

You may find that if you’re an intermediate guitarist, you’re chords may be great, but your lead guitar playing isn’t.

To improve your guitar playing, it’s important to practice the techniques that you’re not good at.

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